Andy Perfors:

I have so many things I want to read. Yeah.

Ari Heart:

I don't read. I just buy books and then I just hope to absorb them by osmosis.

Andy Perfors:

I do as well.

I'm quite excited for the chance to put something like this together. A lot of these required trainings, you kind of sludge through or you feel like you have to sludge through, but they don't have to be that way and I think we can make one that's not that way.

Ari Heart:

I'm hoping to put together something that makes people connect to this on a deeper level that feels good to listen to as a trans person. Something that is really accessible to someone who doesn't have a lot of exposure in this area at all.

Andy Perfors:

People who might have a lot of preconceived notions or feel defensive about this, it's okay to be where you are.

Ari Heart:

We were all there.

Andy Perfors:

Yeah. Okay. Let's go.

Ari Heart:

Ready?

Andy Perfors:

Yeah.

Ari Heart:

Welcome to the University of Melbourne's gender affirmation learning Rrsource. We'll be talking about what gender affirmation is, why it matters, and what you can do to support trans people in the workplace, the classroom, and in your life.

Andy Perfors:

We hope you get from this resource not just knowledge, but empathy and connection with gender diverse people, because once those things are there, the rest will fall into place.

Both the gender affirmation policy and this resource were born of the Staff Experience Survey, as well as important legislation that's come out of decades of advocacy.

Ari Heart:

It was also born of students advocating for something that would protect them and improve their experience at the university.

Throughout the next few videos, you'll be hearing from three wonderful trans people who have shared a few of their experiences, thoughts, and feelings with us. First is Fae, a 33-year-old trans woman and artist living in Melbourne.

Fae:

Something that was good practise for coming out as trans was growing up mixed race, facing racism. What it did give me practise for was not caring what certain people thought about me.

Andy Perfors:

We'll also hear from Cam, a trans non-binary academic here at the University of Melbourne.

Cam:

I see trans as really a very expansive way of being. It's what gives me hope for the future.

Ari Heart:

And lastly, we'll hear from Nora, a 32-year-old trans woman and a philosophy student here at the University.

Yeah, it's hard sometimes. I have to justify myself and I have to explain, right? But once you get to express that there is a full richness to this sort of life, Yeah, I love talking about that.

Our job is really just to bring you the wisdom and insights of these amazing people and to help make sense of what this means for us in practise.

Fae:

Do you feel like you sort of intentionally want to keep it anonymous?

Ari Heart:

Yes.

Yeah. Cool.

Only because we don't know where the world's going.

Yeah, that's fair.

Thank you for being here. We hope these stories help you understand gender affirmation, why we have a policy about it, the trans and gender diverse people it was created for, and what it all means practically for each and every one of us at the university and beyond.