Voices of Us Ep. 6: Cathy; Coming Out, to Who? Self, Friends, Strangers and Families

City of Melbourne Libraries

In this last episode of the Voices of Us series, we will be speaking with Cathy, a former international student from China. Cathy is now working at Mindspace Consulting and volunteers at ANTRA - Australian and New Zealand Tongzhi Rainbow Alliance. In this episode, you will hear about Cathy’s coming out journey and how coming out to herself was the first and most difficult challenge she had to overcome. Learning what gay means, accepting oneself and having the support and freedom to be who one are. The speaker also discusses how online resources and blogs by other queer people help her not feel alone in the journey and how to be authentic oneself to others around her. Everyone’s experience is unique and valid. You can find your way navigating your sexuality. And you are not alone. Cathy Fangda Yang (She/Her) is an entrepreneur, marketing specialist and independent film producer. She has been involved in China's LGBTQ+ rights movement since 2009 and currently serves as the vice president of Australian and New Zealand Tongzhi Rainbow Alliance (ANTRA). Cathy is also the managing partner of Mindspace Consulting, a Melbourne-based LGBTQ+ friendly psychology practice for the Chinese community in Australia; and Gentle Glacier Productions, an award-winning boutique independent film and video production house. Voices of Us is a series of podcasts created by @co_inventors in partnership with the library, with a focus on the voices of queer international students. Hear about the challenges of international students navigating their queer journey, identity and self-exploration and how different cultures shape how they engage with family, friends and partners. Check out the latest episode today on City of Melbourne Libraries SoundCloud : 💚Follow City of Melbourne Library Soundcloud https://bit.ly/LibSounds Funded by Hey Grant and Partners @yacvic Presented by @co_inventors Proudly supported by @cityofmelbourne @agmcinc @RMIT Translation and Interpretation Discipline #voicesofus