ISSUE 480 by QN Magazine

ISSUE 480 — MAY 24, 2019 QN MAGAZINE | CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA’S LGBTIQ CULTURE

FRONT: Matthew Taylor Thomas ELECTION: 2019 Federal Election PAGEANT: Miss First Nation '19 MUSICAL: Yank! SCENE: Gatsby Party

R E E U U Q T F L O U C L A D V N I A T S S 7 T 2 FE R A

MELT Beauty Pageant

William Yang

Dolly Diamondâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bl*nkety bl*nks

REUBEN KAYE one night only!

YANK! BABY BI BI BI

Killer Queens

Six Inches I Love Gay

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SCHEDULE – EVENTS –

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COMEDY

MELT Comedy Gala Trade Giantess

CABARET

Dolly Diamond’s Bl*nkety Bl*nks Reuben Kaye Baby Bi Bi Bi Six Inches

MUSIC

Killer Queens

GIANTESS

THEATRE

La Silhouette Letters I Never Sent

MUSIC THEATRE Yank!

MELT TALKS

Queer Lit My Trans Story William Yang Gay Sydney A Memoir

TRADE La Silhouette

SPECIAL EVENT

MELT Beauty Pageant Get Ready with Ruby Slippers and Friends

VISUAL ARTS

LETTERS I NEVER SENT

MELT Portrait Prize Talking Can Make it Better A Matter of Time Project: Heather Faulkner Stygian Stones: Matthew Taylor Thomas Brood: Sophie Reid-Singer Tethered Together

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Get Ready with Ruby Slippers and Friends

MY TRANS STORY

MELTFESTIVAL.COM.AU BRISBANE MINI GARAGE

Melt With Us Party Knockoff – Comedy The Upright Downtown Piano Bar with Trevor Jones Gayming Creating Queer Art Talking Can Make it Better – Creative Conversation Tragic Trivia Knockoff – Comedy Show Us yer (Melting) Bits The Bowery Haus Party The Trail Blazers Elders Panel The Coming Back Out Ball Movie Livespark

– DATE – Sun 30 June Fri 28 – Sat 29 June Thu 04 – Sat 06 July Sat 29 June Thu 04 JulY Fri 05 – Sun 07 July Sat 06 July Fri 05 July Thu 27 – Sun 30 June Thu 27 – Sat 29 June Thu 04 – Sun 14 July Sun 30 June Sun 30 June Sun 07 July Fri 28 June Thu 04 – Sun 07 July Fri 17 May – Sun 07 July Fri 17 May – Sun 07 July Fri 17 May – Sun 07 July Fri 17 May – Sun 07 July Thu 27 June – Sun 07 July Thu 27 June – Sun 07 July Fri 28 June Fri 28 June Sat 29 June Sat 29 June Sun 30 June Sun 30 June Thu 04 July Fri 05 July Fri 05 July Sat 06 July Sun 07 July Sun 07 July Sun 07 July

CONTENTS

ELECTION 2019 FEDERAL ELECTION

QUEENS LAND RAINBOW HUB AT LUMINOUS

PLACE SUNGAY AT LIMES HOTEL

PAGEANT CROWNED MOST FABORIGINAL

PAGE

FROM THE TEAM

Recent events remind us that gay publishing is a hard slog. Well... any publishing these days. Precious little print media survives to provide for LGBTIQ communities. Fortunately, two print magazines remain here in Queensland — QN Magazine and our good friends at FNQ Magazine. We could cry about how hard we work to produce a 48 page print publication full of original content every fortnight and constantly update a a website due to the demands of the 24/7 newscycle, but we won’t, because we love it. Instead we will continue to search for sufficent advertising to pay the wages, the print bill, the web hosting, the taxes etc. Yes. We pay tax. Apparently that can only be avoided by the very wealthiest media companies. Anyway, we will continue on our current path — striving to represent all of our wonderful LGBTIQ communities in all their glorious diversity. We’ll continue the search for new and interesting writers nationwide to inform and entertain with a constant ambition to provide fresh, original, substantive content. Every article won’t appeal to everyone. Some complain about ‘too shallow’ content. Others about ‘too serious’. Strangely the most complained about articles are also often the most widely read. That’s life. Till next time x COVER MATTHEW TAYLOR THOMAS PHOTO BY AMSNEL GORGONIO

HISTORY F***, FIGHT OR FLUKE PT.3

COVER STORY A HAUNTING JOURNEY

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ACL DEFENDS LGBT CONVERSION THERAPY FOR CHILDREN

SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

CALENDAR WHAT’S ON

CONCERT MEGAN HILTY

JOURNAL POP PSYCHOLOGY

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election

2019

FEDERAL ELECTION ELECTILE DYSFUNCTION

QUEENSLAND LGBTIQ FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES Trevor Evans MP returns to Canberra as part of the Morrison government, despite a slight swing against him. Originally elected in 2016, the Member for Brisbane said after the close of polls, “You never want to be overconfident, but you've got to be cautiously optimistic and you've got to work hard right up to the last moment.” Senator Elect Nita Green heads to Canberra after moving to Cairns last year with her wife Lacey. Nita won the top spot on Labor’s senate ticket, replacing retiring Senator Claire Moore. Our new senator previously took on the role of Queensland Field Director for the Equality Campaign during the samesex marriage postal survey.

Images: Facebook 6

Malcolm Roberts returns to Canberra after an enforced break, again as a Senator for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation. Lyle Shelton failed to win a senate seat for Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives. Tony Abbott, the staunch opponent of marriage equality, resoundingly dumped from the seat he held for 25 years. Despite initial concerns about a downturn of employment prospects for those in at least one industry without the presence of the former Prime Minister, comedy writers have been reassured by the election of Malcolm Roberts.

COUNCIL

CONNECTIONS

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EDITORIAL Print Editor

DESTINY ROGERS

Online Editor

MELT: FESTIVAL OF QUEER ARTS AND CULTURE I’m so excited to welcome MELT: Festival of Queer Arts and Culture back to the wonderful Brisbane City Council Powerhouse, our premier venue for arts and culture. Now in its fifth year, this highly-anticipated event continues to grow, and in 2019 is bigger and better, welcoming local LGBTIQ+ artists as well as international and national stars to share their stories. With so much on offer it’s difficult to choose but my top picks include: • Reuben Kaye – international superstar taking the world by storm with his rib-crackingly funny cabaret • MELT Comedy Gala – hosted by Rhys Nicholson this will become a stand-out annual event! • William Yang – an intimate conversation with this acclaimed social commentator and photographer • MELT Beauty Pageant – the ultimate show-stopper event of MELT • Dolly Diamond’s Blankety Blanks – those who remember the Australian classic will enjoy this naughty re-make. Plus with a variety of free events, there’s something for everyone! Brisbane is renowned as a friendly and inclusive city and I am extremely proud of our commitment to universal inclusion and our open support of the LGBTIQ+ community, including MELT: Festival of Queer Arts and Culture. I encourage you to be part of this two week celebration of our wonderfully diverse queer communities. All the details at www.vickihoward.com/MELT2019

Cr Vicki Howard Councillor for Central Ward 3403 0254

central.ward@bcc.qld.gov.au

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queens land

RAINBOW HUB AT LUMINOUS The 12th annual LUMINOUS Lantern Parade celebrates Queensland Week by highlighting the strength of our cultural diversity, heritage, people, places and history. Image: Charli Moss-Morgan

The Rainbow Hub offers international queer students in Brisbane a safe, happy space to celebrate identity and diversity without discrimination or judgement. The students are joining the LUMINOUS Lantern Parade for the first time this year. Louise Kane, from Rainbow Hub told us “The Hub is all about providing a welcoming and queer home away from home. “For many of the students, it provides opportunities beyond anything available in their home country.” The Rainbow Hub is nominated as Community Support Group of the Year at Brisbane Pride’s Queens Birthday Ball on June 15 this year.

Voting for the awards open now at: https://www. brisbanepride.org.au/2019-voting QN Magazine featured the Rainbow Hub on the cover of Issue 471 with a magnificent photo by Nickoly Oliveira of some of the gay male students. We’re pleased to announce a coming cover of the magazine will feature the lesbian version of that photograph with four magnificent women students. More than 15,000 people are expected to take part in the LUMINOUS Lantern Parade on Friday 7th June. Check out: mdaltd.org.au/Luminous; Rainbow Hub at facebook.com/brisbanerainbowhub

place

SUNGAY AT LIMES HOTEL Limes Hotel certainly has a history. During fourteen years in the Valley, it’s been up and down and over and out, but with new owners and new management the Limes Hotel is back on top again. Above: Limes Hotel Rooftop Bar Photos by: Jaeden Cook

Sitting atop Limes Hotel, the newly renovated Rooftop Bar, Brisbane’s very first rooftop bar, rises like a phoenix from the ashes to give you more than just another cocktail bar. Offering you a sky-high oasis in the middle of bustling Fortitude Valley, the rooftop bar is now dedicating the first Sunday of every month to SunGay.

We chatted to Dane Tyrell, the new Bar and Events Director at Limes Hotel who’s no stranger to QNews Magazine having worked in the office many moons ago. “We wanted to design SunGay as a relaxed afternoon session for our community where you can simply kick back and soak up the open air rooftop bar, listen to some cool tunes or live music, enjoy our new wine and cocktail list and experience some of the best service you’ll find in Brisbane”. “SunGay is aiming to do something different by peeling it back and giving you something simple to enjoy. You won’t see a Host, there’s no shows or games to play and you won’t be hearing Britney Spears blasting over the sound system and competing with your conversation. SunGay is all about meeting up with your friends in an unpretentious and welcoming environment”. Dane also talked about the host of new experiences coming to Limes Hotel and the Rooftop Bar. In May, the bar began offering yoga, pilates and meditation sessions, paint and drink style art classes and they will be relaunching their Moonlight Cinema in mid-June.

“When I sat down with the owners, we decided we didn’t want to be like all the other bars in the Valley,” said Dane. “We wanted a more holistic approach for the entire premise. We want to offer this space for seminars around climate change, reducing our carbon footprint, equality and suicide prevention and anything in between. This is a space where we want to collaborate with charities, community organisations and anyone else that exemplifies our incredible and growing community. “The Valley has always held a special character — some undefinable appeal — and we want to encapsulate that at Limes. “We want people to walk out of here not only thinking — Wow, I had a great time, but I learnt something, I created something, I experienced something special. “We want to offer something genuine and memorable, not just another night out.” The official launch of SunGay will be June 2nd. Swing by and say hey. Or come say haaaaay gurl, hey. limeshotel.com.au facebook.com/limeshotel @limeshotel #limeshotel #sungay

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pageant

CROWNED MOST FABORIGINAL Brisbane drag performer Chocolatte Boxx recently won the 2019 Miss First Nation Pageant held in Melbourne. Image: Yirramboi Festival

The pageant is part of the Biennial Yirramboi Indigenous Arts Festival. It showcases the talents of Indigenous drag performers. Chocolatte told Wanda in a recent article in QN Magazine that news of her acceptance to compete made her so excited, she screamed and threw her phone across the room. This year, Melbourne hosted the Miss First Nations for the first time. Specifically, the competition is a talent-based pageant for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drag entertainers. Last year, the multi-award-winning film Black Divaz documented the much-celebrated competition. The film went beyond the glitz, glue guns and glamour of

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black drag to reveal a fun, fabulous and sometimes fearful place. Chocolatte Boxx moved to Brisbane in 2010 to study at The Aboriginal Centre of the Performing Arts, where she majored in dance. She returns to Brisbane a winner. Chocolatte Boxx is also one of 15 acts nominated for Drag Performer of the year at the upcoming 58th Annual Queens Birthday Ball. Voting for the awards is open now at brisbanepride.org. au/2019-voting/ Lasey Dunaman DQ, 2018’s popular winner, posted congratulations to Chocolate’s Facebook page. “Congrats to my sister Chocolatte Boxx. I couldn’t be more proud! Welcome to the royal family Sis.”

history

F***, FIGHT OR FLUKE: GAYME OF THRONES. PART THREE Despite the earnest propaganda of monarchists, divine right has SFA to do with who gets to plonk their entitled arse on a throne. The ascension of a British monarch usually results from one of the three Fs. Some get there by virtue of a F***, many must Fight for it and others are mere Flukes. In the English Gayme of Thrones, Richard II made little mark while history remembers James I for his love of pretty, young men and his eponymous bible. Words: Destiny Rogers

Of all the monarchs thought to indulge in carnal pleasures of a non-heterosexual nature, the least evidence exists to support the claims made for Richard II. Nevertheless, he is also the monarch whose sexuality attracts the least debate from heterosexist historians — they’re a funny bunch. Richard became king at the age of 10 so various nobles ruled in his name. When he took control of his kingdom, Richard fell into the old trap of lavishing titles on a favourite, in his case, one Robert De Vere, Earl of Oxford. Rumours of a sexual relationship and jealousy from other nobles saw De Vere eventually stripped of his titles and sentenced to death. He escaped overseas but died a few years later. Richard brought the body home to bury. At the funeral service, he ordered the coffin opened, kissed De Vere’s dead hand and gazed one last time on his face. Contemporaries complained the king held all night drinking parties and accused him of engaging in ‘excesses that are not to be named’. His ‘sodomies’ also received mention before the committee of nobles that eventually deposed him. It is thought his successor Henry IV starved him to death.

JAMES I “Elizabeth was King, now James is Queen,” people said of James I of England. 14

The son of Mary Queen of Scots and the bisexual Lord Darnley, James became king of Scotland at 13 months of age. Regents ruled on his behalf. At the age of 14, James “entered in great familiarity and quiet purposes,” with his 37-year-old cousin Esme Stewart, according to a writer of the time. He made Stewart Duke of Lennox. A clergyman of a less lyrical bent described the ‘quiet purposes’ as ‘carnal lust’. Enemies at the Scottish court forced Stewart into exile, and he died soon after in Paris. When Elizabeth I died childless, James inherited the English throne. Amongst his retinue on the move to London was a Scottish pageboy named Robert Carr, employed to run beside the royal coach. A few years later Carr fell off his horse at a pageant and broke his leg. The king, recognising him, dashed onto the field and held the handsome lad while doctors attended. Later he made Carr a ‘Gentleman of the Bedchamber’. One courtier recorded that, “The Prince constantly leaneth on his arm, pinches his cheek, and smoothes his ruffled garment… the King teacheth him Latin every morning [and Greek every night?].” Eventually Carr proved troublesome and James moved on to a new favourite. The impoverished George Villers is proof that one’s face can make one’s fortune. Called ‘the most beautiful man in Europe’,

after an initial appointment as a royal cupbearer, Villiers rose to become Duke of Buckingham. Testimony before the privy council called James “the chastest prince for women that ever was” but added, “I never yet saw any fond husband make so much… dalliance over his beautiful spouse as I have seen King James over his favourites, especially Buckingham.” The French were blunter. Théophile de Viau authored a poem that ignored flowery metaphor in favour of a direct recital of fact.

Apollo with his songs Debauched young Hyacinthus… And it is well known that the King of England F***s the Duke of Buckingham. The king himself waxed poetically on Buckingham. “I naturally so love your person, and adore all your other parts…” (The word ‘person’ was sometimes employed as a euphemism for penis, especially in the courts.)

THE KING JAMES BIBLE During his reign, James gathered together 47 of the most learned men of the time to translate the bible into English. Described as ‘one of the most important books in English culture’,

the King James Bible became the most printed book in the history of humankind. Defenders of this bible, and of James I as its progenitor, perceive descriptions of the king as a homosexual as conspiracies to undermine the truth of the book’s message. They feel attacked from two sides. On one side the “Roman Catholic Church… so desperate to keep the true Bible out of the hands of the English people that it attempted to kill King James and all of Parliament in 1605.” On the other, “Christians who hoped that vilifying King James, would tarnish the Bible that bears his name so that Christians would turn away from God's book to a more "modern" translation.” While ascribing agendas to others, they fail to see their own. That they approach the topic of the king’s sexuality, not based on that facts, but from a need to defend their belief. We give James I the last words — words spoken to his Privy Council but certainly not included in his bible. “I, James, am neither a god nor an angel, but a man like any other. Therefore, I act like a man and confess to loving those dear to me more than other men. You may be sure that I love the Earl of Buckingham more than anyone else, and more than you who are here assembled. I wish to speak on my own behalf and not to have it thought to be a defect, for Jesus Christ did the same, and therefore I cannot be blamed. Christ had John, and I have George.” 15

humour

THE RETURN OF MR HUMPHRIES Pearl of the Outback, our regional correspondent, takes us back to Bullamakanka and a colourful local identity. Mr Humphries is the doyen of women’s fashion out in the never never, beyond the black stump. Words: Pearl of the Outback Avid readers will recall the gent I previously christened Mr Humphries. For the uninitiated, he is a VERY gay blade who fusses about one of the local retailers, flogging clothing to the local squires and their good ladies. In a previous epistle, I related how Mr Humphries became local legend for a long-ago midnight run. On that occasion, he somehow became separated from his clothing late at night in a local park. He ‘borrowed’ a frumpy mumu from a nearby clothesline to protect his modesty and sprinted home. Somehow, through the mists of time, that trifling incident became immortalised. It is now celebrated as a the first, and only, Bullamakanka Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. I recently encountered Mr Humphries again in a newly opened and very metrosexual roof-top bar in Bullamakanka. You are probably surprised that Bullamakanka should have a metrosexual let alone enough of them to support a bar! Heavens, Merle, Bullamakanka is a magnet to surprisingly diverse range of visitors. According to ancient inscriptions on the gay memorial door in Central Park, both bogans and screaming queens have visited by the busload since the early 1900s. A Bullamakanka Birthday  I ran into Mr Humphries on the occasion of his birthday. 16

I dared not ask which one. She can be a sensitive old moll and an over-estimate might bring our friendship to a screeching halt. Too low a guesstimate would hint at a sexual agenda. I did shout the birthday boy a birthday drink or three. He certainly enjoys a sherry. Once lubricated, he becomes a loquacious soul, eager to impart his wisdom to the world. He has MANY opinions, most of them on fashion and matters ancillary. He fell into his job, as I recall, because no other bloke would take it. The local job agency struggled for months to fill the position. However local yobbos would rather hang out for casual hours as rodeo clowns or calf de-knackerers, than be seen dead in Ladies Wear. Nevertheless, in our neck of the woods, merely knowing the difference between organza and denim is sufficient to confer status as a fashion guru. Indeed, Mr Humphries reads widely in order to offer the VERY LASTEST fashion advice to his clientele. When I ran into him, he waved about a copy of Who Weekly as he educated the barman on why Nicole Kidman should never wear green. Feeling philosophical, I asked him, “Mr Humphries, what is fashion?” “Fashion, my dear Pearl, is just a bunch of bitter queens telling women they’re fat and will never find love, a situation they can only remedy by spending shitloads of money on new clothes.”

musical

YANK! A WWII LOVE STORY One of history’s greatest secret love stories finally told in Yank! A WWII Love Story, billed as “the musical Rodgers and Hammerstein never wrote.” Image: Kayzar

Yank! tells the story of Stu, an 18-year-old gay man drafted in to the military. He meets and falls in love with fellow soldier Mitch only for the couple to be torn apart when Mitch deploys to the frontline. Artie, an unapologetically queer reporter, takes Stu under his wing and shows him a glimpse of the gay world thriving just beneath the surface of the US Army. Scoring the epic tale of love, loss, war, hope and survival is a musical soundtrack that pays homage to both the era’s signature big band sound and its sweeping romantic showtunes.

While Stu, Mitch and Artie are fictional characters, their stories come directly from letters, memoirs and oral histories of gay – and straight – US Army soldiers who served in WWII. One of the largest productions in MELT’s program, Yank! speaks to the history of queer arts in a contemporary festival setting. Yank! A WWII Love Story Part of MELT: Festival of Queer Arts and Culture 4 – 14 July Tickets and information: brisbanepowerhouse.org

Music by JOSEPH ZELLNIK

Book and Lyrics by David Zellnik

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cover story

“Creating storytelling images is what really lights my fire.”

A HAUNTING JOURNEY New exhibition explores the story of queer depression and the fight for survival in a toxic society. The Brisbane Powerhouse hosts Stygian Stones during MELT 2019, the Festival of Queer Arts and Culture. Words: Destiny Rogers Photo by: Amsnel Gorgonio

We saw one of the early photographs from Stygian Stones earlier in the year. Impressed by the power of the image, we immediately shared it in this magazine. With the collection ready for hanging for MELT at the Brisbane Powerhouse, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to share more and talk to Matthew Taylor Thomas again. Matthew sets his images by the poisonous waters of the River Styx, the boundary between Earth and the Underworld in ancient Greek mythology. Stygian Stones follows a haunting journey through 18

depression, despair, gender constructs, mortality and the power of words. “I am not suffering depression, but I am depressed — depressed that leaders act the way they do. I am depressed that parties such as One Nation or Donald Trump rise to power based on a hatred of others. “After living overseas for many years, I thought I was very fortunate to return home to Australia to live in one of the luckiest countries on Earth. “But when I scrape below the surface, I feel trapped by those in power.

Stygian Stones: A Haunting Journey Images by: Matthew Taylor Thomas “We are very lucky compared to countries that suffer a lot of turmoil. However, I can't help that often politicians are in it for themselves and not the people as a whole.” “This played on my mind during the plebiscite. I thought about the nasty things I saw in the media or even written in the sky and the conversations I overheard.

STYGIAN STONES Matthew hand-picked favourite local queer artists and performers who shared his need to express these feelings. “I think at some point, all of us in the LGBTIQ+ community have felt depression or despair, especially those who feel like they don’t fit into the hyper-masculine society. We face varying levels of ridicule and bullying from many angles, including from within our own community. I particularly love the way I see Brisbane performers Jess Whoo and The Slaying Mantis consistently support each other and their peers online, always uplifting each other. I needed this positivity in my creative team, as well as in my life in general, to get through this dark-themed project and beyond.” A cinematic visualette projected on the wall of the Visy Theatre Foyer accompanies the portrait collection. Matthew collaborated with LGBTIQ+ ally Glen David Wilson who filmed and edited the piece.

MATTHEW TAYLOR THOMAS Matthew inherited his love for photography from his mother. He grew up seeing her joy as she photographed wildlife and nature. After ten years of travelling the world, he returned to Brisbane in 2012, where he started work as a freelance photographer. “My goal is to translate my vivid imagination and constant daydreams into powerful imagery. I hope to tell a story, and evoke a conversation” “I live in a world where the soldiers of bigotry and hatred rise to power before our eyes. Every day feels like battle against those who seek our demise. Stygian Stones allows the viewer to find their own narrative and mark out a journey along the banks of their own River Styx. And Matthew allows us hope. Stygian Stones allows the opportunity to stumble across soul quenching pieces of therapy along the journey.

Check out Matthew’s work @ matthewtaylorthomas.com matthewtaylorthomas The exhibition: brisbanepowerhouse.org/ events/2019/05/14/stygian-stones 19

religious freedom

ACL DEFENDS LGBT CONVERSION THERAPY FOR CHILDREN It’s time to take up the fight against the winding back of LGBTIQ rights under the guise of ‘Religious Freedom’. Words: Destiny Rogers I read a blog article recently. It was by Martyn Iles, Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby. It concerns his interview for a forthcoming 60 Minutes feature on LGBT Conversion Therapy. In the article, he defends the practice of converting LGBTIQ people through counselling and prayer. He writes of “the death of the self which is corrupted by sin,” and quotes scripture to bolster his argument.

“...put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires...” Ephesians 4:21-24 Iles complains about the combination of the words ‘conversion’ and therapy’ in a single phrase. “One is an act of God; the other is an act of man.” While I disagree with the word ‘therapy’, I come to that disagreement from a different place. I find the verdict of the US Surgeon General in 2001 a more logical and persuasive argument against the word. David Satcher stated, “there is no valid scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed.” Numerous medical bodies around the world declared concurrence in the years since. The real problem with the word ‘therapy’ is that conversion therapy doesn’t work. There is nothing ‘therapeutic’ about LGBT conversion.

MARRIAGE EQUALITY Martyn Iles likens the phrase ‘conversion therapy’ to ‘marriage equality’. He describes that as “an inexact and politically loaded term which we find ourselves engaging with, though we’re not sure where it came from.” Perhaps a dictionary might help.

The word ‘marriage’ is subject to some dispute. Varied constructs of the institution exist across different cultures. However, the Oxford Dictionary definition fits most situations. “The legally or formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship.” ‘Equality’ according to the same publication describes, “The state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities.” So, there we have it. Marriage equality means, to be brief, equal rights for legally or formally recognised unions of two people. By common usage, the term refers to the comparative status of same-sex and opposite-sex marriages.

PRAY THE GAY AWAY To his credit, Iles agrees with banning “perverse and misguided bootcamps to knock the gay out of young men.” He also disagrees with “electric shock therapy, to zap the brain into some imagined heteronormative gear.” However, he defends the right of churches to offer conversion through counselling and prayer. “Are we to criminalise a pastor who prays for a church member who has asked to be prayed for? Or ban people voluntarily getting together to support each other in counselling or support groups?” Mr Iles makes it all sound so innocuous. But the experience of LGBTIQ people who survive conversion therapy is not of a kindly old pastor saying, “I’ll pray for you my dear.” Nor do survivors mention ‘support groups’. Instead they talk of “praying, being prayed over, and introspecting, self-censoring and even participating in exorcisms.” They speak of “insidious and unrelenting ex-gay messaging.” “I experienced months of night terrors, which... the church told me were demonic attacks,” said one survivor. A 2002 study of people who underwent attempts at 21

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

PRAY THE GAY AWAY conversion showed that most suffered adversely from the ‘therapy’. They felt harmed by the attempt to change, and reported depression, social isolation, poor self-esteem, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. It is disingenuous at best to present religious conversion therapies as some charitable act for the good of the subject. Most importantly, both Shelton and Iles base their arguments on complete fallacies. 1. That any deviation from heterosexuality is wrong. Why try to change it otherwise? 2. That sexuality, in contradiction of the scientific evidence, can be changed. Mr Iles thinks a fourteen-year-old girl can blindly stumble into lesbianism by mistaking a friend for a lover. Is heterosexuality so fragile? Of course not! Most people are heterosexual. It’s been that way for millennia and unlikely to change. If conversion does not change homosexuals, nor does it change heterosexuals. There is nothing wrong with heterosexuality. Nor is there anything wrong with being LGBTIQ. Non LGBTIQ people sometimes think people change their sexuality when they witness people come out. But those people never changed, they simply recognised who they really were. Me, I was lucky. I knew my difference from a young age and delighted in it. I never suffered attempts to change me from either family or the tolerant rural town where I lived. Other LGBTIQ people don’t get it so easy. Assumed heterosexual from birth, some find it difficult to acknowledge to themselves, let alone anyone else, their difference. They can sometimes struggle along a tortuous road for decades before feeling safe to declare who they really are. Someone who lives a few blocks from me came out recently, in a limited fashion, at the age of 91. Despite knowing their difference for decades, fear kept them closeted. 22

Martyn Iles presents signing up for conversion as a free choice. “As far as I am aware, if someone wants to speak to a counsellor about their sexuality or gender, that’s their call.” Not always. The previous Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby Lyle Shelton said otherwise. "Should people be forced to go to conversion therapy? No, absolutely not. Now, children — they are under the care and responsibility of their parents, so I think if someone's a minor, it is up to their parents. And I think parental rights should be respected.” Martyn Iles certainly appeared to agree with Shelton in a blog post in June last year about an imaginary girl named Sally. “...if guest-presenters visiting her all-girls school spoke about human sexuality and she then assumed her 14-yearold best buddy was actually her lesbian girlfriend. “Can dad or mum do anything? Or is that “gay conversion therapy”? Can they even say anything?” No, Mr Iles, it is not gay conversion therapy to explain the difference between friendship and love. The parent/s can obviously say something. Personally, I’m sceptical a fourteenyear-old wouldn’t know the difference in this day and age. However, if I am wrong, perhaps the child’s loving parent/s — Mum, Dad, Mum and Dad, Mum and Mum or Dad and Dad — might explain.

THE VICTIM CARD Iles complains that banning LGBT conversion therapy is an attack on Christians. “By blaming an afflicted conscience on the existence of Christian values, Christianity becomes the single big target.” Apparently, if the religious may not attack LGBTIQ people, they are themselves attacked. The problem lies in the assumption that LGBTIQ people are somehow unnatural. LGBTIQ people are completely natural. They walked this planet long before major modern-day religions including Christianity ever existed. When European explorers set out to plunder unknown lands and convert the resident heathens, they found homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people in countries never exposed to European culture. However, they found no Christians. LGBTIQ people are born that way. No one is born Christian.

THE AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LOBBY The Australian Christian Lobby is a company. Its biggest expense is paying its staff. It has an unelected self-appointed board of management. Funding comes mainly from individual donors and truly we may say — God knows who they are. No one else does. The organisation does not disclose their identities. The ACL represents no mainstream Christian denominations. It represents a small constituency and wields influence far greater than it deserves. The lobby focuses on LGBTIQ issues. On their website last week, the top three ‘news’ stories were all LGBTIQ related — religious freedom in schools, Israel Folau and conversion therapy.

Martyn Iles Even in an article on a different subject, the horrendous terrorist acts in Sri Lanka, Martyn Iles manages to swing to LGBTIQ issues. “In just a few short years, we could see the end of Christian schools as we know them, the outlawing of Christian beliefs on sexuality and gender, Christian parents certified as child abusers, the firing and de-accrediting of Christian employees and professionals, and legal attacks on the church.” Earlier in the article he mentions persecution. “Christians have been persecuted around the world for two millennia, and still are.” That is true. Christians have, at times, suffered terrible persecution. As have Muslims, Buddhists, Jews, Albinos, Gypsies, Women, Indigenous peoples, LGBTIQ people... the list goes on and on. Throughout history, Christians suffered persecution and inflicted persecution. However, LGBTIQ people also suffered terribly at Christian hands. Christians murdered LGBTIQ people, burned them at the stake, castrated them, hanged them, jailed them, and all manner of other injustices. Martyn Iles in all likelihood mentioned none of that on 60 Minutes. Just 30 years ago in Queensland, Christian groups fought to stop the decriminalisation of homosexuality, as they still do in other countries today. Afterward they resisted antidiscrimination legislation, marriage equality and every other reform proposed to end injustice and bring equal rights to LGBTIQ communities. Being denied the right to oppress other people is not persecution. It is freedom. Christians have every right to their beliefs. They have no right to insist everyone else live by them.

FREEDOM’S JUST ANOTHER WORD FOR Everyone fill in their own blank. We all want freedom. However, we are not fighting for freedom if we only want it for ourselves. There is no freedom where one group triumphs over another.

So often in history we see one group survive persecution, only to themselves become the persecutors. None of us has a monopoly on righteousness. Witness the Buddhist ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya in Myanmar. Buddhists, FFS! Wouldn’t harm a fly! Yet they massacre Rohingya Muslims without compunction. They gang-rape, throw babies into rivers to drown and slaughter men, women and children.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM LEGISLATION Martyn Iles posted on Facebook after the election. “A dramatic turning away from Labor policies over the course of the federal election campaign is a win for religious freedom and parents’ rights.” The ACL and their disciples are spoiling for the fight over religious freedom. “Bring on religious freedom legislation,” one said on their Facebook page after the Coalition win. Though, another sounded a note of caution. “No that's the last thing we need. The Islamists want the law so you can’t offend a religion. Hopefully those candidates were voted out!” The insist on freedom of religion, but only for themselves. Another complained Scott Morrison “compromised his socalled faith by participating in a Buddhist ceremony, and by saying that he doesn't believe gays go to hell.” Here we go again. Footnote: Former ACL Managing Director Lye Shelton stood as a Senate candidate for Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives in the 2019 election. The party achieved 1.1% of the Queensland vote compared to One Nation’s 9.9%. Shelton was beaten for a place in the Senate by Malcolm Roberts, the anti-immigration Welsh conspiracy theorist born in India famed for ‘choosing to believe’ he was an Australian citizen. Embarrassing much? Shelton spent a long time building his credentials as a crusader for ‘religious freedoms’. He’s unlikely to go quietly into the night. Wonder if he wants his old job back? 23

social media

SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS

Social Media Influencers advertise goods and services to their online followers. There’s not actually anything new in the concept, other than the online presence. Royal warrants have been around since the 12th century. Allowing businesses to market their products ‘By Appointment to Her Majesty the Queen’ gets the royal family truckloads of contra. Words: Destiny Rogers Two gay influencers each caused something of a commotion this week with their shenanigans.

JAMES CHARLES Make-up artist James Charles became famous for the YouTube channel he launched as a kid in 2015. By this year, the 19-year-old had 16.6 million subscribers to his channel, having worked in 2017 as the first ever male spokesperson for Covergirl Cosmetics. He suffered a few setbacks along the way over offensive jokes and comments and admitted embroidering of the truth. However, things turned very nasty recently when long-time collaborator Tati Westbrook uploaded a video entitled ‘Bye Sister’ accusing Charles of manipulating people’s sexuality and playing with their emotions. She claimed Charles “tried to trick a straight man into thinking he’s gay.” 24

Subsequent to the video Charles lost 3 million subscribers from his channel. He then responded to Westbrook’s allegations in a video called ‘No More Lies’ in which he promised to reform, but also disputed some allegations. “First of all, I’m a 19-year-old virgin. I talk about boys quite a lot on my social media networks,” he said. “Clearly, at this point, it’s not acceptable anymore… just thought I’d bring it up, put it out into the universe, I don’t really get a lot of action.” Westbrook has since announced a hiatus from social media herself, but not before accusing Charles of lies and half-truths in his video. Who knows where it will all end? Perhaps each will need to hire a social media influencer to rehabilitate their reputations.

SINON LORESCA THE KING OF THE CATWALK At 18, when Sinon came out, his Filipino mother threw his high school diploma in the garbage and him out of the house. “I went to Manila and stayed around... a garbage mountain. I lived with a lot of other homeless people for almost a year. I would go through the garbage to find things that I could sell at a local shop.” Sinon escaped the slums and moved to England. There he posted videos of himself walking in high heels, speedos and flimsy gowns, billing himself King of the Catwalk. He became instafamous when a video went viral in 2016. He lives in England with his husband but returns to the Philippines frequently for television appearances. He also travels the world making personal appearances and doing meet-and-greets.

On 9 May, he posted a photo of himself at an airport in a revealing blue gown, high heels and tiara, writing, “On my way to Brunei.” The post caused a sensation in gay media world-wide due to the recent introduction of laws in Brunei which include death by stoning for sodomy. The King of the Catwalk mocked the concern once supposedly in Brunei insisting “Some news so exaggerated - stoned to death is not real, NOT AT ALL.” He posted a photo of himself in Middle Eastern attire and also referred to the South East Asian nation as being in the Middle East several times. A look through his Instagram then revealed the pic posted on his way to Brunei was actually taken before a flight to London in June last year. He posted other pics and a live video from ‘Brunei’, all from the hotel room. Who, other than Sinon, knows if he went to Brunei as a paid guest of the government to advertise the local tourist industry, or for a private VIP party as he claimed, and felt the need to say nice things for self-protection? Perhaps he just went there of his own accord to build his social media following. Or maybe posted everything from a hotel in Manila for the same reason, without ever stepping into danger? Everyone wants to be the next Kardashian and releasing a sex video is a bit old hat now. Social Media Influencers must try so much harder. Brave new world. 25

calendar

ATSAQ LUNCHEON You're invited to come and enjoy the company, the conversations and share knowledge or learn new things at the ATSAQ Luncheon. Please contact to reserve your place as no walk-ins will be permitted. RSVP’S ONLY Where

Carina

When

May 25

Time

11am-4pm

Entry

$15-$20

DRAG BRUNCH/ABBA PARTY Brisbane’s Drag Brunch Club featuring a highly interactive show by our amazing hosts, a delicious brunch menu and premium drinks. Experience a hilarious fun time with your hosts Sellma Soul and BeBe Gunn. Enjoy wild performances, interactive games and great prizes.

ROMEO & JULIET A 21st century re-imagining of Shakespeare’s iconic love story, La Boite’s production of Romeo and Juliet takes no prisoners in its version of theatre’s infamous starcrossed lovers. Two families at war, two teenagers in love, a three-day affair that ends in six deaths. Where

La Boite

When

May 25-June 15

Time

See website for details

Entry

From $35

Where

Cloudland

When

May 26

Time

11:30am-2:30pm

Entry

$45

BRISBANE PRIDE CHOIR

BERRI DELICIOUS DEBUTING AT THE SPORTSMAN’S HOTEL Come along and support Berri as she takes to the stage, her lips will be moving, her hips will be shaking and her butt will be twerking.

PRESENTS

PRIDE GOES TO THE MOVIES BRISBANE PRIDE CHOIR CONCERT: PRIDE GOES TO THE MOVIES Brisbane Pride Choir presents an evening of music from your TV and Movie favourites! This will be a night to remember, held in the historic St John's Cathedral in Brisbane, with two wonderful acts to whisk you away. All funds raised through this event will enable choir members to attend the Out & Loud choral festival in Canberra. The Out & Loud choral festival celebrates pride in our LGBTIQ+ community through music.

Where

Sportsman Hotel

Where

St John's Cathedral

When

May 31

When

May 31

Time

10pm

Time

7pm-10pm

Entry

Free

Entry

$20-$25

BRISBANE TENNIS INC: BRISVEGAS OPEN 2019 Team Brisbane Tennis Inc. and the GLTA welcome you to the Brisvegas Open 2019 tournament. Our supporters Inspire Health will be running activities and giving advice to players and spectators during the tournament. Where

Queensland Tennis Centre

When

May 31-June 2

Time

See website for details

Entry

See website for details

Tropical Fruits will be donning all things Rainbow and will lead you deep into a magical world of shimmering colour to celebrate 31 proud years of community building and party magic. It’s our birthday…and the birthday of all our Queens… so we are celebrating with our first PRIDE party.

INTERSPORT SOCIAL/ BRISVEGAS OPEN PARTY This Intersport Social is open to all 16 clubs in Team Brisbane Sports, all involved in Brisvegas Tennis Open, friends of these groups and people interested in learning more about LGBTI+ friendly sport. Where

The Wickham

When

June 1

Time

6:30pm-9:30pm

Entry

Free

TROPICAL FRUITS PRESENTS: PRIDE

Where

Eltham Hotel

When

June 8

Time

8pm-2am

Entry

$20-$35

BRISVEGAS OPEN PARTY

SCARLET COSTUME KARAOKE Hosted by Megan Barnes from Rainbow Productions Australia. This is a costume themed Karaoke, we will have numerous costumes for you to dress in. So pick a costume, your favourite song and jump on stage and sing your lungs out.

FIGHTING NOT DANCING Fighting not Dancing is a photographic and sound installation addressing homophobic violence against men who love men. Scott Harrower's practice led research investigates both personal and historical stories that have been denied and/or forgotten. The work includes an orchestral collaboration with New York Composer, Ron Nahass.

Where

Sportsman Hotel

Where

Lismore Regional Gallery

When

June 8

When

until June 30

Time

7pm-2am

Time

See website for details

Entry

EarlyBird $10

Entry

See website for details

concert

MEGAN HILTY: STAR OF SMASH AND WICKED RETURNS TO BRISBANE Star of stage, screen and television Megan Hilty returns to QPAC with a brand-new show and a 40-piece orchestra. Megan first found fame on Broadway as Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked. Television audiences discovered her in the musical drama Smash about a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Words: Wanda D'Parke Image Courtesy: Adam Volerich “My mom heard that, if a tone-deaf person sings to their unborn child, the child would be born tone-deaf…so mom refused to sing to me,” said Megan. However, as a baby Megan’s mum, “put me on the floor, in front of the record player, and let me listen to the likes of Manhattan Transfer, and my favourite Whitney Houston.” After graduating from University with a theatre degree, Megan made her Broadway debut in 2004 in Wicked. She understudied for Kristen Chenoweth in the role of Glinda. Assuming the role full-time in 2005, Megan made it her own, starring on Broadway and touring with Wicked until 2009. During this time, she also appeared on television shows including Bones, Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. Megan also provided the voice for Snow White in Shrek The Third, together with numerous other animated features and television series. Most of us know her as Ivy Linn, an actress desperate to land the lead in a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe.

The television show Smash, about a Broadway musical called Bombshell, ran for two amazing seasons. The stellar cast included Debra Messing from Will and Grace, Broadway legend Bernadette Peters, and Academy Award winner Anjelica Houston. Both Smash and Bombshell released soundtracks (which we all love), and many a Drag performer borrowed those songs to perform on stage… including me. After a one-off performance for a charity event, the fictional musical Bombshell will soon become a real-life stage musical on Broadway. In the meantime, Megan released several CDs to keep us occupied. My favourite is her live Cabaret show “Megan Hilty — Live at The Café Carlyle”. Megan tours regularly, with her first tour of Australia in 2016 selling out within days. Megan hits our shore again in June, playing at QPAC on Thursday 20th. If her 2016 tour is anything to go by, I recommend getting tickets sooner rather than later, as that sold out super-quick. For more info visit qpac.com.au/event/megan_hilty_19 29

journal

AN INTELLECTUAL SHALLOW DIVE INTO THE DANGERS OF POP PSYCHOLOGY Pop psychology might better be described as psychobabble, because the uninformed teachings of selftaught 'experts' only serve to limit our human potential. Words: RJ Miles Do you have an intellect, or just the box it came in? Let’s stop limiting ourselves and others. I often hear people (artistic friends) state that creativity trumps intelligence. But are we compelled to choose? Why can’t we have both? These days, intellect seems frowned upon. Witness the disdain of many to climate science or the rise of the antivaxers. Some opinion makers stigmatise intellectual pursuits as inferior to creativity. But it is a combination of human intellect and creativity that got use to where we are. Hedy Lamarr, a 1940s Hollywood sex goddess, pioneered the frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology which allows us to use wi-fi today. Einstein, the go-to intellect of the last century — Mr E = mc2 — travelled everywhere with a violin. “Life without playing music is inconceivable for me,” he said. Intellectual curiosity drives the creative process. The two work together, not in isolation. Pop Psychology Myth Many people assume that the brain works in isolated boxes of logic and creativity. Rubbish! 30

Brain scans of musicians during the height of their flow process shows a complex interplay between both hemispheres. The corpus callosum mediates brain activity and passes neural activity from one side to the other. If we stop imposing borders between intellectual or creative talents, we will allow people to embrace and amplify their neurological diversity. You can be smart AND creative. Without doubt, you are a complex tangle of any number of things. We are a complex species. Our capacity to analyse these ideas separates us from other animals – though sometimes I wonder. Here’s another out-there thought — we can even develop strengths and weaknesses throughout life. We need to rethink everything — how we define intelligence, creativity, and socialisation; how we tap into the virtues of others, and how we capitalise on the fact that most everything can be grown and developed, in ourselves and others. Through different veins, everything can be appreciated on a more profound level. There really are no boundaries between the different things we are and can be capable of. We are more limited by the boxes we think ourselves into. Maybe we should spend more time thinking outside of them.

the look

THE PERILS Is your laptop responsible for pigmentation on your thighs? Sound a little dramatic? Don’t reach for a tinfoil hat! It’s a distinct possibility.

Laptops can cause brown spots, blotchy skin or freckles on your thighs, particularly if you sit with it on your bare skin for hours on end! Sunshine is not the only cause of uneven pigmentation or skin tone. Prolonged exposure to heat is another culprit. In the case of your laptop, these heat waves come in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Leaving a laptop on your thighs can lead to a temperature build-up of a whopping 43-47 degrees! This thermal radiation sometimes induces epidermal damage to the superficial blood vessels and leads to vascular dilation (abnormal enlargement of blood vessels). The result is often red, discoloured or blotchy skin — also known as ‘toasted skin syndrome.’

HOW TO AVOID YOUR LAPTOP CAUSING PIGMENTATION Prevention is better than cure so the obvious answer is to use a table… but that defeats the object of a “laptop” right? If curling up on the couch with your computer on your lap is something you love to do, there are other options! Place something solid between your skin and the laptop such as a laptop table, stand or cooling pad.

HOW TO TREAT PIGMENTATION Mild changes to the skin caused by laptop heat, if detected early, can heal without treatment.

However, it is advisable to have these looked at by a dermatologist or trained dermal therapist. For mild irritation, topical inflammatory products such as Balense Recovery Cream will help. The cream forms a nourishing hydro-film on the skin to boost moisture levels reduce redness, irritation and inflammation. In the event of pigmentation or uneven skin tone, Laser Rejuvenation for pigmentation is often the answer. Laser safely and effectively treats pigmentation by targeting and fragmenting the selected imperfection. It causes no damage to the surrounding skin tissue. A series of three treatments usually yields the best results. These treatments should be accompanied by two weeks of preparation using Balense Illuminate Brightening Serum, Intensive Retinol Serum and Rapid C Concentrate. This applies to treating pigmentation on areas such as the face and décolletage, too. The Balense Brightening Serum works to inhibit the production of pigmentation and will help fade existing pigmentation, while Retinol will encourage skin renewal. Vitamin C is an antioxidant and protects against ageing. Post treatment, we recommend daily use of an SPF 50+ on the treatment area. For more information on the treatment of redness, pigmentation or uneven skin tone contact your local Australian Skin Clinics location: australianskinclinics.com.au

the bod

PT TALK WITH ANDREW Training with an injury. Words: Andrew Beresford Injuries can be pre-existing, accidental, sports related, or from twerking too hard on the D-floor... Whatever causes it, there’s a chance you may one day join the folks who train with an injury. Once you sustain an injury, you need to give it time to rest. Allow yourself some recovery time. However, that doesn’t mean lazing around while a personal slave feeds you peeled grapes. (Though I’m open to rethinking that.) It’s important to acknowledge an injury. (Let’s face it... Ok, it’s a setback.) Have a professional check it out, and then undertake training that won’t aggravate the injury. Injured people worry about losing fitness levels and so lose the motivation to return to training. Therefore, make sure you keep going, but modify your work out. If you have a foot or ankle injury, avoid running and impact movements such as jumping and skipping. Instead, opt for the rower or the exercise bike. Target your upper body with weights and start strengthening the core. You can still do legs

but opt for pin loaded machines such as the leg extension. For leg and knee injuries, take the best cardio option — in the pool with you, and swim. Cut back leg day at the gym and target mainly upper body and core until safe to slowly reintroduce lower body movements. With elbow and shoulder injuries, good news! Full speed ahead with most cardio equipment. Though, take care on the rower as you don’t want to put stress on your upper body. The treadmill and bike are fine. Focus on legs, core and lower back extensions in the weights area. For lower back injuries, avoid running and any impact movements. Walking is fine. Cycling is fine, even the elliptical machine. All in moderation though, as back injuries are the hardest to come back from! Focus on upper body weights such as bench press, lat pull down and the cable row. There are a gazillion ways to work around your injuries. If you’re unsure, see an exercise physiologist, your PT or therapist and keep going. There’s no point starting from the bottom again when you can do things now to promote your recovery and strengthen the areas around it.

Phone or SMS: 0411 3766 39 Email: abrightfitness@outlook.com SMS the number above for your FREE 2 week Goodlife pass and let the journey begin!

employment

ELECTION RESULT BAD NEWS FOR WEEKEND WORKERS Last week's surprise election result will have major negative ramifications on weekend workers, and will leave the future of LGBTIQ , employees, teachers and students in faith-based institutions in limbo.

Labor's Bill Shorten had pledged to end lawful discrimination against gay workers, teachers and students in faith-based institutions, including schools, along with a promise to reverse harsh penalty rate cuts for those who work in hospitality, retail, fast food and pharmacy. But re-elected Prime Minister Scott Morrison made no such promises â&#x20AC;&#x201D; so from July, there will be another round of penalty rate cuts for weekend workers of 5 per cent. That might not sound like much, but those workers have already copped a 15 per cent cut to their penalty rates since they were first introduced in 2017. By the time the cuts are fully implemented, the McKell Institute estimates that weekend workers will be out of pocket a staggering $2.8 billion.

Despite Morrison's pledge to protect gay kids in schools late last year, he reneged, and effectively 'kicked the can down the road' by handing the issue to the Law Reform Commission for review. The Prime Minister is a fundamentalist Christian who is more likely to introduce religious freedom laws that will allow faithbased schools to continue to legally expel gay kids and sack gay teachers and other staff simply for being who they are. Elections have consequences, and some of our hardest weekend workers, and our LGBTIQ teachers and students could be about to pay the price. If you have experienced discrimination or been unfairly dismissed from employment, we can help. Please call Discrimination Claims today on 1300 853 837.

pride business network

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS Featured community business Brought to you by Pride Business Network

Krissi Green and Louise Ludgater at KL Realty attribute their success as property managers to attention to detail. The two women have a combined 30 years’ experience and are proven performers in successfully managing properties. They describe their role as checking the property thoroughly and regularly, keeping a watchful eye that rent is paid on time, managing lease renewals early and ensuring tenants leave your property in a good condition. Krissi said, “We are proactive, making use of the most up to date systems to ensure the best possible outcome for landlords. We use strong systems, checklists and the latest cloud-based software. That means we minimise lost rental income and avoid damage to the properties we manage.” Louise emphasised the importance of responsive communications.

“We focus on personal customer service and promise to return phone calls and emails within 24 hours. It is essential to remain accessible to both landlords and tenants for the best possible outcomes.”. To speak to Krissi and Louise about any aspect of property management check out: www.klrealty.com.au or call 0421 090 588

A WISE Queen ONCE SAID "I always thought I should be treated like a star" "And so you shall be!" ~ Dr. Richmond Tan (Optometrist)

A N E W C O N C E P T I N FA S H I O N EYEWEAR HAS ARRRIVED Glamour photoshoot included in your optical perscription package Personal stylist in-store / Star quality service Bulk Billed Optometrical Consultations Contact lens fittings / Aftercares Luxury / Branded frames to suit every budget All Health Funds accepted

Personal Value Variety & Uniquity For everybody & for you

5 star personalised Optometry service First class eye-testing experience

Call 07 3162 4742 or Visit WWW.EYEPORIUM.COM.AU to book your Eyeporium Experience. 4a/9 Doggett Street, New Farm location / Off James street / Visitors carpark available.

doc q

SNORE? SEE YOUR DOCTOR Apart from the obvious social dilemma snoring can cause, there are possible health risks too if your snoring is caused by a condition called sleep apnoea (pronounced ap-nee-a). Words: Fiona Bisshop Snoring – it’s a common problem that you have no control over. After all, you’re asleep! But has your partner started wearing earplugs to bed, or even suggested separate rooms because of it? Do you suffer from headaches or excessive tiredness during the day? Do you wake feeling unrefreshed, or perhaps fall asleep at the drop of a hat? If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, then you may be suffering from sleep apnoea. This is a common condition, where the sufferer stops breathing for periods of time during sleep. It is especially likely if you snore and are overweight. The frequent pauses in breathing, which can last for up to a couple of minutes, cause your brain to become low in oxygen. The consequences of this are that you do not get the rejuvenating effect that sleep should provide, and you may develop serious medical problems such as high blood pressure or heart failure. The most common type of sleep apnoea is due to physical

blockage of the airway, especially in obese people, where the collapsible walls of the airway simply obstruct during sleep, causing a narrowed airway (hence the snoring). Usually people who suffer from sleep apnoea don’t realise it’s happening at all, and it is often a partner who notices the pauses in breathing during sleep. Sleep apnoea is diagnosed by having a test called a sleep study, where a whole bunch of monitors are connected to you to measure things like your breathing rate, brain waves and oxygen levels. These can be conducted in your own home and can be bulk-billed. For some people, weight loss will cure their sleep apnoea. There are also effective treatments for simple snoring, such as mouthguards and even surgery. However, most people with significant sleep apnoea will end up using a device called a CPAP machine, and the effect is almost miraculous for many – no more waking up feeling exhausted, no more headaches, the renewed ability to think clearly. It can be a life-changing diagnosis!

Dr Fiona Bisshop specialises in LGBTIQ health and is available by appointment at Holdsworth House Medical Brisbane. Call (07) 3894 0794 or visit holdsworthhouse.com.au. Visit drfionabisshop.com or follow @DrFionaBisshop on Twitter, or send your health questions to doctorqnews@gmail.com

business directory

3216 1100 Shop 16/421 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

business directory Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender health General medicine

Medical Centre General Practioners Dr Wendell Rosevear OAM Dr Neil Simmons Dr Ryan Williams Dr Rebecca Lock Dr James Allen Dr Hemming Luu 52 Newmarket Road, Windsor www.stonewall.com.au

Sexual Health Physician Dr Graham Neilsen Clinical Nutritionist Mel Trebilcock

Social Work/Counselling Jane Meakin Lena Lundell Trevor Cohen

Phone: 07 3857 1222

Sexual health PrEP, PEP & HIV care Mental health and Counselling Support groups: • Drug and alcohol • Sexual abuse Acupuncture and Natural medicine Nutrition

LEE KUN

Professional Painter interior • exterior • power washing dry wall • castings • home repair

CALL 0434 799 303

THE PAPER EMPIRE beautiful invitations and stationery 145 JAMES STREET, NEW FARM WWW. THEPAPEREMPIRE. COM. AU

Joshua Hart MARRIAGE CELEBRANT & FUNERAL CELEBRANT 0418 742 310 E: celebrateurday@gmail.com W: www.celebrateurday.com.au

ADULT RELAXATION Full body therapeutic & tantric massage for men of all ages and nationalitie, relax and enjoy an hour of sensual masculine touch by fit slim & experienced masseur in Toowong. $80

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Asian Group Masseurs. Remedial, Thai and Full Body Sensual Massage. Duo Massage available. Very comfortable environment. www.asianmagichandmassage.com.au 0424 546 102 0421 096 430

Lawrence

SHARED ACCOMMODATION SPRING HILL Guy wanted to share 2 bedroom apartment Fully furnished except bedroom $200 PW + Bond Call Ian

GALTA National network of Tourism professionals dedicated to the welfare and satisfaction of Gay and Lesbian travellers within and to Australia. visitgayaustralia.com.au

0459 519 101

0419 442 279 MASSAGE

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Qualified, ex-military man offers massage in private, inner-north air-conditioned studio. Shower available. Remedial, firm touch, or more gentle and relaxing: the choice is yours. Available from 10am ‘til late weekdays; some weekends. From $60 Greg 0435 477 558

Young students (18+) looking for full body massage $40.00 18 to 21yo and slim. Asian very welcome Phone After 4.30PM Call: 0427 720 560

CWC Charity Cabaret Saturday 29 June Sportsman Hotel All proceeds to QPP

TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION A personal assistant is wanted by single grazer with no family to succeed him. Slim but easy going guy under 30yo country experience preferred. if the guy is right his future is bright. More Info: 0428 877 901

82 Upper Hastings Street Noosa Heads, QLD. Noosa’s ONLY GAY and ADULT boutique accomodation. Prime location, close to Hastings Street, near Noosa National Park, Sunny north facing balconies. Selection of fully self-contained Poolside Studio, 1 or 2 bedroom apartments. Free WIFI access secluded pool area. www.noosacove.com.au 07 5449 2668

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YOUR ASS TROLOGY

horoscope

Wanda D’Parke

Aries Ensure you are not caught short this weekend. Plan ahead, and have every eventuality covered just in case. You never know who or what could be lurking down that dark side street. I personally enjoy the odd “dark side street”, so this could also be a blessing in disguise on that late night walk/stagger home after clubbing… ur welcome. Taurus Sandwiches often seem harmless until they force their way into your stomach and start screaming and banging on your internals. A Turkish man or woman may delight you today in some way… could be that sandwich made on Turkish bread??... AND… chocolate desserts are your friend. Sigh, I wish I was a Taurean right about now, Sigh. Gemini The future holds much joy and happiness for someone close to you… but NOT you… so basically you’re screwed for the coming week or so; maybe not literally screwed, otherwise that would be a ‘win’ for you. With this in mind watch out for black cats, ladders, fragile mirrors, and under-cooked KFC… I just threw that last one in for giggles. 42

Cancer Breaking bad news to someone you love may break your heart, but please remember to wash the blood off your hands before you move on. On a lighter note… fun fact… Hot dogs may be 90% pig snout; But YOU are 100% arse; well some of the time you can be, admit it. I am a Cancerian too, so don’t attack the messenger!!

Libra Australia has Southern Folk, and Northern Folk. Which are you Libra? I say this for TWO reasons. ONE… ‘Winter Is Coming’, GOT is back and that means Football season is almost here. TWO… that means butch Gay men and women following intently; and C and D… I hate football, and I am clicking the remote to find a station NOT showing football… sheesh!!

Capricorn That pedestal you sometimes like to sit on is going to be kicked out from under you shortly, as loved ones embellish you with hateful phrases. Any jokes they make, that you need to think about, are really not worth ‘getting’, so simply dust off that pedestal and climb right back onto it; and shout to the rooftops “begone peasants!!”

Leo The thought of coming up with a horoscope for you made me laugh today. You can sometimes be the most pathetic attention seeker; BUT; DON’T BE SAD; You are on the verge of a massive breakthrough. I am yet to see what kind of breakthrough this may be but, trust me, it will be amazing and well worth the wait.

Scorpio Money is a source of evil that you seem to not be able to do without. You WILL get caught out and find yourself in hot water. That is because hot water is pretty much all you will be able to afford to feed yourself with, so be careful Scorpio. None of us want you to suffer… too much.

Aquarius Your (sometimes) selfish ways will not improve this week when you win lotto… BAHAHAHAHA, kidding!!! However, your selfish ways do need to be reeled in a bit. Remember those around you, that put up with you, when they sometimes want to simply say ‘Bye Felicia’ and walk away. Say “Thank You Felicia” once in a while and you will reap the rewards.

Sagittarius

Virgo You will not be your usual ‘life of the party’ self in the coming week. Your Stars are a little muddy and it is difficult to see what is coming your way. But don’t fret, your hilarious funny bone will return when and where you least expect it. Just be patient Virgo, you are never out of the race for long.

For some reason the story of the tortoise and the hare is in your head. It makes you rethink things over the coming week. Like, how lazy was that hare, eh? Jeez, I mean, that bunny should have whupped that garden ornament right in his halfshell-coconut-shapedbackpack-house. Bloody mutant ninjas…. Moving on…

Pisces Spiders have feelings too – an undeniable but ultimately useless fact when you reach for the bug spray or the vacuum cleaner. Now this IS one of my metaphors… your friends and family are the spiders and YOU are the vacuum and bug spray. Don’t constantly overlook what they have to say, otherwise YOU might end up being on the receiving end of Pest Control.

Domestic and family violence in our community is real. Ask yourselfâ&#x20AC;Śis your relationship coloured by fear and abuse or love and respect? Learn more at qld.gov.au/LGBTIQendDFV For LGBTIQ-relevant support call DVConnect Womensline 1800 811 811 or Mensline 1800 600 636 or 1800RESPECT. In an emergency call the Police on Triple Zero (000).

Authorised by the Queensland Government, William Street, Brisbane.

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WEEKEND AT THE BEAT Photos by Funky Munky

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GATSBY PARTY Photos by Funky Munky

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Join The Star Club. It’s free and easy.~ Our delicious lobsters are frozen to lock in the flavour. Visit thestargoldcoast.com.au for venue opening hours. *No further discounts apply. Available for The Star Club Members only upon presentation of current Membership card. Guests must be aged 18 years or over to enter Food Quarter and the casino. ~You must be over the age of 18 and provide valid photo ID to join The Star Club. BET WITH YOUR HEAD, NOT OVER IT. STARG00299