Meeting the PM (L-R): Seb Stewart, Blake Skjellerup, Prime Minister John Key, Tabby Besley, Thomas Hamilton After a busy year and plenty of progress, Q-Youth Director Seb Stewart is heavy-heartedly moving on from the Nelson-based queer youth organisation and heading to Melbourne. "It's never easy to leave behind an organisation that you're passionate about. Or the people," Stewart says. He explains he decided a few months ago to move on from Q-Youth at the end of his Vodafone World of Difference contract and will seek a job at a non-profit in Melbourne. The Queer-Straight Alliance advocate lists the Pink Shirt Day letter writing campaign and resulting meeting with Prime Minister John Key among his highlights of 2011, along with the schools tour when he and gay Olympian Blake Skjellerup visited 18 high schools during three weeks on the road. "It was an amazing journey and I thoroughly enjoyed it," Stewart says. He also lists the Alternative Ball and national hui as high points, as well as securing both Council and Lotteries funding. Stewart will be replaced by Luke Hinkley, who he says is a passionate queer rights activist, a wonderful role model for queer youth, and a youth worker with a management degree. "Luke has been involved with Q-Youth since it was first established," Stewart says. "He's helped at the balls and hui and was a Board member before being appointed as Manager. It feels fantastic to know that I'm leaving Q-Youth in his capable hands." The departing Director has paid tribute to his employee and right-hand Tabby Besley; "Tabby has incredible strength. She is a visionary and an excellent organiser. She has secured funding and co-ordinated all of our major events. It's safe to say that if Tabby hadn't been around, all of the national work that I have done this year wouldn't have been possible." Besley is moving to Wellington to further the Queer Straight Alliance work and Stewart says she has a bright future ahead. Overall Stewart says he has simply missed living in a really big city. "In my late teens I moved to Sydney for three years. Later in my early 20s I lived in London for five years. After 11 years back in New Zealand I’m full of the sense of adventure that wants big city life again," he says. "So, Melbourne is in my sights. What will I do there? I’m not sure! … one thing is certain, I will be working in a not for profit, trying to change the world around me as best I can. Every human being deserves to live with dignity and freedom. Every human being should have their basic needs met. Somehow, somewhere I’ll be involved in making this a reality." Rainbow Youth Executive Director Tom Hamilton has paid tribute, saying working with Q-Youth in 2011 has been delightful, fun and inspiring. "Our collaborative projects have been the highlight and have shown that queer and trans youth organisations nationally can connect in effective and change making ways," he says. "We are grateful for the contribution of Seb Stewart and Tabby Besley and aspire to maintain strong links with Q-Youth throughout 2012."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 27th December 2011 - 5:19pm