Miriam Edna Saphira née Gibson CNZM is a New Zealand lesbian activist, poet, artist and psychologist.

Saphira trained as a psychologist and researched and wrote about topics including incest, the sexual abuse of children, prostitution, rape, lesbian and gay rights, and violence against women.

[1] The need for the museum became apparent to Saphira when she tried to donate objects to the Lesbian and Gay Archives of New Zealand which they could not accept.

[5][6] The museum held a pop-up exhibition dedicated to Saphira in April 2024 when she retired for health reasons from her positions as Secretary of the Board and Trustee.

[8][1] In the 2022 Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours, Saphira was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the LGBTQIA+ community.