10 minute read

The Western Sydney Recovery College’s Manager Jayke Burgess is passionate about human rights and social justice. Through the College’s LGBTIQA+ Inclusivity course, he has an opportunity to help people from all walks of life to make the spaces they live and work in safer and more inclusive for LGBTIQA+ people.

“Most people don’t want to be hurtful and it gives them an opportunity to explore things they’ve heard and find out more,” he said.

Delivered by One Door Mental Health, the Western Sydney Recovery College is part of an international model that bridges the gap between mental health services and education. The College is primarily designed for people with mental health challenges but also provides psychoeducation for the broader community. All workshops & programs are co-designed and co-delivered by specialist educators and peer educators with lived experience.

 “The biggest thing we encounter is not discrimination, it’s more that it’s not going to be considered that LGBTIQA+ and especially trans people are at risk in a place like a hospital,” Jayke said.

“I was in hospital once and a specialist outed me as a trans man to the whole ward. They meant well and were wanting to show that they were supportive, but the ward was full of pretty rough looking men and it left me feeling pretty vulnerable.

“I wrote to them about it afterwards and to their credit the hospital followed up by educating their whole surgical team and they now run a dedicated LGBTIQA+ specific service.”

We challenge the idea that difference in opinion means a difference in how we respect or treat someone...

The Recovery College now gets many health professionals enrolling, along with police, firefighters and prison guards. They all can have a vital role to play in keeping LGBTIQA+ people safe.

“If I was arrested tomorrow, as a trans man I would be sent to a women’s prison. I know how unsafe I would be in a men’s prison so that works for me, but for trans women who are sent to a men’s prison, the situation is frightening and dangerous,” Jayke said.

“Last year we delivered training to a variety of service providers, including 40 prison guards,” Jayke said. “That wasn’t a group from the one prison by the way – we never have more than three people from the same place in our courses as they tend to take over.” 

Jayke said the prison guards generally started the sessions with their arms folded but soon relaxed. “I get it, looking tough and on the defensive comes with the job for them – but we have had some amazing feedback from them after the course about it challenging their preconceptions.”

“Its great to see people like firefighters, police and others coming in off their own bat to learn more about LGBTIQA safety and inclusion. Sometimes it’s something that’s happened at work that’s inspired them to come along.”

The LGBTIQA+ courses also attract parents and other carers of a family member who has mental health challenges and is LGBTIQA+. “Parents and carers can be better at dealing with one than the other,” Jayke said.

Along with the Inclusivity training, the Recovery College offers a self advocacy course that helps people with mental health challenges who are LGBTIQA+ to be able to advocate for their safety and their rights, like Jayke did in hospital. An advanced advocacy course is also offered, for people who want to become advocates for their broader community. 

Jayke said training of this kind is becoming more important, as the pendulum has swung in recent years to right wing populism and its playbook of targeting minorities and marginalised groups, especially trans people.

“Pride Month means a lot to me. I grew up in a Hillsong family and went to a tiny Pentacostal school, so it was a very conservative and unaccepting environment. And now I see and feel it becoming more unsafe again out there.”

“I work remotely from Darwin and the new NT government has just made a point of removing all rainbow flags from their press conferences, hospital and other public venues. All of that public posturing has a roll-on effect in the street and the school playground, The reality is we are more likely to be attacked than we were a few years ago. I get more toxic social media comments now than I ever did.”

Jayke attributes part of the Recovery College’s success in engaging with its diverse community to creating a safe space of mutual respect.

“We provide training to a lot of CALD (culturally and linguistically different) and multicultural services and, as you’d expect, religious doctrine can feature heavily. I always say we aren’t here to change your mind or your religious views. if your beliefs think being gay or trans is wrong – I will treat you the same whether I agree with your views or your identity and we just ask the same in return. We challenge the idea that difference in opinion means a difference in how we respect or treat someone and that’s an eye-opener for so many people.”

Find out more about Western Sydney Recovery College and Mind Recovery College courses.