About Us
Our Story
Connecting LGBT+ Rotarians and friends since 2018
The LGBT Rotarians and Friends Fellowship came about after the Rotary International Conference in Atlanta, GA in 2017. During a panel discussion on LGBT+ inclusion in Rotary a question was asked regarding LGBT+ Rotarians and if a Fellowship or Rotary Action Group existed already with that theme. The answer was no. It was decided in that breakout session that a group should be created.
The LGBT Rotarians and Friends Rotary Fellowship was officially recognised as a Rotary Fellowship on June 22, 2018. It is a group dedicated to promoting global friendship, service, and education with the goal of creating an inclusive, understanding and welcoming community, fostering goodwill and peace, and realising a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for LGBT+ people.
join us
Make friends around the world and enhance your Rotary experience.
This fellowship’s membership is open to Rotarians, Rotarian Spouses, Family Members of Rotarians, Rotaractors, and any former Rotary Program Participants or Alumni of any background. The Fellowship is primarily a place in which members that meet these qualifications can meet others of a like mind to engage in Fellowship and hopefully to come together to do some good in the world.
Board of Directors
Meet our board
Grant Godino (he/him)
President (Australia)
Grant has been part of the Rotary family since 2008 having attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA). Since chartering Gateway Rotaract (Melbourne, Australia) in 2009, Grant has held the positions of District Rotaract Representative, Rotaract Australia chair, RYLA director, Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment director, and is currently a member of Traralgon Rotary.
In his personal life, Grant lives with his partner Lee in the Gippsland region of Victoria, just outside of Melbourne. Grant identifies as a cis-gender gay male. A teacher “by trade”, Grant is currently working for the Victorian state Education Department, supporting schools to manage complex issues including compliance with the Child Safe Standards. Grant is passionate about diversity and inclusion and chairs the whole of Victorian Government LGBTIQ+ Pride Network. He is excited that through this fellowship we will get to start supporting Rotary to be inclusive and understanding of people in the LGBT+ community.
- Secretary: Deb Knowles (USA)
- Treasurer: Ron Schoenmehl (USA)
- Director: Monica Mulholland (New Zealand)
- Director: Jacinthe Paille (Canada)
- Director: Pir Syed Ebrahim Shah (Pakistan)
- Immediate Past President: Michelle Wilson (USA)