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鈥淭hough you often swear it doesn鈥檛, the sun still shines in Ballarat, you are not so singular as you think and not any kind of light thief, you stand out in the yard in Flemington and let the light dance amongst your curls. Even though its hard from you to take, the willow tree on South St does the same, don鈥檛 ask questions or look to the west, the willow tree won鈥檛 bear answers, your tragedies didn鈥檛 chase away the sun, and your doubt cannot change its course. The sun is shining now in Ballarat and you have to accept that, you can beg all day for someone to prove it, but Fiona is pinning roses in her hair, you look an awful lot like her in this light, she feels an awful lot like you today鈥�.

On Monday afternoon December 21, around 300 mourners gathered at Darling Gardens in Clifton Hill to pay respects and honour the life of Bridget Flack. For so many, Bridget will be remembered as a bright light and shining star, a writer and musician in her own right and an artistic explorer of the highest order.

Known聽as聽DJ Brigida, Bridget got聽into electronic music via Chumbawamba聽a band she fell in love with at age 12聽and that one聽album where they聽鈥榰sed聽a lot of breakbeat聽loops鈥�.聽Bridget聽and her friends pretended to like putting on punk shows for quite a while, until they realised how much easier it would be to throw parties if you didn’t invite聽bands and聽started the Vapor Noir collective in 2016.

Since then, Bridget had been throwing parties with Vapor聽Noir,聽focusing on amateurism, fast and fun dance music,聽trans performers, and propaganda of the deed.聽

Bridget will be remembered for trying聽as much as possible to invade male spaces, be obnoxiously聽trans, hide聽communist discourse and Chumbawamba聽in her work and聽for聽pretending聽to be a robot. She supported or presented most of her heroes, played almost all of the parties she wanted to in Narrm/Melbourne, and聽at聽more parties in the UK聽than she ever expected to.

A passionate advocate and activist, after graduating from La Trobe university with a degree in Social Science with honours, Bridget commenced work withthe United Workers Union, a job she loved. on the 1st of July this year Bridget received her permanent employment papers.

Speaking at Monday鈥檚聽afternoon聽memorial, Bridget鈥檚 sister Angela聽Pucci Love聽said聽of her sister, 鈥渢o聽say our relationship was unique is an understatement.聽聽Not quite sister, not quite caregiver.聽聽This little person quickly became MY聽baby,聽and I became Bridget鈥檚 fiercest protector and loudest cheerleader, a job that does not end today.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard for me to remember a time in my life where Bridget wasn鈥檛 my first and last thought of the day. And yes, as is with many family relationships, we annoyed each other a lot, and often. But one thing that remained was that Bridget鈥檚 happiness and well-being were always linked to my own happiness and wellbeing.鈥�

Bridget鈥檚 friends and family wish to thank聽all those that helped聽search for Bridget聽in recent weeks. Tragically, Bridget took her own life, a moment that if nothing else, has driven home the necessity to look after and care for those around us, particularly after the isolation so many of us have felt over the course of 2020.聽

鈥淲hen she reached out on 15th聽November to say that she wasn鈥檛 doing great and needed some help we did what we could but never could have imagined this to be the outcome a few short weeks later. I will forever wonder what more I could have done but I had faith in the system and that Bridget would get what she needed.聽

鈥淚 am heartbroken at the thought that someone can ask,聽even beg,聽for help and not be able to receive it鈥β營 am determined to try and fix this for the next person. It is just unfathomable to me that this can happen and if I can stop even聽five聽families going through this聽pain,聽I will feel I have achieved something.鈥澛燗ngela said.

Bridget鈥檚 wish was to be with her聽mum and will聽laid to rest聽by her聽side聽under the roses in Ballarat.聽

鈥楻uby Red Shoes – Lift your eyes and look for butterflies.鈥�

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide 17c起草社区I peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or .