What’s it like to grow up queer in modern times? Three Gen Z Australians share their stories.
What’s it like to grow up queer in Australia today? Well, for one thing, you’d be part of a growing cohort of peers openly identifying as queer.says YouthSense, which describes itself as “a free insights community ... dedicated to youth engagement”.You’d also be more likely to see yourself reflected in popular culture. Representation in the media – across TV, film and music – is growing, while events such as Pride Month and Mardi Gras have become increasingly mainstream.
In part, Scott says, this comes from growing disillusionment with a society that wasn’t built for them to succeed. “Younger generations are opting out, refusing to make themselves fit and choosing to advocate for themselves. “I knew that I was queer when I was quite young,” they explain, “ the coming out process was a bit complicated for me because I was outed by the girl I had a crush on. It caused an influx of bullying by my peers. Even my close friends at the time would feel uncomfortable walking close to me during school because they wouldn’t want anyone to think they were gay too.”
They say things such as pronouns and “the experiences of non-binary people in quite a gendered space” were particular blind spots for the club. And elements of team sport that some might take for granted – such as uniforms and change rooms – could be tricky to navigate. Kira recently completed a double degree in gender and criminal studies, and has since been working across various volunteer roles, including as a mentor in Minus 18’s queer leadership program.
All this affected their ability to concentrate in class, at a time when they should have been focusing on their final exams. “It was constantly in the back of my mind that my school didn’t care about me essentially.”“It’s nice to be able to exist in a space that you call home and be able to be entirely yourself and not worry about whether or not someone’s going to question you. It can be hard growing up in that space where you’re having to explain yourself before you’ve even discovered yourself.
“It was terrifying, to be completely honest. It was not a great time. I was really, really self-conscious about it because it was just not something that was openly super-accepted yet, like marriage equality wasn’t even legalised yet.”
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