LGBTQIA+ professional support organisation Out for Australia recently announced the winners of their latest 30 Under 30 awards.

These awards celebrate young LGBTQIA+ leaders across the country, making real change for our communities and standing as role models and advocates in their workplaces.

Perth-based winners included Perth Rams’ Bart Dekker and Youth Pride Network co-founder Charlotte Glance.

Local community members and allies are invited to celebrate with the winners and Out for Australia at The Court Hotel next Thursday 10 November.

“We’ve missed celebrating our 30 Under 30 Winners in person over the past few years,” the Out for Australia team said.

“We wanted to provide an opportunity to celebrate our past and current winners and network with our community.”

The celebration will feature entertainment from burlesque stars Kitty Litteur and Bobbie Apples.

Out for Celebration is at The Court Hotel on Thursday 10 November. To register a free spot, head to Eventbrite.

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LGBTQIA+ mentoring and support organisation Out For Australia are once again on the lookout for 30 rising stars from across the country.

The 30 Under 30 honours celebrate outstanding individuals under the age of 30, working to improve the world for LGBTQIA+ communities.

Winner are chosen based on tangible contributions to LGBTQIA+ communities, success in their chosen field and qualities that inspire others as a role model.

Major categories among the winners include Community Advocate, Standout Student, Regional Legend, Inclusion & Belonging Champion and Rising Star.

Past winners include local legends Georgia Foulkes-Taylor, Mackenzie Godson, Tegan Harrington and Thomas Drake-Brockman, as well as Victorian performer and transgender advocate Mama Alto, and former WA activist and Students for Marriage Equality founder Oscar Kaspi-Crutchett.

To submit a nomination, head to outforaustralia.org. Nominations close August 18.

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or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

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The 30 Under 30 honours celebrate outstanding individuals under the age of 30, working to improve the world for LGBTQIA+ communities.

Winner are chosen based on tangible contributions to LGBTQIA+ communities, success in their chosen field and qualities that inspire others as a role model.

Major categories among the winners include Community Advocate, Standout Student, Regional Legend, Inclusion & Belonging Champion and Rising Star.

Past winners include local legends Georgia Foulkes-Taylor, Mackenzie Godson, Tegan Harrington and Thomas Drake-Brockman, as well as Victorian performer and transgender advocate Mama Alto, and former WA activist and Students for Marriage Equality founder Oscar Kaspi-Crutchett.

To submit a nomination, head to outforaustralia.org. Nominations close August 18.

You can support our work by subscribing to our Patreon
or contributing to our GoFundMe campaign.

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Nominations for Out for Australia’s 30 Under 30 Awards close at midnight tomorrow.

So time is running out for you to champion all the incredible LGBTQIA+ young leaders and changemakers under 30.

If you know someone who is leading the way and breaking down barriers, and you haven’t submitted your nomination, you’ve only got until midnight (AEST) on Thursday to submit.

Why should you nominate someone for a 30 Under 30 Award?

• To recognise their contributions to the LGBTQIA+ community
• To champion their success in their industry
• To bring underrepresented experiences to the forefront
• To appreciate their qualities as a role model

Also there’s nothing stopping you from nominating yourself for the awards.

Head to the Out for Australia website and put someone forward.

OIP Staff

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For their next online event Out for Australia will be teaming up with A.C.T. Aces, a community group from the Australian Capital Territory that brings together people who identify as asexual.

The online discussion is titled: Out for Asexuality: Being Asexual in a Sex-obsessed World!

This webinar will feature a diverse range of ace panellists sharing their stories and exploring how organisations can create more inclusive spaces for ace people. Ace folk and allies are encouraged to attend. There will be an opportunity for a Q&A with the panellists towards the end of the panel.

The organisers have highlighted that the stories of some panelists may cover sensitive topics and content warnings will be given on the night.

When is the event? 

Friday, 2 October 2020 from 18:00-19:30 AEST

Register via this Zoom link. Find out more about the event here.

OIP Staff

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Out for Australia has announced Blake Connell is their new CEO. The board chose Blake following a competitive process culminating in the appointment late in 2019.

The organisation aims to help young LGBTI professionals through the early years of their career via supportive mentorships.

Connell will take on the CEO role effective immediately, while continuing in his role as lawyer and legal process designer at commercial law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. He is also a director of youth focused LGBTI organisation Minus 18.

Connell replaces Emily Scott, who steps down after completing her 18 months term. The organisation says in that time Emily has propelled the Out for Australia to new heights.

Scott welcomed her successor saying he was passionate about the organisation’s goals.

“Blake has done an outstanding job over the past three years with Out for Australia and I could not be more excited to hand the reins over to someone as passionate, committed, strategic and kind as Blake.

“It has been the greatest privilege to serve this fabulous rainbow community and to meet and work with so many inspiring young queer people.”

Connell first became involved with the organisation via their mentoring program, he has been a volunteer for a number of years, first as National Mentoring Co-ordinator and more recently as Chief Operating Officer. He shared his excitement about his new role.

“I am excited and humbled to have been given the opportunity to lead Out for Australia for the next year. I applied for the role because I have experienced firsthand – and witnessed for others – the power and impact of our mentoring program. I am beyond motivated to continue to grow this program so that we can get closer to achieving our bold vision as an organisation: an Australia where all LGBTIQ+ people feel comfortable to bring their whole selves to work, every day, in whatever workplace they are in.”
​​
Connell said the focuses for the organisation in the immediate future include: refining OFA’s mentoring program, broadening the organisations reach both in scale and diversity as well as taking OFA’s volunteer program to the next level.

“I want to continue our focus on representing all the letters within ‘LGBTIQ+’, while at the same time trying to reach more people from rural and regional areas, more people from different cultural backgrounds, and more people in less visible professions, industries and educational pathways. This includes within our pool of mentors and mentees, our volunteer cohort, our leadership team and at our events.”

“I’m excited to work with our 80 volunteers from around the country and to meet even more of Out for Australia’s sponsors, supporters and community members who allow us to do what we do.”
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Source: Media Release

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Out for Australia matches established and upcoming professionals based on their industry interests and goals with students and recent graduates looking for guidance in the workplace.

There first event for 2019 is on Thursday, January 31, generously hosted by CBRE. The evening will include a 45 minute panel discussion exploring the power of mentoring within the LGBTIQ+ community, along with an opportunity to network before and after the talks. Food and drinks will also be provided.

The Facebook page for the 2019 launch event can be found here. Registrations are essential via Eventbrite.

OIP Staff

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The Out for Australia board has announced that Emily Scott has been appointed as Out for Australia‘s new Chief Executive Officer. The organisation work to pair new graduates who identify as LGBTIQ+ with mentors in their chosen profession.

Scott will take on the CEO role while continuing to work at Nous Group, an award winning management consulting firm, who is supporting her to work flexibly. She takes over from Luke Furness who concluded his term on 30 June 2018 and will continue on the board.

“The organisation is in exceptional hands”, Furness said. “I’m very confident that Emily will continue to strengthen Out for Australia’s role in being a champion for LGBTIQ students.”

Scott has first had experience of the organsiation’s mentoring program, previously she was matched with Michelle Starr, an experienced management consultant and LGBTIQ women.

“I think having a mentor in the same industry that I could also identify with has been one of the key factors to my confidence and early career success as a management consultant at Nous Group,” Scott said.

“I applied for the role of CEO at Out for Australia as I want to help every LGBTIQ Australian to experience what I have – an inclusive workplace, the support of a mentor, a strong connection to the LGBTIQ community, and the opportunity to be their true and authentic self. ”

For the past year, Scott has served as Out for Australia’s National Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator.

“As CEO, I will continue to have a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. At Out for Australia, this means recognising that different people within our LGBTIQ community face different challenges and addressing these through targeted events and diverse mentors.” she said.

“It also means standing together as one, unified, inclusive LGBTIQ community, by educating ourselves on experiences different to our own, and opening doors for each other when we are in a position to do so.”

“I look forward to working closely with our growing corporate partners, other community organisations and allies to achieve our vision.”

Scott’s immediate priority is ensuring Out for Australia’s new mentoring platform Mentorloop is effective in matching mentees with suitable mentors and providing the necessary support for the relationship to succeed.

In accepting her role, Emily paid homage to outgoing CEO Luke Furness who has served as Out for Australia’s CEO since February 2017.

“I have and continue to be inspired by Luke’s passion for the LGBTIQ community. While the Out for Australia family will miss working with him day to day, we know that his contribution to the betterment of our community is only just starting.”

Source: Media Release

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Applications are now open for volunteer mentors to take part in Out for Australia’s LGBTIQ-focused program.

The organisation is looking for professionals to provide mentees with skills, contacts and information to help queer students transition from tertiary education to the work force.

Out for Australia matches established and upcoming professionals based on their industry interests and goals with students and recent graduates looking for guidance in the workplace.

The program is designed to link two people together over the course of a year, and are encouraged to connect on a regular basis – at least once every quarter.

This year, Out for Australia are implementing an online platform known as Mentorloop, that will make managing the mentoring relationship easier with a unique private portal.

Applications are open to LGBTI professionals looking to mentor in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, the ACT and here in WA.

Head to outforaustralia.org to apply, or for more information.

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The third annual awards ceremony featured keynote speaker Mr Michael Ebeid AM, CEO and Managing Director of SBS, who said the winners for the awards made a significant contribution to their communities.

“The winners of this year’s Out for Australia Role Model Awards have each made a significant contribution to both their organisations and the LGBTIQ community as a whole. The ceremony was a great opportunity to share my experience of the importance of visible role models and at the same time recognise and celebrate these inspirational individuals.” Ebeid said.

The awards consisted of three main categories: students; young professionals; and established professionals, and celebrates unsung LGBTIQ role models throughout Australia.

Isaac Roberts was named Student Role Model of the year. Roberts served as the President of the Indigenous Students Association (ISA) at Macquarie University in 2017. In this role, Isaac worked tirelessly building bridges between his two communities, ensuring that LGBTQ+ Spaces on campus actively included Indigenous students, and vice versa.

Roberts has also become an unofficial point of contact for transmen on campus, especially those looking to commence their transition at university.

Nicholas Steepe won the award for Young Professional of the year. Steepe is the Project Manager, Equity & Diversity for Charles Sturt University.

Steepe is one of the key individuals responsible for the Central West Pride March, and is heavily involved in the Central West Rainbow Alliance, promoting inclusion and support for regional LGBTIQA+ individuals. He also sits on The Pinnacle Foundation Management Committee as the Scholar Advocate, an organisation that provides scholarships and mentorships to disadvantaged and/or marginalised LGBTIQA+ people.

The final award, for Established Professional of the Year was given to Rebecca Johnson.

Johnson is the co-founder of the IndigiLez Women’s Leadership & Support Group, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lesbian, Same Attracted and Bisexual women. Rebecca is also is a member of Tekwabi Gizz (translation- All of us connected), a national collaboration of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Australian South Sea Islander people and organisations working with LGBTIQ, Sister girl and Brother boy peoples throughout Australia.

Rebecca’s many achievements include creating inclusive services training for LGBTIQ service providers in Queensland, leading consultation for the LGBTI National Ageing and Aged Care, and the Queensland Police Service Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officer Program.

This year, finalist hailed from all corners of the country. OUTinPerth editor Leigh Andrew Hill was among the nominees and travelled from Perth for the ceremony, other nominees came from across Australia including Adelaide to regional NSW.

Luke Furness, the CEO of Out for Australia said it was important to acknowledge the work of role models as they empowered those around them.

“Role models are integral to the empowerment of young LGBTIQ people to be their authentic selves. Out for Australia is grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate these unsung heroes of the LGBTIQ community.” Furness said.

The nominees were selected from suggestions out forward by the public and the final decision was open to a public vote. This year over 1000 votes were cast in the decision making process.

OIP Staff

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