Coast Out Festival organizers are broadening the event with the inclusion of an all-day conference on issues relating to the LGBT community.

As the Coast Out Festival in 2010 was such a success, festival organisers have chosen Coffs Harbour not only as the venue for 2011 but to also broaden the week-long event with the inclusion of an all-day conference on the issues relating to the LGBT community in regional and rural Australia.

The Coffs Harbour campus at Southern Cross University will support the conference by facilitating a professional training day on Friday 28 October 2011. The training day will provide the formative and introductory event for the festival.  The conference will be beneficial for psychologists, social workers, teachers, mental health workers, youth workers, and other interested members of the community to focus on gender and sexuality in regional Australia.

The event will draw include facilitators, presenters and panel members drawn from academic staff members and external subject matter experts with expertise in areas like mental health, psychology, law, sexuality, activism, ethics, and more. This is a great opportunity to get involved in another way that aren’t just beaches and bars (but we like those too).