LGBTIQA+ and the Law: The Importance of Partnership in Improving Inclusion for the LGBTIQA+ Youth Community of Western Australia

Legal Aid Western Australia works to serve the community through legal education and representation and in 2020, after being approached by LGBTIQA+ youth advocacy group the Youth Pride Network, it decided to develop legal information resources to help LGBTIQA+ young people facing exclusion in education and employment settings understand their legal rights.

This case outlines how Jessica Baynes, Senior Solicitor, and her team at Legal Aid Western Australia, worked to develop resources despite having no additional budget to devote to the project, and a busy workload of existing commitments.

Key lessons can be drawn from this case about the benefits of the public sector being open to community-initiated projects. First, partnership was essential. The partnership between Legal Aid and the Youth Pride Network ensured that the factsheets were relevant for the LGBTIQA+ youth community, and the information could reach the intended audiences. From her experience, Baynes noted that she learned the importance of being open to different communication strategies and that ‘we need to collaborate with people who are in the know’. Empowering groups within the community is what drove the EIS team, while collaborating with the Youth Pride Network enabled this to be achieved.

Please note this case has a Teaching Note associated with it. To access a copy, please email caselibrary@anzsog.edu.au with a request and citing the title.