What is the Welcome Here Project?

The Welcome Here Project is the new Safe Place Project. The Safe Place Project started in 1992 in response to high levels of street-based violence directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Local businesses signed up to become a ‘Safe Place’ and proudly displayed a sticker in their shopfront to let LGBTQ+ community members know they could seek refuge if they were under threat of violence.

As times have changed, street-based violence has reduced, but there is still work to be done. The Welcome Here Project focuses on supporting local business owners and services across Australia to create and promote environments that are visibly welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.

Members of the project receive Welcome Here rainbow stickers to display in their window, letting everyone know that LGBTQ+ diversity is welcomed and celebrated within their business. Members also display a charter that brings to life their commitment to the project and what being a member is all about.

ACON also provides members with resources to support them in celebrating LGBTQ+ diversity through the Diversity Days Project. Find out more about diversity days and how you can celebrate and honour them here.

The Welcome Here Project also aims to mobilise the LGBTQ+ community to engage with registered Welcoming Places and provide feedback on their experiences.

Visible, welcomed LGBTQ+ communities mean safer communities. By becoming a registered Welcoming Place, members help create positive social change throughout Australia.

You can view all registered Welcoming Places throughout Australia here.

What are the criteria for joining the project?

We require members to support the following three project commitments:

• Welcome and include LGBTQ+ people.
• Create positive change in your local community.
• Celebrate LGBTQ+ diversity through the LGBTQ+ Diversity Days Project.

We also require members to display the Welcome Here member sticker and charter publicly and/or online.

While optional, we encourage members to celebrate ACON’s LGBTQ+ Diversity Days Project.

About ACON

We are a fiercely proud community organisation. Throughout our history, ACON’s work has been designed by and for our communities.

Established in 1985, our early years were defined by communities coming together to respond to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in NSW. We remain committed to ending HIV for everyone in our communities. As we have grown, we have been proud to work with a diverse range of people to ensure their voices and health needs are represented in our work.

Our Purpose: We create opportunities for people in our communities to live their healthiest lives.

Our Vision: We strive to be a global leader in community health, inclusion and HIV responses for people of diverse sexualities and genders.

The Welcome Here Project – where LGBTQ+ diversity is celebrated.

#FollowTheRainbow #ACONWelcomeHere