About Us

Lynne is a proud Lesbian, Feminist, LGBTIQA+ Activist, Mother, ovarian cancer survivor, and Grandmother of 6, with over 40 years of service to the LGBTQIA+ community.

She began her activism in the mid-80s, initiating projects such as the Canberra Gay and Lesbian Choir (QWIRE) and Heaven Nightclub, Canberra’s first commercial gay nightclub. She also produced and managed numerous women’s dances and bands.

Lynne later moved to Sydney, where she co-led the Sydney Pride Centre and played a key role in bringing the International Gay Games to Sydney in 2000. She also contributed to the revival of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and managed major events like Fair Day.

In addition to producing successful kink parties, Lynne has served on various boards, including Diversity ACT, where she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to the LGBTIQA+ Community. She has been the President of SpringOUT since 2018, securing funding and sponsorships to ensure the festival’s success.

With over 25 years of involvement in the queer community, Nathan has recently become more visible in his support and activism, understanding the importance of representation.

He joined SpringOUT to contribute to the festival and engage more deeply with the Canberra queer community.

Nathan brings his extensive experience from public service committee meetings to his role as Secretary and also captures the festival's vibrant moments as the official photographer, finding great reward in seeing the events come to life.

Sharon is the Project Manager for SpringOUT, bringing extensive expertise in design leadership, creative direction, project management, and strategic marketing.

Since returning to Canberra from Surry Hills in 2016, Sharon has been pivotal in shaping user-centred, inclusive initiatives that resonate with the LGBTQIA+ community. Her strategic vision and hands-on approach ensure that SpringOUT’s events and online presence are engaging and impactful. Sharon is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, playing a crucial role in fostering a welcoming environment and securing a sustainable future for Canberra’s leading pride festival.

For over 20 years, Sharon has been an active member of Canberra's queer community, co-founding a movie group, organising social events, and contributing to the creative direction and design of floats for Sydney's Mardi Gras festival.

As a dedicated member of public sector pride and diversity networks, she has also represented various organisations at national pride conferences, working groups, and networking events.

Father of three beautiful young women, Chris is a recently retired public servant with 37 years of service, now working full-time as a marriage celebrant in the ACT and regional NSW.

He is dedicated to creating safe spaces for everyone through festivals and events like Fair Day, that enable safe spaces for all members of every society to relax, be entertained and build that sense of community.

Passionate about volunteerism, he oversees volunteer coordination to support these essential events, ensuring they run smoothly and continue to thrive.

My name is Bob Lees, I was raised and educated in Canberra and have been involved in community sport for many years. I have previously played gay and inclusive rugby with the Sydney Convicts and currently play over 35’s rugby with the ACT Veterans rugby club (The Vets). The vets have raised well over $750,000.00 for local charities in the past 30 years.

I am passionate about LGBTQIA+ visibility and inclusion, breaking down stereotypes through sport, promoting diversity in rugby – age, gender and sexuality and striving to amplify a clear message of inclusion and support for the LGBTQIA+ community in the Canberra and Queanbeyan region. Sport is for everyone.

Luka Musicki is a dedicated advocate for the queer community, contributing his time and energy in executive roles with various organisations such as SpringOUT, Diversity ACT, and Harbour City Bears. He continues to volunteer at SpringOUT and Sydney Mardi Gras events every year. His passion for volunteering has led to numerous accolades, recognising his commitment to creating fabulously inclusive and creative events. Luka's efforts have not only made a significant impact but have also garnered him multiple volunteering awards. His unwavering dedication and enthusiasm have made him an invaluable asset to the community, ensuring successful and fun events.

I am a young queer disabled person of colour and I am enthusiastic about bringing my perspective to SpringOut to make queer events for friendly for people in my communities. As an artist, musician and drag artist that has participated in SpringOut events previously, I have confidence that this experience will aid me in delivering programs smoothly with SpringOut for both the artists we work with and the people that come to celebrate queerness with us.

Lee has been involved in SpringOUT since 2017, having worked for Meridian until earlier this year. Lee’s experience in Fair Day led him to play an integral role in building productive relationships between the two organisations, culminating in the very first partnered Fair Day event in 2023. Lee is a creative force behind many facets of SpringOUT, 2024 including production design, content creation, copywriting and event logistics.