About The Same Same 25 The Same Same 25 is an annual celebration of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians. They are publicly nominated, and chosen by a panel of community leaders. For the past two years, the announcement of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians has attracted widespread national media attention and focused on the achievements and influence of a varied and inspirational group of people. View the Same Same 25 for 2008 here. View the Same Same 25 for 2007 here. About Same Same
The Judges - The Same Same 25 judges are drawn from a wide cross-section of the community, representing a broad field of influence and experience in their chosen professions. Andrew Creagh (Editor, DNA Magazine), Cec Busby (Editor, LOTL Magazine), Rachel Cook (Editor, Cherrie Magazine), Christian Taylor (Editor, SameSame.com.au), David Wilkins (ACON), Kevin Golding (Business Analyst), Peter Walton (Publisher, Evolution), Libby Clark (Co-founder, Sound Alliance), Tim Duggan (Co-founder, SameSame.com.au)
The Process - The Same Same 25 is publicly nominated, and chosen by a panel of community leaders. Anyone in Australia can nominate someone for the Same Same 25.

Tobin Saunders

Drag performer

Best known for her over the top makeup and costumes, Vanessa Wagner would have to be one of Australia’s biggest queer personalities. The man behind Vanessa, Tobin Saunders, is quite chuffed at his inclusion on the list.

“I'm quite grateful about the nomination. I sometimes feel I just go along doing stuff... it's kind of a thrill to be noticed!”

When asked whether Tobin considers himself influential, he says that he’s not so sure. “It depends on what community you’re talking about. I’d say for the HIV positive community in Australia I might be considered influential. I still continue to travel the countryside as an advocate and educator, but in the grander scale of things the mainstream media continues to ignore me.”

But it hasn’t always been that way. In the late nineties and earlier this decade Vanessa Wagner had a strong mainstream profile. In 2002 she was in the Celebrity Big Brother house, she featured in a high profile campaign for OzeMail, had a spot on Channel 10 covering Mardi Gras Parade for five years and was MCing just about every gay and lesbian festival in Australia. More recently she appeared on the beach in a very cheeky Snickers TV commercial.

These days Vanessa puts on her own dance parties, is a DJ and takes part in community events. Next year Vanessa will bring the iconic Drag Races back to Bondi Beach as part of the 2010 Mardi Gras Festival. She describes herself as “a professional show off with activist and charity slut tendencies”.

“I'm dissatisfied with our new Prime Minister Rudd and I'm saddened that he panders to the Christian right,” says a statement on Vanessa’s website. “His apology to indigenous Australians was a lovely gesture but where is his respect for LGBTI when it comes to same-sex marriage?”

Sighting Bob Brown, Gandhi and his mother as life influences, Tobin has been living in the Northern Rivers of NSW for the last eight years, escaping the "yuckiness of Sydney's guts" and taking part in regional education and HIV work with various state and territory agencies, as well as anti-homophobia campaigns with ACON.

“There are certain regions that are fine [for gay people], but I still believe that anywhere outside the capital cities, especially on weekends, is fucking dangerous,” says Tobin. “I have witnessed some really ugly stuff up here and heard some really bad stories. Until we can get some frank adult sexual education, including sexual diversity, and until our federal government recognizes same sex marriages, there will always be constant homophobic undercurrents.”