By Mikayla van Loon
Providing a safe, welcoming environment for people with autism to connect is incredibly important but more so for those who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community as well.
Different Journeys executive officer Mel Spencer said the intersectionality of being neuro-diverse and queer is often more prominant than people think.
“Up to 70 per cent of our community identify as part of the LBGTQIA+ community, so it’s pretty significant within the neurodivergent community,” she said.
For people on the autism spectrum, Ms Spencer said much of the time they look for opportunities to “find their tribe” and be surrounded by people who understand their differences.
While Different Journeys provides a number of regular programs for young and old, its first LGBTQIA+ events will be happening in Lilydale over the next two weeks.
With funding from the Lilydale Revitalisation Project, Ms Spencer said Different Journeys was able to organise both an adult and teen event.
Guiding the whole process has been two queer mentors to ensure the events will be as comfortable as possible for those in attendance.
“It’s about physical safety and psychological safety. A lot of people in our community have been shunned or rejected. The statistics are there about poor education opportunities, poor mental health, they’ve got one of the highest rates of suicide ideation,” Ms Spencer said.
“Then we compound that when they’re in two minority groups and that trauma has an impact, so they no longer feel safe to go out.”
In offering a dedicated space, that is private from the rest of the world, where lights may have been dimmed and the radio turned off, Ms Spencer said it creates a calm that may otherwise prevent someone from meeting new people and making connections.
Ms Spencer said it also takes away the question of “where do we go to find other people who are just like us, to normalise our experiences.”
“Who are not going to care if I don’t want to talk to anyone. It’s about really changing the landscape. The goal might be just to get out of the house and if they sit and talk to no one, that is still a success.
“The goal might be to actually talk to one person instead of the whole room. It’s about acceptance, unconditional acceptance.”
Although each person who attends, whether teen or adult, will have a different individual goal, Ms Spencer said she hopes people walk away feeling positive about social interaction.
“[I hope they walk away] feeling empowered that they’re not alone and there’s other people they can tap in and out of as they need.
“And sometimes the school yard or workplace can be terribly overwhelming because they’re not getting their needs met but knowing there’s people in their corner because when someone’s in your corner, anything’s possible and you know people believe in you and have got your back.”
The adult event will be held on Thursday 14 July for dinner at the Fountains Restaurant at Lilydale’s Box Hill TAFE campus beginning at 6pm. To book, go to www.trybooking.com/BZMQM
The teen event will be offering fries and a monster shake from Lilydale’s Brewlab – Mr Ristretto on Saturday 23 July from 2.30pm. To book, go to www.trybooking.com/CAARJ
A cost is involved in both events.
“They need to know it’s safe, there’s no pressure and all they can do is come and try and sometimes that’s the first step.”
