A new campaign has been launched to raise awareness and improve understanding of the experiences of trans and gender diverse Victorians.
The ‘Unsaid Says A Lot’ campaign has been developed to help people see the impact of daily exclusion, judgement and discrimination on trans and gender diverse Victorians – and the positive and immediate impact of inclusion and connection.
The campaign concept draws on the fact that 93 per cent of communication is non-verbal. Facial expressions, body language, gestures, eye contact and space can say exactly what people want to say, without saying a word.
The campaign portrays everyday situations to help viewers to feel what it’s like for a trans person experiencing discrimination. The videos also show the positive actions people can take on their journey to LGBTIQA+ allyship.
Research shows that more than three in four trans and gender diverse people have been treated unfairly because of their gender identity. The impact of persistent stigma, discrimination and exclusion is linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide across LGBTIQA+ communities.
The campaign was co-designed with Victorian trans and gender diverse people and brought to life by Victorian-based director, actor, writer, producer and transperson Harvey Zielinski (he/him).
“I think this campaign is really important and powerful and I’m really pleased to be involved, especially in light of the vitriol we’ve witnessed towards the trans and gender diverse community over the past year,” Mr Zielinski said.
“I wish we didn’t need to campaign for respect. I believe acceptance and inclusion should be a given, a bare minimum societally. I hope campaigns like this help work towards this goal, and improve the day-to-day lives of trans and gender diverse people.”
The year-long campaign will run on social media via LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
