Happy Pride Month from Tanck!
By Tanck Team
At Tanck, we’re proud to celebrate this important time of year alongside our staff, clients, and community. Pride Month is not just a celebration; it is a reminder of the progress made and the work still ahead to achieve true equality and inclusion.
“Pride is a good chance to celebrate how far the community has come and to reflect on the past and the present. I think it's important not to take for granted all the progress that has been made.” (Tanck Analyst and Researcher Andrew Koubaridis)
Our team has long been committed to driving change in this space. From individual advocacy to collective action, our people have made incredible contributions that reflect Tanck’s values and commitment to positive change.
Among those leading the way are our Co-Founder and Directors, Angus Crowther and Neil Pharaoh, both proud members of the LGBTQIA+ community and long-standing advocates for equality. They have held senior positions within Rainbow Labor, and Neil was recognised in Deloitte’s 2018 Outstanding 50 LGBTQIA+ Leaders list.
We are also proud partners of Rainbow Giving Australia, a bold national LGBTQIA+ community foundation. Rainbow Giving supports community-led solutions by mobilising funding, building skills, and expanding knowledge.
This Pride Month, we had the pleasure of sitting down with CEO Em Scott to learn more about her values and the systemic change needed to support LGBTQIA+ communities in Australia.
What does Pride mean to you?
I spent a lot of my early twenties feeling shame about who I was. I felt small, different, and uncomfortable in my own body.
Pride, to me, means refusing to carry that shame any longer. It means having the courage to look inward, to learn to love yourself — and then using that strength to stand up for others in the LGBTQIA+ community while continuing to grow as an ally.
In a global context where people are still trying to deny our existence, Pride is a declaration that we refuse to be invisible. We are here — and we are not going anywhere.
If you could ask our government one thing in support of the LGBTQIA+ community, what would it be?
As CEO of Rainbow Giving Australia, I see every day how powerful our communities are, and how often they're asked to do more with less. Rainbow Giving exists to address the chronic underfunding of LGBTQIA+ charities and to ensure our communities, who are best placed to lead change, have the resources they need to thrive.
One of the biggest barriers to equitable funding in Australia is the Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) system - the legal framework that determines which charities can receive tax-deductible donations. Right now, many LGBTQIA+ organisations are unfairly excluded from accessing DGR status, simply because the system is outdated and no longer fit for purpose.
The Productivity Commission’s recent inquiry into philanthropy, along with Philanthropy Australia's election platform, both called for urgent reform to DGR. The government must act on these recommendations, as well as progress access to the newly established ‘Community Charity Trust’ category.
We need a modern, inclusive DGR system — one that reflects the diversity of our communities and helps achieve the government’s goal of doubling giving by 2030.
You have been part of some incredible initiatives and organisations, what has been the most exciting and most fulfilling so far?
Sport has always been a big part of my life. I grew up playing water polo and was fortunate to represent Australia at the U18 and U20 World Championships. But one of the most powerful experiences I’ve had was competing at the Federation of Gay Games in Paris (2018) and Guadalajara (2023).
Sport has the power to bring people together and to shift culture. That’s why I’m so passionate about Sweat with Pride — a campaign we’re running right now at Rainbow Giving Australia. It invites people to move their bodies for 21 minutes a day during Pride Month, while raising funds for LGBTQIA+ health and wellbeing initiatives across the country.
It’s fun, joyful, and inclusive — and a powerful reminder that movement and sport should be for everyone.
You can donate to her page here: https://www.sweatwithpride.com.au/fundraisers/emscott
Learn more about Rainbow Giving here: https://rainbowgiving.org.au/
From all of us at Tanck, Happy Pride Month — and a reminder to always stand proud and be unapologetically you.
Tanck offers advisory services in government engagement, advocacy, stakeholder strategy, and communications.
We share our political expertise and government experience so you can achieve your funding and policy goals.
