Category: Humanity

Sir John Monash Awards 2025: LGBTIQA+ Community Leadership

Gregory Storer and Michael Barnett awarded the 2025 Sir John Monash Award for LGBTIQA+ Community Leadership by City of Monash.

On Thursday October 30 2025 husbands Gregory Storer and Michael Barnett were jointly awarded the 2025 Sir John Monash Award for LGBTIQA+ Community Leadership by the City of Monash,

The award recognises outstanding achievement by an individual, organisation, agency service provider, group or business who has strengthened the representation and inclusion of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex, queer/questioning and asexual communities (LGBTIQA+) within Monash.

Gregory is a current co-convenor of the Victorian Pride Lobby and committee member of Australia Post’s Post Pride employee group.  He recently completed a two-year term on the Monash LGBTIQA+ Reference Group.

Michael is a long-standing co-convenor of Aleph Melbourne, the social, support and advocacy group for LGBTIQA+ people in Melbourne’s Jewish community.  He has also sat on the Glen Eira Rainbow Pride Advisory Group since 2023 where he represents the interests of the Jewish community.  In 2023 he was awarded an Order of Australia for Service to the LGBTQI community.

Both Gregory and Michael have dedicated themselves to strengthening the lives of LGBTIQA+ people in Melbourne’s Jewish community for many years.  In addition to their contributions to Aleph Melbourne, both public and behind-the-scenes, they have been instrumental in running the annual Jews of Pride contingent at Pride March and stall at In One Voice for many years.

Gregory and Michael are passionate about standing up for the rights of vulnerable and marginalised communities, whether it’s LGBTIQA+ people, combating antisemitism, women’s rights, Indigenous rights, or protections for refugees and people seeking asylum.

(L-R) Mayor Paul Klisaris, Michael Barnett OAM, Gregory Storer, Councillor Nicky Luo.
Photo by Artificial Studios.   

“No blacks.” “No Jews.” “No women.” “No trans women.”

Recently I was told by a cisgender woman I was a misogynist, and refused to accept I was a feminist simply because I was standing up for the rights of trans women and for them to be treated equally amongst all other women.

This cisgender woman did not accept trans women as women. I doubt she even accepted them as human.

There have been numerous times in history when some in society have excluded people on the basis of their skin colour, their gender, or their religious or cultural identity, and gone on to treat them as inferior or less worthy.

Every time those oppressing a minority have done so it’s because they’re scared of losing their privilege and sense of entitlement.

Those cisgender women who feel so entitled that they cannot find it within themselves to accept trans women as women are no different to those who said “No blacks”, “No women” or “No Jews”.

The Club of Women is not so full that there isn’t room in it for trans women to find a safe space.

Any cisgender woman who wants to exclude and vilify trans women ought take a look at history and think about what exactly it is they’re fighting for, because it’s usually just privilege and a sense of entitlement.

Never surrender. Never give up the fight.

Emmeline Pankhurst

Balwyn High School’s celebration of IDAHOBIT 2023 recognises Class of ’86 graduate Michael Barnett

Thirty-seven years ago I graduated from Balwyn High School’s Year 12 class of 1986. I left the school with mixed memories.

On the one hand I came away with a fine appreciation for maths and science, made a lifelong friend, and passed my HSC with decent results that got me into college.

On the other hand I had been the victim of homophobic bullying and torment throughout my time there, and suffered greatly as a result of it, and of my fear of being gay. The school had no support for gay students, at least that I was aware of. It was a topic that simply wasn’t spoken about.

I am thrilled beyond belief to find that in 2023 my alma mater not only supports gay students but is committed to providing a safe, nourishing and inclusive space for all LGBTQI+ students.

When invited to submit a contribution for their Lion newsletter on the occasion of receiving my Order of Australia, I had no idea it would be intentionally included to time with IDAHOBIT Day on May 17.

Students at Balwyn High are most fortunate to have a school environment that values diversity, particularly under the leadership of Principal Deborah Harman.

Thank you Balwyn High School.

Our Alumni Spotlights continue – Malcolm Speed AO and Michael Barnett OAM

This week we feature international sporting administrator, Malcolm Speed, who was inducted into the Sport Hall of Achievement in 2012, and Michael Barnett, who was recently awarded an OAM in the New Year’s Honours List. The spotlight on Michael deliberately coincides with this week’s celebrations for IDAHOBIT Day that we marked on Wednesday.

Both Malcolm and Michael are marvellous ambassadors for our school community, and we congratulate them for the impact they have made in their careers. I hope you enjoy reading their stories.

Deborah Harman | Principal

(The Lion – Edition 7 – May 18 2023)

(See pages 2, 6 and 18-19 in this edition of The Lion)

20230518-BHS-The-Lion-Edition-7

[PDF]

LETTER: Archbishop Julian Porteous: Everything his way

(Background reading: ABC: Stop misrepresenting Martine Delaney’s complaint about the Tasmanian Catholic Church and Archbishop Julian Porteous)

Letter in the Hobart Mercury, January 19 2022:

Hobart Mercury – January 19 2022

EVERYTHING HIS WAY

ARCHBISHOP Julian Porteous is all over the place on free speech. Last week he said Tasmania’s law against humiliating, intimidating and bullying behaviour needs to be overridden by Canberra so he can “feel comfortable” to “respectfully” express his religious views.

I don’t recall Jesus insisting on the right to humiliate people, so what does the Archbishop want to say that he can’t say now? One clue might be in the booklet he distrib­uted against marriage equality that suggested same-sex marriage will “mess with kids”. This claim prompted a complaint that was subsequently dropped when the Archbishop refused to amend the disrespectful phrase, and the book­let is still distributed today.

The Archbishop has silenced members of his own church, in­cluding Father Frank Brennan whose invitation to speak in Hob­art was revoked because he sup­ported marriage equality.

It seems the Archbishop wants everything his own way: he wants to define what is “respectful”, he only wants free speech when he is talking, and he wants a special exemption from laws the rest of us have to abide by. We should not allow the law to be made by people who think they are above it.

Peter Grayson-Weeks
Beauty Point

ABC: Stop misrepresenting Martine Delaney’s complaint about the Tasmanian Catholic Church and Archbishop Julian Porteous

Between August 29 and September 4 2019 the ABC broadcast one misrepresentation and two unchallenged assertions about the complaint Martine Delaney’ lodged (and subsequently withdrew) about the Tasmanian Catholic Church and Archbishop Julian Porteous.

Martine Delaney’s complaint had nothing to do with preaching “church doctrine” and everything to do with the church claiming same-sex couples couldn’t be whole, healthy, raise healthy children, and were “messing with kids”.

The complaint is described here:

The Church argued that since every child had a biological mother and father, messing with marriage was “messing with kids”.

In Tasmania, it went out to churches and was sent home in sealed envelopes with children at Catholic schools.

Ms Delaney said the language used in the booklet that “messing with marriage is messing with kids”, implied criminal activity.

“In Australian society ‘messing with kids’ is generally used right across the country as virtually code for sexual abuse or paedophilia,” she said.

Anti-discrimination complaint ‘an attempt to silence’ the Church over same-sex marriage, Hobart Archbishop says (ABC News; Sep 28 2015)

and also here:

“A complaint was brought to the commissioner by Ms Delaney, who objected to the Tasmanian Catholic Church which had printed a pamphlet stating that same-sex parents ‘mess with kids’ and that same-sex partners were not ‘whole people’. ‘Messing with kids’ has a connotation that is extremely disturbing and alludes to practices which are a subject of the royal commission into institutionalised child abuse, a practice which up until very recently had been hidden deeply within some church-run facilities, widely throughout Australia”

Andrea DAWKINS (MP for Bass)
22 September 2016 at 4:48pm
Tasmanian House of Assembly Hansard [PDF]

Amongst everything else, it’s particularly disappointing the nation’s highest lawyer, the Attorney-General for Australia, can’t even get the facts right.

My transcripts of the relevant sections from the media are below.

Christian Porter

“Well, um, the archbishop, the Catholic archbishop of Tasmania Mr Porteous went through something you know quite awful I think, he distributed a pamphlet, which was distributed widely across Australia, um, devised and drafted by the Catholic Church which did little more than put the Catholic Church’s view about the virtues of the traditional definition of marriage, and he was the subject of a complaint under a very very broad section of the Tasmanian Discrimination Act.”

ABC RN Drive – Thursday 29 August 2019 – 6:06pm
Federal Government unveils religious discrimination legislation
Section: 6:08 – 6:39

Gerard Henderson

“I’ve looked at the Bill and I’ve looked at the minister’s, the Attorney-General’s speech. And it is a draft bill. So I think it’s, it’s in a pretty good position at the moment. There will be opposition from both sides. But I think it does cover two issues.  The Israel Folau issue and the Archbishop Porteous issue in Hobart. Now the Catholic Archbishop of Hobart put out a statement just stating Catholic position on marriage. [indistinct] actimist took him to a discrimination thing that caused… a discrimination commission in Tasmania that caused a huge issue…”

ABC Insiders – Sunday September 1 2019
Section: 44:57 – 45:08

Andrew West

“So those incidents that you’re talking about Renae, the most prominent of those included a Catholic bishop in Tasmania who was brought before an anti-discrimination commission because he published a church doctrine on family and marriage that some objected to…”

ABC Religion & Ethics Report
“Religious freedom for religious minorities”
Wednesday September 4 2019
Section: 2:20 – 2:35

Australian Christian Lobby misleadingly claim Leonda By The Yarra will host their anti-gay hate event

The Australian Christian Lobby have misleadingly claimed Leonda By The Yarra are are hosting their anti-gay hate conference.

The Australian Christian Lobby have claimed one of Melbourne’s premiere wedding venues Leonda By The Yarra is scheduled to host their 2019 Victoria Conference “Not Ashamed” on July 20 this year.

2019 Victoria Conference

Join us for the 2019 Victoria Conference – ‘Not Ashamed’ – Saturday, 20 July.

Join Victorian State Director Dan Flynn, ACL’s Managing Director Martyn Iles and Director of Research Elisabeth Taylor, along with additional speakers at Leonda By The Yarra, Hawthorn. 

Registration includes refreshments, lunch and afternoon tea. 

WHEN
July 20, 2019 at 8:30am – 3:30pm

WHERE
Leonda By The Yarra
2 Wallen Rd
Hawthorn, VIC 3122
Australia
Google map and directions

CONTACT
Jennifer Kent · vic.events@acl.org.au

The Eventbrite page for this event similarly states:

Victorian State Conference
Join us for the 2019 Victorian State Conference – Not Ashamed.

Not Ashamed – Victoria – Saturday 20 July

Join Victorian State Director Dan Flynn, ACL’s Managing Director Martyn Iles and Director of Research Elisabeth Taylor, along with additional speakers, in the beautiful Ballroom of Leonda by The Yarra.
Registration includes refreshments, lunch and afternoon tea.

Leonda By The Yarra have issued this statement in response:

We wish to advise that the Australian Christian Lobby does not currently have a confirmed booking with Leonda By The Yarra for their 2019 event. Whilst we have been in discussions with this group, like we do for any organisation enquiring with us, we do agree that this organisation does not share the same values as our business and as such this event will not be proceeding at our venue.

Their beliefs about sin and the need of repentance through the love of Christ go against our MEG values of Lots of Love and Positive People, and go against our ethos of providing a warm and welcoming environment for weddings which know no bounds in terms of religious denomination, or sexual orientation.

We are all for freedom of expression, but believe that the ACL can find a more suited platform for their voice elsewhere.

UPDATE – May 27 2019 1:55pm
Confirmation has been received that the ACL are fully aware that Leonda By The Yarra are not hosting this event.

UPDATE – May 29 2019 – 5:50pm
The ACL have updated their Eventbrite page to show the conference now being at MCEC, however the ACL web site still lists Leonda By The Yarra as the venue.

UPDATE – May 30 2019 – 14:05
The ACL have removed the venue Leonda By The Yarra from their web site, however the venue’s address persists.

UPDATE – May 31 2019 – 14:50
The ACL have finally removal all vestiges of Leonda By The Yarra from their 2109 Victorian conference web site.

UPDATE – May 31 2019 – 15:20
Mysteriously the ACL have now removed from their Eventbrite page the reference to hosting their event at the MCEC Clarendon Room and replaced it with a vague “Melbourne CBD” location.