AFAO Project worker Michael Costello (L) and Chair of the Indigenous Strategic Alliance Colin Ross with the AFAO display at the global village at the AIDS 2006 conference in Toronto. Michael and Colin also attended the launch of the Indigenous Peoples' Action Plan on HIV/AIDS 2006.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Gay, Sistergirl and Transgender HIV/AIDS – Sexual Health Project.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Gay, Sistergirl and Transgender HIV/AIDS – Sexual Health Project supports the AFAO membership in the response to HIV/AIDS in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

The project was established at AFAO in 1996, from a recommendation out of Anwernekenhe I, the First National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Gay Men, Sistergirl, Transgender Sexual Health Conference. Anwernekenhe was held in November 1994 at Hamilton Downs, Central Australia, on the lands of the Arrernte peoples.

A poster about Anwernekenhe which was presented at the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto in August 2006. Click the image for a larger version (PDF 750 KB).

‘Anwernekenhe’ provided participants with a unique opportunity to share their experiences and concerns regarding HIV/AIDS, sexual health and well-being.

The conference resulted in the development of 45 recommendations addressing a wide range of issues, from access to services to cultural and sexual identity. The conference also called for the establishment of a working party – the National Indigenous Gay & Transgender Working Party now known as the Indigenous Strategic Alliance (ISA), to implement many of these recommendations.

‘Anwernekenhe’ is the name given to a series of conferences that underpin the community based response of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gay men, sistergirl and transgender community. The word ‘Anwernekenhe’ was given to conference participants by the Elders of the Arrernte nation. ‘Anwernekenhe’ translates as, ‘usmob meeting together here in this place’.

A national consultation conducted in 1997, led to the release of the National Indigenous Gay and Transgender Consultation Report and Sexual Health Strategy, the first ever work to consider the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gay men, sistergirls and transgendered people.

Further national conferences, Anwernekenhe II, III, and IV have been held. The AFAO Indigenous Project has also developed a range of key innovative resources, including a booklet focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with HIV ("HIV/AIDS and Us Mob"), an anti-discrimination campaign addressing access to health services and sistergirl self-esteem and pride resources have also been produced.

The project has received significant input and guidance from key stakeholder organisations and individuals in every state and territory. Our work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gay, sistergirl and transgender communities has been, and remains, groundbreaking in meeting the challenges of HIV/AIDS and sexual health in Australia.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Project Project Officer: Michael Costello 

See also: The National Aboriginal and Torrest Strait Islander Sexual Health & Blood Borne Virus Strategy