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When you cross a passerby on the street, it’s impossible to know their history from one glance. This is especially true in a country as multicultural as Australia, where we often forget the people around us have lived through diverse and interesting lives before getting to this country.
This week, we’re asking the question ‘what brought you here?’, and peering into the old lives of new Australians. We have two beautiful stories of LGBT journeys, one from the US and one from Georgia, the tiny country between Russia and Turkey.
‘A Binary World’ by Selena Shannon
Have you ever had to live with the consequences of a big decision that you made as a kid, a decision that’s ended up changing, or redirecting, your entire life? Even with good intentions, it’s impossible for a kid to understand the magnitude of certain life choices. But what do you do when you grow up and those decisions start to play out in a really big way?
This story is about Paul* who moved here from the States, but has memories of his childlike views of ‘good’ and ‘bad’.
Music: Morning Mist by Podington Bear
*Name changed
‘In Her Shoes’ by Melano Sokdahze and Andre Shannon
At 22, Bianka Shigurova was an actress and activist, who became something of public figure in the country of Georgia after she appeared in a short film about the life of a transgender woman. For a while she appeared in Georgian TV shows, she modelled, and quickly became a star in the Georgian trans community. Which – publicly at least – is very very small.
This next piece is about Bianka, and is told by her friend and Sydney-based painter Melano Sokhadze.
Music: Introesque by Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Darkest Side by The Middle East, Misxgyny Drxp Dead by Planning to Rock, and Keep the Streets Clear for Me by Fever Ray.
Image of Bianka provided by Melano Sokhadze
Executive Producer: Selena Shannon
Vic State Coordinator: Bethany Atkinson-Quinton
Community Coordinator: Chloe Gillespie
Episodes compiled by Tegan Nicholls