June is Pride Month, when people worldwide come together to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community. It's a month filled with vibrant parades, events, and activities that honour this community's diverse identities and experiences.
Pride Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges and triumphs of LGBTQIA+ individuals, as well as to promote equality and acceptance for all. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for equal rights and the need to combat discrimination, prejudice, and violence faced by individuals.
In honour of Pride Month, we have compiled a list of speakers who can connect with your organization and deliver presentations that promote and highlight the significance of gender and sexual diversity.
To engage one of our speakers for your Pride event, or for a brand partnership get in touch!
Nevo Zisin (they/them) is a storyteller, esteemed educator on transgender topics, TEDx speaker, poet, workshop facilitator in schools and workplaces, and award-winning author of Finding Nevo, a memoir on gender transition and The Pronoun Lowdown a useful guidebook on all things related to pronouns.
They have been in conversation with Queer Eye’s brilliant Jonathan Van Ness, Transparent producer Zackary Drucker & world-famous spoken-word poet & activist Alok Vaid-Menon.
Their work has appeared in The Saturday Paper, NGV Magazine, Archer Magazine, Buzzfeed, Junkee, SBS, Hack Live, ABC’s The Drum, and The Morning Show, amongst others. They were a 2022 Varuna Scribe Fellow and are an ambassador for both Wear It Purple and the Victorian Pride Centre.
Faustina Agolley, affectionally called Fuzzy, has enjoyed a career of over 15 years across Broadcast Television, Music, Djing, Writing, and Theatre. She's a proud Black and Asian gay Australian of Ghanaian and Chinese-Malaysian heritage.
Faustina began her career interviewing her idols like Alicia Keys to then icons-in-the making like Adele, Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga while bringing joy to Australian homes on Video Hits.
She's also co-hosted The Voice and Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. She openly speaks and writes about queer matters, queer life and overcoming her own mental health struggles for Women of Letters, ABC, Netflix Pause, and Huffington Post.
After building their career tackling bullying, Lucy’s life was fundamentally changed when she became the target of an extended pattern of bullying herself. Instead of hiding away, Lucy took this as a call to connect with even young Aussies and launch herself into advocating for their LGBTIQA+ community. Lucy has since wrapped these personal learnings into their widely received TEDx talk, Kindness: The ultimate rebellion against bullying.
Lucy is a mighty force of kindness, equipped with the precious ability to engage young people to generate positive social change creatively.
Todd Fernando is a descendant of the Kalarie peoples of the Wiradjuri nation and identifies as queer with the pronouns he/him.
Todd is the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities - the second person to fill this ground-breaking position. In this role, Todd works closely with Victoria’s LGBTIQ+ communities to provide crucial advice to the Victorian Government on the development of policies, services and programs that are inclusive and meet the needs of our diverse communities.
Todd is also an accomplished diversity & inclusion consultant and public intellectual with extensive research experience working with both First Nations and LGBTIQ+ communities.
Nadine Champion is a credit to the human spirit and the power of the mind. Her own personal success story of martial arts success and recovery from cancer is inspiring and contains valuable lessons for us all. She encourages people to "change their thinking" to adapt to the situation they are faced with.
Nadine Champion is a powerhouse speaker who proudly promotes acceptance and support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Her career as an out gay athlete (as quite literally a fighter for equality), helped to raise awareness of the LGBT+ community. Whether discussing Equity and Belonging or the importance of Inclusion, Nadine champions corporate Diversity with her proud commitment to Representation.
Chyloe has always been a woman on a mission, intent on making her mark in history and investing in the future of others. One of the first women to play on the MCG, Chyloe has been a key figure in establishing the AFLW and female engagement in traditionally male-dominated sports having also recently been appointed to work with Golf Australia.
Chyloe is driven by creating a community within a world where life can be tough. Her mission is to create a community that is really supportive, one that is totally inclusive and serves its people, so we can all thrive. There is such value in supporting each other through our own journeys.
Yasmin London is an in-demand communication powerhouse whose mission is to equip people with the skills and knowledge to ensure technology enhances their modern-day lives, rather than detracts from it.
Yasmin London is the Executive Director of ySafe, Australia's largest online safety education organization. Yasmin ignites social change through education and courageous conversations. Yasmin regularly speaks at large-scale events and conferences and consults for governments, schools, businesses, and not-for-profit organizations. Aside from being widely recognized as Australia’s ‘Dancing Cop’, she’s also written for Kidspot and appears on Channel 9 Today and the Weekend Today Show providing advice for Australians on online safety and positive technology management.
Brihony Dawson (they/them) is Australia’s most prominent non-binary keynote speaker, television host and MC. They’re passionate about gender diversity and visibility in sports, entertainment and corporate environments. Brihony’s unique journey has seen them connect with people from all walks of life. From selling cars to hanging with rockstars, Brihony’s charisma and inner magic make everyone feel like the most important person in the room.
Katherine Wolfgramme transitioned over thirty years ago, she is a proud transgender woman of colour with a breadth of knowledge that is unique among other gender-diverse speakers.
Through her engaging storytelling, Katherine shares her experiences as a child born with gender dysphoria, a trans youth, a transgender woman in full bloom, and now a transgender elder, community mother, and Sydney LBGT Community Leader.
Katherine’s story is a journey of discrimination and disappointment, of heartache and triumph, of failure and success told with charisma and style unique only to her, with wisdom and experience she also interweaves facts both historical and current in such a way you shall be enriched by the experience.
Learn more about Katherine>
Regarded as one of Western Australia’s most prominent Young Aboriginal people, Brooke Blurton is making a real difference in the lives of people experiencing mental health issues. A strong resilient Noongar-Yamatji woman, Brooke’s own childhood was marred by tragedy having lost her mother to suicide, and drug and alcohol abuse occurring in her family. Brooke grew up determined to help young people who might be dealing with similar issues.
In 2021 Brooke broke ground as the Australian Bachelorette and was the first Bi-Sexual and First Nations Woman in the show's history to take on this role.
Ian Roberts is an actor, activist and professional sporting identity.
He played Rugby League at the club level, in the NSW State of Origin squad, and on the national team, the Kangaroos. In 1995, at the height of his career, he publicly came out as a gay man. Internationally Ian was the second high-profile sportsman in a professional team game to come out while playing, and the first in Australia.
Ian has a specialisation in elite athlete wellbeing management and works across sectors promoting wellbeing, positive masculinity and inclusion.
JoAnna Ferrari or “JJ” as she prefers to be called had the kind of professional and personal life we all dream of. Then the dream ended and the nightmare began when she openly told the world about starting her gender transition.
JJ recalls, “Once I began my transition, my world exploded. Reality hit quickly and I realized, it was going to be a treacherous trek with no map, no guides, no support, and no going back.” JJ had to start life and career completely over. The lessons she used to survive in her new life are what she now feels an obligation to teach others so they can survive and succeed at their own lives and businesses.
Today JJ is happy in life and has again become a well-respected business coach, transition/performance consultant, requested keynote speaker, and author.
Aysha Buffet is a self-taught Trans drag queen of Filipino descent from Melbourne's suburbs. She previously won the national Dragnation contest at Melbourne's GH Hotel, competing against seven other talented queens for the title of Australia's next drag superstar. Aysha's drag persona was born out of her desire to express her femininity and love of styling, inspired by veteran Paris Drag queen's performances. Her performances are energetic and unique, drawing influence from various artists, music, and other queens. Aysha creates her own clothes and acts, showcasing her personal sense of creative flair. She believes in the importance of being confident, inspired, and determined, encouraging her drag peers to follow their own path and showcase their unique talents.
Anna Sheppard, Founder and CEO of Bambuddha Group strongly believes the power of Kindness is world-changing.
Anna grew up in a caravan park on the northeast coast of England and is one of five sisters, several of whom have physical and learning disabilities. As a child, Anna spent most of her childhood fighting prejudice and finally went into the care system for a short time before braving the world alone, at 16. As a neurodiverse gay person, fitting into the systems in life has always been a challenge.
Khanh Ong’s passion for aromatic Asian flavours has transported Australian families into the bustling marketplaces of his native Vietnam.
With his infectious smile, down-to-earth nature, cheeky sense of humour and captivating story he quickly became a household name and a MasterChef Australia season 10 and 12 fan favourite.
Khanh’s journey has strongly appealed to the MasterChef audience because it is both genuine and fun. He was born in an Indonesian refugee camp to Vietnamese parents and grew up in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Khanh’s story offers hope and inspiration to the millions of Australians who can relate to his journey and his success.
