Mark Nannup, 30
Student and actor
Cis male, Gay
He/him
There was a lot of love and affection in the room as family and friends gathered to celebrate Mark’s brother’s 21st birthday. Beneath the smiles and laughter, a nervous energy flowed through Mark’s body.
“I had been thinking about coming out to the family for a while and just couldn’t pretend anymore. But I also kept saying to myself, “Don’t do it at his birthday. It’s his night not yours.”
Growing up in the northern WA town of Port Hedland within an Aboriginal community, Mark and his siblings were raised by his single mother who kept a watchful eye on her children.
“My mother was very strict and never let us get away with anything. She pushed us hard and didn’t want us to grow up to do nothing with our lives,” Mark explains before adding, “Unfortunately she was also quite homophobic, which made it very hard for me.”
With no access to any positive role models and living in fear of his mother’s judgment, Mark went through his teenage years in anguish, suffering quietly with thoughts of self-harm and suicide.
Expecting the worst to happen at the party if he came out, Mark was all set to leave home. He quit his boiler-maker apprenticeship, packed his bags and bought a one-way ticket to Perth.
As the night went on, people got merrier and there were beautiful speeches and outpouring of affection. Mark decided to seize the moment and taking his brother aside, he quietly came out to his brother.
“His first reaction was ‘How? Why? But you’re a Nannup!” Mark laughs recalling the incident.
By the end of the party, Mark was pretty much out of the closet and into the light.
Photo notes:
Mark now resides in Melbourne where he serves as the LGBTIQA+ Inclusion Coordinator at the Victorian College of the Arts, among many other things. It was a fun afternoon at his campus recreating his brother’s 21st!