Twenty10 recognises that we have the privilege of working with communities and individuals, who may often be in vulnerable circumstances. We have developed our Safer Spaces Guidelines to ensure that all folks who enter our spaces – both physical and digital – are able to feel included, supported, and safe.

You have rights and responsibilities while accessing Twenty10, whether that’s in person or online. If you think your rights are not being respected, you can make a complaint. If you don’t keep up with your responsibilities, there may be consequences that will be discussed with staff at the time.

Words are powerful. The words we choose to use or not use can include or exclude people, sometimes without our even realising it. It is a challenge to find language that is inclusive and respectful of the diversity in the communities with which we work.

The Australian Government currently uses LGBTI when referring to people of diverse genders, sexualities and intersex status. Twenty10 acknowledges that the nuanced differences in identities and experience can never be fully reflected in an acronym.

At Twenty10 our use of language is guided through ongoing critical reflection from and by our communities, service users, volunteers, stakeholders and staff.

Our current language describes people of diverse genders, sexualities and/or intersex status, including but not limited to lesbian, gay, gender non-binary, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, asexual and more, LGBTIQA+. We acknowledge this acronym reflects Western understandings and privilege.

Despite our best intentions, we are often better at recognising some identities than others. Many minority identities and individuals are erased, often unintentionally.

This can include but is not limited to Brotherboys and Sistergirls, those with fluid or non-binary identities, those who do not use identity labels, those in regional, rural and remote areas, and those who identify as cisgender and heterosexual but may have intersex status or a trans* history.

We strive to continue to challenge our own and other’s assumptions and to continue to re-evaluate our language as our communities continue to evolve.

Twenty10 is committed to ensuring you know your rights and responsibilities as a service user, including the rights for children and young people when accessing our programs and services.

Twenty10 is committed to improving the social justice in our communities.

We recognise that people’s relationships, bodies, sexual orientations and gender identities are all part of larger social systems. They intersect with many other aspects of identity such as age, homelessness, ability, socio-economic status, geographic location, cultural and religious affiliation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, HIV status and more.

Some groups in our society are rewarded and privileged while others are marginalised and oppressed. People who may be LGBTIQA+ often face considerable oppression by mainstream society. In rural communities, this oppression can be made worse due to isolation and fewer inclusive services.

The types of oppression that we deal with directly – heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and intersexphobia – exist in conjunction with other types of oppression, such as racism, ableism, sexism, classism and poverty. The interconnected nature of oppression is called intersectionality. It means that we cannot easily separate all the different factors that might affect the individuals in our communities. For example, a white, cisgender gay man will have different experiences and needs than an Aboriginal, transfeminine queer person.

Human rights are the rights that belong to everyone. Social justice is the pursuit of equal rights and equal opportunity for everyone in our community. Social justice seeks to redress the impact that social and economic inequalities have on both the people experiencing it and the wider community.