Becoming Me

Trans-rights protests are taking place across the globe, but many have been fighting the fight for much longer. Here, three families with transgender children reflect on their emotional and physical journeys.

- Luke Benedictus

Model Theodora ‘Teddy’ Quinlivan is a face of Chanel Beauty and Georgie Stone (pictured opposite) plays the first-ever transgender character on Australia’s longest-running television drama, Neighbours. Trans visibility is on the rise, yet a glance at the mental health data shows transitioning remains a deeply challenging issue. An estimated 45,000 Australian schoolchildren currently identify as transgender, and the number seeking to transition is climbing fast. But a 2017 report by the Telethon Kids Institute found almost 80 per cent of trans young people (aged 14–25 years) had self-harmed. Tragically, 48 per cent had attempted suicide. For others – the lucky ones – transitioning is defined by relief, elation and great support, their stories proving a harbinger of hope for the future.

GEORGIE STONE & REBEKAH ROBERTSON

Georgie, 20, was assigned male at birth and began taking puberty-blocking medication aged 10. Since then, she’s fearlessly campaigned for trans rights, and in 2019 she became Neighbours’ first trans character and cast member. Her mother Rebekah is the founder of Transcend, a parent-led peer support network for the families of transgender children. This year, the duo received Australia Day honours for their advocacy.

GEORGIE’S STORY

“When I was 11, my mum showed me a story in marie claire about an American journalist called Janet Mock who was trans. That was something I’d never seen before: a positive representation of a trans person, who was beautiful and successful and living her best life. It gave me a sense of hope and it showed me that my future could be brighter than I thought it was going to be.