Bi+ Awareness Week: 'The Thing about Bis'
Description
To celebrate Bi+ Awareness Week 2026, Bi+ Pride Victoria, the Office of the Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities, Switchboard Victoria, Thorne Harbour Health and Northside Counselling Solutions are proud to invite the bi+ and pansexual community and partners / friends to ‘The Thing about Bis’, a bi+ affirming panel discussion, film screening and socialising event.
Join a panel of bicons to hear about bi+/bisexuality and pansexuality as valid, enduring and distinct sexualities, a discussion about belonging, identity, disclosures, relationships and family, contemporary representations of bi+ people on screen and in broader and queer community, and what ideal bi+ representations do or might look like.
The evening will also include a screening of The Thing about Harry (2020). ‘Sam, an openly gay man, and Harry, his former high school bully, are forced to share a road trip to a mutual friend's engagement party. Things get spicy when Harry comes out as pansexual.’
There will be time for comments, questions, musings and socialising.
Speakers:
Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities, Joe Ball (he / him)
Anthony Lekkas (he / him)
Bec Herft (she/her)
Sally Goldner (she / her)
Amao Leota Lu (she / her)
Aria Planigale (they / them)
Accessibility: please let us know any dietary needs and access requirements in the check out questions when you acquire your ticket.
There will be counsellors from Relationship Matters present, and information shared about peer and other support services, for anyone who needs it.
Attendees, allies and others may also donate to the work of Bi+ Pride Victoria here.
Lineup
Sally Goldner (she/her)
Sally Goldner (she/her) (facilitator) is a diversity educator, speaker, life coach and MC after starting her professional life in accounting. She lives on Kulin lands, has been involved Victoria’s LGBTIQA+ communities for close to 30 years including being a founding member of Bi+ Pride Victoria and 3 other rainbow organisations. She currently serves on the committees, Bi Plus Pride Victoria, Just.Equal Australia and Transfamily and presents 3 CR’s “Out of the Pan. She recently received a Legacy Award for her lifetime of contributions to trans and LGBTIQA+ communities and a Pride Award for Outstanding Contribution to LGBTIQA+ Media. She is also a participant in different aspects of professional wrestling and performer.
Amao Leota Lu (She/Her)
Amao Leota Lu (she/her) is a proud and unapologetic Samoan fa’afafine and an indigenous Pasifika trans woman of colour with a deep and strong history in trans and fa’afafine advocacy both nationally and internationally. Amao proudly identifies as pansexual.
Anthony Lekkas (He/Him)
Anthony Lekkas (he/him) is a relationship counsellor and accredited mental health social worker working across LGBTQIA+ and mainstream community services as well as in private practice. He has a longstanding interest in human sexuality, attachment, intimacy and relational patterns, alongside the social, cultural and political contexts that shape them. Anthony is a co-founder of Melbourne Bisexual Network and a key organiser with Bi+ Collective Australia. He was a co-creator of the Bisexuality Triple Bi-Pass radio show on JOY 94.9FM where he produced and presented The Bi-Polycast, a monthly podcast exploring bisexual and polyamorous lives. He is deeply committed to Bi+ visibility, advocacy and affirming practice and is an out-and-proud cis bisexual man.
Joe Ball (He/Him)
Joe Ball (he/him) is the Victorian Commissioner for LGBTIQA+ Communities and a national voice on equality, mental health, and community safety. With more than a decade in social services, he advises government on policies affecting LGBTIQA+ communities and works to strengthen responses to discrimination and violence. He lives in Melbourne with his partner and their daughter.
Aria Planigate (They/Them)
Aria Planigale (they/them) is a community researcher and organiser who lives on Wurundjeri Country. They have been involved in working for positive change for people and planet for over 35 years across human rights and environmental issues. They have extensive experience as a frontline practitioner, manager and consultant with community-based organisations, and have led many research and evaluation projects focused on improving systems and policies for those in need. Aria is also a parent and musician. They are proudly bisexual and free-gendered and have been a Committee Member of Melbourne Bisexual Network / Bi+ Pride Victoria since 2020.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
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