Policy & Advocacy

Thorne Harbour Health works to protect and promote the health and human rights of LGBTIQA+ communities and people living with HIV by developing policy, influencing decision-makers, and forming strategic partnerships.

View Media Releases

We advocate for positive change at every level.

We do a lot of our work on the ground, but we're also working to change the system. Our policy team works with legislators, law enforcement, and other industry leaders to advocate for our communities' safety, health, and wellbeing.

Submission on the next Victorian HIV Strategy (October 2020)
Joint submission to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System: Support for people living with HIV (July 2019)
AFAO/ASHM fact sheet on access to PrEP (February 2018)
AFAO’s ending HIV blueprint (August 2017)
Position statement on PrEP (November 2016)
Submission to the Therapeutic Goods Administration inquiry into HIV self-testing (May 2014)
Submission to the draft Seventh National HIV Strategy 2014 – 2017 (May 2014)
Report on financial barriers to HIV treatment in Victoria (January 2014)
Fact sheet on rapid HIV testing (August 2012)

Submission to the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement inquiry into Australia’s illicit drug problem: challenges and opportunities for law (January 2023)
Position statement on medically supervised injecting rooms (December 2020)
Position statement on medicinal cannabis (February 2020)
Position statement on drug detection dogs (August 2019)
Position statement on drug decriminalisation (August 2019)
Position statement on pill testing / drug safety testing (March 2019)
Submission on the next National Tobacco Strategy (August 2018)
Joint statement on a medically supervised injecting centre trial in Victoria (September 2017)
Joint statement opposing the Miscellaneous Amendment Bill 2017 (August 2017)

Submission to the National Children’s Commissioner on LGBTI children’s rights (May 2018)

Rainbow Realities: In-depth analyses of large-scale LGBTQA+ health and wellbeing data in Australia (2024)
Submission to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2026 Census Topic Review (April 2023)
Thorne Harbour Health recommends researchers conducting research involving LGBTIQ+ people refer to the Standard for Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, 2020 (the Standard). The Standard was developed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to standardise the collection and dissemination of data relating to sex, sexual orientation, gender, and variations of sex characteristics. Thorne Harbour Health’s Community Research Endorsement Panel can be contacted for further guidance and information.
Writing Themselves In 4: The health and wellbeing of LGBTQA+ young people in Australia (February 2021)
Private Lives 3: A national survey of the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ people in Australia (August 2020)
The health and wellbeing of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer population in Victoria: Findings from the Victorian Population Health Survey 2017 (September 2020)
PARTNER-2 study: Risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex in serodifferent gay couples with the HIV-positive partner taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (PARTNER): final results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study (May 2019)
Opposites Attract study: Viral suppression and HIV transmission in serodiscordant male couples: an international, prospective, observational, cohort study (August 2018)
PARTNER-1 study: Sexual activity without condoms and risk of HIV transmission in serodifferent couples when the HIV-positive partner is using suppressive antiretroviral therapy (July 2016)

Submission to the South Australian Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence (August 2024)
Public Hearing of the South Australian Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence: Interventions for LGBTQIA+ people who use violence. Video from 5:09:18. Transcript pp.51-66 (December 2024)
Submission to the Inquiry into Capturing Data on Family Violence Perpetrators in Victoria (May 2024)
Public Hearing of the Inquiry into Capturing Data on Family Violence Perpetrators in Victoria Transcript and Questions on Notice (August 2024)
Building the Evidence Base - Final Report of the Inquiry into Capturing Data on Family Violence Perpetrators in Victoria (April 2025)
Responsive pandemic practice: LGBTIQ+ family violence service innovation in Victoria during COVID-19 (2022)
Practice guide: Lessons from pandemic-driven LGBTIQ+ family violence service innovation (2022)
Joint submission to the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence – VAC, PWV, LPV, SA (May 2015)
Joint submission to the Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence - VAC and Drummond St (2015)

Petition to the Victorian Legislative Council to Protect Universal Healthcare (August 2025)
Submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs - Universal Access to Reproductive Healthcare (December 2022)
Submission on a proposed duty of candour law for Victoria (April 2021)
Position statement on voluntary assisted dying (October 2017)

Submission on the ten-year social and affordable housing strategy for Victoria (April 2021)

Position statement on a marriage equality postal vote (September 2017)
Joint statement on the harmful health effects of marriage discrimination (August 2017)
Position statement on a marriage equality plebiscite (August 2015)

Position statement on LGBTI refugees and people seeking asylum (February 2020)

Submission on the next Victorian STI Strategy (October 2020)
Position statement on HPV vaccination and anal cancer screening for high-risk populations (January 2019)

HIV & AIDS Priorities (2022 Victorian election)
LGBTIQ+ Priorities (2022 Victorian election)
Panel discussion: Activism Then & Now (November 2018)
Position statement on preselection quotas for LGBTI candidates (June 2016)

Re: Imogen (No. 6) [2020] FamCA 761 (10 September 2020)
Re: Imogen (No. 4) [2020] FamCA 396 (21 May 2020)
WRMF v National Disability Insurance Agency [2019] AATA 1771 (8 July 2019)
Palmer v the State of Western Australia [2018] WASCA 225 (20 December 2018)
United States v Nagarwala (ED Mich, Crim No 17-CR-20274, 20 November 2018)

Thorne Harbour Health appoints Chad Hughes as next Chief Executive Officer

VAC mourns the loss of passionate harm reduction giant Jenny Kelsall

Mike Kennedy to step down as VAC/GMHC Executive Director in mid-2011

Community organisations, researchers and activists in Victoria sign historic accord on PrEP

Thorne Harbour Health highlights plans ‘For the Future’ at 2018 Annual General Meeting

Drama Downunder Encourages Seasonal Testing

All-star lineup for VAC’s 2017 Midsumma Hypothetical, including David Marr, Benjamin Law and Judith Lucy

Gay Men’s Health and PrEP: The New Voice of Community Activism