Benjamin (Ben) Bjarnesen BM believes that everyone deserves the right to live a life free from domestic violence.
He became an advocate for better services for LGBTIQ+ communities after personally experiencing domestic violence in a same-sex relationship and discovering a huge gap in available support.
A former longtime operational police officer with Queensland Police Service (QPS), Ben was instrumental in helping QPS improve its response to domestic violence in LGBTIQ+ communities.
Internationally recognised, Ben advises government and non-government organisations and participates in international campaigns to support global LGBTIQ+ communities. He is a Churchill Fellow, has presented education sessions to over one hundred organisations on domestic violence and holds numerous volunteer positions, including founding director of the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation.
Named a ‘Human Rights Hero’ by the Australian Human Rights Commission, Ben was celebrated as one of Australia’s Outstanding 50 LGBTI+ Leaders by Deloitte and Google in 2020.