Members of Perth’s LGBTIQA+ communities took over the Perth Cultural Centre on Saturday afternoon for an empowering community photo shoot lead by acclaimed photographer Lauren Crooke.

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Warning: This story has details of violence and discussion of suicide ideation which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

Just two weeks after members of the community were violently assaulted walking between the popular venues of The Court Hotel and Connections Nightclub, a large crowd gathered to be visible and defiant.

A late-night walk through the Perth Cultural Centre is a journey most members of Perth’s queer community have made many times and the recent incident has left many people feeling more unsafe, especially those who are more vulnerable.

The incident in the Cultural Centre comes as a growing level of anti-transgender commentary in the mainstream media is making many people increasingly worried about their safety.

Wayne Evans, who organised the photographic gathering, said the world had to move on from telling the LGBTIQA+ communities “to stay safe, and watch out because there’s a lot of idiots out there.”

“It’s not okay for that to be the narrative anymore. The narrative has to tell our kids to be decent people. Young men in this country have to be told that it’s not okay to raise your fists to assert dominance over helpless people.”

He talked about how almost everyone present would have had the experience of walking through the Cultural Centre and keeping their eyes to the ground, not making eye contact with anybody.

Evans implored everyone to listen to the speeches, take part in creating a community photograph, and then walk in silence with their heads held high to Connections Nightclub.

Speaking to the crowd ahead of the photo shoot, Transfolk of WA Chairperson Hunter Gurevich highlighted that transgender youth and adults experience greater levels of mental anguish and higher rates of suicide than the general population.

“Almost every transgender, gender diverse and non-binary person is fighting a war with this world, often just to stay alive.” Gurevich said. “This hurts to hear, but it hurts all the more because we know it doesn’t have to be this way.”

“When our community is supported, when trans people, gender diverse and non-binary people are accepted, affirmed and don’t have to live their lives in shadows and fear, we’re less likely to be distressed and less likely to attempt suicide.

“We know we can live life like the broader community, if the broader community will allow it.” Gurevich said. “Psychological distress is not inherent to being trans, gender diverse or non-binary. It’s not inherent to being gay, or lesbian, or bisexual, or intersex, or asexual, or anything else. These are natural human states, the suffering is ma-made.”

Gurevich said the transgender community just needed life to be easier.

“We need gender affirmation to be easy to access, we need all doctors to know not only what it means to be trans, gender diverse and non-binary – but also to know actually how to help us.

“We need a legal system that does not require going before a Gender Reassignment Board to plead your case of being trans before your legal documentation can be changed.

“We need schools to be safe for our young people. We need workplaces to be free from discrimination. We need systems that recongnise our community.”

Hunter Gurevich also called on allies of the trans community to “walk that talk” and take more action to be supportive.

“We need to know transphobia will be called out, it will not make its way into the halls of power, and no organisation can be empowered to harm LGBTIQA+ people under the guise of belief.”

Gurevich said the agenda of the transgender community were pretty simple, people just wanted to feel safe walking down the street and contribute to society, studying, working, raising children and getting older.

“These are in fact not big asks, and they are also not new asks. We have been here forever, and this is all we have ever wanted, to live life the same way everyone else does knowing that we can be ourselves.”

David Goncalves, the Chair of the City of Perth’s LGBTIQ Advisory Group, opened his speech with a quite from Harvey Milk.

“Hope will never be silent” Goncalves quoted, saying the phrase was central to many of the communities longstanding groups including Pride WA, PFLAG – Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and Living Proud WA.

‘We’re a community with many hopes and dreams.” Goncalves said highlighting that the community has its greatest successes when everyone works together, but real engagement with authorities only occurred when the process involved co-design and co-delivery.

“We’re tired of being heard, we’re tired of being listened to, what we are calling for is genuine engagement. Engagement that reflects the principles of co-design and co-delivery and creates spaces for people to organise around these issues themselves, creates pathways and champions solutions from those people themselves.

Goncalves said there needed to be genuine partnerships between local authorities, state government and WA Police.

The need for allies to be more vocal was stressed by PFLAG spokesperson Kate Salinger.

“These things shouldn’t be happening still, but I’m not surprised.” Salinger said.

“I look at the anti-trans rhetoric and I understand the links between people who are hateful towards trans people, and people who are hateful towards women, and people who are hateful towards people living with disabilities, and people of colour, people from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, our indigenous people, any minorities – because they are the same people.

Salinger called on people who consider themselves to be LGBTIQA+ allies to take action.

“Everyone one came out for marriage equality. We had thousands in the street. I understand that fighting for our lives might not be quite as sexy, or cuddly or comfortable as marriage equality was, but f*** me – it’s more important.”

“We have thousands of people turn up to Pride to celebrate with us, where are they now?” Salinger asked the crowd.

“Where are your families? Where are your friends, who count themselves as allies? It’s not enough anymore to just go to Pride, it’s not enough anymore to go along to an event at Connections. That’s not enough anymore, that’s not going to cut it, and you shouldn’t settle for that anymore.”

“This is an everybody problem, this hatred, this violence, it’s all connected. The people who are coming after the gay community and the trans community, will be coming after women and the disabled tomorrow.”

Salinger called for allies to be visible, and not let the LGBTIQA+ communities walk through these things alone.

Once the speeches were delivered everyone moved on to create some memorable photographs.

For over an hour Lauren Crooke directed the crowd into different poses to create a series of powerful images. Her team working fast to create as many different poses as they could before the sun set.

We all look forward to seeing the completed art works down the track.

When all the photographs were completed, the crowd walked with the heads high down James Street, defiant, strong and together.

Graeme Watson 

Do you need some support?

If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, support and counselling are available from:

QLife: 1800 184 527 / qlife.org.au (Webchat 3pm – midnight)
QLife are a counselling and referral service for LGBTQIA+ people.

DISCHARGED: info@discharged.org.au / discharged.org.au
Discharged is a trans-led support service with peer support groups for trans and gender diverse folks.

Lifeline: 13 11 14 / lifeline.org.au

Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / www.beyondblue.org.au

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