Sally Goldner is a trailblazing Australian advocate, performer, and changemaker whose vibrant career spans community leadership, radio broadcasting, and the performing arts. With decades of activism under her belt, she served as Executive Director of TransGender Victoria and held key roles in Bisexual Alliance Victoria and the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby. In 2011, The Age named her one of Melbourne’s Top 100 Creative and Influential People, a recognition that reflects both her tireless advocacy and creative spirit. Sally’s voice has resonated through the airwaves for years as the host of Out of the Pan on 3CR 855 AM, where she explores pansexual issues with empathy, insight, and curiosity.
She’s also known for her unique presence as a drummer, singer, and stand-up comic, weaving humor and truth into her performances. Her personal journey has been documented in the film Sally’s Story, and her influence continues to shape conversations around gender diversity, inclusion, and equality in Australia. What sets Sally apart is her ability to bridge the personal and political with a rare blend of authenticity and compassion. Whether she’s mentoring the next generation of trans advocates, challenging outdated norms, or simply listening with her whole heart, she leads by example. Her work reminds us that advocacy is not just about laws and policies, but also about human connection, healing, and hope. I had the pleasure of speaking with Sally about her life, her art, and the state of transgender rights in Australia. Our conversation, rich with warmth, wit, and wisdom, begins here.
Monika: It’s an absolute pleasure and honor to be speaking today with Sally Goldner, Australian drummer, singer, and stand-up comic, longtime Executive Director of TransGender Victoria, treasurer of both Bisexual Alliance Victoria and the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, and one of The Age's Top 100 Creative and Influential People in Melbourne back in 2011. Sally, thank you so much for joining me!
Sally: Hi Monika! Thanks for that lovely introduction, it's great to be here with you.
Monika: Let’s start with a bit of background. How would you describe your personal journey so far?
Sally: I’ve been physically alive since October 1965 but only spiritually alive since April 1995, which was when I finally received accurate information about trans. At that point, all the pieces of my life began to make sense. I realized my need to affirm my female identity permanently about three years later, and in between those two times, I got to the truth about my sexual orientation, which I now define as bi/pansexual, like most things, it’s an evolution.
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| Sally's Story - Available via YouTube. |
Monika: You're a multi-talented artist, drummer, singer, and stand-up comic. What first drew you into the world of performance?
Sally: I started out more with singing and then was invited to the spoken word. Stand-up and character comedy was something I wanted to do deep down and started in 2003, although it’s been on the backburner since about 2008 due to being busy with advocacy and personal reasons.
Monika: You're also the host of Out of the Pan on 3CR 855 AM, a program dedicated to exploring issues across the pansexual spectrum, covering topics related to gender, sexuality, relationships, and identity. How did you get started in radio?
Sally: I have found a niche in radio presenting, I just love it. I was on another station (JOY 94.9 FM) from 1998 to 2004 and have now been with 3CR since 2005. I love hearing people’s stories and what makes people tick. There have been some amazing heartfelt interviews with people who open up in unexpected ways.
Monika: What kinds of moments or interviews have stayed with you the most?
Sally: One that stands out is a performer. I thought I’d be interviewing the “character”, a strong, powerful woman, but all of a sudden I was interviewing the “real-life person”, a vulnerable and totally different personality to on stage. I had to tear up my prepared questions and listen, with both ears and heart. Another was an interview with a couple where one person affirmed their identity in an existing relationship. "We're starting out on this new adventure together... it's built a deeper level of trust and respect for one another." This was just so incredibly authentic and moving… still brings up a few tears thinking about it now.
Monika: How would you describe the current state of transgender rights and legal protections in Australia?
Sally: We are progressing reasonably well in relation to legal reform. All of Australia’s nine jurisdictions (six states, two territories, and federal) have anti-discrimination protection, and the most recent law (federal) covers the whole trans and gender-diverse “kaleidoscope” and fills some of the gaps in the state and territory laws. The eight states and territories govern birth certificates: name change is reasonably easy for trans people; seven require surgery for change of marker, and one, the Australian Capital Territory, within the last month upgraded its laws to be based on affirmed identity. The federal government introduced sex and gender guidelines last year which, while only covering federal government agencies and departments, are being adopted by some state agencies and private and not-for-profit organizations.
Monika: What are the biggest challenges that trans communities and organizations still face?
Sally: Three challenges are the shortage of knowledgeable and sensitive health professionals, the costs for surgeries, and the severe shortage of funding for trans organizations. The latter is leading to a lot of burnout. All the same, we are working on these issues, and we are close to major breakthroughs.
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| Delivering a speech. |
Monika: In 2011, you were featured in the documentary Sally’s Story. How did you feel about how your story was portrayed?
Sally: Very satisfied. It was so easy to work with producers Mark and Trina (of Budaya Productions). Mark, like me, is an introvert and Highly Sensitive Person and just tapped into what I wanted and needed to say. When I saw the first “draft” of what became the final cut of the documentary, there was only one shot I didn’t like, and that was easy to fix. It’s a great record of my life to that point in time and provides a great resource.
Monika: During the early stages of your transition, did you have any transgender role models who inspired or supported you?
Sally: There were two amazing local role models, Julie Peters and Kayleen White. Julie ran for political office in the 1990s. She did so with gentle humor, humility, grace, and intelligence. She also offered me the advice that the transition was just as important as the end result, enjoy the journey, as the saying goes. Kayleen, while not so public, offered great wisdom and spirituality, and when we were advocating for state anti-discrimination protection in 2000, she was a great guide to me, as I was a relative newcomer to advocacy at the time.
Monika: Looking back on your journey, what would you say were the most difficult aspects of coming out?
Sally: Two aspects: parents/family and prejudice within the GLBTI community. While things are the best they have ever been with my family now, it was very difficult to deal with the limited contact we had for 10 years, from 1998 to 2008. The savior was largely someone who acted as a “bridge” to reconnect us, along with some spiritual work that helped too.
Monika: And how did challenges within the broader LGBTQ+ community affect you during that time?
Sally: While I was fortunate to have two wonderful mentors along with Kayleen and Julie, Kenton Miller (a gay man) and Janet Jukes (a lesbian), I was really taken aback by transphobia, biphobia, and sexism from some elements of the gay and lesbian communities, as well as other forms of prejudice that didn’t affect me directly, such as sizeism, racism, and ableism. I can grasp the “double standard” on an intellectual level, but it took a long time to understand the feelings involved, and I’m probably still not quite there.
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| "Sally Goldner on gender stereotypes" via Her Words. |
Sally: There is progress: along with the legal reforms, we have moved significantly in 10–15 years on employment, although there is still work to be done. Attitudes have improved: for example, 85% of Australians support anti-discrimination protections for trans people. The cost of surgery, say $A17,500 (11,804 euros), is a major issue (and this can be worse for trans men with multiple surgeries). Trigger warning regarding violence: the rate of physical assault is 20–25%, 12 times the national average, although we believe it has at least stabilized and is not getting worse. Christian and Jewish organizations are increasingly understanding of trans issues, which is also promising.
Monika: Do you believe that transgender rights represent the next major frontier in the broader struggle for human rights?
Sally: I think it is gaining traction. People are questioning very “binary” models of sex, gender identity, and gender expression, of which trans is, of course, a part, which is great. I think we always need to ensure a coordinated approach across all human rights campaigns so that when one becomes “flavor of the month,” we can give leverage to others.
Monika: Have you been involved in politics or advocacy campaigns? And do you believe transgender women can bring meaningful change to the political sphere?
Sally: Australian politics at the moment, in my opinion, is in a very shallow place of spin over substance, and that’s not for me. I gave the idea of standing as a candidate some thought prior to our September 2013 federal election but rejected it. Transgender Victoria, with which I’ve been involved since 1998, does have five broad priority areas as per Diversity in Health (released in late 2012). So we’re not involved in campaigns as such; rather, we have goals that we break down into smaller pieces and try to achieve.
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| With (then) Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, (May 2013). |
Monika: Many transgender women choose to write memoirs to share their journeys and inspire others. Have you ever considered writing your own life story?
Sally: I have thought about writing memoirs. Time, and supporting myself financially while I do that, have prevented it from happening so far.
Monika: What kinds of initiatives or projects are you currently involved in?
Sally: Transgender Victoria has two exciting projects underway. One is a grant to produce material assisting cisgender allies, and the other is a two-year program to provide training to aged care services around Victoria (the state within Australia where I live; other organizations have similar programs in other states). This gives us great scope to build links to rural areas where support for trans (and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and intersex, for that matter) is often less than in cities and inner metropolitan areas. Further, the material would be easily transferable to those working in, say, housing or working with youth. It gives us a great chance to break down transphobia (and homophobia and biphobia) and increase understanding with all the benefits that result.
Monika: What advice would you give to transgender girls who are struggling with gender dysphoria and feeling isolated?
Sally: I totally acknowledge that pain and isolation, having been there for 29 years myself. All the same, there is usually some sort of support somewhere, even if it can be hard to find at first. It might be necessary to take what seems like an indirect path to get to the right support, e.g. finding a gay and lesbian group that can then connect you to a trans group. But just taking one step can be the start of a journey to a better place.
Monika: Sally, thank you so much for sharing your time and insights with us.
Sally: A pleasure, and I’d welcome people to please contact me via Facebook, or on Twitter @salgoldsaidso.
To purchase or watch Sally’s Story contact Sally via Facebook.
Australian Government Guidelines on the Recognition of Sex and Gender
All the photos: courtesy of Sally Goldner.
© 2014 - Monika Kowalska
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