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David Francis
Born19 June 1987
NationalityAustralian
WebsiteWebsite,Instagram,Twitter,YouTube channel,Facebook page

David Francis (born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on June 19, 1987) is a professional Property Developer, a StartOut Australia (@StartOutAU) Ambassador,[1] an Australian LGBTI Awards (@lgbti_au) Representative,[2] and the 2017 Mr. Gay Pride Australia (@mrgayprideaus) Title Holder.[3] In his limited spare time, he self-manages a broad social media sphere, with an Instagram account with over 50,000 followers, a Twitter account with 10,000 followers, a YouTube channel where he self-produces videos to help the LGBTI and the wider community realize that they are who they are, and not to be ashamed of it, as well as a Facebook page. He is also a participant and model for the SKIN Calendar project.

As Mr. Gay Pride Australia 2017, Francis competed for the title of Mr. Gay World[4] in Madrid and Maspalomas, Spain in May 2017 and finished in the Top 10 out of 21 finalists.

Early Life and Career[edit]

Family and Personal Life[edit]

Francis spent his early life in and around the North West Region of Sydney with his parents Caroline and Ian and his two brothers. Francis was very active as a child, playing tennis to a high junior level within his region of Sydney and later became a tennis coach.[5] While growing up, like most diverse sexuality and gender (DSG)[6] youth, Francis knew that he was "different" in knowing that he was not straight. In an open letter about his announcement in becoming the representative for Australia in the Mr. Gay World 2017 competition, he told of how he was bullied about his sexuality when he was a youth:

I was bullied about my sexuality when it wasn’t even something I understood or had come to terms with at the time. I was called names, pushed and shoved down hills, had Nutella sandwiches smeared in my hair and the teachers didn’t really do anything about it.

Francis said that despite having friends, felt alone as he felt there was something wrong with him, because society was telling him that he was not the way he was supposed to be. Like many DSG youth and adults, his self-confidence took a mental beating, and thought he would not amount to anything and had nothing of value because he was different. He weathered through the adversity.[7]

Education and Work History[edit]

Once Francis left his general education schooling, he traveled to The Northern Sydney Institute of TAFE, receiving a Diploma of Property (Real Estate) with top honors for the course for that year. He continued onto the University of Technology, Sydney, also working at Louis Carr Real Estate until May 2009. In July 2009, he began work at The Just Group.[8] In 2011, he moved to San Diego State University-California State University, San Diego USA, for a study year abroad. He received his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (Latino Studies), with commendations on the Dean's Honor Roll. Returning back to University of Technology, Sydney, he completed a Bachelor of Property Economics & Bachelor of Arts in International Studies in 2013. He then undertook and completed a Master of Property Development, Property Development & Planning in 2015.

While working towards his Masters degree, Francis worked at Knight Frank Australia[9] where he was part of their 9-month rotational undergraduate program, working with the National and State Directors in their departments for Research, Office Leasing and Asset Management. After the rotational undergraduate program, he was hired at Lendlease[10] in April 2014 where he worked as a Development Graduate within their 2-year program, then continuing on to become an Assistant Development Manager for Apartments. In this position, he is now working across all three residential apartment releases of Darling Square Sydney's new city neighbourhood, as part of the wider billion-dollar redevelopment of Sydney International Conference Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct (SICEEP) in Darling Harbour.[11]

Ambassador for StartOut Australia[edit]

StartOut Australia is a charity organisation dedicated to promoting the prevention and control of mental health issues in young people who are disadvantaged and vulnerable as a result of identifying as being of DSG. From their mission statement:

Growing up DSG isn’t easy and while there is a lot of support around depression and anxiety in our community, much of it comes too late. StartOut Australia will focus on early interventions that build the confidence and resilience of DSG people with the aim of reducing the entirely preventable burden of poor mental health.[6]

The charity is focusing on three areas: social inclusion, freedom from discrimination and economic participation. Their multi-prong approach includes working with employers, schools and universities to promote and advise on steps that can be taken to achieve those aims, to technology solutions such as a platform to create mentoring opportunities by community and business leaders for young DSG people and building an online community to provide access to stories promoting positive mental health strategies.[12] Francis was approached by one of the founders of StartOut Australia to become an ambassador for their work. Francis stated in an interview that there was no question in his mind that he wanted to play an important part, saying:

StartOut is something I wish I had growing up when I was struggling to accept who I was and anything I can do to help make that journey easier for someone else, is the reason why I got involved in the first place.[1]

#ProudToBe Campaign with the Australian LGBTI Awards[edit]

Launched in late 2016,[13] the Australian LGBTI Awards aim to celebrate members of, and allies of, the LGBTI community, having their achievements acknowledged in a very public way. They also aim to help effect change on LGBTI Equality Laws in Australia, to align them with many other developed nations that are ahead. Nominated by the public, the Awards celebrate both corporate and celebrity role models across 14 categories, with the 2017 recipients presented at a ceremony at the Sydney Opera House.[14]

Francis teamed up with the Australian LGBTI Awards to present and launch the #ProudToBe social-media campaign in April 2017,[2] encouraging people to share their personal/life stories (unified under the hashtag) on their pride in the person that they are, as part of or as a supporter of the LGBTI community.

For the launch of the campaign, Francis shared:

I am #ProudToBe a part of the LGBTI community because it was the first place I truly felt accepted and that I could wholly be myself. Growing up wasn’t exactly easy to feel like I had a place to fit in but the more I talked with people about it, the more I began accepting myself and realizing that I wasn’t so different, there are other people out there just like me who have gone through similar situations. The hope is that by sharing our stories we can reach those who struggle most in our community to make them feel like they’re not alone and that others have been through similar situations. You never know the positive impact your story could have on someone else’s life.[2]

Mr. Gay Pride Australia 2017[edit]

Mr. Gay World competition and Mr. Gay Pride Australia[edit]

Mr. Gay World is an annual international competition for gay men, who wish to become ambassadors for the LGBTI community and human rights. The primary purpose of the event is to identify leaders of each participating country that wish to take a stand and speak out for equality and human rights.[15] Mr. Gay Pride Australia was created in response to and as part of the Mr. Gay World competition. The focus of Mr. Gay Pride Australia is "to create a platform from which to inspire, encourage, and empower other young people who might be struggling to control their lives and believe in themselves to achieve anything they set their mind to".[16]

Mr. Gay Pride Australia 2017[edit]

Francis, with the help of Eikon as a sponsor,[3] contacted the Mr. Gay World organisers to become becoming a representative. He was successful, and was announced as Mr. Gay Pride Australia Representative and Title Holder by the Mr. Gay World headquarters on January 24, 2017.[4] He competed in the Mr. Gay World Competition in May 2017 in Spain where he ranked in the top 10 of 21 finalists.[16] Regardless of outcome, Francis believes that with his charity work and the reach he has on all of his social media, he can be a strong voice for the Australian gay community and across the world.

Mr. Gay Pride Australia Photo Shoot for Marriage Equality[edit]

Francis was approached by Gay Sydney Australia and Photography by Katsu Norjiri for a photo-shoot for Marriage Equality, showing all aspects of a same-sex wedding ceremony in an Australian context.[17] He commented that:

I can’t actually believe that Marriage Equality is still something we have to fight for in this country, especially when there is so much nationwide support behind the cause. We need to reinforce these messages to those who struggle most in the community, those coming to terms and dealing with their sexual or gender identity to let them know that they are all worthy of acceptance and love, no matter who they are or who they love.[17]

For the photo-shoot, an online search for Francis' "Husband for a Day" was made. Matt Cameron, a medical operations field worker, active volunteer in the medical community, and also strong supporter for Marriage Equality in Australia, was selected after being nominated by a friend.[18]

The photo shoot took place in Sydney in early April 2017.

Social Media Outreach[edit]

Instagram[edit]

Francis debuted publicly into the social media world via his Instagram page, when a friend suggested an "Insta Project". The challenge of that project was to get a 10,000 following on the site within six months, built on the basis of "being loved and to be loved", a widely sort after human trait. In just over four months Francis achieved that goal, and after eight months he had almost 34,000 followers.[19]

YouTube[edit]

Francis created a YouTube channel as a response to his growing Instagram following wanting to know more about him, despite describing himself as "a shy introvert that likes to keep to himself" and it was something "that he thought he would never do". In an interview, Francis described his channel as:

Besides making a fool of myself on a weekly basis, people can expect to get to know a little bit more about me, my interests and what makes me tick. I am pretty open and honest in my videos, sharing stories about things I am currently going through in all aspects of my life when it comes to relationships, boys, social media, friends etc. but also things I experienced growing up such as coming to terms with my sexuality, my struggles with self-confidence, bullying and anything else really. I hope that I can reach and relate to anyone who may be going through similar situations and perhaps even leave a positive impact on them, whether that be through advice or just simply a smile on their face. It’s all meant to be a bit of fun really.[20]

The SKIN Calendar Project[edit]

The SKIN Calendar project was started by James Deg in 2016, shortly after his partner's mother passed away from battling skin cancer. Their aim is two-fold: raise valuable funds towards cancer research in Australia, as well as create social acceptance for untanned skin and raising awareness for safe sun practice. Deg explains that:

No one should have to go through what she did, and yet so many people spend tanning without realizing the risks they are exposing themselves to. Australians enjoy sunbathing, but their pursuit of the perfect tan comes at a high cost. In Australia, skin cancers make up approximately 80% of newly diagnosed cancers each year. This makes the rate of skin cancer occurrence in Australia one of the highest in the world, yet it is one of the most preventable types of cancer. Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer for Australians aged 15-44, meaning that that young Australians are not taking their safety in the sun seriously enough. The calendar aims to change those statistics and to strip away the stigma of an untanned complexion.[21]

Francis agreed to become a model for the SKIN Calendar project after Deg reached out to him. In an interview, Francis said:

I thought the message was so important, especially for the gay community which focuses so highly on how a person looks but it shouldn’t come at the detriment of your own health. You can be healthy and look sexy without a tan and I have had friends lives affected by this wholly preventable disease. Remember to be sun smart everyone! It’s funny actually because it was only two week earlier in my first gten interview you asked whether I would ever do a naked photo shoot and I responded saying that i would consider it if it were for a good worthwhile cause. I guess it must have been perfect timing! I had a lot of fun shooting the calendar with James, more fun than I thought. I was a little nervous to get naked in public and in front of one of my friends on the beach but he’s such a professional and made me feel really comfortable. The only difficult part was that we shot in mid-winter so it was a little bit chilly by the water, but we had lollies, snacks and a warm water bottle, which kept us going.[1]

Miscellaneous[edit]

Francis had a small, unnamed role as "Gay Club Patron #6" in the 2015 movie Drown.[22]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "New Interview with David Francis | gtenmedia". gtenmedia. Retrieved 2017-04-28. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Richens, Tony (2017-04-19). "Mr. Gay Pride Australia David Francis Launches #ProudToBe Campaign | Eikon". Eikon. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  3. ^ a b "Mr Gay Pride Australia - David Francis | Eikon". Eikon. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  4. ^ a b "Australia's new Mr. Gay World representative wants to be a voice for the whole community - Mr Gay World". Mr Gay World. 2017-01-24. Retrieved 2017-04-28. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  5. ^ "David Francis (@DavidFrancis19) | Twitter". twitter.com. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  6. ^ a b "StartOut Australia". StartOut Australia. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  7. ^ Francis, David (2017-03-13). "An Open Letter From Mr Gay Pride Australia David Francis | Eikon". Eikon. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  8. ^ "Homepage | The Just Group". www.justgroup.com.au. Retrieved 2017-04-30. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  9. ^ "Commercial & Residential Properties in Australia | Real Estate Agents | Knight Frank". www.knightfrank.com.au. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  10. ^ "Homepage Australia | Lendlease". www.lendlease.com. Retrieved 2017-04-30. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  11. ^ Francis, David (2017-04-28). "David Francis". Linkedin. Retrieved 2017-04-28. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  12. ^ "StartOut Australia - About Us". StartOut Australia. Retrieved 2017-04-30. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  13. ^ "Australian LGBTI Awards Media Launch|". Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  14. ^ "Australian LGBTI Awards Winners 2017|". Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  15. ^ "Mr Gay World". Wikipedia. 2017-04-26.
  16. ^ a b "Meet Australia's New Mr. Gay World Representative | David Francis". David Francis. 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  17. ^ a b Richens, Tony (2017-03-21). "Mr Gay Pride Australia's Search For A Husband Begins | Eikon". Eikon. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  18. ^ Richens, Tony (2017-03-31). "Husband for a Day Search is Over for Mr Gay Pride Australia | Eikon". Eikon. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  19. ^ Richens, Tony (2016-06-11). "From Fun to 30,000 Instagram Followers in 12 Months | Eikon". Eikon. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
  20. ^ "Interview - David Francis | gtenmedia". gtenmedia. Retrieved 2017-04-30. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  21. ^ "Skin Calendar Interview James Deg | gtenmedia". gtenmedia. Retrieved 2017-04-30. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  22. ^ "David Francis". IMDb. Retrieved 2017-04-30.

External links[edit]


Category:Australian businesspeople Category:Living people Category:1987 births

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