INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (14:56): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the minister representing the Minister for Health a question about the future of the Inside Out and Evolve programs.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: Today is IDAHO, a day when we hope to raise awareness that homophobia still exists in this country and across the world but also to encourage people to be accepting and to eradicate homophobia. Yet, doubt exists over the future of the Inside Out program and the Evolve program, the state's only government-funded health programs for same-sex attracted youth. As we know, the statistics for same-sex attracted youth, in terms of attempted and completed suicide rates and discrimination that comes as a result of the stigma and homophobia of potentially being gay, are enormous.

Given the valuable work this program has done for some 21 years, will the government commit that, if it is unable to provide this service with peer education, group work, drop-ins and an empowering model that is not a mainstream, isolated counselling-only model, it will in fact hand this program over to the non-government sector?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (14:58): I will refer those questions to the Minister for Health in another place and bring back a response.