Agencies that offer phone counselling and other support to LGBTQI people are frantically recruiting new volunteers amid fears of a sharp and sustained increase in distressed requests for help linked to the same-sex marriage postal survey.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Victorian government announced on Sunday that it would spend a further $500,000 on key agencies such as Switchboard Victoria, Drummond Street and Headspace after an increase in demand, in addition to $500,000 provided in June.
Switchboard Victoria general manager Jo Ball, who uses the pronoun "they", said the service planned to double the number of volunteer phone counsellors in the coming weeks.
Counsellors are also being put through an accelerated training course so that support is available.
"We expect this won't end when the voting closes, and we expect the distress ... will go into months if not years," they said.
"All our counsellors are LGBTQI-identifying themselves and so have an understanding of the challenges our community is having at this time."
Support was also announced for the Victoria Pride Centre to develop online mental health resources for people who are geographically isolated, and the Kunghah Retreat, which assists gender diverse and transgender Indigenous young people.
At a same-sex marriage event on Sunday, attended by Labor leader Bill Shorten and organised to urge Victorians to enrol to vote, Premier Daniel Andrews said voting "yes" to same-sex marriages would make heterosexual marriages like his "mean more".
"My wife and I, and our kids, will be in a nation that is prepared to make the change that is appropriate. We'll be part of a community that has said fairness and equity and decency means something."
Victorian Minister for Equality Martin Foley encouraged all Victorians to check their enrolment details.
"None of us wanted to see a divisive, non-binding opinion poll - but because it's happening we will do all we can to support the LGBTI community."
Fairfax Media revealed on Sunday that Australia's Catholic Church is threatening to fire teachers, nurses and other employees who marry their same-sex partner if gay marriage is legalised, in a dramatic move led by the country's most senior Catholics.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics is due to begin posting out same-sex marriage survey papers on September 12.
- Switchboard Victoria: 1800 184 527 from 3pm until midnight, seven days a week.
- You can follow Miki on Facebook or Twitter
