Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
u no less”
We love yo
“
People ask me, What do An art exhibition I was
you see yourself as? And how involved in gave me heaps
do you label yourself? I say, of support, from Eora and
“I’m just me. You wanna see Boomalli. With this exhibition
me as a lesbian, you wanna I noticed there was a whole
see me as a black lesbian different community and
however you wanna see me, family that was ready to
I’m just me.” embrace me.
It’s made me a lot stronger I feel good knowing that
and determined to keep it’s not just me that’s doing it,
doing what I want to do going through these feelings
in life. and emotions.
If I didn’t have particular There are other black
friends that I could talk to people and other women
about a lot of this stuff, then I that are my age that are
possibly wouldn’t be here.
And I don’t know where “I feel good knowing
I’d be if I didn’t have family that it’s not just
support. me that’s doing
It took me a long time to it, going through
these feetlings and
even build up the courage
emotions”
to tell my family. Once I told
them I was, I was shocked
because their attitude was, going through the same
we love you no less. f**king thing. n
8
’t h a ve to change
“You don n or der to fix
who y ou ar e i
obia”
their homoph
A lot of small things can undermine your confidence.
I live in a youth accommodation project, and I’ve had to sit
there and listen to people talk about gay and lesbian people
being dirty and disgusting. When I object and say: “This is
offensive to me,” the people in charge say “everyone’s entitled
to their own opinion”. It’s institutionalised homophobia.
I’ve lost a lot of friends after I came out to them. Especially
female friends. They had trouble getting the idea that
just because I was a lesbian didn’t mean I wanted to jump
their bones.
It really does make you feel like dirt. You just feel so small,
“my mum was so isolated and really down. I think it
the first person slowed me down in coming to terms
I came out to, with myself as a lesbian.
and she told I’ve faced the least homophobia from
my entire my family. My mum was the first person
family within I came out to, and she told my entire
like a week” family within like a week. She told
everyone. Aunties, uncles, cousins, the
whole deal. And now she tells people like she’s proud.
Having someone that was always on my side was
important. My best friend was always saying,“Okay, it’s
their problem. You don’t have to do anything about it. You
don’t have to change who you are in order to fix their
homophobia.” n
9
”
You’re related.
12
“Committed to creating
positive things”
I grew up in the ‘50s. but I don’t believe that our
Those days were not very Creator is down on people
good for people if you were because they’re gay.
gay or transgender. Back then And I don’t know of any
there was nothing, no services indigenous culture that has
whatsoever. As a result my ostracised someone like my
brother suicided. He was only brother. Native American
23. He’d been raped, he’d people say that people who
been menaced with a gun. are male and female are
It never leaves you. It scars special; they call them “two
you for the rest of your life. spirit people”.
It’s sad because society paints The gay community and
this horrible stigma of transgender and sistergirl
gay people. communities should be
When I was young and
we’d go out together, my “I don’t believe that
brother would be himself. our Creator is down
He’d want to put on a dress, on people because
and he’d want to be gay. they’re gay”
Then once he was exposed involved in educational
to society and the attitudes practices without it being an
towards him, it was very, issue. They should be seen as
very painful. people who are reliable and
I think the biggest, worst responsible, and dedicated
perpetrator of demonisations and committed to creating
of gay people is the Christian positive things in the
faith. I am a Christian myself, community. n
13
uld
“No-one sho d to be
be frightenee”
who they ar
I knew I was transgender just looking forward to when
from the age of seven. I also the operation’s over.
knew I really couldn’t tell my My ex-partner is worried
parents, so it wasn’t until the about me. The people she
age of 16 when I actually knows that transition in
spoke to a school counsellor, Sydney, they hang in circles
and she made me aware that thrive on depression.
of the Gender Centre and She’s worried it’s gonna be
medical treatment available. that way for me.
Up until then I really thought And I feel strange about
maybe there was something being female in my body
wrong with me. and being gay on top of that,
worrying that I will get a really
“let them know
negative response from the
this issue is real.
We exist” lesbian community as well.
It’s important to stand up,
I told my mum that I felt go out to a support group,
trapped in the wrong body. and start talking to people to
Dad wouldn’t really talk about let them know this issue is real.
it. They said: “Well if you go We exist.
transition you can’t be here.” No-one should be
Now I’m out by myself with frightened to be who they are.
my ex-partner I don’t really And if you feel different from
care what they think – I am mainstream society it’s okay. n
15
”
18
”
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