Board Nominations

We are excited to announce our incredible new board nominees.

Below are the nominated candidates and their submitted bios.

Co-Chair (2)

Tasmin Prichard (they/them)

Kia ora, ko Tasmin toku ingoa. I'm pākehā, trans nonbinary, use they/them pronouns, and work in communications as a consultant. I was on the Wellington Pride Festival Board for two years from 2020-2022 under former Chair Vivian Lyngdoh, who my nominee for this position, and am lucky to have former Board member Roxy Coervers as my second nominee. I have been involved in rainbow community work in multiple forms since I was 18, as an executive committee member of UniQ during my time at Victoria Uni, worked at Ivy Bar & Cabaret for three years supporting a bright, safe, and inclusive rainbow venue, and have been involved in engagement with NZ Police about their treatment of rainbow people following harm incidents. I have been in an advisory position for Wellington Pride since finishing formally on the Board in 2022, representing WPF in case management for the upcoming case being brought by representatives of an anti-trans organisation in the Human Rights Review Tribunal. I am deeply committed to making Te Whanganui-A-Tara more inclusive, safe, and mana-enhancing for our diverse rainbow community in the capital and surrounding areas. I'm lucky and grateful to have strong and trusted connections with key rainbow groups in Te Whanganui-A-Tara and nationwide. I have connections to our thriving arts and performance community, rainbow advocacy groups and support networks, and many types of businesses, organisations, and people through my mahi.

Taylor Curd (he/him)

Kia ora koutou!

Ko Pūtauaki tōku maunga. Ko Rangitaiki tōku awa. Ko Mātaatua tōku waka. Ko Ngāti Awa tōku Iwi. Ko Taylor tōku ingoa. Ko Takatāpui ahau.

I had the privilege of contributing to Wellington Pride Festival 2024 by promoting Rainbow Music Artists and discovering the incredible talent showcased on the two stages of the Out In The City Event. I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to serve as a board member, recognising the importance of fostering positive relationships within Wellington’s Rainbow Community. In my view, the Pride Festival should be a grassroots-organised celebration that authentically represents the community it honours. As a potential co-chair, I am committed to encouraging and building strong connections across our Rainbow Community, which I believe is essential for a successful Wellington Pride Festival 2025!

As takatāpui, I’m fortunate to participate in waiata practice with Tīwhanawhana on Monday nights. Additionally, I volunteer as a Liaison in Te Awakairangi (Hutt Valley), supporting non-profit organisations and their dedicated volunteers. My aspiration is to contribute expertise in Volunteering Best Practice to the board, especially since volunteers play a crucial role in making the festival a reality. 

Secretary (1)

Jeremy Baker (he/him)

I was born in Pōneke, and grew up both here and overseas. I was at high school in Wellington during the Homosexual Law Reform years. Since the late 1980s have I have lived and worked in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. I have worked in education and industry roles, and currently lead a small skills development organisation. I am hoping to give back to the Pōneke rainbow community by sharing my organisational expertise. I was the marshalling area lead for the Wellington Pride Parade in 2024. I have previously been involved in numerous not-for-profit entities in governance and leadership roles, including, for instance, being Chair of the VUW University Bookshop for a decade. I was a student leader for seven years in 1980s and 90s. I am a member of the NZ Qualifications Authority Board. I have run my own educational research and consulting business, as well as worked for government, industry and in the education sector.

Treasurer (1)

Steven Mawhinney

I am the owner of Ivy Bar & Cabaret, I have been Co-Chair for the Pride Festival twice, covering 3 festivals. I have been Festival Director and Voulenteer Coordinator on previous boards, back when it was called Out Wellington Inc.

I want to come back to the pride Board to asist with my extensive knowledge of our diverse community. As owner of Ivy Bar, I have to navagate the many differert groups within our community and work to provide a space, that all feel welcome.

There are times where I do not get things right, at these times I am open to sit down with the effected groups, hear their concerns and learn and grow so Ivy can better serve the community. I feel this is an important trait that I can bring to the commitee to insure it serves our whole community.

General Board Member (8)

Lennox May (they/them)

My name is Lennox! (they/them), I'm a young artist and creative based in Te Whanganui-a-tara. I'm a technically skilled creative thinker with experience across many fields and approaches; But I thrive when it comes to project management, boasting several short-film projects under my belt - I'm always finding new and novel ways to relate and approach tricky situations.

I'm keen to get involved and add value with a touchstone organization within a community which has brought me a lot of support and personal validation throughout the years.

Simon Christiansen (he/they)

I have lived in Wellington for 20 years, and have always enjoyed pride events in Wellington. I would like to volunteer my time and mahi to seeing them continue. I have worked for the Wellington City Council for a long time, and have relationships across the organisation, especially with Libraries. I am also involved with the PSA, as well as several other advocacy groups, and I am a member of the Wellington Socialist Society. I have also volunteered for previous Wellington Pride Festivals.

Patricia Jensen (she/her)

I am a bisexual/takatāpui cisgender woman & I am currently on my own personal journey to developing my knowledge and understanding of te ao māori and discovering a deeper understanding of my own identity, in relation to my family origin & cultural connections.

With a background as a people leader I have experience working in a leadership setting, driving forward both my own success within my career path, and encompassing organisational change in order to create an environment that supports equal opportunities for all.

My experience as a people leader revealed to me just how much work there is to do in ensuring comprehensive inclusion practices in all aspects of our communities and workplaces & gives me a unique perspective to leadership which I believe will contribute directly to the development and success of The Wellington Pride Festival in delivering safe, empowering, and accessible events to our community.

I am passionate about advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and fostering an environment that will empower the LGBTQIA+ community to continuously strive for a better future in the face of adversity. Having volunteered for the Wellington Pride Festival the past two years I can see there is a solid foundation to support the kaupapa of the organisation but believe there is so much more that can be achieved, and it would be an honour to be a part of that continued growth.

I am a member of Rainbow Wellington and have volunteered for Wellington Pride Parade 2024 and Wellington Pride Festival in 2023 and 2024.

Member of the Social Taskforce - an employee group within my organisation dedicated to driving progress in the diversity and inclusion space by advocating for inclusion, and fostering a diverse culture where people feel valued and appreciated for their different ideas and perspectives. Through my work as part of the Social Taskforce I have established a working relationship with Pride Pledge as a key point of contact for Colliers.

Working relationship with Pride Pledge as the key point of contact for Colliers.

Andy Lester (he/him)

I’m young. That’s obvious. I haven’t been confident in my identity for long, I grew up not knowing who I could be, and thrown into a school so homophobic I thought it safer not to find out. I wasn’t living, not really. Here, I see people living so authentically, and I want to do whatever I can to reach more and support more people. Yet there are only 36 countries where same-sex is legal. Only 66 can you change your legal gender, but 34 require surgery. Gender affirming care is legal in 116. Only 23 have recognition for Gender Diverse identities and or intersex. And in 11, queer people are criminalised and regularly face death. It is because of progress made by Takatāpui before me that I am not scared to face these statistics, because they can improve. Those big differences are made here in our streets, little by little. I don’t have many relationships with organisations, most of the people I know are my age. That means that many of them, like me, are aspiring to be greater involved and step out into a world where they can make a difference.

Steven Sue (he/him)

I want to be on the board because I believe that the Festival contributes a more visibility of our community providing them with a greater sense of belonging. The Festival is an important fixture in Wellington's calendar and it is vital that we manage both breadth (reaching out to as many queer folks, allies and the general public as we can) and inclusiveness (taking account of people's circumstances, indigeneity and intersectionality). I offer skills I have developed over my nearly two decades career as a policy advisor in the public service. I have been secretary to the Wellington Pride Festival Inc and a long-serving chair to the Glamaphones, Wellington's rainbow choir. It's been a few years since being part of the Festival operations so I'm keen for another opportunity to contribute. I am a member of the Glamaphones and a member of my work rainbow group.

Joshua Edwards (he/him)

I remember the immediate sense of community and belonging I felt when I first attended the Wellington Pride Festival. The event is such a positive way to celebrate our community and create a safe space for those who might need it. Being on the board and having the opportunity to build and foster that environment would truly be a privilege, I would love a chance to play a part in others feeling the way I first felt at Wellington Pride. I am currently involved in a couple of organisations outside of my university studies. Firstly I am the secretary of the Victoria Actuarial Society, a social and academic club for actuarial science students. We also work closely with several organisations to provide opportunities to our members. I am also a course leader with Generation Vote, which provides nonpartisan civics education to high school and university students. I also work part-time in back of house at the Back Bencher.

Joanna McLeod (she/her)

Kia ora, I'm Joanna, a fat queer pākahā cis woman, with a particular interest in fat liberation and disability rights, and the many intersections of all those areas. 1 in 3 members of the Rainbow community are disabled, so I want to ensure that Pride is truly accessible to - all- the community, both in its events and also its online presence.

By day I'm a public servant, specialising in digital communications, and by night I run House of Boom, an ethical clothing company for fat people sizes 16-34. Alongside of clothing, House of Boom also runs events like fat swims, and the yearly Camp Boom, for people to take up space and further the kaupapa of fat liberation. I have twenty years of experience working in communications and marketing, and believe that I have a lot to offer the board.

House of Boom has a rainbow collection, from which 10% of all sales (or often more) goes to supporting InsideOUT's work. Both in my day job and my own disabilities (ADHD and Long COVID), I have networks of disabled contacts and a sound understanding of best practice. I also belong to a group of those who work in social media across government, which gives me solid ties into the public servants of Wellington.