The Neighbourhood Justice Centre now proudly flies the Rainbow Flag.
NJC staff raised the flag on 30 August as part of its recognition of Wear It Purple Day, which shines a light on the ongoing trauma young LGBTQIA+ face in Australia and around the globe.
NJC General Manager Rachel Powning says raising the flag conveys a powerful message that the NJC is a place where queer, sexual and gender identities are understood, respected and celebrated.
“LGBTI young people aged 16 to 27 are five times more likely to attempt suicide; transgender people are nearly eleven times more likely to do so.
Lesbian, gay and bisexual people are nearly six times more likely to meet the criteria for a depressive episode, and nearly three times more likely to diagnosed with depression in their lifetime.
The prevalence of anxiety and other mental health issues is also high. And this is compounded by high levels of bullying and abuse. Every statistic is a living, breathing young person.
Pinning a flag to wall seems innocuous, but that metre square of fabric represents how far we’ve come as an inclusive, caring society and how far we have yet to go.
Our Rainbow Flag is our way of signally a better future for LGBTQIA+ Australians.”
NCJ celebrated the flag raising, and reflected on the global stories of heartache and resilience that underpins Wear it Purple Day
A big thanks goes to NJC’s LGBTI Family Violence Practitioners and Family Violence Partnerships Coordinator for raising the issues and the flag.