Gippsland LGBTQIA+ Activist & Icons

PollyannaR is celebrating the LGBTQI+ icons and activists of Gippsland as part of Melbourne Pride & Midsumma through watercolour portraits celebrating 40 year anniversary since the decriminalisation of homosexuality.

In a regional town, visibility of the LGBTQI+ community can be the difference between life or death, for questioning youth and adults alike. Icons and activists that choose with pride, to live their lives out loud in their communities and publicly campaign for equal rights, sometimes put themselves and also their family members at risk of harm or hate.

This exhibition commemorates some of the amazing people who embrace their choices and empower others to be true to themselves. Each icon or activists shown here has contributed to making regional areas safer, more vibrant and prideful place for the whole rainbow community to live in.

“Though there are many activist & Icons in Gippsland, all who have had tremendous impacts, I have chosen to feature those who have helped me on my own journey.

Picking up the paintbrush to paint portraits for the first time, I wanted to harness the power of trust, vulnerability & courage. The very qualities I believe used to grow & extend myself beyond what I ever thought possible. A reflection of what I believe happens when we gift our talents and ourselves, to help change our world for the better.”

MEET THE ICONS

Amber Irving-Guthrie

Amber moved in the area, and picked up a mic, creating the band @two.last.names and working at ABC Radio Gippsland. She has filled the sound wave of Gippsland with a strong gay agenda and amplified many young voices to share their truth.

Corey & Gia

These amazing souls started the ido movement with me 7 years ago, and have been there for all the ups and downs ever since. It's hard to believe G has spent most of her life being a badass activists on all the fronts.

Caitlin Grigsby

It wasn’t till Caitlin invited a bunch of gender bending roller derby players from around the country together, & then told us all to get glammed up for a Pride Gala, that I realised what gay pride looked like & felt like! Play hard & party hard, Caitlin is carrying the activism flame for all of us after forming Gippsland Pride Initiative Inc. Some of the hardest battles for equality & safety are still ahead of us in medical, law, local council & employment.

Hannah Rose

Telling your truth can be the most powerful action you can take. But when that truth is turned against you to make you feel like there is something wrong with you, it is one of most painful experiences of being LGBQTIA. At the start of 2021, Hannah spoke out & reclaimed her truth to Herald Sun about the conversion therapy practices in Sale & Australia after surviving years of abuse within her church. She is now about to be happily marry the girl of her dreams & start the next beautiful chapter of her life.

Kathy Anne Mansfield

Kathy, is a strong pillar of trans community in Gippsland & has created lasting change after transitioning, while working at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base and training school, located in Sale, Victoria, Australia. She has since run for council is a patron of the arts & works with researchers & advocacy groups to continue shaping & changing the law.

River Gilmore

Being a young queer proud trans kid in the country can be the greatest & the hardest journeys for anyone to walk. It also signs you up to be a activist automatically! River has been the poster child for Gippsland for the last 7 years and done our whole community proud. They turned all the pain & difficulty into a rad set of skills to educate & create change.

Sally Conning

Sally is a much love trans elder who has put Wonthaggi of the rainbow pride map and has a giant rainbow flag! We are really lucky to have a wonderful being who shares her journey to thousands of people across the state. I love chatting with Sal, she always has something insightful to share and it really helps to get your head around a lot of LGBTQI+ stuff and life in general.

Todd

Todd created Cont Coffee Bar as a safe haven for all the queer folks of the Latrobe Valley and is perpetual educator for transphobic racist ablest sexist homophobic language the creeps into conversations for the a community that loves amazing coffee. I'm not going to lie it's a big reason I opened up a gallery just down the road.

Emily Seton

Emily is a beautiful force of knowledge, compassion and badassness, rolling around the streets of Gippsland in rainbow glory. Emily was born disabled in a small town with too many churches, so activism was pretty much a lifestyle which they share as peer educator in the sexual lives an respectful relationships courses across Gippsland.

Harriet Shing

It's an incredible thing to advocate for change, but be on the front line is a much bigger ball game all together. Harriet is the first openly lesbian member of the Parliament of Victoria which is badass. She has lead the way for many others, showing them the courage to be who they want to be.

Jared Waddell-Smith, Craig Hemphill & Daniel Mainville

These boys keep Gippsland gays dancing, pets healthy and our community organisations well supported. How? Simply by regularly showing us all, just how big love can be, and how far we still have to go with our laws for equal love.

Marty Thomas

Marty didn't just start a food movement but a culturally culture revolution in South Gippsland. @moosatmeeniyan brings the queers queen's and everyone in between from city and the country together to eat drink party and celebrate just how great life can in the form of Mardi Gras!
It was a joy learning how to paint such a happy face!!

Ronald Edwards Pepper

Ronald is both a beloved artist and coolest dressed gay icon in the valley. Ronald's deadly contemporary indigenous art helps build bridges to Gunaikurnai culture and education. Ronald's journey is a beautiful story of love and bravery.