Members of the panel
Ella Sargison
Ella Sargison is a short-statured, well-travelled rainbow member with a degree in Education.
She is currently the Tāmaki Makaurau School Coordinator for InsideOut Kōaro.
In this role, she works in schools across Auckland with Rainbow Diversity groups, parents and whānau, as well as facilitating workshops for staff and students.
She has lived experience in the disabled and queer community and descends from Te Arawa.
She runs the LPNZ (Little People of New Zealand) Rainbow group and has been a camp counsellor in Harbour Camps, New Hampshire, United States for transgender and nonbinary youth.
With a background in education and non-profit/ charity work, Ella sees the importance in standing up for those from minority groups and is passionate about positive representation amongst the rainbow, takatāpui and disabled communities.
Eric Chou
Eric Chou was born and raised in Taiwan and notes “I inherited Taiwanese indigenous blood, so I am Austronesian”.
Eric is a hotel manager and volunteer at the Taiwanese Hwa-Hsia Society of New Zealand in charge of public relations and community engagement.
Josh Martin
Josh Martin (Te Arawa/Ngā Puhi) is a champion for community and youth empowerment with over two decades of experience.
He was a founding member of Prestige Dance Crew, where he played a critical role in building New Zealand's hip-hop dance community, earning the country's first-ever medal at the Hip Hop International dance competition in 2006.
Now, as the Community and Youth Development Director of Shore Junction - a youth innovation hub in Takapuna - Josh and his team have built membership up to almost 3000 rangatahi in just over two years.
Moreover, during the 100-day lockdown, the team created the world's first Discord-hosted digital youth centre, providing a vital means of connection, engagement, and mental health support which has garnered national recognition.
Josh's dynamic leadership experience underpins his commitment to advocating for inclusivity and empowerment.
Luis Meirelles
Luis Meirelles whakapapas to Brazil with a rich cultural heritage, including indigenous, African, and Italian roots.
With a career dedicated to serving the community, Luis has a Bachelor's degree in communications and is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in human rights.
He currently serves as a Practice Team Leader and Rainbow Development Coordinator at Youthline, where he uses his skills and experience to tautoko rangatahi and promote inclusion.
Luis is deeply committed to advocating for the rights of indigenous and queer communities, and works tirelessly to promote equality and social justice, while creating safe rainbow spaces.
With his experience and passion for Human Rights, Luis set his sight on working with the New Zealand Human Rights Commission and the United Nations, as he believes these organizations offer unique opportunities to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people around the world.
Max Tweedie
Max Tweedie (he/him) is a prominent activist and campaigner for Aotearoa’s rainbow and takatāpui communities.
He is the former Executive Director of Auckland Pride, led the petition and campaign to ban conversion practices, and continues to champion the voices of rainbow communities.
Mik Breitenbach
Mik Breitenbach (they/them/she) is a neurodiverse non-binary queer individual, originally from South Africa.
Since leaving South Africa in 2001, Mik has lived in Qatar, Australia and Aotearoa.
They studied at the University of Auckland and hold both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts, with their Masters dissertation exploring the evolving constructs of masculinity within Aotearoa.
Mik’s passions are grounded in community engagement and place-based initiatives.
This led them to engage with the New Zealand Red Cross through Youth Hui programmes on leadership and social issues.
As well as this, they are active in the arts and cultural sphere within Tāmaki Makaurau.
Tux Hika
Tux is Takatāpui with strong interpersonal skills and experience of navigating diverse needs and in working collaboratively to achieve outcomes.
He credits this to his role in capturing and celebrating Auckland’s rainbow community through photography and writing contributions to LGBTQ publication Express magazine for the past decade.
Tux feels that the council has helped to create a positive shift in attitudes towards rainbow communities – particularly in south Auckland.
However, he feels there is more that can be done to reduce violence towards rainbow people, increase rainbow visibility throughout the region, support trans inclusion in sport and recreation and consider the needs of rainbow seniors.
Dave Krause
Sarah-Michelle Hansen-Vaeau
Teresa Platt
Teresa has worked for over 20 years in central government and not-for-profit organisations on regional and national projects.
She has extensive experience working in governance, providing secretariat services to Trust boards and community committees for the Department of Internal Affairs in the Community Development area.
A contractor for the last decade, she has worked on large national projects for NZ Post and the Ministry of Education.
Teresa’s passion is collaborating within the not-for-profit sector and she has worked with HELP Auckland, Presbyterian Support Northern and several smaller youth-based trusts.
Teresa is the co-chair of the Pacific Rainbow Games Trust, an organisation hosting an LGBTQI+ multi-sport event in Tāmaki Makaurau in 2024 (Rainbow Games Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland).
She also sits on the board of the Charlotte Lesbian Museum.
Teresa has completed a Master of Arts in Women’s Studies and Master in Public Management and is currently finishing a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling at the University of Auckland.
She and her wife foster children through Key Assets, volunteer on the Dominion Road School Parents Group and help out with puppies through Auckland Puppy Rescue.
Theo Van de Klundert
