It wasn’t the fact that Palaaw man Jonathan Berry was announced as the first gay Indigenous winner that surprised us.  We just never knew that the Mr Universe competition still existed!!  After all, it started way back in 1948: sometime in the 1950’s bodybuilder/actor Steve Reeves won,  and in the 1960’s the future Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and more headlines back then when the Guadeloupean-French bodybuilder Arthur Robin became the first black man to win.  But that was back then, and who knew not only was it still in existence but about to create another buzz with Mr Berry being center stage.

Regardless, he is an extremely handsome man, although he looks nothing like the bodybuilders of the past.  We checked the rules, and they are still the same, although to outsiders like ourselves they seem ……how can we put this nicely…….open to interpretation.  And I quote ‘the athletes are judged on their symmetry, proportions and the size and clarity of each muscle group.” 

BUT we have learned that Jonathan is so much more than a perfect set of muscles, as he is a successful model, advocate, actor, comedian, and public speaker and a proud gay Indigenous man.  He made a point in acknowledging the collective effort that has been crucial to his success.   We so warmed to him when we read his words “A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way and who made this possible”. Plus he has long been a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and Indigenous rights; his achievement resonates far beyond the personal

Berry’s advocacy work is rooted in his role as the Palawa representative on the Advisory Committee for Sydney World Pride 2023, a position that has allowed him to make significant contributions to both the LGBTQ+ and First Nations communities. He recently participated in his first Pride parade, marking a milestone in his ongoing commitment to these causes.