ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how sistergirls and brotherboys struggle to find a balance between being transgender and being Aboriginal, which are sometimes seen as incompatible. Some individuals are torn between two cultures and feel like they must choose one or the other. Some aspects of western definitions of transgender are incompatible with being sistergirls and brotherboys; however others are not. As mentioned by Kai above, some trans people are coming out as Aboriginal. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island (ATSI) people, being Aboriginal means living with racism. Some trans ATSI people have made tentative approaches to their Elders so they can be included in gender-appropriate activities. Sistergirls and brotherboys may be rejected from their community and family; this may lead to suicide or they may be forced to move away. If they move to a large city expecting to be welcomed into the transgender community, they are often again rejected because of racism.
