Staff

Tabby Besley

Managing Director

tabby@insideout.org.nz

Tabby Besley (she/her) is the founder and Managing Director of InsideOUT and identifies as a Pākehā queer femme. She has been volunteering and working in rainbow communities since she was 15 when she led her high-school queer straight alliance and has been involved with a range of organisations including Q-Youth, Out Takes Queer Film Festival, LegaliseLove, PrideNZ, Femme Club, Houhou Te Rongo Kahakura – Outing Violence and more. 

In 2015 Tabby’s work was recognised internationally, as she became the first and only New Zealander to receive a Queen’s Young Leader Award. Tabby was one of five to receive the Vodafone Foundation’s World of Difference Award in 2017, as well as being the Education Finalist for NEXT Woman of the Year and receiving the Wellingtonian of the Year Youth Award. In 2019 she was made a finalist for the Inclusion category of the Impact Awards and received a Kiwibank Local Hero medal. In 2020 she was announced as finalist for Young New Zealander of the Year.

When she’s not working on queer stuff, Tabby tends to be studying towards her counselling and addictions degree, obsessing over astrology or adding to her collection of all things polka dot!

 

Rosie Leadbitter

Volunteer and Education Coordinator

rosie@insideout.org.nz

Rosie (she/her) is a cis Pākehā woman who grew up in Pōneke (up in the hills of Ngaio to be more specific!). She works as InsideOUT’s Volunteer and Education Coordinator, a role that she loves as it means she can engage with and support our incredible volunteers as well as our wider community. She has volunteered with InsideOUT in various capacities over the years and has also been a facilitator with the rainbow organisation OuterSpaces’ School’s Out programme. 

 
She’s extremely passionate about speaking about mental health and hauora and has previously worked in the Capital & Coast DHB and studied public health. She believes strongly in the importance of social connectedness and whakawhanaungatanga to overall wellbeing. 
 
In her spare time she loves absorbing all sorts of music, visual and written media (the queerer the better!), sharing kai with friends and being near trees, birds and large bodies of water.  

 

Emmett Roberts

Schools Network Coordinator 

emmett@insideout.org.nz

Emmett (they/them) is a non-binary, Pākehā queer, and librarian-in-progress from the Manawatū. They have worked delivering consent and relationship education to young people as well as rainbow education to people of all ages, and they are involved in rainbow initiatives within the local DHB. Emmett’s work with InsideOUT allows them to combine their skills of talking and colour-coding things with their passion for tikkun olam (repairing the world) and helping people learn new things.

Emmett’s role involves supporting schools nationwide, including the current project of leading our Creating Rainbow Inclusive Schools workshops around the motu in partnership with the Mental Health Foundation. When not at work, Emmett can usually be found knitting, rollerskating, reapplying glitter, and trying to talk Crouton the cat (she/her) into not interrupting zoom meetings.

Bronwyn Kerr

Wellington/Te Ūpoko o te Ika Schools Coordinator

bronwyn@insideout.org.nz

Bronwyn (Pākehā, she/her) likes art, cooking for a crowd, and anything involving being outdoors around water. She grew up in Taitoko/Levin (ngā mihi ki a Muaūpoko rāua ko Raukawa ki te Tonga), went to uni in China, worked as a tea ceremony attendant in Japan, and now loves living in Wellington (ngā mihi ki a Te Ati Awa). Bronwyn loves to kōrero Māori and likes hauora Māori ways of doing things.

Bronwyn has previously worked supporting people to get safe & heal from sexual and domestic violence, and other community development mahi. Bronwyn‘s stoked to now be working for InsideOUT as the Wellington School’s Coordinator.

Nic Dorward

Canterbury/Waitaha Schools Coordinator

nic@insideout.org.nz

Nic Dorward (she/her) is a cis Pākehā femme. She grew up in Dunedin and has spent a number of years living in Christchurch. Nic completed her Bachelor of Social Work and worked and volunteered in flax roots community settings, decolonising social work and for Qtopia. Nic is thrilled to return to work with the rainbow community and schools following a period of stay at home parenting.

Nic loves her role as a Mama, cooking for friends, tending to her garden, disability justice and reading books by QTPOC. 

Petazae Thoms

Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau Schools Coordinator

petazae@insideout.org.nz

Petazae (he/him) spent parts of his childhood growing up in Fiji as well as Auckland. Although he misses the islands, he enjoys taking in everything Auckland has to offer. He loves working in a role that gives him the opportunity to create spaces that support all people to thrive and support each other. He is passionate about living in a world that fosters connections built on acceptance and compassion. Another big love of his is mental health and wellbeing. Which is why he is currently studying Psychology at the University of Auckland and has volunteered as an online counsellor for the past couple of years.
 
In his spare time, Petazae is admiring dogs, listening to podcasts (mostly just Still Processing or Where Should We Begin?), showering the neighbour’s cat with affection, having a good kōrerorero with friends, losing at social netball, but most importantly, he is resting! 

Aroha

Wesley

Photo of Emma and dog

Aroha Lowe

Manawatū Schools Coordinator

aroha@insideout.org.nz

 

Aroha (she/her) is Ngāti Maniapoto, Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Ruanui, and English, Irish, Scots. 
She grew up in Mangere, Tāmaki Makaurau/South Auckland, and Te Papaioea/ Palmerston North. Her mahi in the community as an educator and facilitator has been in Māori Women’s Refuge, aged care, schools, museums, conservation and in the disability sector. Aroha lives in the rohe of Manawatū with her partner, and is kept busy as māmā to her sons, two kurī/dogs and one ngeru/cat.  Alongside her work with InsideOUT Aroha works as an art facilitator, likes to write poetry, and take long walks on Hīmatangi beach.  Aroha brings her love for Te Ao Māori, and Green politics to her work supporting rainbow youth in Manawatū schools. 
She currently serves on the boards of Te Awa magazine and Be. Lab. 

Wesley Milne

Taranaki Schools Coordinator

wesley@insideout.org.nz

 

Wesley (he/him) is from Scotland originally but grew up for the most part in the beautiful Taranaki. He loves the region for its amazing landscape and wonderful people. He is excited to be in a role that can support our rainbow young people through working with the schools as that’s where our wonderful young folk are! He also work for RainbowYOUTH as the Taranaki Regional Coordinator. In his free time you can find Wesley hanging out with his rats and dogs, making balloon animals or any other clown like activity.

Emma Prinsloo

Southland/Murihiku Schools Coordinator

emma@insideout.org.nz

Emma (she/her) is from South Africa originally, however, has lived in New Zealand since she was 6 years old and is a true Kiwi. She grew up in Southland, spending her junior, intermediate and high school years in Invercargill. Emma is passionate about sports and has represented Southland in softball, cricket and football, of which she still plays at club level.

Emma has experience as a youth group facilitator and is excited to be in a role that can support our rainbow young people through working with the schools as that’s where they most need a voice.

In her free time, Emma enjoys spending time with her dogs, socialising with her friends and family.

photo of Alex- arms outstretched, in front of a mountain

Alex Ker

Resource Development Lead

alex@insideout.org.nz

Alex has been volunteering with InsideOUT since 2014, when he got involved with the Day of Silence campaign in his final year of high school and sat on our board until recently. Alex has been leading our resource development over 2020 in partnership with the Ministry of Education. He loves being part of the InsideOUT community and thoroughly enjoys working with dedicated, like-minded people. Alex studied Sociology and Gender and Sexuality Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, and is committed to creating better access to trans-affirmative healthcare. Alex enjoys reading, trail running, and is currently on leave walking the Te Araroa trail – the length of Aotearoa!

Alesha Ahdar

Kaimahi Hinonga Takatāpui/Takatāpui Project Coordinator

alesha@insideout.org.nz

Alesha (she/they) has whakapapa that connects them to Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Whakaue, Tapuika and Samoa. They’re a creative freelancer, and they work in the realms of Film, Television and Theatre. Alesha is committed to a life of playing their part in changing the world, by putting mana enhancing storytelling into the world. Alesha is working with InsideOUT to implement a takatāpui awareness campaign.