Inclusive group claim major award

TRANS and Gender Diverse Bendigo and Beyond were recognised for their effort to empower rural and regional transgender people at the recent GLOBE Community Awards.

Originally started as a peer-support group, TGDBB has established a following across the state, and has become well-known for clothing swaps.

President Zara Jones was also nominated for the LGBTIQ Rural and Regional Champion award and said attending the GLOBE Awards two years ago as a guest inspired to create her own group.

She said when she came out as trans four years ago, she got involved with headspace Bendigo and met diversity officer Maree Dixon.

“She told me to come along and meet some of the community because I was feeling very isolated and very alone,” Ms Jones said.

“So I went along to this thing I had no idea of and I walked in and saw this room full of amazing energy and passionate people that are all there to support the LGBTI community and make positive change.

“I was in awe, I was sitting watching people come up and make their acceptance speeches for their awards and talk about the amazing work they were doing, I was so inspired in that moment.

“I left so driven and passionate about starting our group with this belief that there’s this whole community there that would support us.”

Two years later, the group won its own award in front of a winder community that has watched their development.

“What I was really happy with was we were known,” Ms Jones said.

“This little group from Bendigo that started as a peer support group so we could find connections within our community, we’ve been noticed by metro areas and bigger organisations.

“They were congratulating us, reaching out to support us and acknowledging the work we were doing.”

TGDBB committee member Alex said he attended the group’s first ever clothing swap, where trans and gender diverse people meet to exchange gender-affirming items of clothing while building connections.

“At the time I didn’t have many connections with the community, I felt a little bit isolated, and I went there and saw all these trans people of different ages and I realised there’s this community of people like me, here and I wanted to bring that to other people,” he said.

Alex said having a support network in a regional town is crucial for gender diverse people, who might otherwise feel alone.

“Being able to bring community to people in rural areas where, maybe you’re the only trans person in your town because it’s such a small place, it’s so important to have those connections and people to chat to who understand you and accept you for who you are,” he said.

Ms Jones said the group recently visited Melbourne Pride, where they hosted a clothing swap, giving out 298 items of clothing and accessories.

“Every one of those pieces that went out is another person we’ve engaged with; a trans person we’ve empowered or a community member we’ve informed and educated,” she said. “That exposure is such great value for us.”

Among the award winners was Piano Bar, which has been operating in Bendigo since 2020, in the Excellence in LGBTIQ Small Business and Enterprise category.