Dear TGV Staff, Volunteers, Members and Community Friends,
It is my privilege to write to you as the newly appointed Chair of Transgender Victoria (TGV). I want to begin by honouring the legacy and the giants upon whose shoulders we now stand. For more than two-and-a-half decades, this organisation has fought for recognition, protection and inclusion for transgender, gender diverse and non-binary people in Victoria and across Australia. Ensuring that our identities are respected, our rights are upheld, and our lives affirmed.
As we look ahead to our upcoming 25 year celebration, we pause first to give thanks to those visionary leaders and community members who laid the foundations. It is because of their courage, their persistence and their advocacy that TGV exists today to achieve better social, economic and health outcomes for transgender, gender diverse and non-binary communities.
As our Chair, Maya Agarwal, takes a well-earned sabbatical, I want to acknowledge with deep gratitude her leadership, which has guided us with purpose and care through a period of significant progress. Maya, thank you for your unwavering commitment and for steering our Board with strength and clarity. We wish you rest, renewal, and inspiration during this period, and look forward to your return.
In recent times, TGV has expanded Affirmation Station, Australia's first trans-led community and peer support hub. This new space embodies our commitment to provide services, support, connection and affirmation for transgender, gender diverse and non-binary community members. As we inhabit this new home, we do so with pride, seeing it as more than a building: it is a symbol of belonging and of the practical support we deliver.
As we approach Trans Month this November and our major event the Gender Revel Gala, we look forward with excitement to connecting in person with the wonderful transgender, gender diverse and non-binary community, our families, our friends, our allies and supporters.
While we celebrate, we must also remember that our work remains urgent. Advocacy for rights, for inclusion, for improved living and mental-health outcomes in Australia and globally continues. The path ahead may be long, the challenges complex, but our community is strong. We are the strength of our lived experience. We are the strength of our allies. We are the strength of the LGBTIQA+ communities. We are the strength of organisations and donors who support our collective effort. We cannot and will not do this alone. It is collective action that carries change.
In our diversity of identities, experiences, and social and cultural backgrounds, we find our richness. We must celebrate our variety of thinking, our different stories, and yet be unequivocally clear: transgender, gender diverse and non-binary people are here, we will not go away, we deserve full inclusion and respect within our community.
As your Chair, I am confident that the future of TGV is strong. TGV has already stood for a quarter of a century, and we will be here for as long as we need to be. We must now look into the future of our organisation. How can we further our impact beyond what we already do how can we ensure that those in rural and remote areas, First Nations communities, and parts of Australia currently underserved, know we are here for them. That we are here for you.
I look forward to engaging with you all, to listen and learn, to lead and support, to carry forward the work of our community and organisation in this next phase. Thank you for your trust, your energy, your courage, and your presence.
With gratitude and determination,
Benjie-Etta Norman
Chair, Transgender Victoria
