Coming Out Proud Program

The Coming Out Proud Program

The Coming Out Proud (COP) Program was established by The League of Gentlefellows (LoG) Tasmania with the following aim:

To provide strategies that will enable Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgender and Intersex people in each region of the State to
"come out with pride" and live in their community with dignity
as fully respected and participating members.

LoG members have observed that, in the past, many young and some older GLBTI people in Tasmania have had to leave the regions in which they live because of local prejudice; some have even suicided or attempted to do so. They have also observed that prejudice still exists against GLBTI people in Tasmania. The League offers its support to the development and implementation of the COP Program to ameliorate this situation locally. While members of each local LoG Chapter sponsor and support the COP Program in their region, LoG members do not run the program exclusively.

An independent Community Liaison Committee (CLC) is set up to manage the program locally in partnership with other GLBTI organisations and State and Local Government agencies. The program in each region is then run in accordance with a locally-developed management plan. LoG envisages that in future other organisations will also initiate and fund Community Liaison Committees to implement the program.

The COP Program is co-ordinated at State level by a Program Steering Committee, comprised of the State Coordinators of LoG, the Chairs of the Community Liaison Committees and the COP representatives on Departmental GLBTI Reference Groups.

You can download a brochure (PDF, 668KB) about the COP Program by clicking here. Please note that the brochure contains a form which will enable online completion and that that facility is not yet operational - please use the form on the Contact Us page instead. You can also download a poster for the COP Program (PDF, 415KB) by clicking here. For answers to frequently-asked questions about the COP Program, click here.

Program Objectives

To achieve equality of access and respect within each regional community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) people.
To support each regional community to create a climate where GLBTI people are able to be accepted and celebrated as full, contributing and proud members of the general community.
To support the operation of the Tasmanian Council for Sexual and Gender Diverse People, which has regional representation from the Community Liaison Committees. The Council coordinates consultation, initiates support and is generally responsible for representing the GLBTI Community in Tasmania at State and National levels.

Proposed Program Outcomes

Local GLBTI communities identify their full diversity, including the particular support needs of certain members (e.g. young people, older persons, indigenous, ethnic, parents) and implement strategies to ensure appropriate services are provided to enable them to live as fully participating members of the general community.
Government and community organisations in the regions have active programs/strategies in place to ensure respect for members of the GLBTI community as fully participating members of the general community.
GLBTI organisations are fully operational in the regions.

Coming Out Proud Trust

A COPP Trust has been established with the following aim:

To grow a capital investment base to finance social, wellbeing and enterprise initiatives that will assist sexual and gender diverse people (rainbow people) in Tasmania’s regional communities to ‘come out with pride’ and live in their community with dignity as fully respected and participating members.

A document (PDF, 79KB) describing the Trust can be downloaded by clicking here. A document (PDF, 61KB) advising the January 2009 allocations from the Trust can be downloaded by clicking here.

A form for making applications for small grants can be downloaded by clicking here. Please address enquiries about the COP Trust to Ashley Mathews: ashley@logtas.org

Outright Youth

The intent of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) community in establishing the Outright Youth program (OY) is simply to provide for strategies that will allow young GLBTI people (12-25) in the Tasmanian regions to ‘come out with pride’ and live in their community with dignity as fully respected and participating members.

OY works at local/regional levels through the Coming Out Proud Program (COPP) Community Liaison Committees and at State level through the Tasmanian Council for Sexual & Gender Diverse People Inc. (TCS&GDP). Regions include Greater Hobart, Kingborough/Huon, Greater Launceston/ East Coast, Cradle Coast (North West/West Coast). OY maintains an GLBTI youth agenda in these forums, and you can download a brochure (PDF, 201KB) about OY by clicking here.

How OY works at the Local Level
The Outright Youth program in each region is operated in accordance with a locally developed COPP Management Plan. Outright Youth comprises a significant part of the local/regional Management Plan as follows:

Making Tasmania a safer place for the youth of the GLBTI community to ‘come out’ with dignity and pride;
Working with schools and youth organisations on lowering the amount of bullying of GLBTI people using the Elizabeth College GLBTi Network model;
OY has iniated a program using the specially designed toolkit and cultural awareness package, Not Round Here, with all schools and Polytechnics to identify teachers and social workers who will be able to help GLBTI students when they’re in need of help at school or college;
A commitment in all schools and youth organisations to invest in GLBTI “Peer Youth Leaders” who can work with teachers and other professionals to ensure a safe and positive environment that acknowlledges, respects and celebrates diversity; and
Creating social opportunities and events to allow young sexually and gender diverse people to celebrate in a safe and welcoming environment.

How OY works at the State Level
Through the Tasmanian Council For Sexual & Gender Diverse People Inc., as follows:

Establishing funds through the COPP Trust to support administrative and volunteer finance;
Consultation and coordination with Tasmania’s GLBTI communities, government organisations and youth-oriented organisations will provide for more appropriate, effective and efficient assessment of needs and issues for sexual and gender diverse young people;
A voice on the State Government GLBTI Reference Group;
Working with TasCAHRD, Working It Out and mainstream youth-oriented organisations.

Participation in the broader community will improve as the unique skills and attributes of young members of GLBTI communities are enabled to come into play at the local, regional and state level.

Strategic Partnership with Gay and Lesbian Switchboard

The Coming Out Proud Program has formed a strategic partnership with the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard Victoria . This is a free counselling service operated by trained volunteers that Tasmanians can access via the Freecall number 1800 184 527. A press release issued by the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard can be accessed by clicking here.