A public health education strategy to reduce anti-Queer prejudice in the population of new or expecting parents is a novel method to reduce excess mental health morbidity and mortality in LGBTIQASB+ children and youth.
All children deserve a safe and supportive environment for their growth and development including all aspects of their personality within their own family, culture, faith and community. Children may experience harm from anti-Queer prejudice before, during or after key developmental milestones. The period in which an LGBTIQASB+ is unaware of, or have not made a disclosure regarding their own diverse identity is a valid target point to prevent harm and to encourage supportive and protective factors within families and communities.
This strategy acknowledges the primary role that parents and legal guardians have in the welfare and development of their children and the positive impact parents can make in outcomes for LGBTIQASB+ youth. Accurate, evidence based public health information will support parents making informed choices in the long-term best interests of their child.
The proposed healthcare setting is within antenatal clinics where significant activity in screening for and reducing the risk of harm to children and families is already undertaken. Clinicians in this area already have substantial skills in complex and sensitive health matters and often build strong therapeutic relationships at a time where parents are strongly motivated to seek accurate health information. Interventions could include posters with positive messaging, material incorporated within existing child health and development books provided to all new parents, and brief discussion within a clinical interaction. An education package to support existing clinical workforce and healthcare organisations will underpin the strategy. An incidental benefit may arise in addressing knowledge gaps and unconscious bias within the existing health workforce.
Presented by Dr James Allen
James Allen completed bachelors degrees in medicine, surgery and law at Monash in 2004. He is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Legal Medicine, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and an Associate Fellow of the College of Health Services Managers.
Following the suicides of two of his young LGBTIQASB+ patients in 2021, he founded the Orbona Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation to advance the welfare of LGBTIQASB+ children and youth. The foundation takes its name from Roman mythology in which Orbona was the goddess of abandoned children.
James is passionate about improving the education of medical practitioners and working with new and expecting parents to prevent unintentional harm to LGBTIQASB+ children that can occur before a parent is aware of their child’s diverse identity. In 2023 his work demonstrated that 24% of the GP workforce in Australia obtained their primary medical qualification in a country that criminalises homosexuality and raises awareness of the need to support all medical practitioners to identify and address knowledge gaps and unconscious bias through the provision of evidence based medical information. He advocates for universal competence across all health practitioner craft groups.
James is a member of Council for AMA Queensland and the views expressed are not necessarily the views of AMA Queensland. AMA Queensland have identified LGBTIQASB+ populations as a key advocacy priority for 2024-2026 and the policy can be found here: 2024_AMAQ_Advocacy_Priorities_2024_26_FINAL_2.pdf
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