TRANSGENDER Greenfields resident Natalie Carroll-Smith, 22, has spoken out about the difficulties facing people like her looking for work and social acceptance.
“Social acceptance has become a hurdle and you don’t necessarily have the opportunities other people have.”
- Natalie Carroll-Smith
Formerly known as Nathan, Ms Carroll-Smith openly voiced her desire to become a woman last year, and said she had faced ridicule and prejudice since.
“I lost swarms of friends and family,” she said.
“Social acceptance has become a hurdle and you don’t necessarily have the opportunities other people have.”
The most challenging aspect in life has become finding work, Ms Carroll-Smith said.
Formerly working in hospitality, she said she lost her job shortly after making the transition and was forced to move into her parents’ house.
“It was a really challenging time – I found every avenue I tried to take closed to me, even though I’m fully qualified,” she said.
“I found the professional aspect more challenging than the social side of things.”
Ms Carroll-Smith has attained certificates two and three in hospitality, a responsible service of alcohol certificate and a responsible service of gaming certificate.
But despite the qualifications, she said she has been refused work because of the transition.
“At least two employers have told me I can’t work for them because of my transgender choice,” she said.
“I can understand they’re trying to protect their business, but if they looked at my qualifications they’d see I’m capable.
“It’s hard to take the rejection – it feels bad every time.”
Ms Carroll-Smith described the time spent leading up to her decision as “wasted years”.
“After realising I wanted to make the transition, the first feeling was relief,” she said.
“But I felt like I’d wasted so much time after it – so many years that I could have been getting on with my life.”
Ms Carroll-Smith has also taken on an advocacy role for transgender people with her Youtube channel, Rainbow Weekly.
“The mental health side of the transition and the barriers of acceptance are a serious issue, and I think people need to be more aware of it,” she said.
“A lot of people are accepting, but gender change is very new to society – hopefully people can keep an open mind about it.”
She is yet to have her operation, and plans on travelling overseas for surgery.
“The general cost in Australia is about $100,000, but in other countries it can be as low as $20,000 – I plan to fly over as soon as possible” she said.
Standards of care released by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health recommend an approach to transition that includes living in the preferred gender role before surgery.
