Overview
The LSS Queer Portfolio seeks to create a space that welcomes and celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and intersectionality. It fosters a culture that embraces all identities and sexual/romantic orientations within the LGBTQIA+ community. We warmly encourage our allies to grow with us and get involved. Whilst these events are focussed on queer topics and the queer community, allies are encouraged to engage and attend.
We look forward to providing students with a platform to discuss queer issues in law school and the legal profession, and build their peer relationships.
In 2024, Chloe Blaby and Venessa Toh will be your Queer Officers. If you have any questions or queries regarding the Queer Office, please do not hesitate to contact Chloe (LLB) on queerofficer@monashlss.com or Venessa (PG) on pg.queerofficer@monashlss.com.
Events & Resources
Careers Guide
Not sure what lies ahead? The + Careers Guide for LGBTQIA+ law students can be accessed here.
Health & Wellbeing
Monash LSS recognises that students who are queer and gender-diverse may face unique challenges. To tackle these increased risk factors, the Queer Portfolio will work closely with Maggie Shannon, the Health & Wellbeing Officer, as well as Monash’s Student Support Services in 2024. Please contact any of these Officers or services if you are struggling, so that you can be better supported. We also recommend engaging with queer-specific spaces on campus and other queer Monash clubs.
Queer Mentoring Program
The Queer Office is excited to expand the Professional Legal Mentoring Program once again to offer a queer stream within the program. Students can apply to the queer stream to be paired with a queer legal professional. This will allow students to foster a mutually beneficial relationship in which insight, experiences and guidance can be shared. The program boasts a large variety of practice areas from which students can select.
Our aim is to ensure that students become equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to overcome the barriers and challenges they may face as a queer person. It is our hope that queer students will form long-lasting and mutually beneficial mentoring relationships with their queer mentors. From the personal to the professional, we encourage students to ask questions, create networks, and build resilience.
A launch for the program will be held on the Tuesday 12 March 2024.
Queer Lecture & Networking Night
This event blends together the best parts of education and socialising. The first half of the evening will be dedicated to providing students with a keynote lecture from a prominent queer individual in the law, either Dean Clifford-Jones or Robin Moira White. Students will be able to ask questions to the lecturer. The night will then transition to a larger venue with students from Melbourne University Law School to a networking evening, where students will network with queer and gender-diverse legal professionals from a wide range of sectors. The Queer Lecture and Networking Night will be held on Thursday 28 March 2024, 6:30pm – Late at Monash Law Chambers (555 Lonsdale St) and then La Di Da Cocktail Bar (577 Little Bourke St).
Queer Through The Years Panel & Film Screening Panel
The event brings together a panel of Queer-identifying legal professionals to engage in a discussion on the challenges and advancements within the Queer community, particularly in the legal profession and broader society. The event will wrap up with a film screening of a Queer documentary or film centred on social justice & LGBTQIA+ issues. Following the screening, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a discussion and Q&A session with legal professionals, activists and filmmakers in a meaningful conversation about the themes of the film. It will be held on 02 May 2024 6:30m-9:30pm.
Queer Mixer
The social highlight of the Queer Portfolio calendar. The Queer Mixer is a fun and informal gathering where students will be able to socialise with their queer peers from other universities in a welcoming environment with music (ideally live music). It is a purely social event, designed for queer students and allies to meet other members of the community and form student networks. This annual gathering has traditionally brought together participants from University of Melbourne, Deakin, RMIT to emphasise inclusivity and camaraderie The Queer Mixer will be held on Friday 30 August 2024, 7pm – Late at La Di Da Cocktail Bar (577 Little Bourke St).
Queer Seminar/Training Workshop
An exciting revamped seminar, where the queer office partners with a professional LGBTQIA+ training organisation to conduct a workshop that educates law students and faculty about LGBTQIA+ issues, terminology, and best practices for being inclusive and supportive allies in the legal profession. The event is set for Tuesday 17 September 2024, TBC.