The Pride List: Australia’s LGBTQ+ game changers
From actors and athletes to politicians, performers and beyond, we take a look at some of the most prominent LGBTQ+ game changers.
From actors and athletes to politicians, performers and beyond, we take a look at some of the most prominent Australian LGBTQ+ game changers.
HANNAH GADSBY
It was a stand-up performance like no other. Gadsby’s 2018 Netflix special Nanette not only reinvented the idea of what a comedy show could be, but saw the comedian take home Emmy and Peabody awards for her efforts. Exploring such themes as homophobia, misogyny, xenophobia, sexual violence and mental illness, it was unlike anything seen before – and rocketed Gadsby from an impressive local talent to one of the most sought-after comedians on the international stage. She toured the globe with a second acclaimed comedy special, Douglas, and last year published the New York Times best-seller Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation, an autobiography that captures the complex, difficult and, yes, often very funny realities of the comic’s struggles with sexuality, body image, abuse and more. Proof of Gadsby’s remarkable gift for avoiding the low-hanging fruit in favour of tackling tougher, weightier topics – and spinning them into comedy gold.
MAGDA SZUBANSKI
She’s responsible for some of Australian pop culture’s most beloved characters, from her early work on sketch shows The D-Generation and Full Frontal to the Babe films and the iconic Sharon Strzelecki of Kath & Kim. But Szubanski’s impact goes well beyond the screen. An advocate for LGBTQ+ issues after coming out publicly on TV more than a decade ago, she was a vocal proponent of the Yes vote in the lead-up to the 2017 same-sex marriage survey – a stance many considered crucial in swaying the public’s decision in favour of marriage equality. Today she is also a patron of the Sydney-based charity Twenty10, which provides much-needed housing, mental health and counselling support for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. In 2019, Szubanski’s contributions were formally recognised when she was awarded an Order of Australia, “for distinguished service to the performing arts as an actor, comedian and writer, and as a campaigner for marriage equality”.
HAMISH MACDONALD
Whether on the front lines of conflicts in Georgia, Afghanistan or Libya, or when he hosted the ABC’s Q&A, the Walkley Award-winner has never shied away from putting himself in the firing line to get to the heart of a story. The former foreign correspondent and current co-host of The Project came out publicly as gay after attending a GQ Australia event with his partner in 2019. And although he never made a secret of his sexuality (he won London’s Royal Television Society Gay Journalist of the Year award way back in 2008), he admitted he was overwhelmed by the positive response to the news. Today, he is not simply one of the country’s most accomplished journalists and broadcasters but a vocal advocate for important LGBTQ+ issues, whether presenting the ABC’s Mardi Gras coverage last year or occasionally sparring on air with some of The Project’s more conservative voices.
JOEL CREASEY
After first taking to the stage at just 15, the Perth-born stand-up has built a reputation for his hilarious, no-holds-barred approach to comedy, which has earned him accolades, sold-out shows and the informal title of “Australia’s acid-tongued prince”. After catching a performance of Creasey’s 2014 show Rock God, the late US comedy icon Joan Rivers even booked him to open for her on Broadway. Things haven’t slowed down – from hosting the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala, to appearing in a Just For Laughs Netflix special and presenting SBS’s coverage of the Sydney Mardi Gras or the (arguably just as camp) Eurovision Song Contest. Later this month he is also set to provide in-flight entertainment for passengers on a special Qantas LA-to-Sydney flight to kick-off Sydney’s 2023 WorldPride celebrations. We suggest they fasten their seatbelts.
KEIYNAN LONSDALE
Singer, dancer, actor – the Australian triple threat first gained widespread attention as the lead in US superhero series The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, as well as the Divergent series and groundbreaking coming-of-age story Love, Simon, about a pair of young high-schoolers coming to terms with their sexuality, which won an MTV Award for Best Kiss. Lonsdale has proudly embraced his place as a queer role model, whether appearing as a guest judge on US reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race, or attending the 2019 Met Gala sporting pink hair and a flowing, multicoloured dress decked out with more than 1500 handmade butterflies. And we’ll expect nothing less colourful when the 30 year old hosts and performs new music at Rainbow Republic, next month’s hugely anticipated Sydney WorldPride closing ceremony.
REBEL WILSON
Wilson is among the country’s most accomplished actors but it wasn’t until last year that the Pitch Perfect star revealed she was in a relationship with American fashion designer Romona Agruma. Hardly the kind of stuff to raise eyebrows. But it was the circumstances of the announcement that generated international attention, when it emerged that an Australian gossip columnist had notified Wilson that he planned to reveal her relationship in an upcoming article. Instead, Wilson took things into her own hands, not only posting the would-be “scoop” on her own social media channels, but starting an important conversation about privacy and whether people’s sexuality – celebrity or otherwise – should be public fodder. Nevertheless, the pair have moved on from the drama, announcing the birth of their first daughter in November last year on their way to becoming one of Hollywood’s most prominent same-sex couples.
TROYE SIVAN
In 2013, Troye Sivan was already a popular YouTuber when he uploaded a new video to his account. But unlike most of his lighthearted content to that point, this post took a more serious tone, as the 18 year old nervously revealed to his fans that he was gay. The video has now been viewed more than nine million times, and Sivan rode the wave of support he received to become one of Australia’s most admired artists, releasing a pair of acclaimed albums, starring in critically lauded films such as Three Months and Boy Erased (for which his song Revelation landed him Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations), and becoming an ambassador for Cartier, YSL Beauty and Calvin Klein. Next up he is set to star in the HBO drama The Idol, created by US superstar The Weeknd and which promises to be one of the year’s most hotly anticipated new releases.
JOSH CAVALLO
It all started with an Instagram post. In October, 2021, Adelaide United player Josh Cavallo posted a video to his account captioned simply with the words “My truth”. And although they were softly spoken, the words the Victorian native uttered over the next three minutes were heard around the world as the 21 year old became the first openly gay male professional soccer player anywhere on the planet. Overnight, he became an inspiration, not only for Australians or even just for LGBTQ+ individuals, but for millions of people around the world – those struggling with their own identity and the ability to be their true selves. While there is still plenty of work to be done to make the sporting arena a more inclusive space for all, there’s little doubt Cavallo’s courage is helping to reshape the image of what an Australian sports star can be.
IAN THORPE
The Thorpedo was 17 when he stormed home in the men’s 400m freestyle final at the Sydney Olympic Games, cementing his place on the podium and in the sporting history books. But throughout a swimming career that would see him win five Olympic golds and countless other accolades in the pool, it was his personal life that generated almost as much interest, with Thorpe facing constant speculation about his sexuality – even as a teenager. He ultimately came out publicly in 2014, and has become a powerful advocate and role model for the LGBTQ+ community. The Member of the Order of Australia threw his star power behind the successful Yes campaign for marriage equality in 2017 and spoke out against last year’s Federal Religious Discrimination Bill, which would have made it possible for schools to discriminate against LGBTQ+ students and teachers.
ALAN JOYCE
It’s been a rough few years for airlines and Qantas has hardly been immune to the turbulence. But Alan Joyce has navigated the national carrier through plenty of challenges in the past and whatever you think of the way Qantas has handled things lately (even Joyce has conceded customer service wasn’t good enough), there’s little denying the CEO’s success. The airline posted back-to-back record revenues in the years before the pandemic, and last November upgraded its half-yearly profit forecast by $150 million. As one of the country’s most visible business leaders – and one of the world’s few openly gay CEOs – Joyce has been a powerful voice for the LGBTQ+ community, donating $1 million of his own money to the campaign to legalise same-sex marriage, and in 2018 becoming a patron of the Pinnacle Foundation, an organisation that provides educational scholarships and mentoring to LGBTQ+ youth.
PENNY WONG
Beginning her career as a lawyer in Adelaide, Penny Wong was elected to the Australian Senate in 2001, commencing her term in July the following year. In 2005, she was made Shadow Minister for Workforce Participation, and was appointed to Cabinet when Kevin Rudd’s Labor Government swept to power in 2007. Although she might not say it herself, there’s little question that Wong has been a trailblazer, becoming one of the country’s first openly LGBTQ+ federal parliamentarians, its first Asian-born member of Cabinet and first-ever Minister for Climate Change. With little appetite for the kind of political bluster that has defined so much discourse here and overseas recently, she has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most articulate, intellectual and restrained political figures. It’s no doubt a large part of the reason she topped last year’s Roy Morgan poll of the country’s most trusted politicians.
SIA
Born Sia Furler, the Australian singer-songwriter began her career with Adelaide acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-’90s. Although she was already well known in Australia, it wasn’t until 2010 that her fifth solo album, We Are Born, propelled her into the international spotlight and saw her writing for the likes of Beyoncé and Rihanna. In 2014, 1000 Forms of Fear would establish her as one of the world’s most celebrated performers, with lead single Chandelier earning four Grammy nominations and more than two billion views on YouTube. Although she has struggled with fame – and now routinely performs with her face hidden behind oversized wigs – Sia, who publicly identifies as “queer”, has been a vocal LGBTQ+ advocate, performing for and donating to a wide range of LGBTQ+ initiatives over the years.
MURRAY BARTLETT
For the best part of three decades, Murray Bartlett had been chipping away at a career in Hollywood. Things were bubbling along but nothing quite took off – until the 51-year-old landed a starring role in The White Lotus. Released in mid-2021, the show was a hit, captivating audiences, winning 10 Emmys and turning Bartlett into an international star. He took home an Emmy himself for his portrayal of Armond, the manager of a ritzy resort driven to his wits end by its demanding guests. Bartlett has never hidden the fact he is gay, despite the potential risks it might have for his career. He has not only become one of the world’s most prominent LGBTQ+ actors but has made it a point to add depth and complexity to the gay characters he has played, helping to fight stereotypes for LGBTQ+ people on screen and off.
COURTNEY ACT
In 2003, aspiring singer Shane Jenek appeared in front of the judges in the first season of Australian Idol. He didn’t make the cut, but the following day the 21 year old returned to try his luck again – this time assuming his drag persona Courtney Act, and eventually made it to the finals. It’s hard to believe it now but at the time Jenek was the first-ever openly LGBTQ+ person to appear on a reality TV talent show. Safe to say Courtney Act has continued to upend expectations, landing a record deal with Sony Music and appearing on the US series RuPaul’s Drag Race as well as Dancing With the Stars and Neighbours, and even winning Celebrity Big Brother and hosting the ABC’s interview show One Plus One. Jenek has also supported a number of LGBTQ+ charities and initiatives, including working with Equality Australia to advocate for a more inclusive national census.
ELLIA GREEN
Part of the Australian rugby sevens team that took home gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ellia Green’s Tokyo Olympic bid was hampered by a knee injury that ultimately saw him miss out on selection. Still, Green went on to make a triumphant debut for the rugby league team the New Zealand Warriors in 2020. Last year he made headlines by coming out as a trans man, after years of struggling with depression and mental health issues related to their gender identity. Green and his partner Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts have a daughter together, and Green said at the time that he hopes his story will help other young people struggling with their own sense of identity. And at a time when the place of trans athletes in sport has become a hot-button issue in the US and elsewhere, Green’s advocacy is more important than ever.
DARCY VESCIO
After first signing with Carlton in mid-2016, Darcy Vescio has become one of the country’s most prominent AFLW players. Kicking four goals in their debut match in round one the following year, Vescio, 29, is now one of the league’s most consistent goal-kickers, kicking five against Gold Coast in 2021 to break the record for most career goals in AFLW history. That same year, Vescio revealed they were non-binary and had adopted they/them pronouns, an announcement that was met with a flood of support. In addition to being named an AFLW multicultural ambassador, Darcy regularly uses their platform to support gender equality, Indigenous issues and a range of other initiatives.
SAM KERR
Named third-best female footballer in the world by The Guardian last year, Sam Kerr began her career at just 15 when she signed to Perth Glory. She is now one of Chelsea’s leading goal scorers, helping the team reach the UEFA Women’s Champions League final in 2021. The Matilda’s captain is also the all-time leading Australian international goal scorer of any player – male or female. Last year, the former Young Australian of the Year and current global Nike ambassador added a Medal of the Order of Australia to her long list of accomplishments, cementing her place not only as an Australian sporting icon but an LGBTQ+ role model for millions around the world. Though given she’s just 29 years old, perhaps the most astonishing thing about her career is not what she’s achieved so far but how much more lies ahead.
JAMES MAJOOS
Last year’s revamp of the iconic series Heartbreak High could have been yet another unnecessary ’90s reboot. But the Australian-made Netflix release somehow managed to avoid all the usual traps to create a series that was not only diverse, funny and incredibly bingeable, but that did it all with a fantastic cast of emerging local performers. Among them was James Majoos, whose portrayal of queer, non-binary student Darren Rivers became one of the show’s standouts. In other hands the character might have boiled down to little more than a collection of LGBTQ+ clichés, but Majoos gave Rivers a depth and relatability that earned the 26 year old an AACTA nomination, international attention and a future as one of the country’s most exciting young actors.
KRIS ANDREW SMALL
Even if he’s not yet a household name, Kris Andrew Small’s graphic, pop-art inspired work has been seen around the world, appearing in the Louvre, London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and the pages of The Washington Post, Dazed, TimeOut and more. Not bad for a kid from Sydney who started out working in advertising. His colourful, slogan-filled designs have delivered a message of LGBTQ+ empowerment for brands such as Apple, Nike, Reebok and Gucci, as well as campaigns for Pride Month and the Sydney Mardis Gras. Though perhaps his most visible presence was his collaboration with Adidas, with whom he designed a Pride collection of jerseys for Manchester United that was last year sported by the likes of soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
ALEX GREENWICH
Backed by longstanding Independent Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Alex Greenwich was elected as a Member of the NSW Parliament in 2012, representing the seat of Sydney. He rose to national prominence as the co-chair of Australian Marriage Equality, in the lead-up to the Yes vote in the 2017 survey. A longtime champion for creating a more inclusive, progressive and sustainable Sydney, he has also been outspoken on national issues such as the decriminalisation of abortion, introducing the bill to parliament that would become the Abortion Law Reform Act 2019, in addition to addressing the country’s public housing crisis, renewable energy needs and support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
MICHAEL KIRBY
Starting his legal career as a solicitor in Sydney in the 1960s, Michael Kirby was appointed to federal judicial office in 1975 – then the youngest-ever appointment – before being named a judge on the Federal Court of Australia a decade later. He became one of the High Court of Australia’s seven judges in 1986, where he stayed until his retirement in 2009. Considered one of the country’s most formidable legal minds, he has also been a pioneer for LGBTQ+ rights, whether helping those affected with HIV, challenging religious leaders on LGBTQ+ issues, pushing for greater acceptance of gay rights, making a keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2002 Sydney Gay Games, or becoming a patron for the not-for-profit QTOPIA, Sydney’s queer museum. In 2019 Kirby tied the knot with his longtime partner, Dutch-born Johan van Vloten – exactly 50 years after the pair first met.
G-FLIP
Melbourne-born Georgia Claire Flipo first made international headlines last year when it emerged they were in a relationship with Chrishell Stause, of the Netflix smash-hit reality TV series Selling Sunset. But real fans of G-Flip, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, have been following their career from their debut single About You, which was picked up by Triple J in 2018 and named Best New Track in the US music bible Pitchfork. From there, the singer, songwriter, drummer and producer has been named the Australian Independent Record Labels Association’s Breakthrough Independent Artist, performed around the globe, and is set to headline Rainbow Republic at next month’s Sydney WorldPride closing ceremony.
ART SIMONE
Born Jack Daye in Melbourne but better known by their stage name Art Simone, the Australian drag performer had already built a solid local fanbase when they appeared on the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. They ended up finishing as runner-up, and have spun that screen-time into an international following, a national tour and their own popular podcast. Simone has also thrown her support behind a wide range of LGBTQ+ charities and initiatives, including Wear It Purple Day, which aims to create a safer, more inclusive world for young LGBTQ+ people.
ANDREJA PEJIC
First scouted at 17 while working in MacDonald’s, Andreja Pejic quickly rose to the top of the fashion world, working with such designers as Marc Jacobs and Jean-Paul Gaultier, and becoming one of the industry’s most in-demand models. Pejic came out publicly as a trans woman in 2013, which did little to slow down her fashion ascent as she appeared on the covers of Elle, Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar, and became the first-ever trans woman to be profiled by Vogue. In the years since she has appeared in a number of feature films and has been outspoken on such topics as support for Palestine and an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
STEPHEN BATES
Defeating incumbent LNP candidate Trevor Evans in last year’s federal election, Greens member Stephen Bates is the current MP for Brisbane, holding his party’s LGBTQ+ and Youth portfolios. That an openly gay politician won the state best known for giving us Pauline Hanson and Clive Palmer was surprise enough, but it was the way he secured his victory that got most people talking, when he placed a number of tongue-in-cheek advertisements across gay dating app Grindr (sample text: “You always come first with the Greens!”). As an MP, he has been outspoken in fighting LGBTQ+ worker discrimination but has also thrown his weight behind a number of other pressing national topics, such as public housing, childcare, student debt and better investment in mental health.
This story appeared in The Pride Issue of WISH, which celebrates the game-changers who are shaping Australia into a more diverse and inclusive society.