June Is Pride Month: Support These LGBTQI+ Community Organisations Today and Everyday

For the sixth year in a row, POPSUGAR is dedicating the month of June to recognising LGBTQIA+ voices, having honest conversations about sexuality and gender, and honouring individuality, through first-person interviews and allyship guidance. The POPSUGAR team is sharing these stories throughout the month, so be sure to find all our pieces here.

Every year, in June, we celebrate Pride Month. For the uninitiated, who may be seeing the corporate rainbows everywhere and wondering what exactly Pride Month is, it’s a month that (according to UN Youth Australia) “celebrates the diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community” — those who fall under the queer umbrella.

It’s also, says the same website, “a time to reflect on just how far civil rights have progressed in half a century, and an opportunity to protest discrimination and violence.”

The month also aims to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots that occurred in 1969, where members of the LGBT community organised a series of spontaneous demonstrations against an unannounced police raid where there were multiple incidences of police brutality.

Although equality and inclusion for LGBTQI+ people have advanced in the past half-century, there is more to be done, both collectively and individually.

Whether you’re LGBTQI+ or an ally, there are ways you can support organisations, whether through limited-edition fashion collaborations — wear your heart, and your sexuality, on your sleeve — or by supporting a community organisation with donations, or volunteer work.

Just in time for Pride Month, POPSUGAR has rounded up a (non-exhaustive) list of LGBTQI+ organisations you can support, for the month or for the whole year.

Wear It Purple

Founded in 2010, Wear It Purple strives to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for rainbow young people.

Twenty10

Twenty10 is Australia’s largest LGBTIQA+ youth org, that offers housing, counselling, social support programs and training in schools & workplaces.

Minus 18

Leading change and building social inclusion, Minus 18 also advocates for an Australia where all young people are safe, empowered, and surrounded by people that support them.

ACON

Established in 1985, ACON calls itself a “fiercely proud community organisation”, and strives to be a global leader in community health, inclusion and HIV responses for people of diverse sexualities and genders.

Black Rainbow

Black Rainbow Australia is an online platform for national voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, intersex, queer, sistergirl and brotherboy, that aims to pursue their health and wellbeing.

Q Life

For those wishing to talk to someone about a range of issues that may include sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships, QLife provides Australia-wide anonymous, LGBTI peer support and referral via telephone and webchat — free of charge.