Tiwi Island’s Sistagirls overcome cultural hurdles to become icons of national LGBTI scene

Since appearing at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the Tiwi Island Sistagirls have become celebrated icons of the LGBTI community, but back home in the NT, life is socially and culturally more complex

Bathurst Island Sistagirls Vivian Warlapinni-Kerinauia, Anthony Timaepatuajay and Nicole Miller have overcome discrimination in their community. Picture: HELEN ORR

A COOL breeze cuts through the humid wet season air on Bathurst Island.

Pellets of rain beat on the corrugated roof of the screen printing studio at Tiwi Designs.

At the time, Sistagirls Nicole Miller and Vivian ‘Buffy’ Warlapinni-Kerinauia broke out in laughter with tears in their eyes as they spoke about their impending trip to the Sydney mardi gras.

“I dreamt this all my life — I wanted to walk in Kings Cross and parade there,” Nicole said.

“Now we’re going, I’m really excited and really happy and I just want to cry.”

Since the Tiwi Island Sistagirls marched in the mardi gras in March for the first time ever, they’ve captured the heart of the nation. But the fight for acceptance and resources for gay and transgender people on the Tiwi Islands, about 80km north of Darwin, hasn’t been an easy battle.

Buffy and Nicole grew up together and both knew they were different from a young age.

“I found it a bit hard growing up,” Buffy said.

“I sort of knew I was different when I had feelings for another boy — that’s the first thing I noticed, and I was hanging out with the girls and cousin sisters.”

Nicole said there was a special connection between the so-called Sistagirls, who knew about each other, but had to keep it a big secret.

“We knew that we were Sistagirls — that’s why we stuck together and never mixed with the boys,” she said.

“We used to sit down and joke and talk about them — boys.

“But we had to dress normally, and hide inside us.

“But when we could do the disco it all comes out — we dance like a lady,” she laughed.

The Sistagirls were a hit at this year’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Picture: HELEN ORR

The pair said their path was made easier by their predecessors who came out and fought for acceptance.

“In the past it was too hard for the Sistagirls to come out,” Nicole said.

“In the past we had a lot suicide — some were heartbroken, some called names, but now it’s been changed. Before we never had acceptance.

“But we want everyone to know we’re here and we have full acceptance in our community and that we really did fight for it.”

And the fight appears to have been worth it.

The Sistagirls stole the show at the Sydney mardi gras, gaining international attention. For some of the contingent, it was the first time they’d left the Territory.

It was an important step — not just as a way to celebrate their identity, but to show the world who they are and support other Sistagirls around the world who may be struggling.

Nicole said one of her roles on the island was to help safely guide the next generation through the same obstacles she faced.

“I want to let all my little girls know you don’t have to be shamed that you’re a Sistagirl,” she said.

“We have to be strong with them little ones, because they might end up turning around and suicide without even knowing they’re gay, they may not know the meaning of gay.

“I really want them to come out and be open with us. If their parents don’t accept them, they know they’ve got acceptance from us and other people.

“If they’ve got nowhere else to go they’ve got a place with me, I’ll look after them.”

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NOT only are the Sistagirls setting themselves up as positive role models, several of them will be undertaking sexual health training in November to be able to provide education and help on the islands.

“Some of these kids don’t even know about HIV, chlamydia, syphilis — they think (doctors have) a drug that can kill it straight away,” Nicole said.

“We need to provide condoms for them and teach you can get sick from sex.

“For us this program is really important.”

The taboos around sex and sexual health seen in western culture are exemplified on the Tiwis.

Nicole wants to see a grassroots approach to making it safer and more comfortable for people to come forward for help.

By training as sexual health workers, the group hope to reach members of the community who feel too shamed to go to the regular clinic.

“It’s better to have a black aboriginal sexual health worker — (Tiwi people are) more comfortable talking to us than a white person,” Nicole said.

“How about we have our own sexual health workers so we can explain to our children and our nephews and niece about what’s what.”

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FOR the Sistagirls, their culture is still paramount to who they are, despite what gender they identify as.

“There are a lot of cultural things underneath it all we must pay respect to — we must respect culture first,” Buffy said.

If the government does vote in favour of marriage equality after a controversial postal plebiscite, Nicole doesn’t believe it will greatly affect the lives of the Tiwi Sistagirls.

“It’s a big issue and we want it,” she said.

“But we can’t even have same sex marriage (due to cultural reasons on the Tiwis). It’s really hard so we’ll have to do it outside the community, we still have culture to abide by.”

Nicole still dances with her father and brother culturally, as a man, despite identifying as female.

“When I dance, I don’t dance in woman way, I dance man,” she said.

“I do it with my dad and brother — I still hold my dad’s culture.

“Some of the Sistagirls they dance with the women too, we dance with them, show them we may be Sistagirls, but we keep the culture too, instead of being shamed.”

Buffy said it could be difficult navigating the increasingly blurred lines between influence of the western world and the traditions of Tiwi culture.

“We’re trying to find that balance,” she said.

“The main thing is for the young ones here to be educated (in local culture).

“A lot of them go down south to boarding schools now, so they don’t have those sorts of things.”

By breaking cultural and geographical boundaries and making themselves known on an international stage, the Sistagirls are using their voice to fight for what’s important to them — keeping culture strong, and keeping their people safe.