“I came out in 1992 — and paid a heavy price. Once a high-profile Pentecostal preacher, I lost everything overnight: my family, my friends, my career, and my income. I moved to the outer suburbs of Sydney with the man I’d fallen in love with — far from Oxford Street and “the scene.” I thought I’d finally found forever. But what I had hoped would be a new beginning became a nightmare. Within a year, the relationship unraveled into betrayal and domestic violence and was over in just 12 months.
I was pretty lost, no friends, a forty-two-year-old man with no life experience in the gay scene, dealing with grief and loss. I could have spiralled down.
Some things hadn’t changed. My beliefs had shifted, yes — but my values? They remained. I still wanted to serve, to give, to make a difference.
In 1994, I began volunteering for ACON’s Speak Easy outreach program, where we went into popular venues in Oxford Street, handing out safe sex packs and talking about ACON’s services. I have to admit it was scary at first. I had a lot to learn. The training for the program gave me confidence.
Those nights weren’t just outreach. They were healing. They gave me back a sense of purpose, a way to turn pain into something useful. In helping others, I was slowly piecing myself back together.
I’m still friends with some people I met during the two years volunteering with Speak Easy.
Over the years, I’ve worked with many gay men who, like me, after coming out of straight marriages, found themselves isolated — unsure how to connect or where they belonged. I often encouraged them to volunteer. It’s one of the most powerful ways to build community, create purpose, and form meaningful friendships. Volunteer with ACON, you never know where it might lead.”
– Anthony Venn-Brown OAM
