Presented by ACON, NSW’s leading LGBTQ health organisation, Our United Front: In Pictures is a photography exhibition that celebrates the strength and resilience of LGBTQ communities, and the importance of community support in facing issues together.

It showcases images and stories collected as part of ACON’s breast cancer awareness campaign, Our United Front. The campaign – funded by the Cancer Institute NSW – featured various social, sporting and community groups and engaged over 100 LGBTQ community members.

ACON Deputy CEO Karen Price said Our United Front: In Pictures depicts and celebrates diverse LGBTQ communities, and underlines how important it is for health messages to reach everybody who needs to hear them.

“Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women in Australia, with one in eight women being diagnosed,” Price said.

“Across almost two years, including 11 events in metropolitan and regional NSW, and culminating in the development of the Our United Front campaign, we have worked with LGBTQ communities to increase breast cancer awareness and screening participation for eligible people in LGBTQ communities.

“LGBTQ communities are often not represented in mainstream health promotion. In addition, people in LGBTQ communities can also face barriers to accessing health services including fear of discrimination around sexuality or gender identity. We believe that means that some in our communities are accessing health services less than the general population, and less than health guidelines recommend.

“Our United Front sought to raise awareness of breast health among LGBTQ people, urging everyone to have conversations and encouraged each other to understand breast cancer risks and screening options.

“This exhibition seeks to celebrate the strength and diversity of LGBTQ communities and to visibly represent how links to the community is important for health and wellbeing,” Price said.

“LGBTQ people have a strong history of supporting each other and Our United Front: In Pictures conveys this heritage.

“Moreover, through these images, we hope to reinforce the reasons why campaigns that reflect and speak to our communities are so critical,” Price said.

Our United Front: In Pictures features the work of award-winning photographer, Nicola Bailey, who was engaged by ACON as photographer-in-residence to document the campaign. Throughout the development and implementation of Our United Front, Nicola engaged with LGBTQ individuals and groups and attended events across NSW.

“In chronicling the journey of the Our United Front campaign, Nicola has documented how LGBTQ people have engaged with breast health and breast cancer screening messages and, in the process, she has captured powerful images of our communities,” Price said.

Price urged everyone to come along and see the exhibition.

“This exhibition tells a story, in our own communities’ own words, about how critical it is to belong, be included, and how we are stronger together,” Price said.

“We hope the images and stories from our communities prompt people to learn more about breast screening options by visiting ourunitedfront.org.au .”

Our United Front and Our United Front: In Pictures have been delivered in collaboration with, and with the support of, the Cancer Institute NSW and BreastScreen NSW.