The winners of the 2024 Honour Awards, which celebrate outstanding contributions to LGBTQ+ communities in NSW, were announced on Wednesday night.
Among the recipients were Ghassan Kassisieh, honoured for his legal advocacy with Equality Australia, and The Aurora Group, recognised for their 25 years of philanthropic support for rainbow communities.
Presented by HIV and LGBTQ+ health organisation ACON, the Honour Awards recognise individuals and organisations for their work across fields such as health, HIV, youth, community, business, entertainment, and media. Since 2007, the awards have celebrated excellence and service within LGBTQ+ communities across the state.
The gala event took place at Doltone House Hyde Park in Sydney, with ACON chief executive Michael Woodhouse highlighting the significance of the contributions made by all nominees.
"It was wonderful to hear from local heroes and organisations doing such tremendous work to improve the lives of people in LGBTQ communities," Woodhouse said.
"Their vibrancy, strength and resilience give us so much joy,"
Among the night's highlights were the recognition of Dr Melissa Kelly and Mags Smith for their contributions to gender-affirming healthcare, and DJ Gemma, who has been creating spaces for LGBTQIA+ community gatherings and celebrations for nearly four decades.
Abbie Jane, the 15-year-old from the remote town of Broken Hill, was also recognised for her work with the Rainbow Shoelace Project. At age 12, she started giving away free rainbow beads for people to wear on their shoelaces as a symbol of support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Since then, more than 220,000 packets of beads have been distributed across Australia.
Woodhouse from ACON expressed his gratitude to the event’s partners and supporters, including people2people, OUT@NBCUniversal, Universal Hotels, and Positive Life NSW. He also thanked the various organisations that donated items for the awards night's raffle and silent auction, which helped raise vital funds for ACON’s health and wellbeing initiatives.
Below is the list of this year’s Honour Award recipients:
Community hero
Ghassan Kassisieh – recognised for his work as the former legal director of Equality Australia and his role in key legislative reforms.
Young achiever award
Abbie Jane – awarded for her campaigning efforts for rainbow inclusion and equality through the Rainbow Shoelace Project.
Community organisation
The Aurora Group – honoured for their philanthropic work supporting rainbow communities for over 25 years.
Health & wellbeing
Dr Melissa Kelly and Mags Smith – recognised for their contribution to gender-affirming healthcare in NSW.
Cayte Latta memorial award for visual arts
C Moore Hardy – acknowledged for documenting Sydney’s vibrant rainbow communities.
HIV hero
The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation – celebrated for 40 years of care and support for people living with HIV.
Media award
Dan Bourchier – recognised for his contributions to media and raising awareness of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Arts & entertainment
Stan Munro – honoured for their 70-year career in Australian drag entertainment and community support.
DJ Gemma – celebrated for creating spaces for LGBTQIA+ communities for nearly four decades.
Business award
Ty Dovans and Luke Frappell for 357 – recognised for their support of the health and wellbeing of rainbow communities through their sauna business.
ACON president’s award
Les McDonald – acknowledged for 42 years of service to rainbow communities through the running of The Bookshop Darlinghurst.
Ben Grubb is the founder and editor of Gay Sydney News, an independent publication covering LGBTQIA+ news. A journalist with more than 15 years' experience, he has reported and edited for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, WAToday, Brisbane Times, The Australian Financial Review, News.com.au, ZDNet, TelecomTimes and iTnews, primarily on the topic of technology. He previously hosted The Informer, a queer current affairs program on Melbourne’s JOY 94.9 radio station, and contributes to LGBTQIA+ media including Stun Magazine. Ben has also appeared as a technology commentator on Channel Ten's The Project, ABC RN’s Download This Show and commercial radio stations 2UE, 2GB and 6PR. Contact Ben: [email protected]
