Changing Perspectives... on Queer Self-Expression

There was a time in my life when being myself came at a cost. Living openly as a queer person meant sacrificing my emotional, physical and psychological safety, as my identity was not embraced and being openly queer risked losing the places and people I once called home.

Because of this, I learned to make myself small to survive. In professional spaces, I instinctively concealed parts of my identity – changing how I spoke, dressed and showed up because I believed it was the only way I’d be accepted. There’s a weight to constantly editing yourself. Over time, it chips away at your sense of belonging and possibility.

As I navigated those years alone, it also caused me to carry a shame about my identity that I have now learnt was never mine to bear.

Things began to shift when I was awarded a scholarship with The Pinnacle Foundation while completing my university studies. For the first time, I wasn’t treated as someone who needed to be “fixed” or “made palatable.”

I was seen for all aspects of who I was. I was supported. As part of my scholarship with The Pinnacle Foundation, I had a mentor who recognised my potential and a community that reflected my truth and supported me in a variety of ways. I met other queer people who weren’t just surviving but thriving and that changed everything. My identity stopped feeling like something I had to carefully manage and instead became a source of resilience, clarity and purpose.

Now in my role at nbn, I’ve found something I didn’t always believe was possible: I get to bring my full self to work. I’m able to connect deeply with peers who carry similar intersections of queer, neurodiverse, culturally diverse and, most importantly, I have the opportunity to share my lived experience directly with executives.

That matters. Because when our stories are heard and valued at the highest levels, it sends a message we belong here.

Of course, the journey hasn’t erased every moment of doubt or hesitation. But I no longer walk into rooms wondering if I deserve to be there. I know I do. I’ve built that foundation through community, mentorship and hard-won self-acceptance.

If we want to create an industry where everyone can thrive, we need to do more than celebrate diversity – we need to centre it.

That means making space for lived experience, challenging the norms that reward sameness and backing inclusion with visible actions, not just intention.

Because when you support someone to thrive, you don’t just change their career. You help them reclaim their voice. And that can change everything.