MY TRANS STORY

From the personal to the political, My Trans Story features proud trans and gender diverse storytellers celebrating their complex, sometimes funny, often fearless, always fierce histories.

At a time when the trans experience is becoming more visible, we still rarely see stories by trans and gender diverse people on our screens, in theatres, a bookshelf or in popular culture and when we do, they’re all about coming out and surgery or discrimination and hate crimes.

We’re here to tell you there’s plenty more to the trans narrative. Each trans experience is diverse and wonderful. Yes, we can be linked by feelings of gender dysphoria, name changes and surgeries but our stories are unique and more than our gender; they’re human stories full of love and laughter, curiosity and explorations, triumphs and hope.

This is the type of storytelling event that makes you question everything you know about gender. They’re the “gender whisperers” the Prime Minister warned you about.  Book this production and hear them roar.

My Trans Story was a sell-out success at the 2018 and 2019 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival and the 2019 Melt Festival at Brisbane Powerhouse.

This event includes a workshop for emerging speakers from the community.  Four emerging speakers are then programmed with four established speakers.

My Trans Story is available to tour now 

Words from our audiences

” This was the best story-telling event I have seen over the years. Such interesting and diverse stories that were all very moving.

“Beautiful night with amazing and inspiring stories”

“Such an amazing night”

“Last night had a v significant micro, individual and macro, social impact. It was a brilliant, creative, entertaining and beautiful idea.”

“An incredible line up of diverse speakers.  I laughed, I cried, I cheered!”

My Trans Story premiered as Trans Stories – A Celebration in Pride Week, at the Stone Wall Hotel on Sydney’s Oxford Street, produced by Trans Sydney Pride in June 2017.  It was an evening of storytelling by the trans community for the trans community affirming and celebrating our struggles and victories. 

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Trans Pride Australia (formally Trans Sydney Pride) went on to produce Trans Stories – 40 Years, headlining Mardi Gras’ Queer Thinking festival at Carriageworks in February 2018.  The evening was directed by Lisa Freshwater from FEM and presented stories that traversed the four decades of Mardi Gras, exploring the community’s history, it’s placed in the LGBTQI+ community and its unique perception of the world. 

Trans Stories – 40 Years was a resounding success.  It sold out two weeks before the event and received three standing ovations.  

We were invited back for the 2019 Festival and have since taken the event to Brisbane Powerhouse’s Melt Festival.

Photo Credit: ANN-MARIE CALILHANNA

My Trans Story – Queer Futures

Sydney Mardi Gras 2024

Amou Leota Lu, Charley Sanders

Danielle Laidley, Jaxson Wearing

Malaika Mfalme, Theo Stack

DJ: Victoria Anthony

Narrator: Peta Friend

My Trans Story 

Sydney Mardi Gras 2022

Andrew Guy, Joel Murray

Olivia Stewart, Rusty Nannup

Tea Uglow, Victoria Anthony

Hosted by Peta Friend

My Trans Story – Digital Season

Sydney Opera House 2020

Joel Wilson

Kate Beckett & Marc Jarrett

Peta Friend, Rey Vargas,

Tea Uglow

My Trans Story – Place and Belonging

Sydney Mardi Gras 2020

Holly Conroy,  Joel Wilson

Luka Bungree, Peta Friend

Teddy Cook, Wei Thai Haynes

Introduced by AJ Brown and Lisa Freshwater

My Trans Story – Melt Festival

Brisbane Powerhouse 2019

Bear Baxter, Frances Doolan

Shaun D’souza, Xander Ferguson

Peta Friend, Simia Seiker,

Nevo Zisin

My Trans Story – The Next Generations

Sydney Mardi Gras 2019

Dibs Barisic Sprem, Nyx Calder

Liz Duck Chong, Kalypso Finbar

Evie MacDonald, Nathan Shephard

Rey Vargas, Nevo Zisin

My Trans Story – 40 Years

Sydney Mardi Gras 2018

Mama Alto, AJ Brown

Karen Chant, Chrissy Doyle

Lisa Freshwater, Peta Friend

Kaya Wilson, Colleen Windsor