This month, Darlinghurst was a vibrant display of pride and protest as the 47th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade took to Oxford Street. The event, a celebration of LGBTQAI+ diversity and a reminder of the fight for queer rights, saw participants showcasing their unique identities. Among them was Felicia Foxx, a prominent Kamilaroi and Dunghutti drag performer, who merged their Koori culture with queer identity in a powerful expression of self.
Foxx, dressed in a red laplap and adorned with ochre, knee-high red heeled boots, and carrying a coastal fishing spear, embodied the First Nations community’s theme of ‘Free to Be Black Royalty’. They wore traditional ochre gifted by Uncle Raymond Weatherall, a mentor from their Country, to reflect their Aboriginal heritage and their queer identity. However, while Foxx received immense support for their outfit, they were also subjected to a wave of online abuse, much of it targeting the intersection of their culture and queerness. Trolls accused them of not being a “real” Aboriginal man, and some even resorted to cruel comments about their sexuality.
This abuse, Foxx believes, stems from bigotry masquerading as cultural preservation. As they shared with NITV, “They are hiding their homophobia behind their culture. And it’s my culture. I am a gay Aboriginal man, and that’s something that I have to live with and deal with every single day, 365 days a year. I can’t wake up and put my queerness aside. I can’t wake up and put my Blackness aside.”
The Complex Mental Health Struggles of Queer First Nations People
Felicia Foxx is far from alone in her experience of navigating both queer and First Nations identities, often in the face of discrimination from both broader society and within their own communities. According to research by Professor Corrinne Sullivan, a Wiradjuri academic at Western Sydney University, the intersection of queerness and First Nations identity presents unique mental health challenges.
Professor Sullivan, who is leading research projects on queer First Nations needs, describes this dual identity as a “double-edged sword of discrimination”. Her studies have highlighted three main trends in the mental health of queer First Nations people:
Increased Discrimination: Queer First Nations individuals face both racism and queerphobia, often compounded by societal stigma toward both their Aboriginality and their queerness.
Cultural Identity Challenges: Many queer mob members experience lateral shaming and discrimination from other First Nations community members, leading to a sense of disconnect from their culture and community.
Lack of Inclusive Services: There is a shortage of mental health and community services that adequately support both First Nations and queer identities, leaving many individuals without effective care.
While not all Indigenous communities or individuals are queerphobic, Sullivan notes that some areas, especially in New South Wales and across Australia, experience such discrimination. She also points out that some of this rejection may be rooted in religious beliefs, which she finds surprising given how deeply intertwined spirituality and culture are within First Nations communities.
Decolonization Through Queer Identity
Dylan Hoskins, a gender non-conforming Dunghutti, Gumbayngirr, and Bundjalung person, offers a perspective on the struggles facing queer First Nations individuals. For Dylan, being both queer and Indigenous is an act of “decolonisation”, challenging both the rigid structures of Western society and the barriers within their own community. Dylan describes their identity as a form of resilience, where the act of existing as both a Black person and a queer person is a fight against systems that have historically excluded and marginalised them.
Despite acknowledging the “powerful allies” in the First Nations community who advocate for queer mob, Dylan is still deeply aware of how cultural identity can sometimes be weaponised. As they explain, “Culture becomes weaponised, where people try and misconstrue the authenticity and wholesomeness and the positive nature of self-expression and self-identity.”
For queer First Nations individuals like Felicia, Dylan, and many others, the fight for acceptance and understanding often spans multiple fronts—challenging both the colonial structures imposed by Western society and the more traditional norms within their own communities. This intersectional struggle is not just about fighting for a place within queer spaces or First Nations spaces but rather carving out a new space where both identities can coexist and be celebrated without the burden of discrimination or exclusion.
Conclusion
The mental health challenges faced by queer First Nations people are multifaceted, reflecting both societal attitudes and internal community dynamics. The need for supportive and inclusive services that understand and address the duality of queer and Indigenous identities is critical. The resilience shown by individuals like Felicia Foxx and Dylan Hoskins in the face of adversity is a testament to the strength of First Nations queer communities, but it also highlights the urgent need for change. As more research is conducted and awareness grows, it is hoped that queer First Nations people will be able to navigate their identities without the constant struggle against discrimination and exclusion.
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