Dr Astha Tomar on gender-appropriate in-ward psychiatric care, Truth Not War rally, slumberkitty on Trans Queer Solidarity contingent, George Newhouse on upcoming CopWatch re-launch.

Thursday, 23 March 2023 - 7:00am to 8:30am

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Acknowledgement of Country//

Headlines//

We are joined by Dr Astha Tomar to cover the report on women-only psychiatric wards from the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System. Dr Astha is the current Chair of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Victorian branch (RANZCP), as well as Head of Youth Mental Health Service at Peninsula Health. She has over 20 years’ experience in psychiatry across multiple countries and jurisdictions including India, New Zealand and Australia. Please be advised that this interview contains distressing content addressing gender based violence that may be upsetting for some listeners. Please take a moment to consider tuning out now if this content is not suitable for you. If you require immediate support, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. For LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can call 13YARN for mob only support on 13 92 76.//

Then we are joined by Shirley Winton, a Co-convenor of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network's Victoria branch, member of No AUKUS Victoria Coalition and Australian Anti-AUKUS Coalition, and has been involved in organising the mass rally calling for truth not war and commemorating the 20th anniversary of the US-led war on Iraq, on 13 February 2003 in Melbourne, which will be held outside the State Library 1pm Sat 18th of March. Shirley is also a long time unionist and organiser with CWU and NTEU, and member of Victorian Peace Network and Western Suburbs Peace Group.//

slumberkitty, an activist involved in fighting for liberation from the western, patriarchal binary gender system and organising with Trans Queer Solidarity, speaks with us about the solidarity contingent planned to resist two anti-trans events scheduled for this coming Saturday the 18th of March at Victoria's Parliament House steps. One event features UK anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen, while the other is led by far-right networks protesting queer and trans children. Saturday's Trans Queer Solidarity contingent will be one of a string of well-attended national protests against Keen's speaking tour, so if you're in Melbourne this weekend, please show up if you can. You can find out more by heading to @transqueersolidarity on Instagram or @transqueersoli on Twitter.//

George Newhouse, CEO of the National Justice Project, joins us to speak about the upcoming re-launch of Copwatch, a campaign to empower Indigenous people to protect themselves from police overreach and discrimination. Copwatch was first launched in 2017, and involves an app, website and community education program teaching Indigenous people how to legally record and document police misconduct for community safety and police accountability.//