When Maree Dixon convened the first headspace support session for parents and carers of trans and gender diverse young people in Bendigo eight years ago, she wasn’t sure if it was only going to be the manager, her husband and herself attending.

“That wasn’t the case at all,” she says. “We had a room full of parents and carers. I knew then how much this group was needed.”

Since then, the group has continued to meet twice a month – once for specific support, and once for a meal out, helping smooth the path for – and celebrate the lives of – local LGBTIQA+ young people and their families.

“My name is Maree and I use she/they pronouns,” is how Maree introduces herself. “I have an amazing supportive husband, and we have a beautiful trans daughter who we are extremely proud of.

“We moved to Bendigo around 18 years ago from a small conservative town in NSW. We had an opportunity at the time to move here for work, so we jumped at it.”

Maree says when they first arrived, she didn’t hear much about the Queer community, until it affected her personally.

“I started to do a lot of research and learning to build up my knowledge and skills,” she says. “There wasn’t really a lot here at the time and it felt rather lonely, not knowing where to go or who to talk to.”

Maree is now the all-smiling, all-loving, all-embracing HEY Diversity worker at headspace Bendigo.

She’s worked with young people for the last 20 years and started out here as a volunteer, when seeking support for her own family.

“I spoke with the headspace manager about a support group for parents and carers of trans and gender diverse young people,” she says. “At the time I was looking for support for myself. I knew there had to be others like me out there.”

Maree still co-ordinates the parent/carer support group, along with weekly groups for LGBTIQA+ young people; Tadpoles is for ages 12-17 and Frogs for ages 18-25. 

“Young people who are on a similar journey can come together and learn from each other,” she says.

“Or, if we have a parent who is struggling, we can refer them to our lead agency, Bendigo Community Health Services.

“We also have a partnership with Carer Gateway, Carer Support Services at Bendigo Health to deliver the LGBTI Carers Project, which provides us with funding for a monthly meal out and some other treats for respite."

Maree’s own life is integral to the success of the groups. “You need that lived experience to be able to connect with people, and to bring them into a safe and confidential space,” she says.

Maree shared her story for the Big Book of Queer Bendigo, which launched during this week’s Pride Festival. On Saturday she promoted headspace’s services to countless families during Pride in the Park and she will soon present on Bendigo’s unique support offerings at the national headspace forum.

“With the introduction of the Pride Festival and other events, Bendigo has become such a welcoming and inclusive place to live and work,” she says.

“I love being part of the Queer community here, from volunteering, to attending the events, meeting new people, making new friends and making life-long connections with my chosen family. It really is a great place to be, and I have found my tribe.”

For more info on headspace's services, visit the webpage.