About QAHC

Queensland Association for Healthy Communities

Promoting the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Queenslanders.

New beginnings…

The Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) is an independent community based organisation. Originally the Queensland AIDS Council, we were formed in 1984 by a group of gay men in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Queensland. From that time the Queensland AIDS Council grew to deliver HIV prevention programs, client services for people with HIV, peer support through Queensland Positive People and we provided a strong voice on HIV and gay issues.

Following changes to HIV funding in 2004 the organisation was forced to look at its future. People valued our HIV prevention work and wanted it to continue, but they also wanted us to tackle wider health issues for all in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

We’ve renamed ourselves the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities to better reflect our wider role in the community. We’ve also restructured how our organisation works so as to be more inclusive. We’ll be building on the skills and knowledge gained from over 20 years of fighting HIV, to promote the health of LGBT Queenslanders.

Our Vision: A Queensland where all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people achieve the best possible health and well-being and participate fully in the life of communities, free from stigma and discrimination.

Our Mission: To enable lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to increase control over and improve their health, as a resource for social, economic and personal development and an important dimension of quality of life.

What we do:

QAHC currently receives government funding for three main programs:

  • HIV & Hepatitis C Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion for Gay and other Men who have Sex with Men
  • Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HIV/AIDS Program
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health Systems Project

In addition we use fundraising, donations and small grants to run projects including:

  • LGBT Health Issues – a variety of mainly volunteer action groups to address community concerns (e.g. ageing).
  • Healthy LGBT Communities Fund – a small grants fund for LGBT groups and projects.
  • LGBT Resource Centre – a centre for QAHC and other LGBT and HIV groups to use for meetings, events and access to office equipment.
  • The Hope Fund (in association with Oz Showbiz Care/Equity Fights AIDS Queensland Positive People and Positive Directions) – small grants of goods and services for people living with HIV who are in need.

Health Promotion

As a health promotion organisation we believe that:

  • Health is not just the absence of disease, but is a state of physical, mental, social, spiritual and economic health & wellbeing
  • Health is a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living.
  • Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.
  • All people have a right to a fulfilling life (including sex life), free from stigma and discrimination on the basis of age, ability, ethnic/national origin, cultural identity, sexual orientation, gender or HIV status.

Our work is based on the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. This means that we:

Develop Personal Skills & Knowledge

  • produce HIV prevention campaigns & resources
  • post health information on our website
  • run workshops for community members
  • staff the men’s sexual health 1800 line

Strengthen Community Actions

  • provide extensive volunteer opportunities
  • administer the Healthy LGBT Communities Fund
  • maintain the LGBT Resource Centre
  • participate in LGBT community events & initiatives

Create Supportive Environments

  • challenge stigma and discrimination
  • facilitate the sex on premises venue (SOPV) forum
  • reinforce the safe sex culture

Re-orient Health Services

  • provide LGBT awareness training
  • provide cultural awareness training
  • address barriers to LGBT health
  • produce information on LGBT health issues to services

Build Healthy Public Policy

  • are a voice on HIV and sexual health issues
  • are a voice on LGBT health issues
  • are a voice on indigenous sexual health & LGBT issues

Comment and Feedback

We welcome feedback about any of QAHC’s programs or activities. Please pass on your comments to the staff member or volunteer leading the activity, a Board member or by ringing, writing or emailing us.

If you have a formal complaint to make, please refer to QAHC’s feedback and conflict management policy available on our website or phone us for more information or assistance.

QAHC General Brochure pdf