The inaugural LinkedIn LGBTQIA+ Voices list highlights 20 thought leaders within the Australian LGBTQIA+ community who are posting insightful content and shaping conversations around inclusion and diversity.

The honourees in our LGBTQIA+ Voices list are the ones to follow for inspiring and informative posts related to the community. Their professional experience is broad, covering sectors such as workplace inclusion, mental health, arts management, law reform, government policy, intersectionality and sport. They are educators, lawyers, activists, youth advocates, athletes and religious commentators but their common thread is a passion for the LGBTQIA+ community, a commitment to equality and dedication to enact lasting change.

While this is our latest Top Voices list, it joins a family of features highlighting creators in areas ranging from mental health, Indigenous Australians to careers.

Top Voices is a series of lists that have been editorially curated by the LinkedIn News team. To compile each list, editors consider each individual’s content on LinkedIn. Specifically: Are they covering the topic at hand on a regular basis? Are their contributions insightful, conversational and timely? Have they built up a community with whom they engage? Do they seek to give and get help vs. being self-promotional? We aim to highlight a diverse set of voices, so that the list reflects the world we live and work in today. You can find more about who is eligible to be a Top Voice at the end of this article.

Check out this year’s #LinkedInTopVoices in Australia’s LGBTQIA+ community — and follow them to stay plugged into the conversation.

Honorees are listed in alphabetical order. Reporting by Cathy Anderson.

What they talk about: One of the LGBTQIA+ community’s most visible leaders, Ball is focused on offering consistent and pragmatic content around mental health, suicide prevention, family violence prevention, trans rights and inclusion as well as LGBTQIA+ law reform. They also share tips on how to be an effective ally and perspectives on the use of gendered pronouns at work.

👉 See more of Joe Ball’s content

What she talks about: Barry, an experienced senior leader in the not-for-profit and finance spaces, champions the impact of Australia’s only LGBTQIA+ radio station and podcast network and the myriad volunteers who help make it sparkle. She shares updates from collaborative events, offers opportunities for emerging LGBTQIA+ media talent and promotes collaboration with other community groups.

👉 See more of Ange Barry’s content

What he talks about: As a survivor of domestic violence in a same-sex relationship and hate crimes because of his sexuality, Bjarnesen is committed to generating conversations about these issues on the platform and through TEDx talks. He discusses ways victims can access safe spaces and, through his role as a police officer, shares initiatives to reduce barriers to reporting violence.

👉 See more of Ben Bjarnesen’s content

What he talks about: Bonson is singularly focused on the mental health of Indigenous and LGBTQIA+SB communities and educating the wider community about issues surrounding suicide within those groups. He raises awareness by sharing statistics and updated research into suicide prevention, and spotlighting Indigenous LGBTQIA+ subject matter experts. He also offers personal insights, in a bid to help create lasting change.

👉 See more of Dameyon Bonson’s content

What she talks about: As a human rights lawyer and founding CEO of Equality Australia, an organisation dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQIA+ people, Brown is the public face of campaigns against inequality. Her posts include LGBTQIA+ inclusion in policy making, religious discrimination and discrimination law reform and transgender inclusion. She also offers behind-the-scenes insights into Australian activism as well as shout-outs to corporate firms embracing diversity.

👉 See more of Anna Brown’s content

What he talks about: Clifford-Jones is a lawyer who works full-time for Parole Board Queensland, but his volunteer role as Chairperson of Pride in Law, Australia’s National LGBTQIA+ Law Association, dominates his Linkedin content. He posts insights into legislation that affects the LGBTQIA+ community, including the divisive Religious Discrimination Bill, explains why organisations such as his are needed to combat homophobia, and reveals how he balances work life with volunteer life.

👉 See more of Dean Clifford-Jones’s content

What he talks about: Working directly with Victoria’s Minister for Equality on all things LGBTQIA+, Fernando shares announcements of government initiatives and law reform, and celebrates community organisations and diversity. As a descendant of the Kalarie First Nation peoples of the Wiradjuri nation, he also shares his personal experiences and his PhD, titled Queer Identity of Indigenous Australians.

👉 See more of Todd Fernando’s content

What she writes about: Goldner is a pioneering LGBTQIA+ diversity educator and workplace consultant who played a leading role as co-founder of TransGender Victoria. Now she posts about trans and gender-diverse language in the workplace, equal rights, discrimination and overcoming unconscious bias. She’s keen to spark conversations on LinkedIn about allyship within LGBTQIA+ communities.

👉 See more of Sally Goldner’s content

What they talk about: As a workplace inclusion expert, Gorman helps people understand the real challenges and barriers that still exist for the LGBTQIA+ community and directs them to practical actions that can create real change, via personable video content. They post about advice for trans and non-binary workplace inclusion, discussions about the intersection of religion and queerness, tips for using of gender pronouns and commentary about LGBTQIA+ law reform.

👉 See more of Bree Gorman’s content

What he talks about: As the leader of Australia’s highest-profile LGBTQIA+ event, Kruger’s focus is on how major festivals such as Mardi Gras can create opportunities to celebrate diversity, challenge injustice and offer a platform for social change year-round. He posts about authentic partnerships, offers explainers for the community acronym and pride flag, but also delivers sage advice about how to create workplaces that are inclusive for LGBTQIA+ staff.

👉 See more of Albert Kruger’s content

What they talk about: A queer, trans and non-binary person, Lane is dedicated to sharing their lived experience to educate and create change. They post explainers on complicated legislation relevant to the LGBTQIA+ community, offer up personal challenges of accessing mental health services as a non-binary person, showcase inclusive language resources and provide great perspectives on intersectionality between various communities, such as LGBTQIA+ and disability.

👉 See more of Stevie Lane’s content

What she talks about: Allyship and education about the LGBTQIA+ community is the clear focus for Leota Lu in her role with the female-led NGO Planet Ally. She’s a transgender advocate whose content ranges from discussions of the implications of misgendering to the role of different cultures and cultural identity within LGBTQIA+ communities and heartwarming moments of allyship.

👉 See more of Amao Leota Lu’s content

What he talks about: After working in LGBTQIA+ sports inclusion, policy development and representation for nearly a decade, Lolicato is well versed in sharing content about the importance of LGBTQIA+ inclusion within grassroots and elite sporting associations. He also shares perspectives on discrimination in sport, and announcements of major collaborations, such as the inaugural A-League Pride Cup in association with Adelaide United FC and AO Pride at this year’s Australian Open with Tennis Australia.

👉 See more of James Lolicato’s content

What she writes about: As a graphic designer, Moon is passionate about sharing LGBTQIA+ voices through design and storytelling, encouraging solidarity, as well as championing diversity and inclusion. As Co-Chair of Pride in Water, an LGBTQIA+ pride network for the Australian water industry, she offers networking and inclusion opportunities for professionals.

👉 See more of Jacquie Moon’s content

What they talk about: Murdoch delivers on the principles of Minus 18 Foundation, Australia’s premier LGBTQIA+ youth organisation, to help create homophobia-free schools and workplaces for future generations. On their page you’ll find content about trans student discrimination, leadership and student resources, invites to inclusion workshops as well as driving awareness for national campaigns such as IDAHOBIT, Wear it Purple Day and Trans Awareness Week.

👉 See more of Adrian Murdoch’s content

What he talks about: Stark is dedicated to eradicating homophobia within sport, and established the not-for-profit World Gay Boxing Championships which will debut in 2023. His page offers posts and videos that consistently raise awareness of racism, homophobia, transphobia, and kick starts conversations about courage for LGBTQIA+ athletes, the importance of allyship and the power of visibility and authenticity.

👉 See more of Martin Stark’s content

What they talk about: Sudarto is an intersectionality advocate who identifies as non-binary, gay, Indonesian and muslim. Their content is diverse, and offers a multicultural/multifaith perspective on the LGBTQIA+ community. On their page you can find posts about projects to translate LGBTQIA+ terms into different languages, intersectionality in the mental health space, and marginalisation and discrimination. A self-confessed agitator, Sudarto delivers training to organisations to be considerate and inclusive of all identities within the workplace.

👉 See more of Budi Sudarto’s content

What she talks about: Thomas leads Project Rockit, a youth-driven organisation dedicated to tackling bullying, hate and prejudice for Australia’s future generations, and focuses on sharing very personal stories of her own experience with homophobia to help build safe spaces and inclusive communities. Follow her to read heart-warming stories of students taking a stand against LGBTQIA+ discrimination, tips on how to be an ally and mental health initiatives.

👉 See more of Lucy Thomas’s content

What he talks about: Venn-Brown is a former preacher who spent 22 years believing his sexuality was a sin, and struggling to change through conversion therapy, marriage and even exorcisms. Now the author of A Life of Unlearning is a leader in the faith/sexuality space, and uses his LinkedIn page to advocate for bridge building between Christian and LGBTQIA+ communities, advocates against conversion therapy and shares news updates relating to religion and LGBTQIA+ people.

👉 See more of Anthony Venn-Brown’s content

What she talks about: In 2023 Sydney will host WorldPride, a global LGBTQIA+ celebration and human rights conference that happens every few years in a different city. Driving this venture is CEO Kate Wickett, who shares updates of the work of her team about this massive event coup for Australia, including legacy media partnerships, important community collaborations and highlighting event updates which showcase the depth of local creative talent and advance the rights of LGBTQIA+ people globally.

👉 See more of Kate Wickett’s content

How we compile the list

Top Voices is a series of lists that have been editorially curated by the LinkedIn News team, with the goal of highlighting creators to follow who are covering the chosen segments and/or topics. To compile each list, editors consider each individual’s content on LinkedIn. Specifically: Are they covering the topic at hand on a regular basis? Are their contributions insightful, conversational and timely? Have they built up and engaged with their communities? Do they seek to give and get help vs. being self-promotional? We aim to highlight a diverse set of voices, so that the list reflects the world we live and work in today.

Who is eligible

Any LinkedIn member who shares content and drives professional conversations on the platform is eligible to be a Top Voice, with the exception of LinkedIn and Microsoft employees, members who have violated LinkedIn’s User Agreement, including our Professional Community Policies, or individuals currently running in an election for an executive, legislative or judicial position.

Top Voices may include individuals who are a part of the LinkedIn Influencer (invite-only) or the Creator Accelerator (application-based) programs. However, being a part of either does not automatically boost a member’s chance of being a Top Voice, nor is it a requirement or prerequisite for success on the platform.

Interested in building your audience on LinkedIn? 

New voices emerge every year — and there’s nothing stopping you from turning your own ideas into powerful conversations. Try creating a post to share your expertise or thoughts on the latest trending news, and you may be surprised at the community you find. If you’re struggling with where to start, follow our LinkedIn for Creators page (in English) for content inspiration, tips, news, education and more. And if you’d like to recommend someone for a future Top Voices list, let us know in the comments (just be sure to tag them and let us know why you love following them). We’re always looking for new individuals to highlight.