Queer Sisterhood Project
About the project
Queer Sisterhood Project is a peer-run support and advocacy group aimed to provide a space of community and belonging to queer refugee women.
The group was established in 2018 to support all women (based on the self-identification) who are identifying as queer (homosexual, bisexual, lesbian, same-sex attracted, pansexual or asexual) and have asylum seeker, refugee or migrant background in Australia because of the persecution on the grounds of gender or sexuality.
Our story
It all began with a retreat at the South Coast of NSW where we all came together for the first time.
In 2018 we drafted a shadow report “Human Rights Violations of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Asylum-Seeking and Refugee Women in Australia” for the review of Australia’s obligations under the United Nations CEDAW Committee. It was submitted for consideration at the 70th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and we participated in the hearings in Geneva.
For the next two years, we have supported queer refugee women to get to universities, we ran a workshop on sexual health, marched in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, developed resources, advocated for the inclusion of queer refugee women in women/refugee advocacy, made countless conference presentations and finally, convened the inaugural Queer Displacements Conference.
Queer Sisterhood Project is a unique project that brings a lens of gender to the conversation on LGBTIQA+ displacement.
Listen to women's experiences
Being Queer and Refugee Cartoon
This project was funded by the Channel Diverse Storytelling Grant. The cartoon has been co-designed with queer women who are part of the project. In this cartoon, queer refugee women talk about navigating the life in Australia. The voices you hear are real.
This project privileges and foregrounds the lived experience of queer refugee women. It’s unique as we share what we think is an effective support and vital as it tells the world that we exist. This is one of the first projects in Australia of such nature.
Being Queer and Refugee Brochure
This project was funded by the Lesbian Inc Grant. It is an informational resource aimed at service providers to better understand the experiences of queer refugee women and ensure appropriate service provision. It provides 30 useful tips for service providers to make sure that their service provision is inclusive.
You can download the web version and the print version with crop and bleed here. You can print your own copy, however you may not change the content of the brochure.
Reach out
If you are a queer woman who is currently seeking asylum or a refugee, get involved with the Queer Sisterhood Project.