Gender Diversity Consultant, Trans Awareness Trainer, Diversity Speaker and Trans Advocate Katherine Wolfgramme hones in on the Sydney Fringe Festival to present 'SHE: The Extraordinary Journey of an Ordinary Transgender Woman' – a personal project that tells the story of her three-decades as a Trans woman.
Launching next Tuesday 5 September, proudly supported by Sephora ANZ in the Cabaret Club of The Castlereagh Boutique Hotel, the one-woman show will take audiences on a journey through Katherine's lived experience – a journey that started long before social media, within a generation that pushed societal 'norms,' at the age of 18.
"Long before social media proliferated the trans journey and myriad individual narratives, mine was a generation that could not be what we could not see. While our gender dysphoria was undeniable, there were limited paths available to address it," said Katherine Wolfgramme.
"I set out to blaze a trail, driven by my purpose to create change that would benefit not only me, but those who bravely came after me," she said.
Since Katherine's transition almost 35 years ago, there have been great developments for the Transgender population in Australia, especially in regard to anti-discrimination and employment equality.
At the ages of 23, in her country of birth Fiji, Katherine created legal precedence by becoming the first Transgender woman to legally obtain a female name. In 1997, Fiji was a homophobic country dictated by a military government, meaning this was no easy feat. However, Katherine was able to instil change, with the Pacific Island Nation becoming the first to add the protection of LGBTQIA+ people to its constitution later that year.
As a beloved member of Sydney's Gay Community and a driving force of change within the corporate sector, Katherine creates a language of greater understanding to help facilitate cultural safety and promote safer and more inclusive environments for Trans people in Australia. She hopes her story brings greater visibility and understanding towards her often-misunderstood community.
"From Fiji to Daylesford, from squatting in houses to sitting on Boards, from changing laws in Fiji, to journalism in Australia, I hope the story of my three-decade journey leaves your mind a little wiser and your heart a little bigger," concluded Katherine.
Tickets are on sale for Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights' performances through the Sydney Fringe Festival website.
