Tim Wilson MP launches Better Pride

Mr Tim Wilson MP today opened the new Centre for Better Relationships. The Centre’s inaugural report ‘Rainbow family formation and dissolution in Australia’ illustrates how little is known about rainbow families’ access to family law support services or if they are accessing them at all.

In Mr Wilson’s introductory speech he highlighted the need for research and data on the unique challenges the LGBTIQ+ community faces when it comes to issues of separation and family law matters. The Centre for Better Relationship’s research found that rainbow families continue to experience discrimination when they access services generally and that they employ a range of protective strategies to limit their experience of discrimination and homophobia.

Serge Sardo, the CEO of Better Place Australia,who commissioned the research says “ The learning for us as a family law services provider is that we need to develop a better understanding of how the contemporary family law system serves, or fails to serve rainbow families.”

In response to the paper the not for profit agency Better Place Australia has been preparing a service suite called Better Pride. The Better Pride services are intended to fill the service gap for rainbow families during and after separation, ensuring that all families have access to equitable services.

Serge Sardo says “Good research and good practice together can improve client experiences ensuring that everyone has equitable access to support during difficult times in their lives. The colocation of research and practice helps keep research grounded in people’s lived experiences. The real value of research knowledge is in its application.” The Centre for Better Relationships and the Better Pride services were both launched on Monday.