Maxi Shield reveals childhood experience to encourage others to stand up against domestic violence
With Mardi Gras days away, the Domestic Violence prevention campaign We’re Better Than That has launched a second video series with two videos featuring Drag Race Down Under contestant Maxi Shield.
In it, Maxi Shield reveals, “I’m actually a survivor of domestic violence as a child.”
Maxi shares, “If children or young adults are living through this there are people out there, don’t think that you’re on your own: you can reach out to people and there is help out there, and you can survive.”
The videos, funded by the Central and Eastern Sydney PHN and created in partnership with the Hope Believe Shine Foundation, and Randwick, Waverley, Woollahra and Bayside Councils, promote respect and healthy relationship strategies and encourage men to be active bystanders when they witness behaviour that contributes to domestic violence.
Maxi’s video highlights some of the unique challenges for the LGBTQA+ community when it comes to Domestic and Family Violence.
“Just like everyone else, people in the LGBTIQA+ community deserve to be supported… and know they can have a safe and happy relationship,” Maxi says.
According to ACON’s Say it Out Loud website, whilst LGBTQ+ people are just as likely to experience DV as the general population, they are less likely to identify and seek help for unhealthy relationship patterns.
Maxi is the sixth male influencer to join the conversation. The first series of We’re Better Than That featured influencers such as My Kitchen Rules star Colin Fassnidge and Bondi lifeguard Bruce “Hoppo” Hopkins, and gained over 120k views.
The second series will also feature Neighbours star Benjamin “Benny” Turland and Paralympic swimmer and Order of Australia Medallist Matt Levy.
For Maxi the message is clear, “It takes one voice to say, ‘Hold on, that’s not right,’ to make a change.”
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If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, help is available. You can call NSW DV Line on 1800 65 64 63
