Australia Day: Why young Aussies are shunning their national holiday
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-64341454
"I used to host parties… I used to be really into it," the 24-year-old tells the BBC.
But Kaitlyn is now part of a growing cohort of young Australians and others who are shunning the national day.
The date - 26 January - is the anniversary of the 1788 landing of Britain's First Fleet, which began the era of colonisation.
It was also when Indigenous people began being oppressed - massacred, dispossessed of their lands and cut off from their culture.
Some argue Australia Day is an opportunity to reflect on and rejoice in what Australia has become today, despite that history. But others say it is a day of mourning, and its celebration is offensive and hurtful.
Kaitlyn - who asked not to give her surname - says she was never taught that perspective at school in Queensland. But as the debate gained prominence in recent years, she began seeking out more information.
And as she learned, she became increasingly uncomfortable with the idea of honouring the day.
