Daniel Witthaus believes you can change the world one cuppa at a time. He has spent 29 years challenging homophobia and working on LGBTIQA+ inclusion one cuppa at a time in schools, rural communities and, occasionally, developing countries. He has also worked with Kids Help Line, VicHealth, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission and No to Violence, a national men’s family violence organisation.
Daniel is the author of Beyond Priscilla: one gay man, one gay truck, one big idea… (2014), Beyond ‘That’s So Gay!’: Challenging homophobia in Australian schools (2010) and the Pride & Prejudice educational package (2002, 2012) – which won Human Rights Week awards for work in three Tasmanian schools.
In 2013 Daniel founded Rural Pride Australia which focuses on the needs of LGBTIQA+ people in regional, rural and remote Australia. His focus is on helping communities assess their LGBTIQA+ inclusion readiness, practical strategies that work outside metropolitan centres and working on what can be done “in the meantime” ahead of an LGBTIQA+ utopia.
He is also semi-obsessed with abandoned buildings and is an international gay gold medallist in tennis.
About Rural Pride Australia
We exist to transform regional, rural and remote communities, ensuring LGBTIQA+ people thrive wherever they live, and providing signs of LGBTIQA+ hope. This means that everyday LGBTIQA+ people will feel safer, more supported, welcome and included wherever they live.
Rural Pride Australia began in order to address the isolation of LGBTIQA+ people, those that work with them in non-metropolitan centres, as well as isolation between these communities themselves. They tell us that this LGBTIQA+ work is urgent, “long overdue” and that “it’s about bloody time” investment is made. We know that (a) rural LGBTIQA+ work is unique, different and possible; and, (b) that it can be life-changing and life-saving with minimal strategic investment.
For twelve years we’ve partnered LGBTIQA+ people and mainstream organisations in regional, rural and remote communities to make those communities safer, more supportive, welcoming and inclusive. For nine years we’ve partnered Government and Victorian Commissioners for LGBTIQA+ Communities to work with 31 communities on the LGBTIQ Equality Roadshow, Regional Communities of LGBTIQ+ Practice and co-designing the Rainbow Ready roadmap. Throughout 2022 and 2023, RPA delivered roadmap workshops to almost 1000 people across twenty communities. In 2023, we founded a Rural LGBTIQA+ Community of Practice. In 2025, we are piloting a Prepare, Respond & Recover model of Rural LGBTIQA+ Community Safety.
Keynotes
10 Leadership Lessons & 5 Leadership Qualities from Rural LGBTIQA+ Australia
Foundations in LGBTIQA+ Safety, Allyship & Inclusion
Foundations in LGBTIQA+ Engagement & Co-Design
Beyond Priscilla: Moments, Stories & Lessons from a Drive Around Rural Australia
Critical Conversations & Engagement: What we can learn from Rural LGBTIQA+ Australia
Beyond Debate: A case for why we’re still talking about LGBTIQA+ people & why it still matters
From Surviving to Thriving: the Key Foundations for Place-Based LGBTIQA+ Inclusion
Where Do We Begin? Assessment, Engagement & Delivery of LGBTIQA+ Inclusion
Testimonials
It was with great pleasure that I had an opportunity to hear Daniel Witthaus speak about LGBTIQ issues facing our communities. With his reputation among the LGBTIQ community I was not surprised at his level of knowledge however I was surprised at how engaging and at ease he made me feel when approaching what many see including myself as an awkward topic and conversation. It is often a topic many are afraid of approach due to a lack of education, fear of doing something wrong or saying something wrong but during my time with Daniel this was a distant concern creating opportunities of open discussion and engagement.
We originally had Daniel booked for his well renowned student workshop at our up and coming conference, Family Friendly. Since I had the opportunity to hear him speak to an alternative audience we decided to re evaluate our speaking timetable to include a 30 minute segment from Daniel to an audience of school personnel. We believe he can provide a professional and clear perspective from the LGBTIQ community and in addition offer our audience an opportunity to safely explore ideas for implementation in their own youth environments.
Prior to Daniel’s presentation I had two groups of students – the openly homophobic students, and those who thought that being gay was not a big deal, and therefore why even consider it as a curriculum topic. Daniel was able to challenge many of the homophobic ideas, but also place a light on the difficulties that gay people encounter as part of Australian society. Daniel had a direct and engaging teaching style, which made the students active participants in his discussion. As you can imagine these students are difficult to engage, and are the students that often the mainstream education system has pushed aside or deemed as too difficult to have in a conventional classroom. It was a credit to Daniel that he was able to maintain their attention and engagement for the length of his presentation. Daniel gained the respect of students, who wanted to not only participate, listen to what he had to say, and offer their own experiences in relation to ‘coming out’.
Following Daniel’s visit I have not experienced any further comments of ‘that’s so gay’ – and I have discovered through recent classroom discussion and writing that even my most homophobic students have chosen to accept that gay people should have equal rights, regardless of their thoughts about their sexual behaviour. A big step in the right direction, and a performance that I hope to have Daniel repeat for me with future student cohorts.
I have faith in Daniel’s ability to change the homophobic views of Australian society one classroom at a time. Thank-you Daniel, one step in the right direction …..