The Barkly will be representing in the upcoming Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, with our own Emily Wells starring!

The internationally famous event this year encompasses World Pride, and Emily is flying to the NSW capital city on Saturday to take part in all the festival events, ending with the finale, the Mardi Gras Parade on 25 February.

She will be marching with the organisation Trans Pride Australia on a float called the “Kaleidoscope of Gender”.

But it hasn’t always been a kaleidoscope of happiness and rainbows knowing you are of the opposite gender.

Emily recalls she knew she was a girl at seven years old.

“While the word transgender became popular around the 1990s, it took me until the 2000s to transition,” she said.

“It was a struggle all the way growing up, but you learn to fight it. You learn that discrimination is not acceptable.”

While Emily says she is now out loud and proud, she still comes across discrimination.

“Even changing my licence from Queensland to Northern Territory, Queensland laws require you to present your birth certificate which has the wrong gender on it,” she said.

Emily passes on advice to young people struggling with coming out loud and proud.

“I was complaining to a friend one day about discrimination and she said: ‘You know there’s someone who can do something about that? YOU!”

This article appeared in Tennant & District Times, 17 February 2023.