Our story

Author: Luca Straker - Founder

Proud Changemakers began as a group of post it notes – like most good ideas.

Our CEO – Luca Straker (they/them) – had been in the charity sector for many years and had experienced varying amounts of discrimination, heteronormativity and anti- LGBTQIA+ cultures at different organisations. They had also, because of this, suffered with low confidence, feeling excluded from others and spent a lot of energy masking their true self in order to fit in.

None of this enabled them to be themselves and thrive, much like their colleagues who weren’t battling with this. So, when they started to share this with a few other LGBTQIA+ folks in the sector they all started to say the same thing – they’d experienced discrimination, they felt unable to thrive due to holding back parts of themselves and they didn’t see a lot of representation of LGBTQIA+ leaders in the sector.

So in June 2023, a few of us got together (virtually) and began to discuss how to create a space where queer stories and achievements were celebrated, we could hear the voice of the LGBTQIA+ charity folks together, we could help each other with stuff that only we understand and connect all those lonely queer dots that are out there in the sector.

And that’s where Proud Changemakers was born.

We want to live in a world where LGBTQIA+ joy and achievement is celebrated, where our stories are part of the mainstream of society and where everyone feels included and has the chance to shine.

So here it is – a platform that shares LGBTQIA+ stories, achievements, history, challenges, people and opportunities. There’s enough negativity in this world, so we want to bring folk together through joy, positivity and wanting to create a better world for us all.

You don’t have to be LGBTQIA+ to get involved with us, but we do ask that you are trans and intersex inclusive.