The Board
Passionate with Trans and Gender Diverse rights in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Areas
Meet the dedicated volunteers behind the scenes at ISGA, diverse backgrounds and skillsets make ISGA the success it is today. Our mission is to improve the lives of all Trans and Gender Diverse folk locally.
President & TAFFI convenor
Claire Murphy (she/her)
Claire is working towards better health and services for Trans and Gender Diverse people within the
Illawarra Shoalhaven area also over 30 years of
Senior Management experience She has a proven track record of juggling competing priorities and helping to make change. She brings with her analytical skills in grant writing, ministerial responses, business strategies, tender process, and policy development. Her passion is Community and bringing other trans and gender diverse folk together. Involved in many social community groups to help promote safe spaces for Trans
people. Currently an Advisory Council ,member with Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Area Health as well as sitting on the Steering Panel and Consumer Group working toward implementing the NSW Health LGBTQIA+ Strategy into local services
Vice President
Jessica Trudgett (she/her)
Jessica is a proud transwoman who commenced her transition journey in 2007. In the early stages of her journey Jessica lived in Gender Centre accommodation. During her journey Jessica has experienced both the challenges and the happiness that are part of the trans experience. Jessica has worked in the public education sector carrying out maintenance and support services since 1995. In the early stage of her journey Jessica lived in Sydney, then she resided in the Central West of NSW for 12 years before relocating to the Shoalhaven in 2022. Jessica enjoys being involved in a local sporting club. Jessica believes that her extensive lived experience in social, workplace and medical aspects of transition will be very relevant in her role as a ISGA board member.
Treasurer
Kate Toyer (she/her)
Meet Kate Toyer (She/Her) and Tara Cashman (She/Her)Kate and Tara met while studying to become veterinarians at University of Sydney and married soon after graduating. Following Kate's gender transition in 2014 they formed Australian Rainbow Veterinarians and Allies (ARVA) to provide support, advocacy, education and events for LGBTIQA+ people in the veterinary industry all across Australia.Along with their role in ARVA, Kate is a proud trans woman and will present the Dog Show at TAFFI.Anyone who is interested in animals or the veterinary industry is welcome to come and say hi at the ARVA Stall on the day.
Secretary
Vanessa Matysek (she/her)
Vanessa Matysek (she/her) has only recently been part of ISGA and lives in Coniston with their wife and have three grown up children. They have a permaculture inspired plot of land and produce heaps of produce including honey and mushrooms. I love the sea to sail on and dive beneath and have been a competitive freediver. She thinks we live in a great time for diversity and appreciate that I can be transgender AND a beekeeper, and feel the ISGA advocates for this freedom.
Board Member
Dr Alison Rutherford (she/her)
Dr Alison Rutherford is a sexual health physician at Illawarra Sexual Health Service and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wollongong. Alison is a co-founder of Illawarra Shoalhaven Gender Alliance and has extensive experience in clinical sexual and reproductive health, education and policy development. Alison runs the T Clinic, a public clinic for transgender and gender diverse adults, and is a passionate advocate for improving health care for the TGD community. Alison is a cisgender queer woman who enjoys gardening and sailing in her spare time.
Board Member
Sorcha Conlan (she/her)
Sorcha Conlan is a Queer, cis, white settler woman of Irish heritage, and lives and works on un-ceded Yuin country. She’s a Senior Psychotherapist, Supervisor and Consultant in private practice, in the Shoalhaven (Yuin) area, and has 25 years experience as a clinician. Sorcha is passionate about intersectional social justice, equity and dignity for all, including all LGBTQIA+SB people including access to safe, affirming and inclusive health and social services as a human right. She especially enjoys being alongside and supporting Trans and Gender diverse young people in her practice and community work - centering their lived expertise; and the doing of justice through supporting access to gender affirming care, activism, information sharing, advocacy, collaboration and celebration.
Board Member
Krystle Morgan (she/her)
Krystle works in management at a local vocational college. As a parent of both transgender and non-binary teenagers Krystle has learned first hand of the struggles local parents can face trying to access gender affirming medical care and education for their trans and gender diverse children at such an important time in their life. The hurdles Krystle’s family have faced along the way have made her passionate about improving the services and support available for our trans and gender diverse community.
Board Member
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Connor Reed (he/him)
Connor Reed is a queer trans man with a background in psychology and counselling. Starting his transition as a young teen, he is now an advocate for better and increased support services for the queer community as a whole. In his down time you can find him cuddling with his cat and dog, baking, or cleaning taxidermy pieces.
Board Member
Kt Harvey (they/them)
Kt Harvey is a new arrival to the ISGA Board. They are very happy to be part of such a committed, proactive and important organisation. Kt who identifies as non-binary, has volunteered in a variety of settings and worked across the LGTBQI+ community for the last 35 years. They are passionate about Trans and LGTBQI+ rights. With their wife Tonina, who is a life member of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian choir (SGLC), Kt has been an active non singing member of the SGLC, being the long-term Event and Concert Manager. In 2018 Kt assisted Tonina in the establishment of the very active Illawarra Pride Choir. Kt is initially trained as a Psychiatric/Mental health nurse and gained extensive experience in a range of clinical positions in the fields of Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment, Mental Health, and Child Protection.
They are a Trained Mediator and Master Trainer in Motivational Interviewing
Kt currently works with young people with Mental health and Drug and Alcohol issues in an inpatient withdrawal Unit. They are committed to the needs of young people to ensure they are seen as they want to be seen and clearly heard, listened to and supported to achieve their dreams and goals Kt is in a wonderfully happy long-term relationship of 42 years, with their wife Tonina.