Aunty Kooncha

Meet Aunty Kooncha Brown

Pronouns: She/her

Aunty Kooncha Brown is a proud Yuin Sistergirl from Wallaga Lake on the far South Coast of NSW, who has worked as a public servant, community sexual health worker, and social worker for more than 25 years. She is currently a Fashion design student (what can’t she do!) and has proudly been involved with our LGBTQIA+SB communities for over 30 years.

Do you remember your first Mardi Gras experience?

“I was on the side of the road in‘78and the Police came. I was actually going to go and enjoy it but when the Police came, I thought no it’s best for me to just take off. After that working with the AIDSCouncil of NSW (ACON), we put a float in every year.”

What is your favourite Mardi Gras memory?

“I’d have to say my favourite would be the year that they had the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander float, which was us at ACON, and we led the parade before the Dykes on Bikes. I can’t remember which year that was but it poured! And that memory is special because my two girls were there,and they were only young. They used to come to Mardi Gras all the time with me and my family, I’d always include them, because that’s what blackfullas do you know, we’re not an isolated community.”

What event are you looking forward to in 2025?

“I always love Fair Day, because I always see people and all of our mob. And it’s also good to take some of my kids who are growing up and they find out that they’re part of the Indigenous rainbow community, so I take them along and try to get them involved. It’s about not feeling isolated.”

What does Free to be mean to you?

“I think it means more inclusion for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I’d like to see more blak faces, Sistergirls and Brotherboys, because they’ve always been left out. So it would be good if we could see more inclusion. And also,other Sistergirls and Brotherboys from other nations as well. I think it’s important to have our voices heard. It’s taken a long, long time for us to be recognised,not only in our own community but in the wider communities as well.”

Finish this sentence; Free to be:

“Me, myself and I.”