Nineteen-year-old Bee proudly identifies as non-binary, but being accepted for who they are in a small regional community has not been easy.
The "lack of understanding" around gender became evident five years ago while at school in Bee's small northern New South Wales home town, a few kilometres from the Queensland border.
"There was me and one other girl in the class at the time and the girl turned around and said to everyone, 'I can't believe I'm the only girl in the class' referring to herself and everyone started laughing.
"The boy at the back of the class said 'Oh yeah, that's because she — referring to me — is a transgender' and I turned around and said 'I'm not a boy'," Bee said.
Amid feelings of shock and confusion over the taunts, the penny dropped.
"I sat down and thought 'No, I'm not that or that'. I didn't really understand," Bee said.
Bee discovered the term non-binary while researching online and decided to test using they/them pronouns.
Bee's parents, however, were less receptive to the change.
Living in the Tweed region, Bee said connecting with other gender and sexually diverse people had traditionally taken place online, but a local youth coalition was working to change that.
Bee is part of the Q*Network, which is improving LGBTIQSB acceptance by organising meet-ups, workshops, marches and professional support while being an avenue for members to voice concerns.
"I think a lot of older people have these conversations and use derogatory terms when speaking about us, and say 'this person could be gay by the way they act'," Bee said.
"I think for those people who don't understand – seek out the research, or try to learn more about it.
Baby boomer towns
Clinical lead of headspace Tweed Heads Jackie Scales said the service supported Q*Network's grassroots initiatives.
About 25 per cent of young people who come to headspace are from the southern Gold Coast area, while the remainder are from northern New South Wales.
Ms Scales said diverse groups often experienced pushback in more conservative towns, which could further isolate teens and young adults.
"Tweed has an older baby boomer population generationally, not as educated or understanding of these things," she said.
Ms Scales hoped the grassroots advocacy and education will become "self-sustaining".
"In terms of non-binary and transgender young people, we've organised gender physicians to come in and give talks to educate parents and community members about the medical pathways involved in that as well," Ms Scales said.
