Trans and Friends Festival Illawarra Launches Again This November

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Gender Alliance (ISGA) is gearing up for its third annual Trans and Friends Festival Illawarra (TAFFI), a vibrant celebration of the trans and gender diverse (TGD) community.

Taking place on November 10 at the University of Wollongong, this year’s event promises to be the largest of its kind in Australia, attracting around 2,000 attendees.

TAFFI serves as a safe and inclusive space for trans and gender diverse individuals, friends, and allies to come together, learn, and celebrate in an atmosphere of support and acceptance.

Trans and Friends Festival Illawarra November 10

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Gender Alliance (ISGA) is a health promotion charity run entirely by volunteers and plays a crucial role in advocating for the trans and gender diverse community.

The organisation works to enhance collaboration between trans individuals, healthcare providers, and allies, offering educational opportunities, support, and advocacy. At its core, ISGA is trans-led and champions the diversity of trans and gender-diverse experiences.

Its mission is to create an empowered community where everyone can access affirming healthcare and find support from a wide range of people, including families, health providers, and allies.

For the third year the organisation has organised the Trans and Friends Festival Illawarra (TAFFI) to help support the trans and gender diverse community in the area.

TAFFI offers a full day of activities designed to engage and uplift the trans and gender diverse community. Workshops will cover important topics such as medical advice and lived experiences, while market stalls will offer everything from binders and badges to resources from trans-inclusive services.

Claire Murphy, President of ISGA and TAFFI Convenor, described the festival as “the largest of its kind in Australia, if not the Southern Hemisphere.” She added, “It’s an opportunity for TGD folk to gather in a safe environment, meet friends, make friends and join community. It also offers parents of TGD kids somewhere to find help, resources, and other parents, often leading to long-term friendships and building community relationships.”

The highlight of the festival is TAFFI Talks, which will feature presentations by trans leaders from across the East Coast of Australia.

These talks will cover a range of topics not easily accessible to the community in everyday life, including top surgery presentations from leading surgeons, binding and tucking workshops, and justice panels with leaders such as Jackie Turner from the Trans Justice Project and Cass Best from BlaQ.

The workshops will also feature practical demonstrations, including drag and trans makeup tutorials by local drag queens Roxee Horror and Ellawarra, as well as weaving workshops led by Indigenous women.

For families, the festival offers a dedicated youth area where children can enjoy creative activities like badge-making and zine workshops, while parents can connect with others at the Gender Centre stall.

The day will also feature live entertainment by trans and gender-diverse artists from the South Coast and Sydney, ensuring that the event is as colourful and engaging as it is informative.

Murphy reflected on the growth of the festival over the past three years: “In year one, we struggled to find sponsors and people wanting to be part of the festival. Now in year three, the help from external trans organisations is wonderful, and the support is amazing. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces warms my heart.”

Tickets are available for just $10, and ISGA members can attend for free.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this incredible event celebrating diversity, inclusion, and community spirit.