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