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DefencePride500

Defence Pride, an employee network to support LGBTI personnel was launched by the Department of Defence at the Military Pride Ball on Saturday.

Vice Chief of the Defence Force Vice Admiral Ray Griggs said that the Defence Pride Network was an important initiative for evolving Defence Culture.

"I am proud of the contributions that LGBTI people make to Defence and I am proud to be in an organisation that has a senior leadership so committed to inclusion and diversity – we will continue to work hard on this," said Griggs

International collaboration on best practices for LGBTI personnel gathers momentum as armed forces around the world seek to learn from one another.

The group called "Armed Forces Pride" that collaborates via Facebook is shaping up to be the forum that will connect military LGBTI equality, diversity and inclusion networks from around the globe.

The group had it’s first international conference in 2009. The coalition of the willing consisted back then of the following 5 countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom.

2015 10 10 HoldingTheMan

DEFGLIS members attended the exclusive World Premiere of Holding the Man courtesy of PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) at the State Theatre in Sydney.

Based off the book Holding the Man by Timothy Conigrave, the true story follows the lives of Tim and his life partner John Caleo. It was love at first sight for Tim, a high school student at Melbourne’s Catholic Xavier College, when he first laid eyes on John, the Captain of the AFL team.

The relationship would span the next 15 years until the untimely death of john to HIV and then later Tim. As with all relationships there were highs and lows, Conigrave explores these facets throughout the text, highlighting intimacy, temptations, enticement, devastation and heartbreak.

2015 07 09 DVA Transition and Wellbeing

Critical research by the Departments of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and the Department of Defence is set to identify and scrutinise the impact of military service to current, ex-serving and family members within the Defence community.

Defence is collaborating with the DVA to conduct the Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme with data collection which commenced in June 2015. 

The Transition and Wellbeing Research Programme is the largest and most comprehensive study undertaken in Australia to examine the impact of military service on the mental, physical and social health of serving and ex-serving ADF members and their families. The programme was first announced by the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs on 11 June 2014 and has received approval from the Service Chiefs. 

2015 06 19 Curtin

Newly appointed Defence Director Diversity Nikki Curtin is passionate about Defence achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Mrs Curtin will be directing the Centre for Diversity Expertise, and responsible for delivering initiatives that evolve Defence into an inclusive and progressive organisation that maximises capability by capitalising on a diverse workforce.

"I am passionate about Defence achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce and am motivated by the initiatives, development of programs and positive changes that continue to influence our organisational culture," said Mrs Curtin.

  1. Human Rights Commission: LGBTI people face unjust state-sanctioned discrimination
  2. USA: American Medical Association finds no medically valid reason to ban trans* military
  3. Australian Defence Force Academy moves to make extraordinary just ordinary
  4. Defence top LGBTI public sector employer