What can film teach us about stigma? Low draws on the lived experiences of people managing diabetes while experiencing homelessness. We speak with peer researcher Matt Larson about how the film was developed, the importance of lived experience in telling the story, and what others can learn from the process.

When we communicate about stigma, our instinct is often to correct what's wrong: challenge the stereotype, bust the myth, give people the facts. But what if repeating a stigmatising idea, even to correct it, actually helps make it stronger?

Six years ago, Louise Maher realised her team couldn't tackle stigma alone. Today, that conversation has grown into a district-wide inclusion initiative spanning multiple services across an entire local health district.

A new article in drug policy and harm reduction magazine Filter has been published featuring research from the Tackling Stigma team.

Stigma reduction campaigns are built on good intentions, but good intentions don’t guarantee good outcomes. If we want campaigns that actually reduce harm, we have to acknowledge how different audiences interpret these messages, how systems generate stigma, and how language and power shape the impact. Here’s how.

Stigma isn’t only about individual attitudes. It’s shaped by how services are designed, who feels welcome in them, how staff are supported, and how culture is held across an organisation. In this interview, Dr Roanna Lobo explores these issues and more, sharing powerful advice for researchers and healthcare workers alike.

In our third Tackling Stigma Champion Interview, we speak with Kate Dunn, a nurse, educator, and advocate from Mississaugi First Nation, Canada, about the systemic barriers that keep Indigenous people from care. From creating culturally grounded healthcare resources to teaching the next generation of nurses to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, Kate shares how community-led, heart-first approaches can shift the narrative.

These stories – which we have left in the presenters’ own words – resist stereotypes. They show the power of lived expertise to dismantle entrenched systems, reshape service delivery, and defend the rights of people too often pushed to the margins.

In our second Tackling Stigma Champion Interview, we speak with Louise Hansford, a UK-based advocate for people who use drugs and those living with hepatitis C. Louise explains why mandatory training, real stories from peers, and compassionate practice are part of the solution.