Daniel Witthaus (he/him), Founder & CEO, Rural Pride Australia
Daniel has spent three decades challenging homophobia and working on LGBTIQA+ inclusion one cuppa at a time in schools, rural communities, and, occasionally, developing countries like Poland, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. He’s also worked with Kids Help Line, VicHealth, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and No to Violence, a national men’s family violence organisation.
Daniel is the author of Beyond Priscilla: one gay man, one gay truck, one big idea… (2014), Beyond ‘That’s So Gay!’: Challenging homophobia in Australian schools (2010) and the Pride & Prejudice educational package (2002, 2012) – which won Human Rights Week awards for work in three Tasmanian schools. He’s recently completed the manuscript for his latest book, Beyond Debate.
In 2013 Daniel founded Rural Pride Australia, formerly NICHE, which focuses on the needs of LGBTIQA+ people in regional, rural and remote Australia. For the last 8 years Rural Pride Australia has worked in partnership with the Victorian State Government and its Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities to deliver the LGBTIQA+ Equality Roadshow, Regional Communities of Practice and Rainbow Ready Roadmap to 29 regional and rural Victorian communities.