Many LGBTQIA+ Austinites struggle
AUSTIN IS RENOWN AS
AN LGBTQIA+ SANCTUARY.
But, as wonderful and welcoming as Austin is,
most LGBTQIA+ residents do not have an easy time.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO
TAKE AUSTIN’S REPUTATION AND
#MAKEITREAL.
QWELL HAS 3 GOALS
Engage every LGBTQIA+ and Ally person in Greater Austin, across differences in age, race, gender, class, orientation, etc.
Connect each LGBTQIA+ community member with resources they can use to improve their wellbeing.
Support our partner LGBTQIA+ organizations and businesses so they can grow to meet our diverse community’s needs.
The QWELL strategy will:
Build Strong Community Connections
Improve LGBTQIA+ Physical and Mental Health
Advocate for Safe, Healthy Places to Live
Increase Capacity with Lifelong Learning
Guarantee Economic Opportunity
Inspire a Positive Outlook
Our Plan
CONDUCT AN ONGOING LGBTQA CENSUS & QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY
The Census will clarify our numbers and geographic dispersal, and the Survey will provide data about how each of us is doing in life.
IDENTIFY LGBTQ-AFFIRMING WELLBEING SERVICE PROVIDERS
Everyone should be able to easily find safe wellbeing resources wherever they live in the Austin area.
ENGAGE EVERY LGBTQA RESIDENT IN A LIFE SUPPORT TEAM
The best way to make sure no one falls through the cracks is to make LGBTQA community the rule instead of the exception.
CONNECT EACH TEAM MEMBER WITH WELLBEING SERVICES
LGBTQA support team volunteers will receive access to wellbeing services they can use to improve their quality of life.
SUPPORT LGBTQA ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES
Strong partners help make a healthy community. QWELL is dedicated to expanding our partners’ work, not duplicating it.
CREATE A SELF-SUSTAINING MODEL THAT BECOMES A DEFINING PERK OF AUSTIN LIFE
Revenue streams from digital tools and a mixed-use development will help QWELL support our community members and partners.
The QWELL plan was created with
input from representatives of:
- AGLCC
- aGLIFF
- AIDS Services Austin
- allgo
- Austin Black Pride
- Austin Chronicle
- Austin International Drag Foundation
- Austin LGBT Bar Association
- Austin LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission
- Austin Pride
- Austin Queer Yoga Collective
- City of Austin
- Dell Medical School – CPBI
- Dynamic Therapy
- Equality Texas
- HEAT Boot Camp
- HRC Austin
- Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership
- Ideation League
- Jelani Consulting
- KIND Clinic
- LGBT Coalition on Aging
- LifeWorks
- MyOutSpirit.com
- NAMI Austin
- Out Youth
- PFLAG Austin
- Planned Parenthood
- Pride Interfaith Partnership
- Project Transitions
- St. David’s Foundation
- TENT
- The Q
- The Wellbeing Project
- Transform Fitness
- UT Gender & Sexuality Center
- UT Department of Social Work
- Waterloo Counseling Center
- Whatsinthemirror?
- Work It! Personal Training
SHARE YOUR VISION
Imagine Austin as the best place on earth to be LGBTQ. What do you see?
Check all the problems with which you or
LGBTQIA+ Austinites you know have wrestled:
FAQ
What does QWELL mean by wellbeing?
OUTLOOK
How LGBTQIA+ people feel about their lives, and their individual experience of the community, influences their optimism about the world around them.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
Physical and mental health are the cornerstone of good quality of life. When LGBTQIA+ individuals, families, and neighborhoods are healthy, our people flourish.
RELATIONSHIPS AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
LGBTQIA+ people’s bonds with family, partners, friends, and people around us are a huge part of what makes us feel good or bad about life. Human beings thrive in a diverse, intergenerational, positive social structure.
LIVED ENVIRONMENT
The place around you matters. Your physical environment, natural or human-made, impacts your wellbeing. Austinites deserve healthy, affordable, safe places to live as openly LGBTQIA+ people of any age.
LEARNING
Skills training and lifelong learning, in and out of the classroom, promote mental development, personal growth, and challenging experiences.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
Austin’s vibrant economy should include LGBTQIA-welcoming job training, employment, and chances for advancement, to create an environment where all LGBTQIA+ people can afford to make ends meet and may achieve all they hope to accomplish.
FROM WHERE DOES THIS DEFINITION OF WELLBEING COME?
QWELL is working with Santa Monica’s “Wellbeing Index,” a tool for measuring municipal wellbeing developed through a $1M grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
What are some examples of "wellbeing service providers?"
Here are five examples of service providers for each of the various aspects of wellbeing. This is not a comprehensive list. Please visit CityPride.org to register as an LGBTQIA-safe business, organization, or group.
PHYSICAL HEALTH
- Medical professionals and clinics
- Fitness centers and trainers
- Yoga studios
- Chiropractors
- Weight-loss services
MENTAL HEALTH
- Psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers
- Counseling centers
- Depression screening
- Life coaches
- Recovery services
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
- Faith communities
- Parenting support
- Meet-up groups
- Sports leagues
- Cultural events
LIVING ENVIRONMENT
- Single-family home developers, apartment communities, and housing co-ops
- Green energy solutions
- Security services
- Architects
- Neighborhood associations
LEARNING
- School districts, private schools, universities
- Adult learning opportunities
- Job training services
- Language education (ESL, ASL, etc.)
- Certification programs
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
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- Job fairs, job search websites, job placement services
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- Small business support systems
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- Tax preparation services
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- Resume or career coaching
- Mentoring programs
Are donations tax-deductible?
Yes! QWELL is a project of Austin Community Foundation. Just click here to donate.
Is QWELL working with the City of Austin?
QWELL Project Manager Clayton Gibson communicates regularly with City Council staff and the LGBTQ Quality of Life Advisory Commission. We hope the City will be a vital QWELL partner.
When can I join a support team?
We will begin offering some support teams in 2020, and expanding the availability of these across the Austin area over time. Contact QWELL if you’d like to help develop the small group model or be trained as a group leader.
What do you consider an “active community member?”
We believe that community is action-based, not identity-based. That means, if you want the benefits of being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, you have to show up for others, for example, by participating in a support team or volunteering for one of our partner organizations.
Why include the “A” for Allies?
Our allies are important to the LGBTQIA+ community, and QWELL values and honors their support. Hundreds of thousands of LGBTQIA+ people live in greater Austin, and each of them has multiple allies. We need their help to improve LGBTQIA+ wellbeing, too.