Ben Bjarnesen BM OAM is a passionate educator, campaigner and speaker who believes that all people no matter what their sexuality or gender identity is, deserve the right to live a life free from domestic and family violence (DV). Ben became a fierce advocate for improved services for LGBTQ+ victims and survivors of DV after discovering an incredible gap in services after himself experiencing abuse within a same-sex relationship.
Ben is a Churchill Fellow who travelled to the USA, Canada, UK and the Netherlands where he explored best practice solutions for Police Departments to enhance the way in which they respond to domestic violence in LGBTQ+ communities, revealing the critical need to have LGBTQ+ inclusive and accessible support services. He has since been actively involved in advising government and non-government organisations internationally on a range of initiatives designed to improve service delivery to LGBTQ+ communities.
Ben is an operational Police officer and volunteers as the Regional Coordinator of the Queensland Police Service LGBTQIA+ Liaison Officer Program and has previously been named as one of the top 50 most influential and inspiring LGBTI Australians by Cosmopolitan Magazine for his work in this area.
In 2020 he founded the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation and he is also on the Board of Directors for DVConnect Ltd. In 2023 he was appointed to the Queensland Government Domestic & Family Violence Prevention Council by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and in 2024 was appointed to the Domestic and Family Violence Death Review Advisory Board by Attorney General Yvette D'Ath.
Ben’s contributions as an educator and campaigner have been widely recognised. In 2020, he was inducted into the Queensland Government Domestic & Family Violence Prevention Honour Roll and named a ‘Human Rights Hero’ by the Australian Human Rights Commission, as well as one of Australia’s Outstanding 50 LGBTI+ Leaders by Deloitte and Google. In 2024, he was selected as one of four Queensland nominees for the Australian of the Year Awards, and in 2026 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his service to LGBTQ+ communities and to the domestic and family violence sector.
Project
To enhance police response to LGBTI domestic violence
Ben Bjarnesen OAM
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