Carl Austin-Behan

he/him Contact Patron

Carl is a former Board Member and President of Contact. He was a Labour Councillor for Burnage from 2011-2018 and became Manchester’s first openly gay Lord Mayor and one of its youngest at age 44 in 2016. He served as LGBT adviser to the Mayor of Greater Manchester from 2018 – 2022 and became Greater Manchester LGBTQ+ Community Ambassador for the LGBT Foundation in 2022. Other roles include Trustee of Fighting with Pride, Ambassador for The Proud Trust and George House Trust, Co-Chair of Pro-Manchester Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Network, and Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester. He was awarded an OBE in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List for services to charity, LGBTQ+ equality and the community in Greater Manchester.

“There is so much young talent in the North West and I’m proud to support Contact as a place that celebrates and represents the identities and diversity across the whole cultural spectrum, creating opportunities for everyone.”

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