When trans woman Zara Jones came out after living in Bendigo for a decade – and lost friends and a support network as a result – she quickly realised the critical need to support trans, gender-diverse and non-binary (TGDNB) residents in rural Victoria.
A video producer and community worker, she spent over a year creating Trans and Gender Diverse Bendigo and Beyond, a peer-led community group that started in 2020.
“All I wanted to do was meet other people like me,” the 45-year-old says.
“I also had a really strong drive to make sure that any young people didn’t have to wait until they were 40 to realise that there’s other people like them.”
Jones knew from experience how essential clothing is to the gender affirmation process.
“There’s a lot of visible change, and there’s an emotional journey to go through,” she says.
“When I started looking for more feminine things, the attitudes that I was getting from the shop owners – and other people in the shops – just made me feel really yuck,” she says.
“I thought we have to create a safer space for people like me, because I’m very confident, and if I’m feeling like I can’t go shopping for clothes, then there’s some people that just will not have access to affirming clothing.”
According to a 2018 Kirby Institute survey, almost 80% of TGDNB respondents recorded altering their appearance to affirm their gender, including gender-affirming clothing, surgery and/or hormone therapy.
Jones started asking for donations for a one-off clothes swap in 2021. When attendees came to the event at Bendigo Trades Hall from across rural Victoria, she says it “blew my mind”.
“People were talking to me about how they’ve never spoken to somebody about their gender identity … or that this project was so needed to create safe spaces to connect people with others like them.”
The clothing swap service now travels across rural Victoria, supported by a team of volunteers.
Jones believes many Australians are unaware of gender-affirming challenges for rural TGDNB, who often know more about their health needs than service providers.
“That was certainly the case when I started transitioning. I couldn’t find a GP that was trans-informed.
“My genitals were a major cause of dysphoria for me, so I chose to have reconstructive surgery as soon as possible. It made an incredible difference to my confidence and mental health.
“Soon after, I decided to have top surgery, but that wasn’t as rewarding because the surgeon provided implants bigger than what I had asked for. That was really frustrating but I have found peace with my body now and I’m so glad to have that opportunity.”
Jones originally moved to Bendigo so her kids could grow up with a “country feel”. Despite experiencing some transphobia in that city, she’s stayed and they all live with Jones’s new partner.
Coming out as trans is “the best decision I’ve made”, she says.
“I have a completely new community around me now.
“I no longer question who I am, it’s just, ‘how do I be this person in a world that isn’t totally prepared for people like me?’.”
‘I don’t feel like I need to move’
Alex is a 21-year-old trans man who grew up in the Mallee region and loves its open spaces. Until the chance for real-world connections provided by Trans and Gender Diverse Bendigo and Beyond, he relied on accessing support via his keyboard.
“I sort of felt more included in communities online,” he says.
After coming out to his family at 17, Alex began his social transition process with support at home and senior school. This included changing his name and which public toilets he used.
It also involved wearing a chest binder, which Alex learned how to wear safely from online peers.
“When I was finally able to connect to the local trans community, it was really, really important for me to see that other people, who were just like me, had gone through the things that I’ve gone through … It just created these connections that I still have today.”
Jones and Alex joined other TGDNB and LGBTIQ+ locals and allies for a recent Wear it Purple event at Bendigo’s Goldfields library, in celebration of rainbow youth.
“I don’t feel like I need to move,” Alex says. “I feel very involved in the community where I live, and I feel like my opportunities for the job that I want to go into are available here.
“I have friends who’ve had some negative experiences, but overall it’s been really positive. I think things have really changed for the better, at least where I live.
“I don’t know if I want to pursue any more parts of transitioning. Possibly top surgery, but at the moment I’m pretty happy with where I am,” he says.
