Day: Wednesday 13 May
Time: 11:30am–12:15pm
Location: Room P303, Building P, Footscray Park Campus
Register online
Join us for a short panel discussion featuring VU staff and researchers exploring this year’s IDAHOBIT theme, "At the Heart of Democracy".
Explore LGBTQIA+ pride, diversity, inclusion and research in daily life, in sport and wellbeing. Proudly brought to you by the Equality, Inclusion and Belonging team.
This 45-minute event will have various VU staff and researchers discussing insights on inclusive sport, wellbeing, representation and LGBTQIA+ allyship. Open for all staff and students. Please feel free to bring friends!
The session will bring together perspectives on:
- inclusive sport and the prevention of gender-based violence
- body image and wellbeing in marginalised communities
- representation, being unapologetically yourself, pride, visibility and active allyship across LGBTQIA+ spaces.
The panel will include brief opening reflections, followed by a moderated discussion and an opportunity for audience questions.
Panellists
Professor Fiona McLachlan (she/her)
Senior researcher at VU's Institute for Health and Sport. Dr Fiona’s work focuses on safe, inclusive sporting environments, with expertise in gender equity, prevention of gender-based violence, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion. She leads a world-leading program of interdisciplinary research focused on sport, gender, and cultural change.
Dr Joe Doley (they/them)
Lecturer in Psychology in the College of Sport, Health and Engineering, and researcher specialising in body image and eating disorders, with a focus on LGBTQIA+ communities. Dr Joe’s work explores stigma, wellbeing and interventions to improve body image outcomes.
Akii Ngo (they/them)
Health promotion, DEIB practitioner and advocate with over 16 years’ experience in public health, policy, co-design and community engagement. Akii focuses on intersectionality, disability justice, accessibility, POC and LGBTQIA+ inclusion, drawing on their personal lived experience to support meaningful change.
