Dani Laidley has lifted the lid on her life in Perth along with her childhood sweetheart Donna Leckie and says they are often usually noticed swimming at Scarborough Beach.
The AFL legend stated the couple are in “in a good place” as they put together to make their first official speech collectively on the Pride Luncheon at The Crown on Friday.
Sharing their lowkey life solely to PerthNow, the 56-year-old stated, “We live in Scarborough and we tend to spend a hell of a lot of time walking down the beach and swimming. It’s very therapeutic for us.”
The former Eagles star — tipped to be the following West Coast Eagles girls’s coach — stated, “It gives us time to get away and just enjoy the beautiful beaches that we have”.
Explaining why they needed to take to the stage collectively for the “first time” at this week’s LGBTQI+ occasion, the ex-footballer stated, “She is there at everything we do together, normally I am the one that gets up and talks and Donna will talk to other guests in the room.”
“This is actually the first time we will be taking the stage together and doing a short presentation and then we are doing a Q&A together and that will also give people an understanding about Donna supporting me and a little bit about our relationship. That can only be a good thing.”
Detailing their unlikely love story, Laidley by no means fathomed they’d find yourself collectively in later life.
“We went to primary school together and secondary school together and we were boyfriend and girlfriend back then for parts of our schooling,” she stated.
“Our lives went different ways. We reconnected six years ago and it evolved and has grown from there.”
Having Donna in her life as she navigates popping out as trans has made life simpler for Laidley.
“I am a lot happier. My life isn’t compartmentalised anymore. I can be me and live in the present and reconnect with family and friends,” stated Laidley, who featured on Maxim’s listing of the 100 most stunning girls this yr.
She admits popping out has “come with another set of circumstances and barriers that you have to deal with. Life is not a bed of roses by any stretch of the imagination. As a whole, I can be myself and continue to work to be the best person I can be.”
Explaining their joint look, she stated, “a function like this gives us an opportunity to tell my story, talk about acceptance, being able to be yourself and live your life.”
Whilst she has felt acceptance after revealing her gender, it hasn’t been straightforward.
“The low was how it became public,” Laidley stated.
“That was devastating for a lot of people. The highs have been acceptance by family and friends and work colleagues and the general public. There will be some haters out there and that’s ok too. I live my life and they can live their life and do whatever they want but we’re in a good place.”
Laidley stated it has been emotional to see the influence popping out as trans has had on others.
“From the book over a year ago to the documentary out about six weeks ago, what it has done, firstly the response has been so overwhelmingly positive and we are so very grateful for the feedback that we had and the messages of support,” she stated.
“How we’ve helped people be themselves. Whether it be a family member or a friend, it’s been incredibly positive and we’ve been very grateful for that. There’s been so many wonderful stories.”
Sharing one, she stated, “One in particular we got a message from a grandparent. It has allowed them to understand their grandchild much better and have a much better understanding of how to support them. When you hear stories like that, it is wonderful.”
Laidley needs she had a task mannequin to paved the way when she was youthful.
“I think with what’s out there now, the resources, the internet for a start, there’s a lot of professional people now you can talk to. That certainly wasn’t around when I was growing up,” she stated.
“It was a completely different era. The great thing about today with gender dysphoria, whether that’s themselves going through that or a family member, it just gives people a better understanding of what gender dysphoria is and how to support that person with a professional team around them – that’s the big difference.”
Coming out late in life was a rollercoaster for Laidley.
“After living in fear of what perhaps may have been said, or thought of or spoken about, there is a lot of high anxiety in that,” she stated.
“I am so very grateful particularly how it came out, which was not a particularly easy thing for me or my family to go through being so public. Everyone from the football world has supported me 100 per cent and I am so very grateful for that.”
The former North Melbourne premiership winner additionally discusses whether or not trans gamers must be included in skilled soccer.
“There’s a whole lot of science research that is being put into that (trans people taking part in professional sports and AFL),” she stated.
“It’s a slow burn. If I had transitioned in my mid-twenties after playing in the AFL at an elite level for ten or so years and then transitioning, I think I would have had a competitive advantage playing in a different competition. For how long, I don’t know because it’s only me. I can only talk about myself and my story.”
She is eager to let science lead the dialogue.
“Until we continue to get science and stats and facts, it’s a slow burn moving towards that at an elite level. At a community level, you should be able to play.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
