Sally Goldner AM is a pioneer in Victoria’s queer communities. Her breadth, depth and length (over 30 years) of involvement over as well as her amazing and unique life journeys result in an uplifting, compassionate and practicality-filled speaking experience.
Her community involvement includes being a founding member and major driver of Transgender Victoria, Treasurer of Transfamily, Treasurer of Bi Plus Pride Victoria (fka Bisexual Alliance Victoria) and presenter for over 21 years of 3 CR’s “Out of the Pan.”
She is a diversity educator of 25 years’ experience and specialises in LGBTIQA+ issues, particularly trans and gender diverse (TGD) and bi+. She also focuses on aspects of neuroprocessing such as introversion and highly sensitive person traits and re “late connection” to autism and ADHD.
Her extensive lived expertise (not professional experience) with mental health includes PTSD, cyclothymia and trauma. She works as a consultant and collaborates with Bi+ Pride , Transfamily and Just.Equal Australia.
She is a ground-breaking expert in issues regarding LGBTIQA+ seniors, in particular regarding TGD and bi+ communities. This arose from being involved in LGBTIQA+ aging and aged care training from its inception in 2014 following the launch in 2012 of the first national LGBTI aging and aged care strategy.
Her achievements include contributing to the achievement of Victorian state (2000) and Australian national law (2013) protecting trans and gender diverse people (and others) from discrimination. She also contributed to Victorian birth certificate reforms in 2019 and federal reforms in 2011-2013 regarding passports, health care and recording of identity.
She was awarded a Trans Legacy Award in 2025 and an Order of Australia in 2019. She was inducted into the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll in 2016 (the first trans and first known bi woman to receive the honour), awarded LGBTI (sic) Victorian of the Year in 2015, noted in The Age’s Top 100 most creative and influential people in Melbourne in 2011 and awarded Activist of the Year at the 2010 ALSO Awards.
She spent 2 weeks in St Petersburg, Russia as a juror for the Side-By-Side (Bok-o-Bok) LGBT Film festival in November 2015 and represented Australia’s bi+ community at the ILGA world conference in November 2016.
She is the focus of an autobiographical documentary “Sally’s Story” and a life member of Seahorse Club of Victoria, Zoe Belle Gender Collective, Victorian Pride Lobby and Polyvic.
She is also a speaker regarding her hugely varied life experiences, (including a TedX Talk in 2024) learnings and “un-learnings,” including in relation to leadership and specifically in regard to leadership and gender issues. She is also a life coach, consultant, an MC and an occasional performer. The latter includes as a vocalist, stand-up comedienne, spoken word performer and pro wrestling ring announcer, commentator and occasionally as an in-ring competitor. All of the above follows from her original training as…an accountant, specialising in the community not-for-profit sector. She escapes the serious side of life by indulging in groups that post puns in social media and listening to music of all the non-binary kinds: classic rock, country…and western.