Stepping Out Program

28/02/2026

PANELLIST: KATE ROWE
Happy Mardi Gras.

Kate Rowe (.rowe.33) is a survivor and proud 78’er who will join our panel at Stepping Out’s 40th anniversary celebration supporting women survivors of child s*xual abuse.

Her memoir, How the F*ck Would I Know?, is an unflinching and often darkly funny account of a life shaped by childhood trauma — a story many survivors will recognise in its recklessness, restlessness and hard-won recovery.

Kate was on the frontlines of the first Sydney Mardi Gras in 1978, when LGBTQIA+ people marched for dignity, visibility and the right to live openly. The courage of the 78’ers helped shift the cultural landscape in Australia, and their legacy continues.

Kate’s journey was recently featured on ABC Conversations with Richard Fidler: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/kate-rowe-healing-abuse-s*xuality-recovery/106236842

Join us on Thursday 5 March at Petersham Bowlo () for what promises to be a powerful and memorable evening.

All funds raised will support specialist group programs and individual counselling for women survivors of child s*xual abuse.

We’d love to see you there.

27/02/2026

Stepping Out is entering into its 40th year of supporting women survivors of child s*xual abuse. This is an accomplishment to be celebrated, given the taboo nature of CSA. We hope you can join on Thursday 5 March at Petersham Bowlo for a memorable night put together by the formidable Tanya Lee of Corrilee Foundation and No Laughing Matter Podcast Series

MC/auctioneer will be JEAN KITTSON and entertainment will be provided by DOG TRUMPET , ZOE CARIDES and comedian CHRIS RYAN .

We will also have a panel moderated by Stepping Out Chair DONNA BEVAN including JESS HILL , KATE ROWE .rowe.33 and CEO of Stepping Out MELISSA HOLMES .

We will have an auction with paintings by WENDY SHARP AO and JUSTINE WAHLIN as well as a raffle with signed books by Kate Rowe, Jess Hill and Stepping Out Ambassador MELANIE JAI and other magnificent prizes.

All funds raised will go towards running specialist group programs and individual counselling for women survivors of child s*xual abuse. We hope to see you there!

14/02/2026

Sending Valentine’s Day virtual roses to every survivor of child s*xual abuse, many of whom have not been blessed with loving relationships. This is because childhood trauma has affected your capacity to trust – if you cannot trust the people meant to protect you from harm, who can you trust? We acknowledge that the pressure to conform to coupling up is at its peak today and remind all survivors that you are worthy of love and there are all sorts of love and support out there for you. You can live alone and not be lonely! We run a social inclusion group in Marrickville for women CSA survivors to share various activities with the unspoken understanding of a shared experience to provide a sense of connection and community – email us at info@steppingout.org.au for more info. Big love from Stepping Out ❤️

10/02/2026

Stepping Out: Forty years of showing up - please help us keep going!

More than 1 in 3 Australian women experienced child s*xual abuse before the age of 18—most at the hands of someone they knew. For many women, particularly those who grew up in eras when abuse was disbelieved or silenced, the impacts become entrenched over decades and they live with complex PTSD.

For 40 years, Stepping Out has supported female survivors of child s*xual abuse through free, trauma-informed programs grounded in clinical expertise, lived experience, and peer connection. Our work sits at the intersection of therapeutic care and community—because complex trauma requires both.

We specialise in working with women who are too often left out of the conversation, and we do it on the smell of an oily rag. CSA has been taboo for generations, and services like ours survive because people like you choose to show up.

Please join us on 5 March at Petersham Bowling Club to help us continue our work.

Hosted by Corrilee Foundation, the night will be MC’d by Jean Kittson and includes a panel with Jess Hill, CEO Melissa Holmes, Tanya Lee AOM and Kate Rowe, a 78-er and lived experience advocate. Comedian Chris Ryan will lighten the load and music will be provided by the Dog Trumpet with a guest appearance from Zoe Carides!

Tickets are $40 and contribute directly to Stepping Out programs - here's the link: https://events.humanitix.com/no-laughing-matter-s-event-for-stepping-out-s-40th-anniversary

.rowe.33

26/01/2026

Stepping Out stands with First Nations women, today and every day. We pay respects to the traditional custodians of the land, we recognise their resilience and acknowledge the brutal and ongoing impacts of colonisation 🖤💛♥️

09/01/2026

28/12/2025

Regular GP closed over the holidays?

Call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for free instant advice from a registered nurse and get connected with the care that's right for you.

The nurse can find you an alternative GP, pharmacist or urgent care service, or connect you to a doctor online

To find out more, visit
www.health.nsw.gov.au/callhealthdirect

24/12/2025

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