Bob Brown

Bob Brown & Paul Thomas

Robert James “Bob” Brown is an Australian former politician, medical doctor, and environmentalist who is a former Senator, and former Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens. Brown was elected to the Australian Senate on the Tasmanian Greens ticket, joining with sitting Greens Western Australia senator Dee Margetts to form the first group of Australian Greens senators following the 1996 federal election. He was re-elected in 2001 and in 2007. He was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia, and the first openly gay leader of an Australian political party.

Bob resigned as leader of the Greens in 2012 and now dedicates his time to environment and human rights activism, with his long-time partner, Paul Thomas, a farmer and activist whom he met in 1996.

Bob and Paul set up the Bob Brown Foundation to promote environmental awareness.