Prof Sandy O’Sullivan (Wiradjuri, trans they/them)

I had a disquieting late night on social media as I was tagged by some folks who have decided I’m not a trans person and that because I’m an academic I talk over ‘real’ trans people. It feels surreal at a time that I’m heading over to Adelaide for continuing care following gender-affirming surgery.

I was also called out for being “rich” which was news to me. I’m lucky I have a job that pays well. As an older Aboriginal trans person I can honestly say I’ve worked hard but it’s still always luck because our lives can turn very easily and frustratingly at the gift of others too often.

I’m fine… just an older person getting gender affirming surgery follow up!

While this isn’t true for everyone, I’m aware that for many trans people their opportunities in work are diminishing. Said within the greatest of privileges, I had some experiences myself over the last couple of years. I want to share what they look(ed) like and what disrupted them. 

Sorry, I’m not promoting anything here but if you want to read queer Indigenous scholars who are doing remarkable work - you can find them here on our website. queer-as.org/blaqademics/

While this isn’t true for everyone, I’m aware that for many trans people their opportunities in work are diminishing. Said within the greatest of privileges, I had some experiences myself over the last couple of years. I want to share what they look(ed) like and what disrupted them. 

We all need to focus on our next steps. I don’t wanna just see out my life in a dream job while my trans siblings are not being given these opportunities. There’s a lot that we need to do, and that I need to do. This lifeline from UQ and that’s what it was, has reminded me of this. 

While this isn’t true for everyone, I’m aware that for many trans people their opportunities in work are diminishing. Said within the greatest of privileges, I had some experiences myself over the last couple of years. I want to share what they look(ed) like and what disrupted them. 

Why would we participate in spaces like universities? Why would we participate in any of these spaces that require us to be less than who we are in order to secure a position?  I believe that university can do better, honestly otherwise I’ll just retire. I’m 60 and this is frankly really tiring.

While this isn’t true for everyone, I’m aware that for many trans people their opportunities in work are diminishing. Said within the greatest of privileges, I had some experiences myself over the last couple of years. I want to share what they look(ed) like and what disrupted them. 

I’m on the national Athena Swan committee, on a Horizon Europe program examining equity. My work focuses on equity - in museums yes, but also across the public imaginary. This has been such a reminder to me towards the end of my career that we have to make space for diversity, not just say it.

While this isn’t true for everyone, I’m aware that for many trans people their opportunities in work are diminishing. Said within the greatest of privileges, I had some experiences myself over the last couple of years. I want to share what they look(ed) like and what disrupted them. 

But it wasn’t an institution that did this, it was my new colleagues reaching out and understanding that the complexity of who we are actually makes us more ‘of the world’, more of what students and the community should expect from universities. They should expect us to be good at our jobs. 

While this isn’t true for everyone, I’m aware that for many trans people their opportunities in work are diminishing. Said within the greatest of privileges, I had some experiences myself over the last couple of years. I want to share what they look(ed) like and what disrupted them. 

The thing about this is that it’s hard to pinpoint. You can have a sense and I think I have very good senses after all these years in higher education as an Indigenous trans person. And over that time I’ve seen comfortability politics become a part of the university system.

While this isn’t true for everyone, I’m aware that for many trans people their opportunities in work are diminishing. Said within the greatest of privileges, I had some experiences myself over the last couple of years. I want to share what they look(ed) like and what disrupted them. 

I applied for leadership roles similar to the one I’m in. My dream was to develop museum studies, but I’ll be honest - I didn’t imagine anywhere was going to trust a mainstream program to me not because I couldn’t do it but because of who I am. So instead I applied for leadership roles.

While this isn’t true for everyone, I’m aware that for many trans people their opportunities in work are diminishing. Said within the greatest of privileges, I had some experiences myself over the last couple of years. I want to share what they look(ed) like and what disrupted them. 

Most have intersections in their lives. I’m an Aboriginal person, an older person, and I’m trans. I’m a lot of other things, but they’re what’s most obvious. I’m also a professor in Critical Indigenous Studies at MQ. In 2027, I join the University as professor of Museum Studies. 

I have no idea why I keep arguing with colonisers when they’re always going to do the same thing. Always. Meanwhile this NAIDOC, has land been handed back yet?

On the eve of going into major gender-affirming surgery (at 60, no less), I want to acknowledge the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU), my university and others that have ensured gender-affirming leave. This flags the importance of affirmation and support for workers across their life cycle.