There was no-one else quite like Dan Searle at his high school.
Searle lost the majority of his sight due to a genetic condition at 16, when he was faced with a new reality.
On top of that, he was grappling with his sexuality. As school captain, he felt the pressure of being a student representative while also struggling with his mental health in a small country town.
While Searle was struggling with his mental health and uncertainty about his sexuality, he described his vision loss as both a "blessing and a curse".
"I was having a lot of struggles with my mental health; it was so much easier for me to relate that experience back to my vision loss," he told SBS News.
"But in reality, that wasn't the thing that was causing me a lot of distress. It was more about my sexuality and feeling like I didn't fit in, but I just didn't feel comfortable or safe to be able to talk about."
So when it came to the moment of returning to his high school almost 20 years later as an adult, he was stressed.
Dan Searle is helping raise awareness for those living with low vision and blindness while finding their sexuality. Credit: Supplied/Guide Dogs NSW/ACT
He said while it was "scary" to reveal a part of his identity so publicly, he felt it was important.
"My disability is quite visible — I can't hide that, but my sexuality still feels like some part of myself that I've got to protect and I've got to be careful about who I am honest with," Searle said.
"I just kept sort of telling myself that it would have meant so much to me if I had someone come into the school and share their story and say that to make me feel less alone.
"If that helps one student, then that makes me happy and proud."
Why representation matters
This intersectionality, as a member of both and disability communities, has shaped Searle's unique life experiences, who identifies as queer.
"You might be able to find people on the same sexual spectrum as yourself, but they don't understand what it's like to have a disability," he said.
"Or you might identify with people from the blindness and low-vision community, but they don't understand the challenges of dealing with your sexuality as well."
That's why representation is so important for him.
Younger Australians are much more likely than older Australians to identify as non-heterosexual. Source: SBS News
Searle said there's a lack of understanding around how blind people meet and date people.
"It's still very visual, and it's very much based on people's appearance. And now that things are online, I feel like it's often even worse," he said.
"There's so much pressure around using apps and meeting up with someone that you've just spoken to online, and that's really challenging as a person that can't see."
First Mardi Gras parade
On Saturday, Searle will attend his first Mardi Gras Parade in Sydney, marching with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, where he serves as a community mobiliser.
The theme of this year's Mardi Gras is 'Free to Be', which at the parade sends an important message.
Searle said his teenage self would never have imagined attending.
"That was not even on my radar, that would not even have been a consideration.
"But then I guess the idea of seeing someone like me represented in such a way might have made a difference to me, to know that there were other people out there like me."
LGBTIQ+ Australians seeking support with mental health can contact QLife on 1800 184 527 or visit . also has a list of support services.
Intersex Australians seeking support can visit Intersex Peer Support Australia at isupport.org.au.
