LGBTQIA+ Roundtable

Aaminah Khan has worked for over fifteen years as a teacher, op-ed writer, political organiser and advocate across Australia and the United States.

They currently serve on the management committee of LGBTI Legal Service, a community legal centre providing legal advice, support, representation and assistance to LGBTQIA+ Queenslanders. Aaminah is also a solicitor at First Nations Women’s Legal Services QLD and is undertaking a PhD in Indigenous Studies at James Cook University focusing on the justice needs of First Nations people.

In their free time, they enjoy singing, stand-up comedy and theatre. Their 2023 production of Terry Pratchett’s Men at Arms for Townsville Little Theatre was the company’s first by a non-binary director.

Alex’s career has been dedicated to the delivery of equitable life outcomes for communities facing inequality or marginalisation. They aim to be a catalyst for positive and sustainable change that strengthens and reforms systems. Their Masters degree focused on sexual and reproductive health education for - and with - young people in Vietnam.

They have worked across the not-for-profit, government, health, corporate and education sectors in New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Fiji, Pakistan and the USA. This included leading regional and global communications, communication for behaviour and social change, advocacy and engagement for UNICEF, UN OCHA and large INGOs.

In Queensland their work has included senior leadership roles in health, emergency management and disability support, always with a person-centred, rights-based and intersectional lens.

As a trans, queer, neurodivergent parent, Alex is passionate about elevating intersectional voices and easing the way for future generations of rainbow youth.

Asha is a Blak, Queer, Brotherboy from Mununjali mob with a passion for decolonising the ways we care for one another. Asha is a Narrative Therapist with 15 years’ experience working in mental health and wellbeing, suicide prevention/intervention/postvention and the community, education and arts sectors. Usually working with mob, queer folk, young people, or within the intersection of all three, Asha’s practice is rooted in relational ways of knowing and being, trauma-responsiveness, and anti-oppressive and transformative justice approaches, all informed by their connection to Country, Culture and Community.

In addition to their private practice, Asha also works part-time at the Queensland Alliance for Mental Health as the First Nations Project Officer – Workforce; researching, consulting and co-creating strategies and initiatives to improve the safety, engagement and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, mental health and wellbeing professionals across the state.

Ben Bjarnesen is a passionate educator, campaigner, and speaker dedicated to ensuring everyone, regardless of sexuality or gender identity, can live free from domestic and family violence (DFV). His advocacy began after experiencing abuse in a same-sex relationship and recognising significant gaps in support for LGBTQ+ victim-survivors.

A Churchill Fellow, Ben travelled internationally to explore best practice police responses to DFV in LGBTQ+ communities, later working with governments and organisations worldwide to improve services. In 2020, he founded the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation and serves on the board of DVConnect. In 2023, he was appointed to the Queensland Government DFV Prevention Council and the DFV Death Review Advisory Board.

Ben’s leadership has been widely recognised, including induction into the Queensland DFV Prevention Honour Roll, being named a ‘Human Rights Hero,’ and selection as a Queensland nominee for the 2024 Australian of the Year Awards.

Billie Stimpson is a bi+ non-binary person living on Turrbal and Jagera Country in Meanjin/Magandjin Brisbane. Billie is the Secretary for Queer & Trans Workers Against Violence (QTWAV), a collaborative capacity building project of LGBTIQASB+ workers from across Domestic and Family Violence, Sexual Violence and LGBTIQASB+ community-led organisations in South-East Queensland.

Billie brings 15 years of practice experience in community organisations, with a passion in collaborative and country-led practice as well as the ongoing development of lived experience practice and community governance across different sectors.

Bonnie Hart is a proud intersex woman, peer worker, mental health worker and systemic advocate working with and within the intersex community. Bonnie is the Deputy Executive Director of InterAction for Health and Human Rights and the designer and Manager of InterLink, a national community controlled intersex psychosocial support service providing individual and group counselling and peer navigation to people with innate variations of sex characteristics of any age, and parents and caregivers of young people with intersex variations.

Bonnie is involved with many intersex-led community initiatives including Intersex Peer Support Australia, the Darlington Statement, an Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australian intersex community consensus statement, and the YellowTick intersex education program. Bonnie is a social sciences researcher, being a Lived-Experience Lead on the Interconnect Health Research project whilst also undertaking a PhD in Psychology at the University of Southern Queensland.

Mr Creed is a Traditional Owner and Native Title Applicant of Gurambilbarra and Yunbenun, lands and seas of the Wulgurukaba People, is a part-time carer for his mother and emerging community leader.

Mr Creed is well connected in Townsville and is a member of several committees including the Townsville City Council Inclusive Communities Advisory Committee that provides information and advice to Council on current and emerging social planning and community development matters to create a city that is accessible and inclusive for all people.

He has good knowledge of the issues that affect LGBTQIA+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy people including the need for appropriate and inclusive services.

Ms Jennie Toonen is a proud Gooreng Gooreng, Kabi Kabi woman from the Sunshine Coast and Agnes Waters areas who has a Bachelor of Government and International Relations.

Jennie has 20 years’ experience working within the public service with a focus on upholding the  rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities through self-determination. She continues to grow her knowledge of contemporary issues to advocate, educate and be an effective intermediary between government and community.

Jennie is currently the Chair of the Board for 2Spirits, is the Treasurer and First Nations Director of Brisbane Pride Inc., Melt Reference Group Member, co-Chair of the Department of Justice’s Just Pride Network is a former member of the Roundtable and a founding member representative on the Queensland LGBTQIA+ Alliance.

As the Director of the Department of Justice's First Nations Advisory Unit, Jennie's career goal is to make a difference, as she frequently states, "for that generation just beyond her reach but never beyond her sight".

Dr Li-Min Lee has extensive experience working with leading Australian LGBTIQ+SB organisations since 2009. They specialise in help-seeking and social justice, focusing on the impacts of systemic oppression and the intersection of multiple identities. Dr Lee’s doctoral research examined mental health and help-seeking behaviours among lesbian seniors, drawing on concepts of intersectionality, informal and formal social control, mental health, and domestic violence.

Dr Lee is involved with the Forcibly Displaced People Network, Australia’s first queer refugee-led organisation supporting LGBTIQ+ displaced people. They also volunteer with queer-led organisations and serve on the board of the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health. Additionally, Dr Lee works with World Wellness Group, Queensland’s peak body focused on refugee and migrant health and social justice.

By combining academic expertise with frontline experience in community organisations and grassroots groups, Dr Lee advances human rights and social justice in meaningful and practical ways.

Matilda is a leader and human rights lawyer with over 20 years experience including at Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion, Prisoners’ Legal Service and LGBTI Legal Service.  She has won multiple awards for her work with vulnerable communities and holds an enduring passion for justice and human rights. She previously worked at the Queensland Human Rights Commission and Legal Aid Queensland and is currently CEO of Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion and Patron of the LGBTI Legal Service.

She has been selected three times as a delegate to the United Nations Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in New York. Matilda was appointed to the Independent Ministerial Advisory Council, Queensland Disability Advisory Council, LGBTIQ+ Roundtable, the National Strategy Advisory Group and serves on the board of Legal Aid Queensland.

Pam Barker is the Chief Executive Officer of Brisbane Youth Service, bringing extensive leadership experience in the child and youth sector. She is committed to improving outcomes for vulnerable young people and families through integrated, evidence-informed support. Pam has led major initiatives addressing youth homelessness, child protection, and health, with a strong focus on LGBTIQA+ communities, and is recognised for her strategic leadership in policy advocacy, clinical governance, and organisational development.

Pam holds a Bachelor of Psychology and advanced qualifications in leadership, governance, and coaching. Her professional expertise is complemented by lived experience as a foster carer and as someone who has navigated the child protection and homelessness systems. This unique perspective informs her dedication to systemic reform and her vision for a community where all young people can thrive.

Rachel Hinds is a nationally recognised leader in the youth, mental health and LGBTIQ+ sectors, with over a decade of executive experience driving growth, innovation and social change. As the CEO of Open Doors Youth Service—Queensland’s only dedicated service for LGBTIQ+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy young people—Rachel leads with a deep personal commitment to inclusion, justice and the transformative power of community.

A proud queer woman, Rachel brings both lived experience and strategic expertise to her work. Since stepping into the CEO role in 2024, she has expanded ODYS' reach across South-East Queensland, embedded a workforce that reflects the identities and strengths of the young people the organisation serves, and launched new access pathways reducing barriers to engagement.

Rachel’s background spans education, mental health and youth development. She previously served as the QLD State Manager at Top Blokes Foundation, where she rapidly grew the organisation’s impact, and as National Director of Partnerships at High Resolves, where she led large-scale education initiative.

Rebecca Johnson OAM is the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland LGBTQIA+ Alliance. A proud First Nations and Australian South Sea Islander woman raised in regional Queensland. Rebecca’s extensive experience spans over 25 years of local, national, and international advocacy, including representing Australia at the Equality Rights Coalition, the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

She has held pivotal leadership roles, including Co-Chair to establish Queensland's first Lived Experience peak body, Queensland Director for Pride Foundation Australia and Co-Founder of IndigiLez Women's Leadership Support Group. She currently serves on the Rainbow Health Australia and Our Watch National Sector Advisory to inform the Preventing gender-based violence in LGBTIQA+ communities project.

In addition to her community leadership, Rebecca has held senior roles within the Queensland Government. Recognised with an Order of Australia in 2023 for her volunteer work within Indigenous and LGBTIQA+ communities, Rebecca embodies the values of advocacy, collaboration, and inclusion.

Richelle has a long history of providing LGBTQIA+ inclusion training, consultancy and advocacy. They were awarded the Brisbane Pride volunteer work in regional Queensland. They continue this work today as a Diversity and Inclusion Consultant and Sexologist working with mainstream organisations while also providing psychosexual counselling and sexuality education in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Simon Betteridge is the Executive Officer for Engagements, Partnerships and Culture at the Queensland Council for LGBTI Health (QC). With nine years of progressive leadership at QC, his experience is focused on strategic communications and advocacy, translating community stories and service data into potent, emotionally compelling narratives to inform policy and public health campaigns.

His work is driven by a commitment to ensure the Queensland LGBTQIA+ Roundtable serves to enhance state-wide listening and collaboration. Simon aims to utilise his role to establish robust, user-friendly communication channels between the government and community organisations, working towards the shared objective of a Queensland where every member of our communities can fully contribute as their authentic selves.

Stephanie Saal is an advocate for the bodily rights, protection and safety of intersex people in Queensland (persons born with variations of sex characteristics). Over several years Stephanie has introduced various reforms and campaigns for bodily autonomy, and sits on IPSA's management committee as the Queensland and National Youth Representative.

Stephanie believes that a better quality of life for LGBTQIA+ people can be built when we have health and education systems that appropriately reflect care and peer-supported programs, and continues to advocate for her community.