“I’d see aboriginal families together, proud of who they were and couldn’t work out why I wasn’t,” says Taz thinking back to his childhood.
Taz and Raja were born twin sisters and adopted at birth by a foster family.
At thirteen, Taz came out as same-sex attracted.
https://www.facebook.com/facebook/videos/441616166172095/ (You can watch a longer cut of the story in the video player at the top of the page.)
It didn’t go down well with his adoptive parents, so Taz packed his bags and connected with his biological mother who was living in Townsville, far north Queensland.
Nine months after they were reunited, Taz’s mum passed away.
Taz would spend the next five years drifting between the streets and foster care. It was rough and very nearly the end for him.
“I still like chicks, but I don’t really like being one.”
But when Taz was reflecting on whether his life was worth living, he decided to get back in touch with Raja to tell her a secret he’d been struggling to admit to himself, let alone anyone else:
“I still like chicks, but I don’t really like being one.”
It was a powerful moment that gave Taz a new lease on life – and it helped find common ground with his sister who was still hurting after having not spoken with him for so long.
Taz now identifies as a ‘brother boy’, a transgender Indigenous person with a male spirit, and has since taken it upon himself to learn more about his cultural identity.
Taz and Raja are closer now than they’ve ever been – and when Taz looks around at other happy Indigenous families, he counts himself among them.
If you are feeling stressed out and would like to talk to someone about it, please get in touch with these organisations:
Lifeline 13 11 14 lifeline.org.au
BeyondBlue 1300 22 463 beyondblue.org.au
