Hi! My name is Ian Smith and I’m running for the position of queer officer. I’m currently undertaking my Master’s Degree with the Asia Pacific College of Diplomacy. I’m a proud advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and I would feel honoured and privileged to serve as PARSA’s first ever queer officer. I will be running on a platform of fostering a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ postgraduate students and their established support networks of non-LGBTQ+ friends. In particular, I will focus my attention on organising more supportive networking opportunities for LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ friends, as well as bridging the gap between students that are more open with their sexuality and others that might want to keep their sexual and gender preferences private. I want to explore alternate and less public platforms for advertising events, other than just Facebook, in order to respect the privacy of all LGBTQ+ postgraduate students. I would like to also see specific events that bring attention to mental health and well-being issues. I will coordinate with mental health and well-being organisations to host these events in order to address issues specifically impacting all postgraduate students. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to meet and serve the diverse community that exists within PARSA.