Cancer Council NSW aims to improve the way the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI) communities access support services for people affected by cancer.
Our supportive care programs take a more inclusive approach.
We understand that LGBTQI people diagnosed with cancer have unique issues and concerns, and our support services are committed to meeting these needs in a sensitive way.
The first step is to ensure there is fairer access to health services and improved health outcomes for LGBTQI communities across NSW.
With a 3-year financial assistance grant from the AURORA Group, we’ve been able to:
Work with academics, researchers and consumers to develop two LGBTQI webinars
Develop this dedicated LGBTQI webpage.
Out With Cancer Research Study
Cancer Council NSW is involved in an international study that focuses on LGBTQI communities and their experiences of cancer and cancer care.
The study also looks at the experiences of people who have cared for a LGBTQI person with cancer.
Results from the Out With Cancer Research Study will be used to develop better information and support for LGBTQI people with cancer, and their carers.
“Our first date never ended,” says John-Paul Gilius of the first time he met his soulmate, John Murphy.
And that beautiful first date would still be going, if the cruel hand of pancreatic cancer hadn’t taken John away far too soon, barely four years later.
Two of the support programs referred to in the final slide of this webinar are no longer active, please call 13 11 20 for alternative choices of support.
Resources for lesbian, bisexual, queer and/or questioning women
Support Groups Currently there are no dedicated cancer support groups for same sex attracted women active in NSW. The Cancer Council Information and Support Data base provides information on all support groups across NSW. Please contact Sally Carveth sallyc@nswcc.org.au or Kim Pearce kimp@nswcc.org.au to discuss the purpose of groups, which may reflect more inclusive support groups.
#TalkTouchTest is an ongoing breast health campaign from ACON for all LBQ women and the broader LGBTQI communities. For more on this, see The Inner Circle.
Resources for LGBTQI people and communities
QLife is a national, free, confidential LGBTQI phone and webchat service, open 3pm to midnight every day of the year. You can talk to a peer counsellor for LGBTQI-specific support, information and referrals, including for people with cancer. Webchat: qlife.org.au | Phone: 1800 184 527
Genders, Bodies, and Relationships Passport This document provides a single place to record critical information about your health, with a focus on your gender, body, and relationships. It is available to anyone who wishes to ensure that their genders, bodies, and relationships are respected in interactions with health and social care services, and is ideal for intersex, trans, and/or gender diverse people.
We can connect you with LGBTQI support services and support groups across NSW.
Call us on 13 11 20 | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm or leave a message, and one of our specialist health professionals will contact you on the next business day.
A translator service is available for languages other than English. Call: 13 14 50.
Cancer Connect
Cancer Connect provides one-to-one telephone peer support for people affected by cancer.
Our service supports people who identify as same-sex attracted by matching you with a trained volunteer who shares similar experiences. Our matches are based on the cancer type, age, lifestyle and interests.
If you are affected by cancer, this unique relationship can help support you, reduce your levels of distress, and give you good coping strategies.
Talking with people who are going through similar experiences to you can be comforting – you can get the support and information you need in a safe space, and this may even help you get a sense of normality in your life. The groups are structured to assist patients, families and carers inclusive of their gender or cultural identity.
The Online Community is a safe space where you can talk about your experiences with cancer, and share tips and strategies on how to cope with the challenges you, and your family, may face both during and after cancer treatment.
