This exhibition depicts and celebrates ACON’s engagement with our communities across two years of our work to increase awareness about breast cancer risks, and screening options for LGBTQ people in NSW.

Across several key events, and culminating in the development of the Our United Front campaign, ACON has worked with our communities to increase breast cancer awareness and screening participation for eligible people in LGBTQ communities.

Our communities are often not represented in mainstream health promotion. This means LGBTQ people, and particularly trans and gender diverse people, are often left out of campaigns that aim to educate people about potentially life-saving health information. As well as this, people in LGBTQ communities also face a range of barriers to accessing health services – including fear of discrimination around sexuality or gender identity. We believe that means that some in our communities might be accessing health services less than the general population, and less than the health guidelines recommend.

This exhibition seeks to celebrate what makes the LGBTQ community in NSW unique, thank our communities for engaging with us and to visibly represent how we look after one another. Through these images, we hope to reinforce the reasons why campaigns that reflect and speak to our communities are so critical.

Our United Front: In Pictures features the work of award-winning photographer, Nicola Bailey. Nicola was engaged by ACON as our ‘photographer in residence’. Over 9 months, Nicola engaged with LGBTQ individuals and groups, and has attended events across NSW, in both urban and regional areas. Her work chronicles the strength and diversity of our communities, and visibly represents how our communities have engaged with breast health, and breast cancer screening and prevention messages.

The exhibition tells the stories of a diverse range of LGBTQ people and their own experiences of accessing health services as an LGBTQ person, and the importance of community support in facing these issues together.