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A Sydney community group focused on the needs of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals & transgendered people with disabilities (including people living with HIV/AIDS). 		 
 
Activities
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As a small activist group we have no set agenda but seize opportunities for consciousness raising as and when they occur.
To date these include:

    1. Lobbying and educating
    2. Presentation of papers
    3. Building links
    4. Socialising
    5. apsi news

  1. apsi has lobbied several Government Departments, including responding to Government initiatives and proposals e.g. we successfully convinced the Ageing and Disability Department that gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgender people with disabilities including people living with HIV/AIDS are a population group with specific needs.
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  2. Presentation of papers at conferences and seminars e.g. The Hate Crimes Conference at Sydney University, December 1999; The Disability with Attitude Conference at University of Western Sydney 2001.
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  3. Building links with gay and lesbian organisations has been a struggle. However we do have strong links with 2002 Gay Games and Pride. We are liaising with Pride to help make their New Year's Eve party less daunting for people with disabilities. We have many ties with established disability organisations, especially PWD.
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  4. We have a regular monthly Sunday get-together. If you would like to join us, contact us to request location and dates.
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apsi news

The Disability with Attitude Conference

This conference was held at Western Sydney University early in 2001 and had a strong queer presence, both in the presentation of papers presentation and in the numbers of queers with disability who attended.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Tom Shakespeare spoke of the complexity of disability both as something to be understood conceptually and as living experience. Both apsi and George Teleporos from Melbourne presented papers.

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Touching Base Conference

Was a world first forum which brought sexworkers and people with a disability together to explore how barriers to delivering and accessing service could be overcome. It was held, in Central Sydney, the same weekend (February 18th, 2001) as The Disability with Attitude Conference.

Dominic Davies, 'Touching Base' facilitator and founder of the Sexual and Relationship Facilitation Project and David Cunningham co-facilitated on behalf of People with Disabilities. All the laws governing discrimination and sexual acts need to be clarified and service providers need education in their Duty of Care as far as allowing sexual acts to occur between the people for which they care and sex workers. Training of sex workers has commenced (with the auspices of Family Planning Association Health) and continues in pursuit of a model for professional care.

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The Positive Living Centre(PLC)

The AIDS Council of NSW (ACON), People Living with AIDS (PLWHA), the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation (BGF), PozHet and on Mondays The Luncheon Club are now responsible for the smooth running of the PLC.

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Gay Games VI 2002

A number of apsi members were on committees involved with the Gay Games. These members were on the Specific Needs and Disability committee which gave advice about venues and scholarships to the board. Venue advice included access audits of commercial,cultural and sporting venues.

The Gay Games VI have now finished (November 9th, 2002) and members of apsi not only were on the Specific Needs and Disability Committee but volunteered in various capacities during the Games. The Games were a huge success and we look forward to passing what we have learned on to Montreal Gay Games VII 2006.

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apsi Takes a Break!

apsi meets in Sydney on the second Sunday of each month for a social gathering.

If you would like to join us for one of these social functions see our contacts page.

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