About Us
The Greek and Gay Support Network is an organisation fully run by volunteers which has been operating in Melbourne for over 21 years. It provides support and social services to gay and lesbian individuals of a Hellenic background. The mission of the organisation is “bringing together the Hellenic gay and lesbian community with their family and friends to foster support, awareness, acceptance & understanding”. Over our 21 years Greek and Gay have held monthly support meetings, worked with the broader gay and lesbian community and are now expanding their work to the broader Greek community in Melbourne. The organisation holds events to celebrate the member’s Hellenic background including picnics, dances and dance parties, tavern nights, movie nights, etc. Greek and Gay also participates in Midsumma Festival and Pride March and other Gay & Lesbian festivals, conferences and events.
Το Δίκτυο Υποστήριξης Ελλήνων και Γκέι είναι ένας οργανισμός που λειτουργεί στη Μελβούρνη από εθελοντές για πάνω από 21 χρόνια. Παρέχει υποστήριξη και κοινωνικές υπηρεσίες για γκέι και λεσβίες Ελληνικής καταγωγής. Ο σκοπός του οργανισμού είναι να «φέρει κοντά την Ελληνική γκέι και λεσβιακή κοινότητα με την οικογένεια και τους φίλους τους για να προωθήσει την υποστήριξη, την ευαισθητοποίηση, την αποδοχή και την κατανόηση».
Στα 21 χρόνια ύπαρξης του οργανισμού διοργανώνουν μηνιαίες συναντήσεις υποστήριξης, συνεργάζονται με την ευρύτερη κοινότητα γκέι και λεσβιών και τώρα επεκτείνουν το έργο τους στην ευρύτερη ελληνική κοινότητα της Μελβούρνης. Ο οργανισμός διοργανώνει εκδηλώσεις για τον εορτασμό της Ελληνικής καταγωγής των μελών, στις οποίες συμπεριλαμβάνονται πικ-νικ, χοροί και πάρτυ, νύχτες ταβέρνας, κινηματογραφικές βραδιές, κλπ. Ο οργανισμός συμμετέχει επίσης στο Φεστιβάλ Midsumma και Παρέλαση Υπερηφάνειας και άλλα Gay & Lesbian φεστιβάλ, συνέδρια και εκδηλώσεις.
Current Activities
Coffee Club – In 2017 we have commenced a regular meet up of members and friends over a coffee (and cake) at various venues in Melbourne. For more information check your newsletters or our facebook group.
Diversity in Greek Families: Let’s start the Conversation – a new project in Partnership with Pronia. This project commenced in 2017 and is designed to work with the broader Greek community of Melbourne to inform Greek families about LGBTI issues. For more information on the project contact Pronia or ourselves.
Midsumma Festival – You will usually find the Greek and Gay Support Network at Midsumma Carnival and Pride March.
Former Activities
Monthly Support Meetings – Support needs have changed and with technological improvements we are now able to communicate with members online as needed.
These meetings were a place for new and existing members to discuss any issue that they may have at the time. The meetings were confidential in nature. The topics of discussion varied significantly; however the constant themes that were addressed included the following:
Family – How will they accept my sexuality?
Coming Out – Do I or don’t I?
Religion – What does the Church say?
Health Concerns – the impact of Aids and other S.T.D’ s on our lives.
Relationships – Sexual and Emotional
Identity – Who are we?
How we started
One guy found the need to meet with other greek guys to discuss issues and get some feedback on issues he was having. He approached the VAC and with the help of a facilitator began the Greek Gay Guys (GGG) support group in May 1995.
We began with a weekly meeting and then met twice a month.
By 1997 the facilitator finished his role.
The group went through a quiet stage for about a year but ONE guy kept it going.
In May 2002, we created the Greek Australian Lesbians (GALS) support group. One special gal ran the GALS group for many years and helped it to grow. Today, the GALS group continues to run support meetings and social events for its members.
