By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
IF YOU’RE a Casey commuter, you’d know Danielle Kazi-Shedden’s face.
She’s the Cranbourne tradie showing up the boys and catching the eyes of passersby in Berwick and Pakenham. She’s Chisholm Institute’s poster girl, for all the right reasons.
Danielle, 25, is a trailblazer in every sense of the word.
She is living proof of the changing face of women in the workforce, on the sporting field and at the altar.
A lesbian and soon-to-be mum, Danielle has a shelf dedicated to her trophies.
Last year she won Chisholm’s Building and Construction Apprentice of the Year, and was then nominated for a Master Builders’ award.
To many people’s surprise Danielle, a shopfitter, keeps beating the boys.
“I won the overall Joinery Apprentice of the Year, Metro Apprentice of the Year, and Victorian State Apprentice of the Year. That was last year, in April,” she said.
“They were all clapping and being supportive at the awards ceremony but you could tell that when they called out my name everyone was a bit taken aback.
“People said to me well done and everything but in that tone that they were really surprised, like I must have been very good to beat all of the boys – I just thought I worked to a winning standard.”
Danielle met her wife, Alyssa on the football field – both of them, passionate about AFL, gay rights and starting a family.
So much so that Alyssa has started a Facebook page for LGBT parents in the Casey region.
“I’ve already got 60 followers,” she said, laughing.
But the page is no laughing matter, Danielle and Alyssa both want to see a broader acceptance of same sex parenting by the time their son is of school age.
“I don’t want other mums to say that they don’t want their child to hang out with my son because he has two mums,” Alyssa said.
“I started the Facebook page two weeks ago to give gay parents a place to speak openly about things without being judged.”
The online parenting support page is called ‘The LGBT mums, dads and supporters’.
Alyssa and Danielle have also used the page to respond to queries from other lesbian couples about home insemination.
The couple were lucky enough to get sperm donated to them and inseminate at home, using a kit bought online from the US. Alyssa is six months pregnant.
Danielle also has an online presence through Instagram.
“I made a photo blog to document our journey, it’s called ‘Life with 2 Mums’,” Danielle said.
“It’s so we can share our highs and lows throughout the pregnancy and because people were so interested in the process of home insemination,” Danielle said.
The pair are as close to being married as possible in Australia and had a commitment ceremony two years ago. They both look forward to the day they can go to the registry office and bind that commitment in the eyes of the law.
Danielle is currently in the running for the Statewide Community Choice Award at this year’s Victorian Training Awards – up against three males.
To vote for Danielle visit: www.education.vic.gov.au/about/awards/Pages/vtavote.aspx.
Voting closes on Friday 26 August at 7.45pm.
