In the ongoing narrative of resilience within the LGBTQ+ community, individuals like Jeremy Fisher, Katherine Wolfgramme, KL Joy, and Sallie Colechin embody the struggles and triumphs that define their journeys. Each has added to a deeper definition of belonging, tolerance, and advocacy throughout the decades.
Jeremy Fisher, who earned a degree in education in 1976, was thrust into the workforce directly after college. The path he thought might lead him to a medical teaching career instead took him to the Medical Journal of Australia. Fisher remembers the difficulty he had at university, specifically in relation to his sexuality.
He specifically recalls making the walk almost every day past the door of his university’s Gay Liberation Club. He finally got up the nerve to walk through the door. This initial shyness revealed a larger internal conflict.
“At one point I tried to take my own life. But I don’t feel bad about myself at all because of my sexuality. And if people do then they’ve got to get some help to be able to see that they’re worthy of just being.” – Jeremy Fisher
Fisher’s story portrays the complexities of coming to terms with one’s identity in an often unwelcoming environment. His activism came not just from his own lived experiences, but from a wish to create that visibility for the community of which he was a part.
“Activism has been really just living our life openly and ensuring that people are aware of who and what we’re about,” he stated.
Fisher formed an unlikely alliance with tradies working on his college’s construction site after they voted to protest against his treatment. This public show of solidarity is indicative of the changing attitudes towards LGBTQ+ persons, even in more conservative settings.
At the same time, Katherine Wolfgramme was making history in 1997 as Fiji’s first transgender person to receive a legal name change. Her journey was motivated by love and a deep understanding that she needed to know herself. Wolfgramme encountered significant systemic barriers throughout her transition. She was warned that being her authentic self would lead to her being ugly, alone, and unloved.
“Colonial cultures sexualise anything that is outside of their norms,” Wolfgramme noted, highlighting the societal pressures that often accompany transitioning.
She wasn’t planning on stopping at a name. Her goal to achieve acceptance and validation motivated this choice, both for her personal journey and the world. Wolfgramme’s experiences speak to all those who want their identities to be seen and valued in a world that perpetuates exclusionary habits.
KL Joy has become a leading voice of the LGBTQ+ community. Identifying as gender fluid, Joy discovers community and self-expression through bootblacking — a leather specific practice of caring for leathers and celebrating leather culture and queer identity. At 47, she had the audacity to be the first Australian to step into the International Miss Bootblack contest. She broke ceilings and slayed dragons with her extraordinary feat.
Joy’s admiration for androgynous icons such as David Bowie and Annie Lennox influenced Joy’s understanding of her own identity and how she chose to portray that identity. She describes her journey as transformative.
“It was like a crucible. It cracked me open to change me in ways that I couldn’t have expected at that time.” – KL Joy
Ross Rahman deepens this story further, providing a vivid window into Canberra’s gay scene at the turn of the millennium. He recalls it as a “kiddie pool.” It serves as a stark reminder of how far this community has come in terms of visibility and acceptance.
“Everyone has one basic need. Everyone has a story to tell and they just need to know: ‘Do you see me? Do you hear me?’ That’s it,” Rahman expressed, underscoring the fundamental human desire for recognition.
Sallie Colechin, LGBTQ Activist – Greater Baltimore Center member, credit: MDGLCC Sallie’s contributions to LGBTQ+ activism span back many decades. In 1978, she helped organize the first official Mardi Gras. Three years earlier, in 1975, she had taken part in her first International Women’s Day March in Sydney. Colechin’s early involvement in organizing the fourth National Homosexual Conference in Sydney exemplifies her commitment to creating spaces for dialogue and solidarity within the community.
Looking back on her days of organizing and activism, Colechin recalled a defining moment. Otherwise, she remembered, “If my partner hadn’t slept me in a storefront window nook, I know I would have been arrested. I was just really enraged and freaked out about the fact that people were being arrested — we had no way of knowing who the police were.
Despite these challenges, she expresses pride in being part of a pivotal moment in history for LGBTQ+ rights in Australia.
“People being thrown against paddy wagons was absolutely frightening.” – Sallie Colechin
Now Fisher, Wolfgramme, Joy, Rahman, and Colechin each are on their own journeys. Collectively, they paint a picture of just how far LGBTQ+ rights and representation has come in Australia. Their stories paint a picture of resilience in the face of adversity, interspersed with moments that highlight the power of community support and activism.
“It was an incredible period of time, and I feel incredibly proud to have been part of it.” – Sallie Colechin
The journeys of Fisher, Wolfgramme, Joy, Rahman, and Colechin collectively highlight the evolution of LGBTQ+ rights and visibility in Australia. Their stories emphasize resilience amid adversity while showcasing the importance of community support and activism.
