The University of Sydney Pride Network

20/11/2024

🏳️‍⚧️ As Trans Awareness Week comes to a close, we pause today to honour Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) — a day to remember the lives of transgender people lost to violence and discrimination over the past year.

This solemn occasion reminds us of the ongoing challenges faced by the trans community and the urgent need for solidarity, understanding, and action.

Let’s carry the spirit of this week forward by committing to make our campus and communities safer and more inclusive for trans and gender-diverse people. Together, we can create a future where everyone can live authentically and without fear.

🩵🩷🤍

🆘​ Trans Vitality is ACON’s resilience-building program for all trans and gender-diverse adults in NSW. Trans Vitality focuses on trans people supporting trans people, and centres self-determination, autonomy and agency, while uplifting trans voices.

The Resilience Toolkit is one part of Trans Vitality, and it includes information, activities and resources to help build resilience, community connection, an understanding of our history, and a powerful imagining of our futures. (https://www.transhub.org.au/vitality)

Below are some links with resources and events planned for today:

- https://news.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/articles/honouring-lives-inspiring-change-trans-day-remembrance
- https://whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/events/transgender-day-of-remembrance
- https://www.tgv.org.au/transmonth -event-near-me



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18/11/2024

🏳️‍⚧️ Trans Awareness Week: Day 7 🏳️‍⚧️


🤝 Wondering how you can support our trans community?

Start with these simple steps:

1) Respect names and pronouns (https://www.mypronouns.org/)
2) Educate yourself on trans issues (https://www.transhub.org.au/allies)
3) Stand up against transphobia (https://amnesty.org.nz/how-to-respond-transphobia).

Being an ally helps build a stronger, more inclusive university for everyone.

🎉 To close out Trans Awareness Week, let’s celebrate trans joy and creativity!

Meet Dr. Quinn Eades, an award-winning poet, author, and academic whose work explores the intersections of gender, body, and identity. As a lecturer, Dr. Eades inspires students to embrace their truths and find their voices through writing. Dr. Eades' research expertise ranges across q***r and trans theory, life writing, trauma theory, feminist literary and critical theory, and creative practice-based research methods.

Quinn’s dedication to fostering spaces of acceptance and expression reminds us of the power of creativity and the importance of trans voices in academia. Here’s to trans joy, resilience, and the many contributions trans people bring to our campus and world! (photo from https://scholars.latrobe.edu.au/qeades)

17/11/2024

🏳️‍⚧️Trans Awareness Week: Day 6 🏳️‍⚧️

💡 Did you know? The trans community is incredibly diverse—people of all ages, races, and cultural backgrounds identify as transgender. Not all trans people transition in the same way, and some may not transition at all. Every trans journey is unique, and all identities are valid.
On campus, we’re proud to be home to a diverse group of students and staff who enrich our community with their perspectives and experiences. Let’s keep challenging stereotypes and creating a supportive space where everyone can thrive!

🏳️‍⚧️ Have you noticed the beautiful Transgender Pride flag flying on campus this week? Designed in 1999 by Monica Helms - an American transgender activist, author, and veteran of the United States Navy - (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica_Helms), the flag features:
🩵 The stripes at the top and bottom are light blue, the conventional colour for baby boys.
🩷The stripes next to them are pink, the conventional colour for baby girls.
🤍The stripe in the middle is white, for those who are inters*x, transitioning or consider themselves to have a neutral or undefined gender,

Its symmetrical design ensures it’s always the “right way up,” symbolizing finding balance and peace in identity. Flying this flag during Trans Awareness Week is a powerful statement of visibility and support. Let’s celebrate the strength and diversity it represents! 🏳️‍⚧️

16/11/2024

🏳️‍⚧️​ Trans Awareness Week: Day 5 🏳️‍⚧️

💬 Pronouns are essential to everyone’s identity, and using the correct pronouns for someone is a simple but impactful way to show respect. Common pronouns include he/him, she/her, and they/them, but some people use other pronouns that feel right to them. If you’re unsure, ask politely, and always honour the pronouns someone chooses.

For trans people, pronouns are often a vital affirmation of their gender. Remember, respecting pronouns on campus is a step toward creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels seen and valued. Let’s make our community a place of mutual respect!

✨ In 2014, Norrie May-Welby made history by becoming the first person in Australia to be legally recognized as “non-specific” in gender. This landmark case shifted Australia’s gender recognition laws, paving the way for greater inclusivity and visibility for people of diverse gender identities. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norrie_May-Welby)
Norrie’s work reminds us of the importance of visibility and advocacy. This Trans Awareness Week, let’s celebrate the impact of trans individuals who fight for rights that benefit us all. 🏳️‍⚧️💖

15/11/2024

🏳️‍⚧️​ Trans Awareness Week: Day 4 🏳️‍⚧️

💭 Did you know? Gender dysphoria is the discomfort some trans people experience when their gender identity doesn’t align with their s*x assigned at birth. By creating an environment that acknowledges and respects each individual’s identity, we can help reduce this distress on campus.

🌟​ Today, let’s celebrate activist and historian Teddy Cook. Teddy, a leading advocate for trans health in Australia, works with ACON to improve healthcare access and inclusivity for the trans community. Over the last 20 years, Teddy has developed expertise working across the non-profit and LGBTIQ+ community health sectors. Always in collaboration and with a co-design, community-building approach. He specialises in health promotion, LGBTIQ+ diversity and inclusion, advocacy, business management and policy, and notably held a range of roles during his 12 year tenure at ACON, Australia’s largest LGBTQ+ and HIV community health, advocacy, care services and inclusion organisation.
His efforts remind us of the importance of supportive and accessible spaces—on campus and beyond. (photo and bio from https://www.linkedin.com/in/ateddycook/)

🩵🩷🤍​

14/11/2024

🏳️‍⚧️Trans Awareness Week: Day 3🏳️‍⚧️

🏥 Did you know? Gender-affirming care includes a range of services—medical, social, and psychological—that support trans people in living as their authentic selves. Access to this care significantly improves mental health and well-being, helping trans individuals feel more comfortable and confident in their identities.
Supporting gender-affirming care is about acknowledging and respecting each person’s right to live fully and healthily. By fostering a supportive environment here on campus, we can help make gender-affirming spaces available and accessible. (https://www.transhub.org.au/)


🌟 Today, we’re spotlighting Mama Alto.

Mama Alto is a jazz singer, cabaret artiste & gender transcendent diva. She is a transgender & q***r person of colour, living with disability, who works with the radical potential of storytelling, strength in softness and power in vulnerability. Known for her powerful voice and enchanting performances, Mama Alto uses art to advocate for gender diversity and inclusivity. Her work uplifts and celebrates the beauty of self-expression, making her a role model for all creatives.

Mama’s success is a reminder of the importance of supporting trans and gender-diverse voices, especially in creative spaces. Let's take inspiration from her to champion inclusivity in all areas of university life. 🎤🏳️‍⚧️ (https://www.mamaalto.com/)

13/11/2024

🏳️‍⚧️ Trans Awareness Week: Day 2 🏳️‍⚧️



💡 Did you know? “Transgender” describes individuals whose gender identity differs from the s*x they were assigned at birth. Embracing this understanding helps us make our university a more inclusive and welcoming place for everyone. Let’s build a campus that respects all gender identities and expressions! (https://www.transhub.org.au/101/what-is-trans)

🌟​ Today's spotlight is on the trailblazer Georgie Stone (AOM) (https://www.instagram.com/georgiestone)

Georgie made waves as one of Australia’s youngest trans advocates. Known for her role on Neighbours, Georgie also fought to make gender-affirming treatment more accessible for young trans people.

Her courage and advocacy remind us all that change begins with us. 🏳️‍⚧️

12/11/2024

🏳️‍⚧️ Today, we’re proud to kick off Trans Awareness Week by raising the transgender flag on campus! This flag is more than a symbol—it represents the commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive environment for our trans and gender diverse students and staff. Raising the trans flag highlights our respect for gender diversity and our dedication to visibility, equity, and belonging for everyone in our university community.

As we lift the flag, let it remind us of the courage, resilience, and brilliance of the trans community, both here on campus and beyond.

Together, we stand for inclusivity, education, and allyship.

Let’s make this week meaningful by learning, supporting, and celebrating all that makes our campus vibrant and diverse.



🏳️‍⚧️🩵🩷🤍 🤍🩷🩵 🏳️‍⚧️

07/11/2024

Sydney Gay and Le***an Mardi Gras has just announced their huge 2025 festival and events lineup, with the theme 'FREE TO BE'.

07/11/2024

The Sydney Gay and Le***an Mardi Gras 2025 program is here!

Sydney Gay and Le***an Mardi Gras has just announced their huge 2025 festival and events lineup, with the theme 'FREE TO BE'.

25/10/2024

The AWEI is the national benchmark on LGBTQ workplace inclusion and comprises the largest and only national employee survey designed to gauge the overall impact of LGBTQ inclusion initiatives on organisational culture and employees. The Index sets a comparative benchmark for Australian employers across all sectors.

The AWEI survey is open for responses from 9am Monday 7th October 2024 (AEST) to Midnight Monday 24th February 2025.

Link is located on employee Viva Engage Page as it is only open to USYD employees.