Sam joined Austin Health in 2018, following in the footsteps of their mother who worked at Austin Health for many years.

Today we celebrate International Non-Binary People’s Day. It is a day to celebrate those who are non-binary, the rich diversity of gender and celebrate people who do not fit into a binary gender.

“I enjoy the supportive, community vibe that Austin brings. It’s important to me that I’m able to make a positive impact on my community through my lab work, as well as my involvement in some of the exciting projects the Diversity and Inclusion team have worked on over the past few years”, they said.

Sam grew up in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. “I went to uni to study health sciences, but never really had a set idea about what I wanted to do until I fell into my first position here at Austin where it automatically felt like home. I’ve always been very interested in human anatomy/physiology so when I found anatomical pathology, it was a perfect fit”, they said.​​​​​​​

“I spent years hiding the best parts of myself, so having a day dedicated to queer representation allows me to celebrate every part of me, free from judgement and fear. It represents self-acceptance and allows us to give each other the love and support we deserve. Having a day where we can stand tall and let everyone know we’re here and there’s nothing wrong with us, not only helps us feel accepted but helps show all closeted people that it’s ok. For me, it’s important to be out and proud because I want to be that representation I needed when I was growing up, maybe if I knew it was ok to be who I am I wouldn’t have spent so long feeling ashamed”.

“You can show your support by assessing your language and changing it to be more inclusive. For example, ‘ladies and gentlemen’ to address a group excludes non-binary people. Try changing to friends/guests/colleagues. These little things help show that you see us, respect us, and support us”, Sam explains.

For more info visit LGBTIQ+ Health Australia.