Gippsland Lakes Complete Health proudly hosted the only registered regional Transgender Day of Visibility event last week.

The Transgender community and their allies gathered at a transgender flag raising at Bairnsdale, with about 50 people attending.

Serah Harris, from Traralgon, travelled from the Latrobe Valley to Bairnsdale to be there, wanting to celebrate at a regional event.

“It’s nice to get out and see other people in the community,” Serah said.

Orbost resident Anne McCluskey thanked Gippsland Lakes Complete Health for their proactive stance on visibility and inclusion.

“I really felt the need to come here to support trans people in the queer community. These times are hard, they’ve always been hard, but to young people the message is to hang in there, it will get better,” Anne said.

GLCH CEO Anne-Maree Kaser said the day was more than a simple ceremony.

“I’ve learned that true inclusion is not about making people fit into our existing structures. It’s about fundamentally reshaping those structures to embrace diversity,” she said.

“Every time we create a space where someone can be authentically themselves, we’re not just supporting an individual—we’re transforming our entire community.”

The transgender pride flag features light blue, pink and white stripes – symbolising traditional gender association colours (blue for boys and pink for girls), and white for the transgender and gender diverse community.

GLCH HEY project facilitator James Bush said he uses his experiences as a transgender man to make a difference for other young people in East Gippsland.

The Healthy Equal Youth project aims to promote diversity, eliminate stigma and discrimination and ensure young queer Victorians are safe, empowered and celebrated.

“I have had an incredible amount of support and been given wonderful opportunities because of my advocacy,” he said.

“I’m super grateful but I won’t lie to you, it has not been all rainbows and butterflies, things have been really hard too.

“We want trans joy; we want trans love, and we want to be proud of who we are and who we can become.”

Bryanna Paynter-Harvie said you don’t need to understand an individual’s experience to show respect.

“As a non-binary person with a transgender partner, it means the world to know that even in a rural community like Bairnsdale we have events that are elevating us to be visible and making sure that even in hard times we can stand together in community.”

Pictured: GLCH CEO Anne-Maree Kaser and HEY program facilitator James Bush at last week’s flag raising in Bairnsdale.