HUGE: Wiradjuri Man Todd Fernando Is Australia’s First Young, Queer & Indigenous Commissioner

In a huge win for diversity and representation in Aussie politics, Todd Fernando is this country’s first young, gay and Indigenous Commissioner.

Fernando, descendant from the Kalari peoples of the Wiradjuri Nation, occupies an intersection of identities that is seldom given a voice (if not actively silenced) in Australian politics, or even society in general. And that’s why its so important that he’s just been named the Commissioner for LGBTIQ+ Communities.

“When I was in high school I was told that I would never succeed because I’d be an Aboriginal person,” Todd Fernando said, per SBS.

“And here I am as the youngest, first openly gay Indigenous commissioner.”

At 32 years old, Fernando is the second commissioner to ever hold this role after its creation in 2015, and he wants to focus on the intersecting identities of race (specifically, being Indigenous) and queerness — and how often, queer spaces are predominantly white.

In 2018, Fernando co-founded Koorie Pride Victoria, which advocates specifically for gender and sex-diverse First Nations people.

He speaks about how First Nations people often feel the need to “minimise their Indigeneity” to connect with their LGBTQI+ identities because of how the spaces are designed for whiteness.

On the flip side, in straight or cis Black spaces, it’s the opposite – having to minimise identities relating to gender and sexuality in order to connect with Blackness. When of course, neither of these identities have to be mutually exclusive or exist separately to each other.

“When Aboriginal queer people come together in a room that’s designed with them, from them and by them it’s an unbelievable space,” Fernando said, per SBS.

“We don’t have to minimise any part of our identity because we’re in a room that’s safe and welcoming for us.

“If we can translate that experience into the services – we’re going to see incredible outcomes that combat discrimination and increase opportunities for success. That just seems like a no-brainer for me.”

Yeah, it is a no-brainer, and with ideas like that, I am so excited to see the future of LGBTIQ+ services in Australia.

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