On Wednesday 15 June, the College welcomed back Trent Zimmerman MP (ON 1986) for a Q&A during full school assembly. During the talk, the North Sydney parliamentarian reflected on his political outlooks and experiences and shared with the boys some words of advice on embracing who you are and living a life true to yourself.

Mr Zimmerman spoke on the theme of the Year 12 leadership team’s motto ‘Value You, Support Him, Stand with Her’ when he discussed the challenges he faced coming out as gay. ‘Fundamentally, it’s really important that you do embrace who you are,’ Mr Zimmerman said, ‘because if you don’t you’re leading a life half led. If you deny yourself then you’re denying your happiness, you’re denying your capacity to reach your aspirations, you’re denying yourself in some occasions the capacity to find love and be loved.’

Tying these ideas of individual self-worth and living to one’s full potential to his own political outlooks as a Liberal Party member, Mr Zimmerman said that for him, ‘liberalism is all about the individual. Freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, freedom to live your life as you see fit – they’re all fundamental values to liberalism for me.’ These values were shaped in no small part by his time at Newington College, he claimed. ‘I think if you look at the ethos of Newington, but also the Uniting Church,’ he said, ‘it’s one that is remarkably tolerant.’

One of only five openly LGBTIQ members of the Australian Parliament, Mr Zimmerman was also well placed to discuss his thoughts on the recent hate crime massacre against the LGBTIQ community in Orlando, Florida. ‘Whilst they are attacks on a particular part of our society, what they represent and what they’re desired to do is be an attack on all of us who hold the importance of a liberal, free society where we can choose to live our lives the way that we want to. The loss of one person is a loss for mankind itself,’ he added. ‘That’s the message out of all of these attacks.’

Thanks to Mr Zimmerman for taking the time to speak to the boys on these important issues and in helping them to shape a greater understanding of the Year 12 motto, ‘Value You, Support Him, Stand with Her.’