Media Release
Monday June 10th 2019
 
JUST.EQUAL CO-FOUNDER HONOURED WITH ORDER OF AUSTRALIA
 
LGBTIQ equality advocate, Ivan Hinton-Teoh OAM, has been honoured for his contribution to human rights, equality and the LGBTIQ community.
 
Mr Hinton-Teoh has received a Medal in the Order of Australia as part of the Queen's Birthday Honours List released today.
 
Spokesperson for just.equal, Rodney Croome, congratulated Mr Hinton-Teoh saying, 
 
"Ivan's innovative and effective activism has helped drive LGBTIQ law reform and social change at a local and national level".
 
Mr Hinton-Teoh is the former deputy director of Australian Marriage Equality, the co-founder of just.equal, and long-time board member of PFLAG Capital Region.
 
In his role with AME, Mr Hinton-Teoh managed a social media and public relations campaign that significantly grew the organisation's database and profile, 
 
He also travelled the nation training advocates, and speaking at town hall meetings and rallies.
 
His marriage equality activism laid a solid foundation for the 2017 postal survey Yes vote.
 
Mr Hinton-Teoh subsequently co-founded just.equal together with some of Australia's most experienced LGBTIQ advocates.
 
The goal of just.equal was to advocate for LGBTIQ equality more broadly than marriage, as well as build genuine partnerships with community groups to elevate their work.
 
In his work for just.equal, Mr Hinton-Teoh made an indispensable contribution to stopping the proposed plebiscite in 2016, supporting LGBTI people through the 2017 postal survey, and advocating against concessions to religious privilege in the final legislation.
 
At a local level, Mr Hinton-Teoh has worked in his home city of Canberra to improve legislation and attitudes.
 
He has been an executive board member of PFLAG Capital Region for eight years, providing support for LGBTIQ young people and their families.
 
He has also been a member of the Chief Minister's LGBTIQ Advisory Council, and continues to challenge the ACT Government to ensure Canberra is the best place for LGBTIQ Australians to live.
 
Mr Croome said,
 
"Ivan's work for the LGBTIQ community is like an iceberg, a bit is visible but the vast bulk is hidden from view."
 
"During the marriage equality campaign Ivan worked eighteen hour days, seven days a week."
 
"He would often stay up past midnight to develop social media responses for the next day and then be on the radio from 5am delivering the marriage equality message."
 
"He lived and breathed the issue at a substantial cost to his husband, family and friends."
 
"Ivan's passion, dedication and sheer grit make him a model for other human rights advocates."
 
"While campaigning is now less intense than it was during the marriage debate, Ivan and the just.equal team continue to dedicate their time to advancing LGBTIQ equality."
 
For a copy of this statement on the web, click here
For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668 or Ivan Hinton-Teoh on 0419 124 826.