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Key points
- The Victorian government has launched a campaign on the impact of microaggressions on people of different gender types.
- The Unsaid Says a Lot is the first government-led campaign of its kind in Australia.
- Son Vivienne, CEO of Transgender Victoria, said microaggressions and subtle non-verbal cues can have a major negative impact on people.
This article contains references to suicide.
The Victorian Government has launched a campaign focusing on the impact of microaggressions and non-verbal discrimination on the trans and gender diverse community.
Microaggressions are indirect, subtle and seemingly ‘minor’ instances of discrimination.
The Unsaid Says a Lot is the first government-led campaign of its kind in Australia and is part of the state’s broader LGBTIQ+ strategy.
Son Vivienne, CEO of Transgender Victoria – who helped design the campaign with the state government – said microaggressions and subtle non-verbal cues can have a major negative impact on people.
“The sideways look or the feeling that you don’t belong or are not welcome is something that all people recognize and understand.
“And sometimes that escalates to more tangible examples of exclusion, like bullying, but often it’s just the feeling of not being recognized in the community or feeling welcome in a public space,” says Vivienne.
Vivienne says the campaign seeks to broaden the way we define exclusion and discrimination, as many people tend to define discrimination through explicit verbal or physical hostility.
“We have legal and employment systems and we have systems that recognize the black and white – but not the gray… The subtlety of whether you feel supported by the people around you and the impact of feeling left out by the people around you is profound. ” they said.
Trans and gender diverse communities continue to report high levels of stigma and discrimination. Research from La Trobe University in 2021 found that more than three-quarters of trans and gender diverse participants reported that they had been treated unfairly in the past 12 months because of their gender identity.
More than 20 percent of respondents indicate that this happens ‘a lot’ or ‘always’.
Professor Adam Bourne, a public health researcher and director of the Australian Research Center in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, said discrimination was still a widespread problem for transgender and gender diverse people.
“We see people being discriminated against in the workplace, in healthcare, we see people experiencing violence and abuse, verbal abuse, physical intimidation or assault in public – and in a range of other contexts,” he said.
Bourne notes that these experiences of discrimination have been shown in research to be strongly associated with psychological problems, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts.
“Everywhere we see these types of experiences, where we see people who have had these types of experiences, we see poorer mental health outcomes time and time again,” he said.
More than 40 percent of trans and gender diverse participants in La Trobe University’s 2021 survey reported considering attempting suicide in the past 12 months, a rate 20 times higher than the 2.3 percent among the general Australian population is reported.
Bourne says that despite small improvements in the experiences of trans and gender diverse young people and some improved outcomes and experiences in healthcare, there is little evidence to suggest that “experiences of stigma and discrimination for trans and gender diverse people are decreasing as a whole .”
The Victorian campaign contrasts these experiences of subtle discrimination with positive actions viewers can take to express allyship with members of the trans or gender diverse community, such as sharing a seat on a tram or including someone on a social sports team.
Vivienne said that showing these small acts to the public could be important in understanding their power.
“I think if allies can understand that the smallest indication that they are inclusive, supportive, interesting or welcoming can save lives, that is a profound message to convey,” they said.
Readers seeking crisis support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for under 25s). More information and mental health support is available at and on 1300 22 4636.
supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
LGBTIQ+ Australians seeking mental health support can contact QLife on 1800 184 527 or visit . also has a list of support services.
