Voices of Us Ep. 4: Michael & Coby; When and How to support queer international students?

In this fourth episode of the Voices of Us series, we will be speaking with Coby Liew, an experienced mental health practitioner and previous international student and Michael Tian, a current international student, peer mentoring officer and LGBTQIA+ advocate. Both Coby and Michael have been involved in a number of initiatives in supporting queer international students.

In this episode, you will hear some of the advocacy work of Coby and Michael both in and outside of their day job. The speakers also provides their advice on how others (queer and alies) can also contribute in raising awareness and supporting multicultural LGBTQIA+ communities. They also mentioned the dilemmas and challenges engaging with the ones who are still in the closet.

If you are experiencing challenges, reach out to professionals as early as you can so you can access resources and receive guidance to support you.

Proudly supported by City of Melbourne Libraries, Voices of Us is a series of podcasts that focuses on the voices of queer international students. It creates a safe space for international students to share stories, raise awareness about sexuality and explore culturally specific issues, and provides them the resources and support. Hear about the challenges of international students navigating their queer journey, identity and self-exploration and how different cultures shape the way they engage with family, friends and partners.

Coby Liew (He/Him) is an advocate for good mental health and he regularly presents at conferences and facilitates training workshops across different states in Australia and internationally. He is openly gay, born and bred in Borneo, and he is an accredited mental health professional in Australia.

Follow Coby:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cobyliew/

Michael Tian (He/Him) is an international student and LGBTIQ+ advocate, currently working as a Peer Mentoring Officer at RMIT University. He quite enjoys interacting with diverse people and listening to people's stories. In his spare time, he is a travel addict, making friends with local residents and other travellers is the way to expand his life experiences.

Follow Michael:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelbaker0502/