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LGBTIQA+ Graduate Students

The MGA recognises and supports the importance of having a rich and diverse graduate student community. To support you during your graduate student journey at Monash, we have compiled a list of LGBTIQA+ support services to help you find the advice or assistance you may need.

Resources from the MGA

Events

The MGA Queer department organises and runs a multitude of events for graduate students who identify as LGBTIQA+ or as our allies. These events include queer film nights, exhibitions of design projects for LGBTQIA+ people, workshops about queer topics, informal debates with LGBTIQA+ researchers, attendance in rainbow events in Melbourne and in Australia. To know more and keep updated with our events, follow or like our Facebook page.

Advocacy

The MGA Queer officer represents all Monash graduate students who identify as LGBTIQA+ in the MGA Executive Committee and in the Diverse Genders, Sexes and Sexualities Advisory Group. If you have an issue or opportunity relevant to LGBTIQA+ Monash graduate students, contact the MGA Queer officer.

Resources from Monash

Training

Monash LGBTIQ provides knowledge about LGBTIQA+ matters and a Queer 101 training for students, offers resources for researchers and lecturers to be more inclusive, and coordinates the Ally Network (limited to staff for now).

Events

Every year, around 17 May, many LGBTIQA+ groups at Monash organise events to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

Also, every year in September or October, a multitude of Monash groups run LGBTIQA+ events as part of the Diversity and Inclusion Week.

Spaces

In numerous buildings around Monash campuses, you can find all-gender toilets, where people with diverse gender identities and expressions can feel more comfortable.

 

Monash also has queer lounges, i.e. safe spaces for all LGBTIQA+ people at Monash to relax, make friends, study and meet. There is one at Clayton campus (Campus Centre, Level 1) and one at Caulfield campus (Building S, Level 3).

Clubs

GLEAM is a student group for LGBTIQA+ students of science, technology, engineering and maths at Monash. An annual membership is required. Check their Facebook page.

diversIT is an initiative by the Faculty of Information Technology, aiming to support underrepresented students in IT. Check their Facebook page.

Health

Monash University offers a range of services, programmes and resources for students’ health and wellbeing. These include medical services, free counselling, and mental health programs and resources (including mindfulness programs).

In case of medical emergencies, contact these numbers. For mental health emergencies, contact these numbers.

Safety and security

If you experience or see dangerous, intimidating or unacceptable behaviour towards LGBTIQA+ students, you should report it to the Safer Community Unit.

If you are a victim or witness of gender-based violence towards LGBTIQA+ students, contact the Respectful Communities unit.

For emergencies, please contact the Monash security services.

Other resources

Monash offers scholarships for LGBTIQA+ students, and provides resources for gender-diverse students to affirm their identity.

External Resources

For all LGBTIQA+ people

Mental health

  • Switchboard: phone and web counselling (QLife), helpline for victims of violence (w/respect) and services to reduce social isolation for LGBTIQA+ people.
  • Queerspace: counselling, social support and professional development for LGBTIQA+ people.
  • Mind Equality Centre: psychological and health counselling for LGBTIQA+ people.
  • Way Out: rights, mental health and wellbeing for LGBTIQA+ people living in rural Victoria.
  • Headspace: LGBTIQA+-friendly mental, physical and sexual health help for people under 25.
  • Beyond Blue: LGBTIQA+-friendly support services, programs, research, advocacy and communication activities for mental health.
  • ReachOut: LGBTIQA+ online mental health for young people.
  • Psychology Melbourne: LGBTIQA+-friendly counselling.
  • Lifeline: LGBTIQA+-friendly 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.
  • DocDir: Australia’s national directory of LGBTIQ+ friendly clinicians.

Physical, sexual and reproductive health

Social connection

Training

  • Queerspace: counselling, social support and professional development for LGBTIQA+ people.
  • Rainbow Health Victoria: LGBTIQA+ health research, training, resources, and policy advice.
  • National LGBTI Health Alliance: health-related training, services and research.
  • Victorian Pride Centre: LGBTIQA+ social connection, health and wellbeing, educational and professional services.
  • Rainbow Network: LGBTIQA+ resources, advocacy, events, training.
  • Queer in Science: advocacy, networking, education for LGBTIQA+ people involved in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine) in Australia.

Professional development

Media

Events

For bisexual+ people

For transgender and gender diverse people

For intersex people

For asexual people

For LGBTIQA+ people of faith

For LGBTIQA+ people of diverse ethnicity and culture

  • Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC): advocacy, research, education, community events for people of multicultural and multifaith backgrounds.
  • Black Rainbow: advocacy and community projects for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQA+ people.
  • Ethnic LGBT+: support, education and mentoring for culturally and linguistically diverse LGBTIQA+ people.
  • Intersect: project to promote the development of culturally safe and inclusive practice among multicultural, faith-based and LGBTIQA+ communities.
  • Greek and Gay Support Network: organisation bringing Hellenic LGBTIQA+ people in Melbourne together.
  • Fobgays+: community network for South Asian LGBTIQA+ people.
  • YellowKitties: social support group for Asian LGBTIQA+ women, based in Melbourne.
  • Helem Melbourne: support group for LGBTIQA+people from Arab communities in Melbourne.
  • LatinAmerican and Hispanic Rainbow Community (LAHRC): community group in Victoria to support LGBTIQA+ people from Latin American and Hispanic backgrounds.
  • Ris’n: organisation for LGBTQIA+ international students in Victoria.

Other resources

  • Rainbow Families: support network for LGBTIQA+ parents and carers.
  • LGBTIQ Legal Service: free community legal service to help LGBTIQA+ Victorians.
  • WorkingOUT: employment program for LGBTIQA+ people with a disability or mental health condition that may be a barrier to employment.

Check your Monash student email during the breaks.

Make sure you check your Monash email account regularly – this is how the university communicates with you. If you do not see an important notice, it could lead to serious consequences.

Graduate Student Group Funding

With over 25,000 grad students to look after, we simply can’t run events in every school. Form a graduate student group (if your school /unit/course doesn’t already have one). Then your group can apply for some funding to run social or combined social/academic events: a sausage sizzle, such as your own mini-trivia night or a workshop.

Meeting Rooms & Lounges

Need a meeting room for a group assignment or a quiet place to study? The MGA offers private meeting rooms in selected campuses which you can book through our website. The MGA also has multiple lounges ideal for students to relax, meet other graduate students to socialise or study. Read more.