Liana ’ s story : a safe and supportive space with the Rainbow Crew
A carer for almost two decades , Liana has found meaningful connection with her own identity and other queer carers through a support group especially for LGBTIQA + carers : Rainbow Crew .
Liana Ferndale officially made the leap from mother to carer when one of her four children , Rama , was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of seven . Now a young man of 20 , he lives at home with Liana , along with Liana ’ s youngest child , who is 16 and her 82-year-old mother , who Liana also cares for . Of course , the caring started well before the diagnosis , as Liana recognised Rama ’ s differences and began advocating for recognition and support . Since diagnosis , being his carer has involved coordinating his NDIS support , finding his support workers and taking him to see specialists to help him navigate his diagnosis . Her mother ’ s care involves supporting her through mental health challenges and taking her to specialists who assist her with the various challenges of old age . Liana has learned to have support for herself in place , so that she can continue caring for others . For Liana , that support comes in lots of different forms . “ I get regular massages and go to float sessions . I ’ m a member of Co-Dependents Anonymous . I also see a psychologist and I have a lot of close friends and partner who are loving and supportive . I ’ m very lucky in that way ,” says Liana . Liana is also an active member of Rainbow Crew . An initiative of Carer Gateway in Victoria , Rainbow Crew is a support group for carers who identify as LGBTIQA + ( lesbian , gay , bisexual , transgender , intersex , queer , asexual and other sexually or gender diverse ). For Liana , this means identifying as bisexual . Rainbow Crew hosts monthly online meetings and also organises in-person meet-ups and outings . The meetings are social , inclusive and supportive , with space for everyone to share . They ’ re also sometimes activity focused , with craft sessions and materials supplied ahead of time by facilitators .
Outings have included lunches and theatre visits . “ It ’ s great to be in a group with people who are both carers and queer , because we can all be really upfront and honest about how our lives are going , both in terms of our caring role and also just in terms of dealing with being queer in a world where not everyone is favourable towards queerness ,” says Liana . “ The facilitators of the Rainbow Crew create a beautiful safe space where everyone seems to feel really able to open up and share about their challenges and how difficult life can be as a queer carer . It ’ s a really positive space to be in .” Rainbow Crew meets monthly on Zoom from 10:30am-12pm on the last Friday of each month . If you have any questions you can call 9076 6644 or email carerevents @ alfred . org . au
12 | The Caring Way