STARLADY: SHINING BRIGHT
Image: Image: Facebook/ Rhett Hammerton
Starlady, aptly named for someone who聽lives their life in a whirl of colour, sequins聽and diamant茅s, is also a formidable fighter聽for the rights of the trans and gender聽diverse communities, and Star Observer聽was privileged to grab some of her valuable聽time to find out what drives her quest for聽equality.
When asked about the first time Starlady聽realised all was not as it seemed in the world,聽she credits childhood travels for the spark of聽recognition of that fact, 鈥淚n the 鈥�80s, as a child,聽I travelled with my family to many different聽countries across Asia, including Thailand,聽India and Indonesia.鈥�
鈥淭hese years were really formative in terms聽of my passion for social justice, being exposed聽to the global inequities of wealth, and having聽the opportunity to reflect my upon my own聽privilege.
鈥淭hey were also the first times I was聽exposed to trans and gender diverse people聽and culture.鈥�
Growing Up in Country Victoria Burnished Her Resolve
Starlady had a rough time growing up in聽country Victoria but chooses to let those聽experiences burnish her resolve to ensure聽the generations that follow won鈥檛 have to face聽similar struggles, through her work with the聽Zoe Belle Gender Collective (ZBGC).
鈥淒elivering LGBTIQA+ youth workshops聽in the regional cities of my childhood such聽as Wangaratta, Shepparton and Albury/聽Wodonga was so healing.鈥�
鈥淭oo many of our LGBTIQA+ services are聽urban-centric, and I think our young people聽deserve better. Our team at the ZBGC is so聽excited to be delivering the first face to face聽workshops with young people in regional聽Victoria in the coming weeks since the start of聽the pandemic.鈥�
Starlady鈥檚 Passion Beams Through
It鈥檚 a daunting task that must seem insurmountable聽at times, but Starlady鈥檚 passion聽for the task at hand beams through – perhaps聽because she鈥檚 lived it.
She said, 鈥淪o many of the direct attacks聽on the LGBTIQA+ rights focus on the trans聽and gender diverse people and our families,聽especially towards young trans kids and trying聽to undermine their gender autonomy.
鈥淎s a transfeminine person, I want to see聽greater focus on addressing transmisogyny and聽for there to be an acknowledgement of how聽often attacks on trans people focus on trans聽women whether that鈥檚 in sports, bathrooms, or聽access to gender-based services.
鈥淥ne of the important pieces of work that聽I鈥檓 currently engaging within the ZBGC聽is a project aimed at preventing cis men鈥檚聽(straight & bi+) violence against trans women,聽transfemme.com.au.鈥�
