Kylie and Tiphanee

Kylie AND TiphaneeKATOOMBA

DENIED THE RIGHT TO MARRY LEGALLY, SYDNEY TREE-CHANGERS KYLIE WATSON AND TIPHANEE ATHANS HAVE EMBRACED THEIR BLUE MOUNTAINS ‘TRIBE’ WHILE THEY WAIT FOR JUSTICE TO PREVAIL.

“A lot of people in our community may not choose to get married, but it is their right to be able to make that choice. “

March 20, 2015 should have been the most precious day in the lives of Kylie Watson and Tiphanee Athans. ‘Save the date’ cards had been sent far and wide, a venue had been booked and wedding preparations were under way. But it was not to be.

“We chose not to go ahead with the wedding because there isn’t marriage equality,” explains Tiphanee. “In reality, all that expense, time and effort, however beautiful, was just going to be for a party. We decided to wait until same-sex marriage is legal and do it properly.”

Kylie echoes these sentiments: “We have friends who have had a commitment ceremony in Australia and then gone overseas to have the real thing, but that wasn’t an option for us. We feel that it’s not respectful to our brothers and sisters in the community, and it won’t be recognised here anyway.”

Kylie and Tiphanee also felt it was unfair to expect family and friends to have to travel across the seas for their wedding. “It is important that our relationship is recognised and that we have the same rights as everyone else in Australia,” says Kylie. “A lot of people in our community may not choose to get married, but it is their right to be able to make that choice.”

Family and friends were supportive of the couple’s decision. So for now, while our country’s leaders play political football with so many hearts and minds, the wedding is on hold, but the love story continues.

SLOW-BURNING ROMANCE

A chance encounter in the corridors of a television studio propelled Kylie and Tiphanee into each other’s sphere, but it would be years before love blossomed between them.

“I was doing some work in TV production and our paths crossed at Channel 7, where Kylie worked,” Tiphanee recalls. “We knew of each other but weren’t close. And then, a few years down the track, we reconnected as friends at a Women in Film networking event.”

Kylie developed a “massive crush” and couldn’t stand to be around Tiphanee for fear of acting “weird”. “I fought the feelings for about eight months while friends tried to match-make, dropping hints that Tiph just didn’t pick up on because I didn’t have the confidence to be upfront with her,” says Kylie.

“Finally, I organised a romantic dinner with French Champagne and a house full of candles to set the mood. I told Tiphanee to make sure she arrived before sunset, because the sunset from my apartment overlooking Sydney harbour was beautiful. Of course, she was late and had no idea of my intentions,” Kylie remembers. As Tiphanee was leaving, Kylie kissed her goodnight and the penny finally dropped. They soon became inseparable and, after 12 months, moved in together. That was nearly five years ago, and they now call the Blue Mountains home after making the tree change in January 2016.

“We arrived with all our furniture, sweating in summer clothes because it was a typically stifling hot day in the city, and it was freezing in Leura. We put the fire on that first night and literally let it burn until the end of winter, until we acclimatised,” says Kylie.

So, what prompted two successful businesswomen – former TV star and model Kylie is an interior designer at Belle Abode Interiors, and ex-TV producer Tiphanee is now a genealogist at Branches of Time – to relocate?

“We wanted to slow down, leave the frantic pace of Sydney behind and be with people who were more in alignment with us and our views,” Kylie recalls.

“Sydney can be aggressive and pushy, and I’ve lived there all my life,” says Tiphanee, “It was a big change but I felt the Blue Mountains was still close enough to the city in case I wanted a fix of hectic.”

“There’s just something magnetic about this mountain – as soon as you start heading up, your shoulders drop and you can breathe again. “

After surviving their first winter, Kylie emerged from hibernation to embrace her mountain lifestyle by developing a newfound love of bushwalking. “I’ve always tried to keep close to nature, even in the city, but now I’m discovering beautiful, majestic places every week. I have absolutely fallen in love with the mountains,” she explains According to Kylie, Tiphanee hit the ground running, joining various community groups, hosting her own radio show and being elected Co-Convenor of Pink Mountains, the local peak body for the LGBTIQ community.

“We found our tribe,” Tiphanee says matter-of-factly, adding that it was relatively easy. “It’s so diverse and open and accepting in the mountains that no matter what age you are, what religion you are and no matter what you do for work, people show respect for each other.”

The couple both feel there is a common ethos here. “People seem more in tune with their essence. Many are following their passions and being creative. The majority aren’t stuck on the nine-to-five treadmill like many Sydneysiders,” Kylie explains. “Those choosing to live here tend to be grounded; the spirituality of the landscape has a profound nurturing affect. There’s no room for superficiality; the beauty and energy of the landscape is humbling.”

Grounded they may be, but definitely not static. “There’s so much to do in the local LGBTIQ community that our calendar is more full now than when we were in Sydney,” says Tiphanee. Being busy doesn’t equate to stress, though, because of the ease of participation and getting to events like the lesbian Stitch & Bitch sewing circle, Bush Lemons walking group and the mountain chapter of the Queer Screen Film Festival, where Tiphanee sits on the board.

“You can afford to do more things recreationally because you have the luxury of time, and there’s greater opportunity to get involved,” says Tiphanee.

Both women volunteer in varied fields including search and rescue, as part of LGBTIQ healthcare group ACON and with IDAHOT (International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia), and they plan to add animal welfare and refugee support to this impressive portfolio.

“It’s really refreshing for me personally that I haven’t come across a lot of judgement or competition. There’s a genuine, authentic network that connects people here. Your success, or anyone’s success, is not a threat or intimidating. People have really interesting stories to tell and they are interested in your story, too,” says Kylie.

“We can’t think of anywhere else we’d rather be right now,” she adds. “There’s just something magnetic about this mountain – as soon as you start heading up, your shoulders drop and you can breathe again.” BML

BRANCHING OUT

Moving to the Blue Mountains prompted career changes for both Kylie and Tiphanee:

Kylie is launching a new range of Blue Mountainsinspired soft furnishings, including scatter cushions and wall art, through her interior design business – Belle Abode Interiors. Kylie is working with local artisans and using natural, ethically manufactured fabrics and fibres to promote their goods and services. “I’ve been taking photos, drawing and designing, and am inspired to promote the region because there is so much inspiration here in nature,” she says. belleabodeinteriors.com.au

Tiphanee says she fell into teaching family history at Nepean Community College through her client work at Branches of Time. She is currently working on exploring how constellation genealogy and dealing with generational dysfunction can be used in healing therapies. Tune in to Radio Blue Mountains 89.1 to hear Tiphanee ‘Talking with the Ancestors’. branchesoftime.net

“I’m discovering beautiful, majestic places every week. I have absolutely fallen in love with the mountains.“