National anti-depression organisation Beyond Blue has committed to improving its services for gay, lesbian and bisexual Australians.
Speaking with GayTAS after Fairfax newpapers highlighted the organisation has knocked back repeated funding requests to support depressed young people struggling with their sexuality, Beyond Blue chief executive Leonie Young said gay and lesbian issues were now top of the agenda.
“It’s a priority for us in this two year period, so that’s for the rest of 09 and 2010.”
Young said research commissioned by Beyond Blue into depression among gay, lesbian and bisexual Australians found that approximately 30 per cent suffered from depression and anxiety compared with between 4 and 14 per cent of heterosexuals.
“We identified that we needed to do the scoping study which we did undertake with Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society,” Young said.
“As a result of the study we have just refreshed our website for Youth Beyond Blue, which is dedicated to gay, lesbian and bisexual youth.
“We are definitely going to do more as a result of the study. We will commission further research which will aim to improve prevention, detection, diagnoses and treatment of mental health problems and reduce the associated stigma and we look forward to doing that with those who share our interest in it.”
Young said any suggestion that Beyond Blue was homophobic was “incorrect”.
When asked why GLBTI rural youth support group WayOut was unsuccessful in its funding request Young said: “That’s probably because their research application didn’t meet the merit standard, but we do offer support to those who aren’t successful to better understand how they can better present their application next time.”
Beyond Blue's latest commitment comes amid the continuing legal wrangle between activist Gary Burns and Beyond Blue chairman Jeff Kennett. Kennett last year outraged the LGBT community when he supported the sacking of a bisexual football trainer, saying “It's the same if you have a pedophile there as a masseur, right?”
Burns filed a complaint with the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board and intends to sue unless Kennett apologises to the LGBT community.
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