Pride Month: A Time to Celebrate, Reflect, and Reaffirm Our Commitment to Inclusion
- Shane Warren
- May 31
- 2 min read
MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1 June 2025
Pride Month: A Time to Celebrate, Reflect, and Reaffirm Our Commitment to Inclusion
As June marks the beginning of Pride Month, the Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association Australia (VMHPAA) calls on all Australians to reflect, celebrate, and recommit to a society where every person, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, is seen, valued, and safe.
This month is not just about rainbow flags and parades. It’s about visibility, community, and survival.
“Pride is important because somewhere tonight, there’s an individual who believes that being dead is better than being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, or just different,” said Shane Warren, Chair of VMHPAA and founding leader of the Rainbow Precinct initiative.“That is why we continue to march. That is why visibility matters. That is why inclusion can no longer be optional, it must be embedded in every system, from healthcare to education to mental health support.”
Pride Month offers an opportunity to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions that LGBTIQA+SB individuals make to the social, cultural, economic, and emotional fabric of our nation. From family homes to boardrooms, community centres to clinical spaces, queer Australians are shaping a more compassionate and inclusive society.
For vocationally trained mental health practitioners - counsellors, support workers, lived experience advocates - this month also brings a powerful reminder of the role they play in creating safe, affirming, and healing spaces for those who still face discrimination, isolation, and trauma.
VMHPAA proudly supports all professionals working at the grassroots to affirm gender and sexual diversity. These practitioners often serve as first responders in emotional crises, offering real-time care in schools, clinics, community hubs, and remote areas where other services may not reach.
“Mental health support must be inclusive. Our practitioners don’t just serve clients, they see them,” Shane Warren added. “And that simple act of being seen can save lives.”
VMHPAA’s Call to Action This Pride Month:
Advocate for inclusive policies across all mental health and wellbeing services.
Amplify the voices of LGBTIQA+SB professionals in the mental health workforce.
Support mental health practitioners in accessing diversity training and education.
Acknowledge that belonging is protective - in schools, workplaces, families, and systems.
Because when people are free to be themselves, society thrives.
About VMHPAA
The Vocational Mental Health Practitioners Association of Australia (VMHPAA) is the national voice for professionals with vocational qualifications working in mental health. Representing counsellors, psychotherapists, peer workers, family support practitioners, and others, VMHPAA promotes excellence, advocacy, and ethical standards across all mental health care environments.
Media Contact:
Shane Warren, Chair
VMHPAA
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