Motivational

Shaneel Lal

Shaneel Lal is a queer rights activist known for spearheading the movement to ban conversion therapy in New Zealand. Lal won Young New Zealander of the Year in 2023 and made history by becoming the first transgender person to win an award at the New Zealander of the Year Awards since its inception in 2010.

Lal advised the Minister of Education for three years as a member of the Minister's advisory group, sat on Amnesty International's Youth Task Force, served as a Global Youth Leader for Open Government Partnership and is a Young Justice Leader for New York University Center on International Cooperation.