Long before Quaden Bayles touched the hearts of millions when he was targeted by bullies, his older sister had been making headlines as a glamour model and Aboriginal activist.
Guyala Bayles spoke out in support of her nine-year-old brother after a video of him begging for a rope to kill himself went viral last week.
The 20-year-old took to Instagram to share a photo of her alongside her sibling while hitting back at the trolls who targeted him.
‘I say F**K the bullies and the haters! You’re the coolest, smartest, strongest and the sweetest kid I know! You’re not alone and we’re all here for you my bruh,’ she said.
But aside from sticking up for Quaden, who was bullied for his dwarfism, Guyala, a fashion model, has a long history of campaigning for Aboriginal issues and is a known anti-Australia Day activist.
Guyala Bayles spoke out in support of her nine-year-old brother on social media after a video of him begging for a rope to kill himself went viral last week
Quaden’s sudden global fame could be a boon to the activism of his outspoken family (pictured with his mother Yarraka) who have spent generations advocating for Aboriginal issues
Last month, she uploaded a video of herself denouncing the national day, calling on the government to ‘abolish the date’.
‘[T]here’s more important things to talk about then changing the date. I say abolish the whole thing altogether and focus your energy on; why our kids are still being take away, why there are numerous unexplained Aboriginal deaths in custody,’ she wrote.
‘Why our kids are killing themselves at such an early age, why the incarceration rate is increasing for our mob, why we have so many health problems, why we don’t live a full healthy life, why the drug and alcohol rate is increasing within communities, why racism is still very alive in this country, why the government aren’t engaging with Aboriginal people at a grass roots level!’
At 17 years old, she took part in Brisbane’s Invasion Day march in 2016, saying she wanted white Australians to realise they lived in a ‘stolen county’.
‘The white fellas come here and they just think they own everything, and I want people to know that just because we’re black doesn’t mean that we drink, or we are thieves,’ she told NITV at the time.
‘There’s actually a lot of black fullas out there that are doing good in life.’
Last month, Guyala uploaded a video of herself denouncing the holiday, calling on the government to ‘abolish the date’
Her grandfather and great-grandmother were prominent indigenous rights campaigners Tiga Bayles and ‘Aunty Maureen’ Watson
Guyala revealed she comes from an outspoken family who have spent generations advocating for Aboriginal issues.
Her grandfather and great-grandmother were prominent indigenous rights campaigners Tiga Bayles and ‘Aunty Maureen’ Watson.
‘They raised me and were telling me to be a little activist, so yeah they are my little motivation,’ she said.
Guyala said she had faced racism when trying to break into the modelling industry, and was even advised to not mention her indigenous heritage.
She told the Macarthur Advertiser: ‘There are definitely barriers in being a person of colour in this industry.
‘We need more beautiful, unique, diverse men and women – not just pale size six models on the catwalk.’
Quaden with his sister Guyala, 20, a model and budding Aboriginal rights activist
Quaden with his family in front of a mural in Margate, Brisbane, depicting his great-grandmother ‘Aunty Maureen’ Watson and grandfather Tiga Bayles
She is currently signed to Chic Management and recently worked on a campaign for Maybelline cosmetics for Chemist Warehouse, according to social media.
Once she made it, she said Quaden, then four years old, was a little jealous.
‘He goes to me ”oh, are you going to be famous now, sis?” like, a bit put out, ‘cos he really likes being the centre of attention, you know,’ she told the Saturday Paper.
Guyala and Quaden’s mother Yarraka Bayles likewise drew her inspiration from her father with her own activism, which expanded to disability issues after her son’s diagnosis.
‘People don’t understand that if you’re indigenous, you’re already copping discrimination and racism,’ she said last week.
She has previously spoken about the high rate of indigenous suicide and how her people have a life expectancy 15 years lower than white Australians.
Quaden kicked off an outpouring of support when Ms Bayles shared a distressing video after picking her son up from school last Wednesday.