Tag: Michael Barnett

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.   

“Celebrating our Marvellous Alumni” – Balwyn High School

Dear BHS Alumni

Our determination to shine a spotlight on our marvellous alumni throughout 2023 has resulted in your amazing stories that we have shared with the BHS and wider communities.  Thank you for allowing us to do so and thank you for inspiring our students with your careers and achievements.

As a way of recording our stories we have created a Semester One poster which we are sharing to our social media.

It has come up a treat and I wanted you to have a copy.

Thank you again.

Deborah Harman
Principal
Balwyn High School

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]

Order of Australia – media coverage

NameMr Michael Nathan BARNETT
AwardMedal of the Order of Australia
Post-NominalOAM
Date Granted26th of January, 2023
StateVIC
SuburbAshwood
Postcode3147
CitationFor service to the LGBTQI community.

January 25 2023

January 26 2023

February 8 2023

March 13 2023

March 25 2023

Macca and Dave are joined live in the studio by Michael Barnett, co-convenor of the Victoria-based LGBTIQ+ Jewish advocacy group Aleph Melbourne, as they discuss his recent Order of Australia Medal.

Lyle Shelton bullshits the Queensland Human Rights Commission

According to Lyle Shelton’s personal website he made a representation to the Queensland Human Rights Commission today:

I’ve just finished in the compulsory Queensland Human Rights Commission conciliation with two LGBTIQA+ drag queens, relating to a post on my blog last January. The complaint did not resolve and I now have an anxious wait to see if I am to be taken to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for the matter to be heard before a judge. The complainants have 28 days in which to lodge this action or it lapses. Thanks to everyone who has been praying, I will keep you updated as further news comes to hand. Below is the opening statement I made at the QHRC this morning.

UPDATE FROM THE “DRAG QUEEN” CASE AGAINST ME IN THE QHRC

He goes on to state:

I consider myself somewhat battle hardened. My office was bombed by a LGBTIQA+ political activist in 2016 causing shock and trauma to me and my staff (as well as $100,000 of damage to our building). After this another same-sex marriage activist by the name of Michael Barnet put my home address on the internet as a way of intimidating me and my family.

True to form Lyle Shelton has distorted reality.

It is completely without substance that my actions were “a way of intimidating [him] and [his] family”.

I refute his damaging fabrication totally.

I note that Dave Pellowe at “Self-Sauce: where our cum shots get us in the eye every time” has republished Lyle’s utter load of crap on his “free speech” site (the one where I am banned from commenting).

UPDATE: Lyle Shelton vs the Discrimination Industry – Round 1
Just fuck off, Lyle. Fuck right off.

Lyle Shelton tells a little fib about me (well, not so little…)

Today Lyle Shelton told a little fib about me. To be honest, it isn’t quite so little a fib. It’s more of a glaringly outrageous, Mardi Gras-scale besequinned, bare-buttocked leather-chapped, Dyke-on-Bike bare-breasted, buff muscled, ripped and toned type of untruth.

“No way!” I hear you all cry, in stunned bewilderment and flabbergastrication. “Not Daddy Lyle, the most honest, most righteous soldier of Christian godliness”. “Not that man who tried to derail the right of same-sex couples to get married, because seriously, we know Jesus was a friend of the oppressed and would have loved a Big Gay Wedding, and that’s not our Lyle!!!!!”.

I Kid You Not. Yes, that Lyle. The #ESL 🌈 warrior one.

To elaborate, this is what he had to say about me in the latest blog on his site (with one spelling mistake uncorrected):

I have a supressed address for safety reasons after my office was bombed by a same-sex marriage activist in 2016.  Following that incident, a prominent rainbow political activist, Michael Barnett, placed my home address on the internet to intimidate me and my family.

DRAG QUEENS TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST ME IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
DRAG QUEENS TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST ME IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

I’m hurt. Not like when you see your first grey pubic hair, or when you realise your hairline isn’t quite what it once used to be. Not that sort of hurt. More like the hurt you experience when someone makes up a complete lie about you, publishes it online and then claims to be an upholder of religious values that include not telling lies about others.

I wrote about the time Lyle Shelton tried to set the cops on me in 2017. I urge you to read about it, as it might help you understand the sort of person Lyle Shelton is, in all of his “integrity”, “honour” and “decency”.

Lyle Shelton calls the police