Topic Tuesday // LGBTQIA+ & Mental Health // Tues 29th September, 7-8:30PM AEST

@Former-Member @NatureLover ❣️❣️❣️

@Former-Member very exciting that you're completing your cert in education. How wonderful to have your experience and journey that you can then alchemise for those kids. Go you. Great insights about having a minimal wardrobe. I think the point too is, humans should be able to wear whatever whenever. One of my cis male friends sent me a photo of his new sarong he got today. He loves sarong's and looks amazing in it, something that would have no doubt been ostracised not many years ago. Possibly still in some part of Aus.

@Former-Member that's so unfortunate that you're exposed to such bigotry. It's horrible to listen to, to feel so invalidated and like your very existence can somehow elicit such fear and hatred. I continue to be baffled by how me just being me can somehow affect others, let alone cause them to lash out.

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@Former-Member wrote:

Welcome @NatureLover and @Maggie !!! Good to see you both.

Ok wow, huge amounts of incredible info coming from everyone. Thanks so much each of you for sharing and being so authentic in the process

Let's move onto Question 2...

Since marriage equality in Australia, many people are not aware there are still issues the LGBTQIA+ community faces in terms of stigma. Can anyone think of or share some examples of issues LGBTQIA+ folk, (or other minorities) have to contend with that the rest of society does not?

@eth @Former-Member @Rebel @Fluttershy1 and others 🙂

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I think there are still threats of violence, there are still negative connotations about gay words, there is still religious condemn, there is still discrimination. There are words like "accept", ( I don't have anything that needs to be accepted i am me and you are you we just have to be)

@Jynx It's nice to know to have an LGBTIQ+ family. I don't have much family that I'm in touch with, for many reasons, but I think who's left I'd lose if I come out, due to religious beliefs or being homophobic & transphobic. I don't know, it's hard.

@eth good insight. I have heard ACT is ahead of the game in this regard.. very interesting. I am a big advocate for every venue/pub/office having unisex bathrooms with the singular stalls. It's been good to see more and more pubs making the change. The most basic things we take for granted are anxiety inducing for trans/non binary folk. You sound like you could teach a course in parental resilience @eth 😄 A lot of care and love for your adult kid coming through How lovely.

Is it really so hard for our society to just let people be their authentic selves both in public and in private??? That's what I wish for everyone.

@Former-Member @Jynx @Maggie @Fluttershy1 @Former-Member @NatureLover @Former-Member @Schitzo @Adge @Rebel @Former-Member

I mean really it's nobody's business what's in your pants or what you want to do with it!!!

@Former-Member

Ah, thank you! Really looking forward to it : )

Kind of a tangent but relates to gender and the minimal wardrobe...I've been called Aspergery (which...you know...is not a thing...and that was from an actual counsellor) from time to time and a friend commented that they "just mean you don't show typical female qualities"...like having a passion for fashion I guess

So silly ha

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@eth wrote:

@Former-Member @Jynx and everyone... there are so many challenges and battles yet to be won when it comes to legal documentation language - e.g. birth certificates that say 'parent' rather than mother/father, legal ID such as drivers licences still only having m/f options etc etc. Some states are more advanced with it than others. That's why some people choose to live in the ACT for example.

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Yeah I've been considering a legal name change for a little while now. When I hear my deadname (legal name) it's like a sting, like my insides knot up and flinch and I feel my skin crawl. But then having ADHD means that the process of all of the documentation and bureaucratic nonsense I have to wade through makes me tired just thinking about it.

And then I have thoughts about stuff like, if I have nonbinary on my drivers licence, what happens if I get pulled over by some bigot cop who decides to make my life difficult for it? Sometimes it's like choosing between being happy or being safe and it sucks.