LGBTI equality and mental health advocate Jason Ball shared his story at a Men and Masculinity Forum hosted by Women’s Health Goulburn North East at Gateway Quality Hotel.

About 100 people attended the event, almost equal numbers of men and women.

With a name influenced by the goal kicking of Hawthorn’s Jason Dunstall, Mr Ball grew up in a football family and came out to his Yarra Glen teammates in 2012.

“As the heart of regional communities, football clubs really have the power to transform attitudes and create ripple effects throughout their whole towns,” he said.

He encouraged listeners to edit or check their own language, help others understand the issues and support those who speak out.

“Most people are not bad people and they don’t want to cause harm; if you can explain the damage that homophobic language causes, that’s a really good first step towards changing that behaviour,” Mr Ball said.

“And if someone has the courage to stand up against it, backing them up is how you create culture change.”

Increasing the number of female career firefighters has helped their male colleagues talk more openly about the issues facing them, according to a Metropolitan Fire Brigade member.

Central district multicultural liaison officer Steve O’Malley told Thursday’s Men and Masculinity Forum in Wangaratta in the past the male culture of emergency services could undermine the supports on offer.

“I think it’s not necessarily a throwaway to say that men tend not to access help,” he said. 

“In my experience that’s changed because of gender inclusion because they’re actually talking to their peers.

“They’re talking to their female colleagues about issues that they’ve gone through whether it’s a natural disaster or whether it’s marital problems or problems with their children, they’re actually opening up to their female colleagues, they just do. 

“And previously, in my experience, they just didn’t.” 

Audience member Trevor Logan, the Wangaratta Fire Station officer in charge, said communication formed about 80 per cent of a firefighter’s work.

“OK, you go in and put the fire out, but empathy for the people, communication on process on what they do next, who they talk to, where they get help, where they stay for the night,” he said. 

“That is where introducing females into the service has helped us a lot because it’s helped us learn how to communicate better.”

The program included contributions by compere John Duck, facilitator Tom Bell, advocate Jason Ball and University of Western Sydney senior lecturer Michael Salter, who discussed his research on the intersection of masculinity and violence.

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