Meet Australia’s 2023 IDAHOBIT Ambassadors
Image: Darcy Vescio. Image: Facebook
For this year’s International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) on May 17, IDAHOBIT organisation has selected seven Australian ambassadors who each represent, advocate and celebrate their queer identities and allyship on their respective platforms.
The host and co-creator of Rainbow History Class, Rudy Jean Rigg, has been encouraging the advocacy of LGBTQIA+ rights through using queer history to educate and inspire. With over 500 thousand followers and over 50 million views, Rigg as a neurodivergent non-binary trans content creator has shared their knowledge to help others create, inspire and advocate.
Author, media personality and former Miss Universe Australia, Maria Thattil, has consistently voiced the equality and freedom of human rights especially for LGBTQIA+ communities. Advocating against the systematic discrimination against queer people, Thattil is a proud bisexual woman who has continued to encourage further advocacy through confronting bias explaining to IDAHOBIT that allyship “is an action – not a title.”
Transgender creator, AJ Clementine, has used her platforms such as TikTok to share her experiences to inspire and advocate for trans people. Garnering over 2 million followers through her inspiring journey of acceptance, she continues to encourage the confidence and freedom of people to live their truth.
Albert Kruger has been a noticeable figure in their work as CEO of the Sydney Lesbian and Gay Mardi Gras for the past 2 years. Kruger, who has seen the significance of diversity and inclusion amongst all events at the annual celebration, encourages year-round inclusion for all communities to continue progress and change world-wide.
Broadcaster, journalist and acclaimed writer, Benjamin Law, has continued to use his knowledge and voice to advocate for progressing queer rights throughout Australia. Explaining to IDAHOBIT, Law encourages everyone to continue to “Listen. Read. (and) Educate yourself,” to become an ally through uplifting others’ voices.
Proud Indigenous person, Meissa Mason, has utilised her social media to voice both her own but various stories of discrimination in advocating for both queer and Indigenous communities. Mason has shown and encourages audiences to understand the importance of intersectionality in uplifting and listening to marginalised voices.
Standout AFLW player, Darcy Vescio, has been an inspirational voice amongst Australia as a non-binary person and LGBTQIA+ advocate. Vescio continues her advocacy through resilience in encouraging people to live their life honestly, and for everyone to listen and learn from each other.
Celebrated internationally since 2005, the date was chosen by the IDAHOBIT organisation commemorating the same day on the 17th of May, 1990 when the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the classification of diseases.
The IDAHOBIT organisation Australia encourages people and communities to use the day to continue the progression of LGBTQIA+ human rights movement and fighting stigma and discrimination.
