Anthony Venn-Brown

There is no substitute for lived experience. Born in 1951, Anthony Venn-Brown grew up in an era when gay men were imprisoned, institutionalised or received barbaric “treatments” from mental health professionals attempting to “cure” them. Anthony turned to God for help. In 1972, he was one of the first in the world to go through a Christian-based reorientation program, which later became known as conversion “therapy”. Eventually, Anthony married and became a famous Pentecostal preacher, speaking weekly to congregations in their 1000s in Australia’s growing megachurches. Behind the scenes, away from the spotlight and fame, he was consumed by a torment he could never escape—his battle to overcome his homosexuality. In 1972, a chance encounter shattered his carefully constructed world of denial, confronting him with a choice: continue living a lie, or face reality and lose everything he held dear. Amidst scandal and public humiliation, he resigned from the ministry and came out. Anthony often describes the following years as being lost. He’d lost not only family, friends, career, reputation, and income; he’d lost his meaning and purpose in life. Believing his best days were behind him, he’d planned to end it all at age 50. But one unexpected turning point, a personal development program, cracked open the darkness. From that moment, he began writing his story, hoping it might save others from the despair and wasted years he knew too well. He began writing his story in the hope that it might save others from the wasted years and suffering he’d known. When A Life of Unlearning was released in 2004, it became an Australian bestseller and sold out, as did the second edition. The third edition continues to impact both gay, straight, religious and non-religious people globally. Such has been the response from readers of his autobiography that Anthony founded two not-for-profit organisations, Freedom2b and Ambassadors & Bridge Builders International (ABBI) to support LGBTQ people from faith backgrounds and create change in religious contexts. His work has literally saved lives. Anthony has been recognised for his contribution on numerous occasions being twice voted one of Australia’s 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians and in 2020 was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to the LGBTQIA+ community. From the shadows of shame to the spotlight of recognition, Anthony’s journey is a reminder that authenticity is not just survival—it is power. His resilience turned wounds into wisdom, pain into purpose, and silence into a voice that brings healing, hope, and change for countless others. Today, his life itself stands as a source of inspiration, showing that even the hardest battles can forge the brightest legacies.