The best of western Melbourne’s LGBTQIA+ community has been celebrated at the 2023 Western Rainbow Awards, including many winners from Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay.
The awards were held at the Williamstown Town Hall, bringing together individuals and organisations that are making an impact in the LGBTQIA+ community across the western region.
Presented as part of the Hobsons Bay mayoral program, the awards aimed to acknowledge, celebrate and amplify the work being done by and for our LGBTQIA+ communities.
The winners were:
Advocacy (individual): April Huggins, producer and advocate (Pier Festival among others).
Health or support (organisation): Ferguson St Osteopathy, Williamstown.
Youth focus service (organisation): Crystal Queer, Brimbank Youth Services.
Community leadership (individual): Courtney Davies, Mount St. Joseph Girls’ College Altona.
Leading change (individual): Jacob Tiauli, Brimbank City Council – Crystal Queer.
Young person (individual): Spencer Morgan, Brimbank City Council – Crystal Queer.
Lifetime achievement (individual): Anastasia Le, Matchworks Sunshine.
Advocacy (organisation): GenZine, Western Region.
Safe spaces and places (organisation): Littlefoot Bar, Barkly Street, Footscray.
Project or program (organisation): Teachers’ Breakfast, Brimbank and Maribyrnong Youth Services.
Lasting impact (organisation): Seddon Deadly Sins, Seddon.
Rainbow business (organisation): Pride of our Footscray, Footscray.
Mayor Tony Briffa said she is very proud to have these awards in Williamstown.
“The Western Rainbow Awards were a fabulous opportunity to celebrate our amazing LGBTQIA+ community with people from councils across Melbourne’s west. We have so much to be proud of,” said Cr Briffa.
“Part of my mayoral program was to shine a light on the various parts of our community that don’t get the recognition they deserve. As a western region we have an LGBTQIA+ community that does incredible work, and it deserves to be supported and celebrated.
“Congratulations to everyone who was nominated, and to all the winners, they all truly deserve it and I want to thank them for the contribution they make to our community.”
