Australian of the Year

Mikhael Touma is the co-founder of Queer Arabs Australia (QAA), a community organisation supporting LGBTQIA+ people from Southwest Asian and North African backgrounds. QAA delivers a range of community services including social events and advocacy.  

Drawing on his experience as a certified Arabic interpreter, Mikhael founded and leads the Language Justice Network that delivers safe and affirming language services, training and workshops on ethical interpreting and language access for LGBTQIA+ people with lived experience of forced displacement.  

Additionally, Mikhael helped set up Zyara, an Arabic-language social support program specifically designed for LGBTQIA+ refugees and asylum seekers, where members can come together to connect, receive support and share their stories in a welcoming environment without linguistic barriers. He is also a regular speaker at international conferences on language and migration justice. 

Through his community work, public speaking and work as an interpreter, Mikhael is creating safe spaces for people with similar lived experiences through language and community.