Coming Out Proud Program

The Coming Out Proud Program

The Coming Out Proud (COP) Program was established by The League of Gentlemen (LoG) Tasmania with the following aim:

To provide strategies that will enable Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgender and Intersex people in each region of the State to
"come out with pride" and live in their community with dignity
as fully respected and participating members.

LoG members have observed that, in the past, many young and some older GLBTI people in Tasmania have had to leave the regions in which they live because of local prejudice; some have even suicided or attempted to do so. They have also observed that prejudice still exists against GLBTI people in Tasmania. The League offers its support to the development and implementation of the COP Program to ameliorate this situation locally. While members of each local LoG Chapter sponsor and support the COP Program in their region, LoG members do not run the program exclusively.

An independent Community Liaison Committee (CLC) is set up to manage the program locally in partnership with other GLBTI organisations and State and Local Government agencies. The program in each region is then run in accordance with a locally-developed management plan. LoG envisages that in future other organisations will also initiate and fund Community Liaison Committees to implement the program.

The COP Program is co-ordinated at State level by a Program Steering Committee, comprised of the State Coordinators of LoG, the Chairs of the Community Liaison Committees and the COP representatives on Departmental GLBTI Reference Groups.

For answers to frequently-asked questions about the COP Program, click here.

Program Objectives

To achieve equality of access and respect within each regional community for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) people.
To support each regional community to create a climate where GLBTI people are able to be accepted and celebrated as full, contributing and proud members of the general community.
To eventually establish a GLBTI State Consultative Council, with regional representation from the CLCs. The State Council would coordinate consultation, initiate support and generally be responsible for representing the GLBTI Community in Tasmania at State and National levels.

Proposed Program Outcomes

Local GLBTI communities identify their full diversity, including the particular support needs of certain members (e.g. young people, older persons, indigenous, ethnic, parents) and implement strategies to ensure appropriate services are provided to enable them to live as fully participating members of the general community.
Government and community organisations in the regions have active programs/strategies in place to ensure respect for members of the GLBTI community as fully participating members of the general community.
GLBTI organisations are fully operational in the regions.

Coming Out Proud Trust

A COPP Trust has been established with the following aim:

To grow a capital investment base to finance social, wellbeing and enterprise initiatives that will assist sexual and gender diverse people (rainbow people) in Tasmania’s regional communities to ‘come out with pride’ and live in their community with dignity as fully respected and participating members.

A document (PDF 79KB) describing the trust can be downloaded by clicking here.

Strategic Partnership with Gay and Lesbian Switchboard

The Coming Out Proud Program has formed a strategic partnership with the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard Victoria. This is a free counselling service operated by trained volunteers that Tasmanians can access via the Freecall number 1800 184 527. A press release issued by the Gay and Lesbian Switchboard can be accessed by clicking here.