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we were there

by Alysha Herrmann

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  • Amara(she/her | 6 years old) Creative, clever, afraid of the dark and bugs. Loves werewolves and the colour pink. Newest and proudest member of the Renmark Library. Goes to Renmark West Primary. Amara is the kind of kid that adults say things like “oh! She’s so precocious”, “not a wallflower, then!” “That kid is such a ham”. And what they mostly mean is that Amara hasn’t had all the joy and confidence knocked out of her by the system yet. Has an older sister (10year age gap) who is bi.
  • Delly(she/her | 72 years old) Granny to 9, mother to 3. Retired and living in her eldest’s “teen retreat” in Waikerie. Champion scone baker. Keen gardener. Missed all the wars but felt the trauma of them anyway through her alcoholic dad. Retired music teacher. Squeezes in some private piano and violin students (though her hands are getting a bit tired for violin herself). “Grandmas for Gays” – a support group to help make the community safer for queer young people. Scottish/German heritage.
  • Jordan(he/him | 25 years old) Works at Barmera Foodland. Went to Glossop High School. Dreams of being a muso but parents aren’t well off. Gotta work to live and no opportunities here in the Riverland. Australian hip-hop is his favourite. Knows he’s mob (Barkindji) but grew up disconnected from culture/country/family. Just wants everyone to stop treating him different. Not gay himself but ready to show up and support. We all have to lift each other, and mob know that better than anyone.
  • Nic(she/her | 39 years old) Youth worker/SSO @ Glossop High School (middle & senior campus). Mum to a 23yo & a 21yo (who both live out of home). Tattooed & quietly queer. Very single. Lives walking distance from the Berri Plaza. Trying to finish a teaching degree online. Still secretly scared she’ll never be more than a “white trash teen mum”. Organised in-school Making Pride series to create banners and costumes, one of the teachers is driving a busload of kids over to the walk with Nic.
  • Xav(they/them | 17 years old) Afraid of fucking up their future. In Year 12 at Loxton High School. Hard-working, earnest. Hella gay. Loves the Marvel Universe, the Saga comics and drawing original characters. Planning to study physics at uni. Doing all the hard subjects in Year 12. Adopted from Korea as a baby (white parents). So freaking excited about Pride March. Uses a different name at school, and at home. Not everywhere is safe. Can’t wait to get out of here. Keen as TTRPG player.
Delly

everything ends

7 May 20204 Oct 2022
Delly has seen it before. This slow denial. This slow fear crawling into the space left by not knowing. Delly has seen it before. So, Delly does what she has…
Other

everything changes

1 Mar 20204 Oct 2022
(transcript from The Riverland Forum Facebook group, 1st March 2020) Jace: What the fuck!!? Did anyone else just see that huge light over Renmark? TJ: UFOs man. I told ya.…
Nic

we are not safe

22 Feb 20205 Sep 2022
I am standing in line to see a show at the Garden of Unearthly Delights in Adelaide. There are whispers but it feels made up. A story that can't be…

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