June is international Pride Month and Queensland should be proud that Pride in Law, Australia’s National LGBTIQA+ Law Association, was founded here six years ago.
Pride in Law is a non-political association which is run by a voluntary board.
Having first started in 2017, it has now expanded to Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria with plans to grow further. There are committee members for each state chapter.
This month Proctor is featuring the current Queensland committee members and their achievements. Proctor Managing Editor Natalie Gauld asked the committee what Pride Month meant to them.
Committee member: Michael Bidwell (he/him)
Position: President
Legal background: Michael is a Senior Associate at Herbert Smith Freehills, currently on secondment to BHP. He was admitted as a solicitor in 2017. His practice is broad but most extensive in environment, planning, native title and cultural heritage.
What does Pride Month mean to you: Pride Month is a time for celebration in our rainbow community. I am most proud of the LGBTIQA+ people who find the courage to live their truth in the uncertainty and the allies who help us during that coming out period and beyond. There is no one set way to honour your identity but I do hope you take the time this month to be proud of yourself and your community.
Committee member: Dr Brooke Thompson (she/her)
Position: Vice President
Legal background: Brooke is a Criminal Lawyer at Jasper Fogerty Lawyers, previously a Senior Policy Solicitor at Queensland Law Society. She was admitted as a solicitor in 2014. Her practice is criminal but she also conducts research for UQ and assists with advocating for better law reform across a range of issues.
What does Pride Month mean to you: To me, Pride Month is really an opportunity to visibly celebrate the diversity of our community. It is a chance for us not only to come together in safe spaces, but to open up conversations with our broader communities, social groups and families. Most importantly, I think Pride Month is for those in our community who do not yet feel safe to truly be themselves, a time where they can see others walk a path of visual representation, acceptance and self love. As the old saying goes: you cannot be what you cannot see.
Committee member: Duncan MacDougall (he/him)
Position: Treasurer
Legal background: Duncan is a Senior Associate at FC Lawyers. He was admitted as a solicitor in 2018. His practice is wills and estates and was recently a guest on SBS Insight.
What does Pride Month mean to you: Pride Month is a time where we all can self-reflect by embracing our true selves and celebrating the progress of the rainbow community and its allies. It’s about celebrating our individuality, challenging the “norm” and embracing our differences. It’s also about listening to different perspectives, learning from each other’s experiences and empowering those whose voices are not heard as loudly.
Committee member: Ellie Hansson (she/her)
Position: Advocacy Officer
Legal background: Ellie is a Lawyer at Legal Aid Queensland. She was admitted as a solicitor in 2019. Her practice is primarily employment law but she also assists with advocating for better law reform across a range of issues.
What does Pride Month mean to you: Pride Month to me is a celebration of the differences that unite us as members of one community and the freedom to live without discrimination or persecution. I like to remember and honour past advocates, allies and members alike who paved the way for us to live our lives authentically.
Committee member: Allira Jeffery (she/her)
Position: Indigenous Officer
Legal background: Allira is a Solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills. She was admitted as a solicitor in 2021. She is a proud First Nations woman who practices in environment, planning, native title and cultural heritage.
What does Pride Month mean to you: Pride Month is a time to celebrate the diversity in our community. It’s a time for everyone to come together and work toward a better and more inclusive future.
Committee member: Ethan Henwood (he/him)
Position: Events Coordinator
Legal background: Ethan is a Paralegal at DLA Piper. He assists the lawyers with a range of matters and should finish his law degree at Queensland University of Technology in late 2023.
What does Pride Month mean to you: Pride Month is an opportunity to remind everyone that who you are is never something to feel ashamed of. An opportunity to be exactly who you are and to share who you are with other members of the community. To me, and so many others, Pride Month is a chance to involve oneself in the community and engage in the important conversations that remind us all we are still human and deserve to be treated with the common decency of any other.
Committee member: Louis Laing (they/them)
Position: Enquiries Officer
Legal background: Louis is a Legal Assistant at Bolton Clarke. They assist the General Counsel with a range of matters and should finish their law degree at University of Queensland in late 2023.
What does Pride Month mean to you: For me, Pride Month is a time of celebration and inclusion. It is a time to celebrate the diverse identities that are encompassed by the rainbow community. No single person experiences their queer identity in the same way as another, so while all our lived experiences may be different, the rainbow community has space for everyone in all shapes, sizes and identities. As humans we have often divided ourselves by our differences, however I think Pride Month is the reminder we should be celebrating our differences and embracing one of the core tenets of our community: inclusivity. United we are stronger and more beautiful than ever.
Share this article