At the age of 16, Frankie Mazzone is a leading young voice in Australia when it comes to advocating for the rights of trans people. Whether it’s raising awareness on social media or working with support organisations like Transcend Australia, the Melbourne-based teenager lends her voice to educating the wider community about the challenges faced by trans people, and what needs to be done to address these. But it’s not easy work.
“I feel like we're still at a point where trans people don't really get the option to not advocate,” Mazzone tells Missing Perspectives. “Sadly, a lot of us have to. It's in our everyday life. And I think that's the main point of this campaign – to not have to advocate every day, but just to live.”
Mazzone is referring to the Victorian Government’s trans and gender diverse awareness raising campaign called ‘The Unsaid Says A Lot’. Featuring a series of videos filmed in various scenarios and environments like on a tram, at a barbecue, in an elevator or at the footy, the campaign strives to emphasise the power of non-verbal communication to facilitate inclusion and respect towards trans and gender diverse people.
With three out of four trans and gender diverse people having been treated unfairly because of their gender identity, and 43 percent not feeling safe on the street, there’s inarguably a need for such public awareness. Mazzone’s involvement entailed being on the co-design committee for the campaign.
“I think it's a great opportunity for people to gain that education through these videos about your actions, and that the tiny things that you say actually do have a big effect on us,” she explains. “I think it's a great resource for people to see, rather than having to ask us the questions that we don't really want to have to answer.”
Frankie Mazzone. Photo: Supplied/Roxy Hennessey
Coming out is a very personal experience and differs from one to another. Mazzone says that “ever since I could form a sentence, I was a girl”, but she didn’t know the word trans at this point.
“I didn't know the term transgender when I was three. As I got older, and going into primary school, people kind of were saying ‘Oh you're a boy, you shouldn't do that’. It kind of put me into this little box of like, ‘Oh, well where do I fit?’ Because my body says one thing, but how I'm thinking says another thing, and it's just not making any sense to me,” she recalls.
It’s at this point that schooling became difficult. Not only did Mazzone “shut off” as she was apprehensive of what people thought of her, but the bullying made it difficult to even go to class.
This eventually led to her changing schools – an experience she describes as “a whole new world”. Finally feeling as though she wasn’t judged or had to define herself with labels, Mazzone found the confidence to truly be herself.
“I was able to express myself knowing that I wasn't going to be judged. And it was a really great coming out,” she says. “I don't think I had anyone at my school, my family or anyone in my circle say anything offensive, which was really lovely.”
Mazzone also believes that improving the representation of trans and gender diverse people on screen will immensely help younger people in particular.
“I didn't see any trans people in the media when I was younger,” she reflects. “I think that was a big reason for why I didn't know those terms [such as transgender] when I was younger.
“As I've gotten older and been able to get onto the Internet, I've definitely come across many incredible trans people. But I definitely think in the mainstream media, there needs to be more, and I think we're slowly getting that.”
Ultimately, Mazzone believes that being a good ally simply comes down to respect and is “just like being a good friend”.
“I think ally’s just a different word for being a good friend, you know? I think it's as simple as that. [Ask yourself], would you say those things to someone that you want to be friends with?”