Nick McKim (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

It was my privilege to be able to share a part of his journey with him—his transition with him. It was one of the most amazing learning experiences of my life, and I really want to thank Jasper for allowing me to share so closely with him that time in his life. Recently, Jasper wrote an article that was published by the Guardian, and I just want to place a couple of things that he said in that article on the record here in the Senate today. He said this:

There were two options for me as I grew up and had no choice but to accept my identity—I could die or find a way to live as Jasper.

'I could die or find a way to live as Jasper.' He said:

I did not want to die but I was terrified of how difficult transition would be. No two gender-diverse people trek the same transition path—

and that's one of the offensive things we've had to hear today—as if all trans people can somehow be lumped into a homogenous group, rather than being a rich and diverse cross-section of humanity, which is what they actually are. Jasper went on to say:

Waking up from general anaesthetic afterward is, and probably always will be, the happiest I have ever felt.

And I know that that's true. I know that it's true because I was able to share that with him—