Oli Myers from Geraldton has shared a disturbing confrontation he says he experienced at Northgate Shopping Centre, where a stranger questioned his presence. It is an experience that some transgender people and advocates say is becoming increasingly common.
Myers is a transgender man who has lived in Geraldton for many years, and his partner is a transgender woman.
The couple were in the women’s clothing section of Kmart several weeks ago when, according to Myers, a stranger approached him while accompanied by a young girl and began filming him on a mobile phone.
“This man just came up filming,” Myers told The Geraldton Guardian.
“He had his phone up and said, ‘You’re in the wrong section,’ and pointed out the sign that said women. He said, ‘Look, women’s, you’re not meant to be here.'”
Myers said it was notable that the man appeared to ignore another man in the area who was on his own, instead focusing his attention on someone who is transgender.
According to Myers, the man continued filming for several minutes and shouted at them again after they decided to leave the store.
Brooke Taylor, an LGBTQIA+ community development officer at Freedom Centre in Geraldton, told the newspaper that transgender people largely wanted to be left alone but were facing increasing discrimination.
“We are seeing our leaders, our politicians, and people being openly phobic. In the news, in the media, all over the place, it’s really emboldened other people to do the same,” Taylor said.
Myers said he had always felt safe in Geraldton, which has been his home for the past 14 years, and that the incident at Kmart was the most serious confrontation he had experienced.
“It was a bit surprising,” he told OUTinPerth, saying that as a transgender man he receives very little attention, but that transgender women often have a different experience.
“He was definitely talking to both of us, and because he ignored the other man in the area, it was very clearly transphobia.”
Living in such a small town, Myers is now worried about being confronted by the man again. When he shared his experience on a local online community discussion group, his recounting of the interaction drew hundreds of comments.
“Probably half of them, if not more, were very negative. So it was really good insight into our local community,” Myers said. “It’s not that I feel unsafe, but I’ve seen its unfriendly.”
One thing Myers noted was a positive about Geraldton was a supportive and active local LGBTIQA+ community that helps people feel they are not isolated.
