Join Nevo Zisin (Melbourne) in conversation with Naavikaran (Brisbane), Liesel Hughes (Perth), and Amber Loomis (Sydney) talk about their lived experience of multiple identities beyond the binary.
This webinar was held on the 24th of September and presented in partnership with Stand Bi Us as part of the Stand Bi Us Forum 2021.
About the panellists
Nevo Zisin (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, Jewish writer, performer, activist and public speaker based in Naarm/ Birraranga / Melbourne. They run workshops in schools and professional development trainings in workplaces around transgender identities. Author of award-winning Finding Nevo (2017), a memoir on gender transition and The Pronoun Lowdown (2021) a useful guidebook on all things related to pronouns. They are a mentor for The Pinnacle Foundation, one of Out for Australia's 30 Under 30 for 2019, an ambassador for both Wear It Purple and the Victorian Pride Centre as well as a member of the Gender Euphoria cast - Australia's largest all trans & gender diverse show on a main stage.
Naavikaran (she/they) is an all-round goddess, community facilitator, writer, theatre producer and choreographer from India, based in Meanjin (Brisbane). Their work creates platforms for accessible and safe storytelling for identities of various intersections and communities. Their first sold-out theatre production, People Of Colours, premiered at Brisbane Powerhouse in May, 2021. Naavikaran is the also founder of ruhmantic, a royal chai brand that is aimed to support artists and storytellers of colour. They were named one of the 30 Under 30 LGBTIQ+ Leaders in Australia by Out For Australia in 2019 for their contributions to the community. Their new and holy work, Brown Church, premiered at Queensland Theatre on the 18th of September as a part of The Undercover Arts Festival and Brisbane Festival.
Liesel Hughes (they/them) is a self-confessed data nerd, educator, activist, neuro-divergent and proudly queer. Liesel is a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft and a lead team member of the Global LGBTQI+ Employees and Allies at Microsoft (GLEAM) network in Australia. Liesel runs a number of Perth based queer and polyam groups and is a past member of the Women in IT WA D&I sub-committee.
Amber Loomis (they/them) is a trans, non-binary bi+ advocate with experience in community organising and community-based research. Amber currently holds the post of Policy and Research Coordinator at LGBTIQ+ Health Australia and has previously worked in sexual assault and sexual harassment prevention/response in universities. Outside of their role at LHA Amber is working on a research project with ARCSHS at La Trobe focused on bisexual and pansexual inclusion in interpersonal violence prevention and response initiatives. Amber’s family is from the Saami diaspora and they are currently learning North and South Saami languages as a form of re-connection.
************************************
We recognise the strength and resilience of First Nations peoples, who maintain a continuing connection to these beautiful lands and waters – a right and responsibility that was stolen from them and never ceded. We acknowledge the traditional caretakers of each of the nations throughout Australia that we now share, and pay our respects to elders past and present.