WA’s LGBTI community lost a passionate and committed young activist last month with the death of Isabelle Lake. Belle had been battling with leukaemia and passed away on February 28, aged 21.

Isabelle Lake was highly regarded for her volunteering efforts with several LGBTI community organisations including the Freedom Centre, WA Gender Project and Slutwalk Perth. Prior to becoming unwell again late last year, Belle was working at the WA Equal Opportunity Commission, where she assisted in the development of resources for the an anti-bullying project to be released later this March.

Ms Lake will be particularly missed at the Freedom Centre, where she had been volunteering for the past couple of years assisting young people with diverse sexuality, sex and/or gender.

Freedom Centre Coordinator Dani Wright paid tribute to Belle’s contribution to the centre, ‘For a long time she was one of our only trans* volunteers and she was really vital to providing peer support for trans* young people who accessed the freedom centre. She was a valuable member of the team; she had a great sense of humour and was always willing to give things a go.’

In volunteering with the Freedom Centre Belle particularly made a difference to the lives of young trans* people she worked with. According to Dani the young people thanked Belle, who they said had ‘made it ok for them to come out as trans* and be proud of who they were.’

written by Zoe Carter