When children are in survival mode, play can shrink. So can creativity, confidence and the small freedoms that help a young person discover who they are and what kind of future they can imagine.
For trans, gender diverse and non-binary young people, safety is felt in the body, at home, at school, online, in friendships and across the wider community. It is felt in whether a young person can relax, laugh, try something new, wear the clothes that feel right, use the name that fits, or exist without explaining themselves.
That was the heart of Play, Pride, Possibility: Creating Futures Where Trans Young People Thrive, a special International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) webinar hosted with Canva. The conversation explored a simple but powerful idea: when young people feel safe and affirmed, they play. And through play, they build identity, confidence, creativity and connection.
Safety gives young people room to breathe
For many families, the first signs of safety are quiet. A child softens. A conversation opens. A young person starts joining in again. Their humour returns. Their style changes. They become louder, sillier, more expressive, more present.
Arianne, a parent of six and creator of the Craft & Connect program, spoke about what changed when her daughter was able to come out and be herself.
“When my daughter came out and could be herself, I saw her take a big, deep breath,” Arianne said. “It was like, in everything, she could just breathe again.”
Before then, Arianne reflected, her daughter had been living inside a restrictive gender role. Once there was space and affirmation, she could begin to explore.
“She found the courage to explore who she was. She could experiment a little bit, play a little bit, try on the clothes she liked and find what she felt comfortable in,” Arianne said.
For Arianne’s family, that freedom rippled through the whole household. When one person is supported to be more fully themselves, it creates room for others to soften and grow too.
When safety is missing, exploration shuts down
Adrienne, one of Transcend Australia’s Family Support Workers, spoke about what is at stake when safety is not present.
“When safety isn’t there, a young person stops being who they are. They start editing themselves just to survive,” Adrienne said.
That editing might look like withdrawal, anxiety, masking, disconnection from their body or emotions, or a loss of the joy and spark that once felt familiar.
“Without safety, you can’t explore. Exploration just shuts down,” Adrienne said.
For young people whose identity is still unfolding, exploration is not a luxury. It is part of growing up. It might happen through clothes, art, makeup, gaming, storytelling, music, friendships, hobbies or simply being silly. These are not distractions from identity. They are often how identity becomes liveable.
Play and creativity help young people become themselves
Play is where young people can try on possibility without needing to have everything figured out. It is where identity can move, shift and breathe. It is where a young person can make choices without every choice becoming a debate. It is where they can be seen as a whole person, not a problem to be solved.
Adrienne described play as one of the few spaces where young people can experience freedom without judgement.
“Play allows identity to be fluid, creative and embodied,” Adrienne said. “It doesn’t need to be questioned or fixed. It just is.”
This matters deeply for trans, gender diverse and non-binary young people, who are often asked to explain themselves far more than other young people. Play offers a gentler way back to the body, to connection and to the present moment. It is one sign that support is working.
Harriet, a young creator, Canva user and owner of her own business on Etsy, spoke about the role creativity plays in her confidence and identity.
“My creativity helps me feel more confident,” Harriet said. “I go to pride markets and meet people who love my jewellery, which is really awesome. I also take a lot of pride in my appearance, and I love doing makeup. When someone compliments it, I feel really good.”
For Harriet, makeup is something calming and grounding.
“I usually just do it for me,” she said. “I find it really calming. I feel really put together, and I feel more myself.”
Those words matter: more myself.
For trans young people, creativity can be one of the ways they move toward themselves. It can turn something internal into something visible and joyful. It can create connection and help a young person feel proud of what they can make, design, imagine or express.
Everyday actions create safer spaces
Safety is not created by one perfect sentence. It is created through real relationships and consistent action.
Adrienne described allyship as something steady and ongoing.
“Allyship isn’t about being perfect,” Adrienne said. “It’s about saying: I’m here, I’m learning, and I’m not going anywhere. I love you. You are who you are, and I love you. That doesn’t change.”
Harriet described good allyship as something that helps her feel “normal in the best way.”
“As a trans teen, you’re always aware of how people may see you,” she said. “So when you get that support, it feels like you can just exist. It takes a bit of weight off your shoulders.”
Everyday actions matter. Listening. Learning. Speaking up. Using the right name and pronouns. Making room for joy. Supporting parents to support their children. Making sure trans young people do not have to carry the work of their own safety alone.
When families are supported, young people are supported. When adults feel less alone, they can show up with steadiness and love. When communities understand what safety means, young people can stop editing themselves just to survive.
They can breathe. They can create. They can play. They can imagine a future.
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Because when young people feel safe, they play. And when they play, they show us what becomes possible.
