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Words by Sachini, 22 ACT “Jamie said you were a Brownie,” said my friend Katie. I remember looking down at my arms, feeling a stab of defensiveness shoot through my stomach. “I don’t care,” I had said. In that moment, 8-years-old, with my pink Big-W backpack – I really didn’t care. I was hurt because…
Pink-Haired Girls in the Night
Words by Kyara, 22 VIC I’m eight hours away from home at a festival celebrating the city of Adelaide’s 60th birthday. Crowds mill about, taking in the art displays and the food vans in the street. It’s easy to lose yourself in a crowd like this, and I love it. I don’t have to be…
Living a Double Life – 10 Questions for Shulah
Words by Georgie, 28 VIC Sit down with your beverage of choice, put your phone on flight mode and read this inspiring story. Lauren from the WhyNot team sat down with Shulah – a young transgender woman from Melbourne to talk all things diversity and inclusion, safe spaces and finding the courage to be vulnerable….
Homophobia is Still an Issue… What Can We Do?
Words by Laneikka, 19 NSW I didn’t come from a homophobic household. And yet I remember crying at Jamberoo because my sister groped a mermaid statute’s boobs with her hands. There was something about same sex couples that left me fearful. I had this undeniable anxiety that even existing near LGBTIQ+ people would ‘turn’ me…
Beauty Synonyms
Words by Kyara, 22 VIC “We have other sizes in the back,” the shop assistants say when they see me looking through the racks. I smile and say thanks. Slim young women and athletic young men inhabit the beaches and the bars and the streets. For both locals and foreigners, Bali feels like the place…
The Tattooed Face Woman. Are All Traditions Worth Preserving? Part 2
Words by Núria, 25 VIC Back in the village, Lin Shwe is the first tattooed woman I meet, and the one who makes the strongest impression on me. I don’t know if it’s because of her hypnotic deep voice or the way she smokes her pipe – slowly, without rush. It’s after meeting more Chin…
The Tattooed Face Woman. Are All Traditions Worth Preserving? Part 1
Words by Núria, 25 VIC Lin Shwe Htang, from the Mun tribe, is at her home with some of her grandsons. It’s their day off school, so they all hang together while their parents are working in the fields. When heavy rain starts to pour, everyone goes inside. As her grandchildren sit down around her,…
The Gender Myths of the Progressive Nation
Words by Sachini, 22 ACT “So, what do you think of Denmark?” I look over at Caroline, sipping my wine. My boyfriend and his friends are engaged in easy conversation borne from growing up together in Denmark. “It’s nice,” I say, and then because I can tell she wants more, “it’s beautiful. Everything is so…
What it is Like Being the Sibling of Someone on the Spectrum
Words by Miriam, 19 NSW Siblings are the worst, aren’t they? Not my brother. He’s pretty great, but not everyone sees him that way, because he’s different. People don’t like different. Of course, there are times when I find my brother excessively, painstakingly irritating, however, I’ve learnt that when you’re the sibling of someone on…
Racism is a White People Problem
Words by Lachlan, 25 QLD Why was this the spark that lit the bonfire? Was it the fact that this murder was documented on camera? Was this the proof white people needed to believe what Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) have been saying for years? The murder of unarmed George Floyd on 25…