Logical and biological ties with Mo’Ju
To learn more about Jerry’s story and access the Madonna40 exhibition playlist, use this link.
As Sydney continues to roar towards its seemingly unavoidable destiny of becoming an enclave for the rich (only), queer life continues to bloom in the regions where housing is cheaper, the traffic is lighter and the people are just that little bit friendlier.
In this issue we celebrate Canberra’s SpringOUT festival and Newcastle Pride, which are both bursting with impressive post-pandemic programmes this year.
At SpringOUT, you might find yourself joining a chocolate decorating or an energetic zumba class, while in Newcastle there’s everything from a pride youth formal to a dragon boating event on the city’s gorgeous harbour.
Elsewhere in this issue, you’ll hear two very different queer refugee stories, we
review a hyperpop rave, queer podcasts and streaming TV shows and Hannah Head ponders whether Bros really is the best gay movie ever made?
On a music tip, our cover star Mo’Ju tells us why they’d prefer to stay close to their Melbourne studio rather than going out there chasing international fame, we review the new album by Melbourne trans artist Simona Castricum and interview a Madonna fan whose collection is going on display in Canberra.
On an arts front, Brisbane’s Nordacious explains the thinking behind his kitschy pop-art merchandise. There’s plenty of great Christmas ideas in there!
Until our Mardi Gras issue, EDITOR
n News 6-9
Qtopia becomes a reality, there’s a Pride flag shooting in California and Arq’s proposed tunnel to Bodyline
n Refugees 10-11 Mohamed Al Abri on the ongoing challenges faced by queer refugees once they reach Australia
n Leaving Ukraine 12-13 SletLana’s journey to drag freedom in Amsterdam
n Reviews 14-19 Simona Castricum, Heartstopper, comfort TV, Biosphere and Bros
n Arts 20-21 Visual artist Nordacious on his religious background and queer awakening
n Mo’Ju matters 23-25 Wiradjuri-Filipino singer Mo’Ju explains the important stuff
n Madonna 26-27 Canberra Gallery and Museum is celebrating Mad’s 40th music anniversary with an exhibition
n SpringOUT guide 28-30 Where to celebrate pride in the capital
n Newcastle Pride 33 Jamie MacKee of Newcastle Pride discusses the city’s amazing transformation
n Infinity Worm 39 Canberra’s experimental festival reviewed
n Snaps 39-45 Hot pics from Disco Newcastle, Screaming Gay, Drag Race Down South, Poof Doof, and Karen from Finance
n Calendar 46 Dedicated Madonna and Kylie parties, The Imperial revamp, Hollywould Star at Cube
45 years after queers were thrown into paddy wagons at the first Mardi Gras parade and subsequently bashed at the Darlinghurst Police Station, the historic station has been handed over to the queer organisation Qtopia to create a permanent LGBTIQA+ museum. CEO Greg
Fisher said, “From illegality to legality, from inequality to equality, from humiliation to respect, our stories will soon be invested in this property to ensure education and awareness, tolerance, acceptance, respect and love”. Qtopia has attracted $4 million worth of funding so far.
While rumours have been swirling for the past couple of years about the fate of Arq nightclub and the still-shuttered Bodyline Sauna, which are both owned by Shadd Danesi, things took an interesting twist on August 24 when it was revealed that the City of Sydney has approved plans for a so-called ‘love tunnel’ connecting the two venues. Arq patrons would be able to access the sex-onpremises venue from the club (but not the other way around – unless they originally entered via Arq). The application has been referred to NSW Police for comment.
STUN
Publisher/Editor
Danny Corvini
Art Director
Rob Duong
It’s official – Kyle Sandilands’ monkeypox comments on the Kyle & Jackie O radio show breached decency rules, the communications watchdog ACMA has ruled. In the offending segment, aired on KISS FM on 23 August 2022, Sandilands described monkeypox as “the big
Contributors
Sean Cook
Stephen Corvini
Jo Falvey
Holly Hazlewood
Hannah Head
SletLana
Christos Linou
DJ Raydar
Stuart Ridley
gay disease”, adding that “only the gays are getting it”. He went on to say that he was worried about getting the disease from gay colleagues and asked a gay listener who had called into the show whether they were afraid of getting it because of their sexuality.
Photographers
Brad Black Creative
Pretheesh Francis
Hypothermic Pictures
Sophie Joyce
Kincade Photography
Jacob Richardson
Glen Scarborough
Seismic
Ketut Subiyanto
starts page 23
Photo
Kira Puru, Instagram: @noicepicciesm8
Hong Kong’s top court ruled in favour of same-sex civil unions in September, stopping short of allowing full marriage equality or recognising foreign same-sex marriages. The court declared that the current lack of legal same-sex relationship recognition to be a violation and has given the government two years to create ‘legal recognition’ for same-sex partnerships. With 60% of the population in support of samesex marriage, this partial-victory has been heralded by Jerome Yau (pictured) from Hong Kong Marriage Equality as “major development” towards the goal of full marriage. “I think this is a major step forward and it is a good thing,” he said.
Australian horror film Talk to Me has been banned in Kuwait due to the casting of non-binary trans-masculine actor Zoe Terakes, whose character’s gender is never mentioned in the film. While Kuwait is renowned for its highly prohibitive censors, this is considered to be the first banning of its type. The film’s production company Causeway and international distributor Bankside said, “We are immensely proud of their [Terakes’] involvement in the film,” in a joint statement.
Multicultural members and allies of the LGBTIQA+ community will have better support navigating conversations around sexual orientation and gender identity thanks to the creation of an online resource available in seven languages.
Created by RMIT University researchers in partnership with the Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council (AGMC), this pioneering multilingual terminology resource contains hundreds of LGBTIQA+ terms from English to Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, Spanish, Thai and Vietnamese. Project lead and RMIT Senior Lecturer in Translating and Interpreting, Dr Miranda Lai, said the terminology resource addresses
language barriers around selfexpression and communication which can negatively impact an individual’s sense of belonging and social participation. “There are very few bilingual resources available to help articulate sexual orientation and gender identity – and there are even fewer multilingual resources,” Lai said. “The LGBTIQA+ Multilingual Terminology will help translators, interpreters, LGBTIQA+ community members and allies find the words to authentically represent identity in their own language.” The two-year project was first seeded in 2021 when the team received feedback from translators and interpreters who were finding it difficult to convey LGBTIQA+ terms and expressions from English into their own languages in their work.
To explore the terminology guide and translator resource visit rainbowterminology.org
PHOTO: KETUT SUBIYANTO
n ”You look unhinged to me / Have you lost touch with reality? / I mean, you’re talking lots of crazy stuff / Boy, I wish I had some earplugs.”
– RuPaul’s Drag Race season two contestant Morgan McMichaels takes on right-wing politicians in a Padam Padam reworking
n It has been quite an interesting roller coaster for me over the last few years I guess embracing more my feminine energy, which is actually where I think I sit more often.
– Boxer Harry Garside on The Project
n In a very real sense, you’re on the front lines – fighting every day to make the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions and ideas available to everyone.
– Barrack Obama in an open letter to America’s librarians
n My god that was the closest I’ve ever been to standing up. @TheMatildas
UNBELIEVABLE EFFORT
– Dylan Alcott tweets about Sam Kerr’s World Cup goal against England
n This ban is one of the most concrete manifestations of the fury that the rightwing majority is unleashing against LGBTI people.
– Gabriele Piazzoni from LGBTQ+rights group Arcigay after Italian councils were instructed by the Italian PM to only register biological parents on birth certificates
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has appointed its current Chief Financial Officer and Interim CEO, Gil Beckwith, to be its new CEO. “Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is not just a festival, it’s a message, a movement and a celebration. I am committed to championing our LGBTQIA+ community and ensuring our future is as luminous as our past,” said an
STUN is fabulous but a small operation nonetheless. If you are a writer or photographer and want to contribute, get in touch. If you are an LGBTIQA+ organisation and have some news or a story idea, get in touch. If you are organising queer events of any kind, get in touch at hello@ stunmagazine.com.au
excited Beckwith. Gil became the first female President of Melbourne’s Midsumma festival back in 1997 and has worked in the Arts and not-for-profit industry for 20 years with senior finance and administration management roles at the Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Festival and the Victorian AIDS Council. The theme for the Mardi Gras 2024 festival is Our Future.
Things hit a new low in the US in August when a 66-year-old clothing shop owner in Cedar Glen, California was killed for refusing to take down a Pride flag. Laura Ann Carleton, an ally of the LGBTIQA+ community, was attacked by a 27-year-old man who tore down the flag and yelled homophobic slurs before opening fire. The man was also killed in a subsequent confrontation with police. Anti-queer activity has increased 30-fold in the US since 2017 prompting Canada to take the extraordinary step a week later of issuing a warning to its LGBTIQA+ citizens against travelling to the US at this time.
As the rights of queer people around the world are being stripped away, Australia is viewed as a place to start a new life, free of persecution. However, the journey towards an authentic life in a new country is still full of unique challenges as LGBTQIA+ displaced people often face a toxic mix of racism and queerphobia in a new environment.
The Forcibly Displaced People Network (FDPN), which is the first registered organisation to campaign for the rights of displaced queer people in Australia, conducted a nationwide survey in 2021 to
capture the experiences of people seeking asylum from countries that are often actively outlawing LGBTQIA+ people from public life.
More than 50 per cent of the study’s participants reported that the ongoing issue of discrimination affected their physical and mental health. The report also revealed a staggering 60 per cent experienced at least one form of violence in Australia, more than 15 times higher than the national average over the same period.
FDPN Board Director Mohamed Al Abri (pictured) says the challenges faced by queer refugees do not stop just because they manage to escape oppressive regimes.
“Settlement services can be very homophobic and racist,” he says. “Queer refugees may be vulnerable to violence or harassment in shared accommodation settings, particularly if they are housed with individuals from their home countries who hold prejudiced views.
“Ensuring safe settlement environments is crucial. Many LGBTIQ+ refugees have experienced trauma and may require specialised mental health support to cope with their past experiences and the challenges of resettlement.”
Mohamed adds that queer refugees often can’t rely on family already living in Australia, like cis-het displaced people, because they are often ostracised within their own communities.
The journey of resettling in a foreign land is one familiar to Mohamed, who came to Australia as a 16-year-old in 2007 from the Arabian
Gulf as a student. Freedom of information now available to him in Australia allowed him to slowly discover who he was despite the road to authenticity still being filled with many speed bumps.
“When I was growing up as a teenager, the internet was just starting. My home country was also very authoritarian and controlled all content on the internet. I was curious about my sexuality but any content related to queerness was blocked or censored,” he says.
“My biggest challenge was the pressure to fit in. I had no idea what being ‘gay’ meant and if I was. The word ‘queer’ was so foreign too. We have to remember that the concept of queerness is very western and does not apply to the global majority.”
The Arabian Gulf is just one of many regions in the world that are increasingly dangerous for queer people to exist. Uganda’s
anti-homosexuality act makes being queer possibly punishable by death, Russia is using its war in the Ukraine to commit transphobic and homophobic attacks, Ghana is seeking to outlaw queer people, gay and trans people in Iraq could be killed or imprisoned while Lebanon, Japan, Egypt, India and Morocco are all embracing conservative ideals.
sponsorship because, unlike traditional resettlement, here it is a group of five individuals who come together and commit to supporting a refugee for the first 12 months,” he says.
Despite the challenges, the FDPN is working tirelessly to eliminate the barriers faced by queer people in Australia and around the world, including launching a pilot program so people can actually help those in the queer refugee community.
“Refugee Community Sponsorship allows us to resettle refugees. It is called community
“Not many people know that the Australian government identified LGBTIQ+ community as one of the priority groups. So, what FDPN does is help organise sponsor groups and provide training on how to best support resettled LGBTIQ+ people. This is really big as we have a very real opportunity to change someone’s life. On average, a displaced person who is in a refugee camp or a third world country can be waiting to be resettled for 10 to 15 years but if we have a group of five people ready and committed, we can get an LGBTIQ+ person to safety in a matter of months.”
The FDPN are holding an information session on October 19. For more information, register at bit.ly/IS_FDPN
The concept of queerness is very western
If you walk into Amsterdam’s Club ChUrch on a Thursday evening, you could meet SletLana, a Ukrainian drag performer, club kid and activist. But if you are wondering how SletLana ended up being the most famous pig in a wig in Amsterdam, you’d have to ask Kostas
Kostas grew up near Donjetsk in Eastern Ukraine, the part of Ukraine that declared itself as an independent people’s republic in 2014 but became a state of Russia in 2022 right before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. His childhood was marked by protest, war, poverty and hunger. His father died when he was young but Kostas could not count on the support of her mother. When people asked about her son’s orientation, the answer was: “He is not my son, he is a faggot.”
At 12-years-old, Kostas left home and lived with his grandmother. She accepted her grandson as the colorful boy he was and offered him a safe haven where he could be himself.
When the pro-Russian separatists came to power, the situation became even more unsafe for the queer community as queer-related violence was justified by their neo-Nazi ideology. Kostas moved to Kyiv in 2014 with the hope of a safer life and it was there that he first came into contact with drag when he visited a gay club. However, the queen he saw on stage was anything but what he had hoped for: She wore a worn wedding dress, had a bald head and was missing some
teeth. Not exactly the glamour he was looking for! Convinced that he could do better himself, he walked into the same club in full drag a few weeks later: high femme, high glam. The first booking followed shortly after and a drag career was born. However, as no one in the queer community in Ukraine can live openly, the community has difficulty developing underground and there is no real drag community to speak of.
In 2017, Kostas decided to walk as SletLana in the Kyiv Pride march. Only 2000 participants were in the march protected by 8000 police officers because
of the threat of violence from right-wing anti-queer activists. The army of police officers wasn’t large enough though; the march was brutally disrupted and driven apart. SletLana and her best friend were beaten up and pushed down subway stairs. Kostas ended up in hospital where, while recovering, he received death threats on social media, even via SMS and whatsapp. All of his personal information had been shared by a right-wing group on Telegram.
A few weeks later, Kostas was met around the corner from his house and attacked again by a group of people. They graffitied
the message ‘death to faggots’ on the front of his house with the logo of the neo-Nazi White Pride movement. When Kostas went to the police station to report it, he was laughed at in his face. That was the point at which one Kostas told himself: ‘This is enough’. Kostas packed SletLana into a suitcase, quit his job as a makeup artist, bought a one way ticket to Amsterdam with a friend and fled Ukraine in November 2017 and applied for refugee status.
A whole new world opened up in Amsterdam. He discovered Club ChUrch and was able to develop his drag persona SletLana in complete freedom. SletLana’s looks became more extreme and her shows more challenging. Kostas finds the freedom he always longed for in drag. As Kostas, he is a shy boy who finds it difficult to make contact with people.
As SletLana, he is a strong, invincible vixen. SletLana’s drag shows are political acts. All her
life, she was forced to hide her true identity. For her, drag is the ultimate act of resistance with which she no longer wants to conform to the rules: a political protest. A celebration of the freedom that was taken away from her in Ukraine. Why she once only wanted to be beautiful and feminine as a drag, she no longer understands. Drag should
On 24 February 2022, a barbaric Russian state invaded Ukraine. In the first two weeks of the war, Russians destroyed Kostas’ village. His grandmother had to leave the village and then flee Ukraine to Amsterdam herself. In March 2022 they reunited and she has remained in The Netherlands alongside her grandchild ever Follow SletLana on Instagram at @sletlanaaa and @thehouseof-
As Kostas, he is a shy boy ... as SletLana, he is a strong, invincible vixen.
In a weirdly intriguing admission, Troye Sivan made the shock disclosure in July that he’s not the crazy power bottom that we’d assumed he is from the Bloom video. Unfortunately, “I top just for you” doesn’t have quite the same ring. Might need amyl.
The wait for Kylie’s new album Tension is over and the golden one’s producers have revealed that “she is better at producing
vocals than us”. Kylie started using Garage Band initially, then upgraded to Logic Pro and a Brauner VMX microphone so she could record remotely. “If an 11-year-old can do this in their bedroom, I can figure this out,” she said. ‘Digital nomad Kylie’ - it’s our new favourite era.
singer Roison Murphy found herself in hot water in August after
transphobic comments she posted on Reddit were republished. While we won’t be reprinting them here, Roison’s ensuing apology statement admitted that she’d waded into “a public discourse in an arena I’m uncomfortable in and deeply unsuitable for. I should’ve known that I was stepping out of line”.
Lil Nas X‘s documentary Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The doco offers an intimate portrayal of the sexy singer’s private life and reveals how he helped his brother come to terms with his bisexuality.
Kim Petras surprised her fans in September by suddenly dropping an album, Problematique, which had been previously shelved after parts of it were leaked. The album features a tongue-in-cheek collaboration with Paris Hilton called All She Wants alongside its French house-inspired euphoric, escapist pop. Kim won a Grammy with Sam Smith for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for Unholy this year, an LGBTQ+ history-making moment.
Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon made her debut ‘major’ performance at a Madrid festival in September. Meanwhile, a commercial that Madonna made for Pepsi in 1989 that got cancelled finally got re-released.
Reviewed by Stuart Ridley
SINK
Simona Castricum Dinosaur City Records
Small disclosure: I DJed alongside Simona Castricum almost 20 years ago at a queer dance party in Naarm (Melbourne) promoted as an ‘alternative’ to the poppy hi-nrg (meat market) scene. I saw her make the dancefloor deliciously sweaty by mixing grinding techno, acid, electroclash and punky prototypes of the passionate synthpop she’s now lauded for.
for the Heartache in 2021.
“It’s the ghost of you that says it’s true / And it’s the last of you we never knew / It’s the most of you I’m thinking of / And it’s the best of you I’ll always love.”
It’s also really strong during the slow-burn number Catacombs, which features spaced out synths, chunky basslines and laser sharp drums; and the rushing melodies of Chaise (don’t let the name of that track deceive you into reclining – it’s a belter!).
Recordings of Simona’s
Small confession: I missed her live performances during Vivid Sydney 2022 because I was away and I regret it deeply. On the upside, there’s some great footage of her performances online and we now have this new album to enjoy.
I must warn you: SINK is sometimes so deeply intimate it hurts, especially at the start (Lean Into Belonging) and end (Grateful for the Heartache). It’s also hugely expansive, deep, dark club music that will fill any space it’s performed in –like Depeche Mode with a bit of Duran Duran polish, but queerly better.
The fastest way to experience this duality (and the conflicting sensations that come with it) is to head to Simona’s youtube channel and see/ hear/feel her perform the album’s final track Grateful
live shows for SINK are well worth experiencing because the concept was originally created as a theatrical performance in collaboration with visual artist Carla Zimbler for Arts House (then restaged for Vivid and Midsumma) and billed as a ‘percussive and visual exploration of queer spatial production in hostile urban environments’.
During these performances, Simona sang while playing percussion and synths beneath a rotating string curtain sculpture onto which Carla beat-synced a three dimensional lightshow. In other words, they were literally dancing about architecture! The pun of it is that Simona has a PhD in architecture for which she explored gender non-conforming and queer spatial production through musical communities.
Let that sink in.
Heartstopper Netflix ★★★★
Red, White and Royal Blue Amazon
And Just Like That … Season Two Foxtel/Binge ★
Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate Netflix ★★★
Heartstopper is back and as wholesome as ever. Though the first season was universally well reviewed, my friends were pretty evenly split between loving and loathing it. For my 40+ friends, those that loved it saw it as a sweet, wistful and uncomplicated celebration of queerness and something that they had longed for when growing up. For those that loathed it, they saw it as retrograde, unchallenging and pandering (to straight audiences). Something that Beautiful Thing achieved with more nuance and better acting back in 1996 and Queer as Folk did in 1999. Well, let’s be honest, there’s just no
comparison really is there? Meanwhile, my younger friends didn’t really have much of an opinion on it at all other than it was a sweet YA show in a world full of sweet YA shows (most of which feature queer characters). For me, I didn’t love or loathe it. I do agree that it didn’t really break any boundaries or push the conversation forward in any meaningful way; and I do think Beautiful Thing and Queer as Folk are much better pieces of queer
storytelling. But I liked it, I am pleased that it exists and the fact that my younger friends are apathetic about it says to me that we have got somewhere. Plus season two is way better, the acting is sounder, the characters go deeper, the storyline does get a little darker and there’s a charming sidestory between two male teachers that I found utterly charming. As far as comfort TV goes, I give it four stars.
If you really want to indulge in some nutritionally empty comfort TV then I recommend Red, White and Royal Blue
Adapted from the bestselling novel by Casey McQuiston, it tells the story of the son of an American president who has a long-time rivalry with a British playboy prince. After causing a scene at a royal wedding, he must embark on some PR damage control in order to soothe transatlantic relations. Needless to say, one thing leads to another and … yeah! The whole thing is ludicrous, the dialogue awful, the acting mediocre (what’s with Uma Thurman’s Texan accent?!!!) but damn if I didn’t love every last
STREAMING Sean Cook sometimes requires a little comfort consumption. So luckily there’s been a spate of sugar-coated (but nutritiously empty) queer shows to indulge inCheesy but charming as hell: Red, White and Royal Blue PHOTO: PRIME VIDEO Heartstopper‘s Joe Locke and Kit Connor. PHOTO: NETFLIX
silly moment of it. The leads are utterly charming and Uma, bad accent and all, does steal the show in a cutesy scene where she talks to her son about Prep. I know it’s probably the viewing equivalent of consuming a week’s worth of ultra-processed food in one sitting, but hey, winter required some comfort consumption. Four stars.
Speaking of nutritionally empty TV, can we have a quick word about And Just Like That … Season Two?! #latestagecapitalism in the extreme. Carrie, five stars … the show, one.
Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate is not comfort TV. It’s an important, if somewhat patchy documentary about the thriving queer life in Berlin during the 1920s that was murderously stamped out with the rise of the Nazis. For anyone that has read Christopher Isherwood, or seen the film (or stage production) of Cabaret or Bent, there is nothing new here. What’s interesting are the individual stories. For instance, the story of Walter Arlen, now 100 years old, who as a teenager was in love with another teenage boy but whose love story was cut tragically short by the rise of the Nazis. Or that of Baron Gottfried von Cramm, who was a German tennis champion in love with a young Jewish man and was forced to send his lover into hiding. Or Charlotte and Toni, two of the first people in the world to undergo gender reassignment surgery, who were forced apart by the war. With all the antiqueer and anti-trans bullshit going on at the moment, this may not be a groundbreaking documentary but it does act as a timely reminder that our liberty can be whipped away at the drop of a hat when it suits a conservative agenda to do so. Three stars
Biosphere 2022
Directed by Mel Eslyn. Written by Mel Eslyn, Mark Duplass Starring Sterling K. Brown, Mark Duplass. In cinemas now.
Reviewed by Sean Cook
And Just Like That: All designer product placement and no soul.
Biosphere, a film about the only survivors – two heterosexual male best friends – of some unnamed apocalyptic event, isn’t a queer film but it certainly asks us to question binary ideas around gender and masculinity. This is a full-throttle bro-comedy and any of us that have been the token queer at a friend or family event will recognise this precise kind of fun hetero-male banter. Despite their political differences, Billy ) and Ray Sterling K. Brown), are eternally bonded because they grew up together. Prior to the apocalypse, Billy was the President of America and as the eternal bond of childhood friendship trumps political differences, Ray was his advisor.
Billy was a terrible
president who made a series of disastrous decisions that brought about the end of the world. Luckily, Ray could see the end was nigh and had built a special bunker for the end times. This is where they now reside, filling their days with exercise, video-games, bro-banter and general survival. When the last female fish in their fishtank dies, eliminating a main food source, survival suddenly becomes more perilous. Then something miraculous happens … a male fish, for the sake of its species’ survival, evolves into a female and the film, without changing tone (ie: without losing any of its dude comedics), goes to a deeper, richer, more questioning place. There is a further plot twist that I won’t spoil, only to say that it asks us to examine everything we think about masculinity, identity, sexuality and gender.
Mark Duplass and Sterling
K. Brown are phenomenal in their roles and the film is at turns funny, heartfelt and poignant.
I imagine it’s an uncomfortable watch for those with binary ideas on gender and masculinity and hurrah for that!
PODCASTS Self-identified audio addict
Hannah Head shares her pick of the best LGBTQIA+ podcasts right now
For those who love telling people useless facts | You’re Wrong About This is my favourite podcast of all time. Host Sarah Marshall explores misunderstood events from recent history with journalistic flair. With topics like ‘Lesbian Seagulls’ and ‘Transphobia in the New York Times’, each episode will have you sharing what you have learnt with anyone who will listen.
For those wanting to brush up on the basics | Innies + Outies
This podcast explores one of the most dreaded parts of being queer: coming out. Hosted by Walkley Award winner Mon Schaffer, the podcast gives a voice to those who have come out, are coming out and those who choose not to. It is highly
intersectional and highlights the experiences of a vast array of LGBTQIA+ individuals. The podcast also has 3-minute explainers on a variety of queer topics such as why pronouns matter, what non-binary means and a break down of pansexuality. This has been a great resource to share with family and friends as the short, simple clips are easy introductions to the complexities of queerness.
For the health nuts and skeptics | Maintenance Phase This podcast works to debunk health myths that plague our social media feeds. Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes break down complicated topics with ease, making you feel like you are listening to two very well informed friends. Both hosts ooze charisma and hilarity, leaving you smiling, even with sensitive and serious content.
For those who wish adult sleepovers were normalised | The Polyester Podcast This podcast is an element of the Polyester zine, an intersectional feminist publication that explores the relationship between gender, sexuality and the online world. The hosts break down components of internet culture from queer baiting and the weaponization of therapy speak to the rise of the Kardashians. If you are a trashy TV lover, this podcast unpacks all the trashy drama happening on the internet.
For those who need a friend | Boldly Me Chloé Hayden’s Boldy Me is an incredibly warm and kind podcast. The honest and frank discussions are coupled with gratitude, giggles and lots of neuro-spicy fabulousity. Chloé speaks with a range of guests including Grace Tame, Dylan Alcott and Tim Minchin and handles tough topics with care. Listeners will feel like they can be their full authentic selves.
For those who love a bit of gossip | Not So PG
Matty Mills and
MOVIES If Hannah Head could only watch one film for the rest of their life, it would be Bros
With films like Moonlight, Priscilla, Brokeback Mountain and Booksmart in the cultural zeitgeist, the title of ‘Best Gay Movie Ever’ is highly contentious. As a sucker for kitschy romance, a well-placed song and sarcastic queer people, for me it all comes down to Bros Maybe it’s not the most cinematic, nor the most socially impactful, but if I could only watch one movie for the rest of my life this would be it!
Bros is a 2022 romantic comedy starring Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane. The two are drawn together despite their fear of commitment. As their lives become increasingly entangled, the two gay men must navigate queerness, family and social issues. Bros is a love story, a comedy and a moment of reflection on the beauty of queer relationships.
What I love about this film is its whimsy. It has the giddiness of romantic beginnings, gutwrenching miscommunication and swoon-worthy big gestures.
The whole movie encapsulates the real life experience of looking at another person and realising that you love them.
For me, this LGBTQIA+ romcom feels like a Hallmark staple. It is rare for queer romance films to have both emotional depth and the weightless feelings of love all wrapped into one. The dialogue is filled with wit and dry sarcasm, the very same quality that is present in most queer interactions. From the little moments with the characters walking down the street to the tragically relatable rants from Einchner’s character, Bros keeps me smiling throughout.
Bros is really the story of the queer experience. Eichner and Macfarlane both have a complex relationship with their own identities with Billy
radiating queerness and Luke’s character preferring to highlight other values independent of his sexuality. Amongst the movie’s heart-wrenching plot and hilarious dialogue there is an exploration of queerness. The movie tows the line between what it means to be ‘too gay’ and what it means to ‘not be gay enough’. As painful as these scenes could be – watching two people who love each other struggle to accept their identities – it warmed me to know that I was not alone in that experience.
As much as I enjoyed the love story of Bros, having two cisgender white gay men on screen is not all that revolutionary. We need to tell queer love stories but the stories need to be intersectional. Every person deserves to see their love represented in film, especially those films that are created and championed by the queer community.
Despite this, Bros is warm, passionate and would make any lonely gay fall back in love with the idea of romance. I like sillymeet-cutes and Hallmark-esque movies, and Bros does all that without straight people or any queer people dying. That is why Bros is the best gay movie ever!
POP CULTURE Artist Nordacious turns pop culture icons like Kath and Kim, Barbie and Britney Spears into subjects of irreverent merchandising, writes
James Hillier AKA
Nordacious is a Brisbanebased visual artist who engages in an audaciously queer approach to pop culture. His work pops out from their frames, screaming for attention. He creates intricate portraits of celebrities and politicians that require hours of preparation and are digitally reworked to appear on badges, mugs, prints, t-shirts, shower screens, fridge magnets and other objects.
The artist’s style is instantly recognisable with a consistent focus on combining fun and frivolity with powerful social commentary. Each of his works transforms pop culture into objects of desire.
The brilliance of the artwork lies in the portrayal of the
Christos Linou
star’s emotional state. Britney Spears, for example, exudes a desperate longing for both sexual gratification and constant attention, depicted as if she is bursting out of the confines of the drawing. His Scott Morrison series of works depicts an idiot politician stumbling and falling onto his sword while Pauline Hanson’s drooping ugly clown cheeks and goggled eyes appear above the words ‘F*ck off Pauline’.
In his satire, there is a profound irony that exposes discrimination and promotes acceptance of individual differences through the manipulation of consumer culture. The artist critiques the very system that fuels bigotry and prejudice, using humour to
reveal the absurdity of societal norms.
There is a parody in each of your works. Is it your intention to highlight the ugliness in notoriety?
I’ve always been obsessed with faces, being able to capture likeness and revealing something magical through portraiture. The pendulum often swings wildly between celebration and criticism of my subjects. But irrespective of my approach, I always endeavour to make them engaging, visually arresting and conversation starting. There’s a lot of glamour and probably even more of the grotesque!
When you look at queer culture, what social/political commentary informs you? The new right-wing culture wars, which have largely been imported from US politics, have inflamed prejudice, misinformation and just fear mongering about sections of
the queer community. I feel compelled to say something and illustrate my perspective and express these emotions. Injecting it into my art is really beneficial for me and the like-minded queer community who follow me.
What was your upbringing?
I grew up in a conservative evangelical Pentecostal environment and I was closeted. I knew I was gay or queer since I was around 11-years-old. It was an unfortunate overlap of my queer awakening and religious experience: the two were accelerating at 100-kilometres in a head-on conflict with one another. It was a lot of pain and a lot of mental health issues all from my adolescence because I was closeted and fighting my so-called inner demons. I came out at 22. For so long I’d been silenced and afraid to speak up so reconnecting with my art really became a way of reclaiming my voice and power as a gay man.
How do you make so many different items, such as your Ceramic Tiled Arches of Prince, the George Michael shower curtains and the can coolers? A lot of my works are printed by a third party vendor; however, I
have a select handmade range, which are crafted in my home studio. My partner, artist Aaron Darcy casts the plaster arch tiles, which are then hand painted and feature my original work on top. They come ready to hang and make really special, bespoke additions to anyone’s walls. I’d love to create more handmade pieces like these in the future.
was probably the most surreal experience of my life.
Have you exhibited your works in a gallery?
In years to come, do you think the David Bowie tiles or the George Michael shower screens will become collector’s items? Or Elton John’s commission for his latest album? Only time will tell! I like to think so. I know that everything is temporary. My recent opportunity to work with Elton John was incredible. Last September, a piece was chosen (after an online vote) to be used on an official limited-edition CD single cover for the physical release of his collaboration with Britney Spears, Hold Me Closer. I got to meet Elton in January backstage at his Brisbane show, which
Yes, I’ve had three solo exhibitions in Brisbane (2016), Sydney (2017) and Melbourne (2018). My solo shows were titled VIDEO DRAMA, which showcased a body of work inspired by Muriel’s Wedding It was an incredible experience and I was fortunate to have cast members from the 1994 film attend the openings. My work has also been exhibited at the 2021 and 2022’s Behind the Lines political cartoon exhibition in Canberra. I’m currently doing political illustrations for the Brisbane Times
What are you developing now and where can readers find your merch?
I’m focussing on opening a physical store in Brisbane! It will be amazing to have a physical space to showcase my work. I’m also continuing with a lot of custom work including album covers, podcast artwork and film posters.
Explore the full range at nordacious.com
There’s a lot of glamour and probably even more of the grotesqueSurreal: meeting Elton John at his Brisbane show. PHOTO: FACEBOOK
n Bark of Millions Friday 20 October at the Sydney Opera House | US performance artist Taylor Mac aims to hypnotise everybody into being much more queer.
n The Ballad of Sexual Dependency until 28 January 2024 at the NGA, Canberra | Nan Goldin’s sequence of 126 Cibachrome photos taken amongst the post-punk, creative, queer scenes of Boston and NYC from 1973 to 1986.
Canberra’s Street Theatre has gone queer for SpringOUT. She: The Extraordinary Journey of an Ordinary Transgender Woman tells the story of Katherine, who left Fiji in 1990 to live fully as a trans woman and the extraordinary journey that followed. MC Luka Musicki hosts one of the the queer comedy hghlights of the year with local and interstate comedians lining up to share their uniquely rainbow-flavoured gags at the Queer Comedy Collective.
She: The Extraordinary Journey of an Ordinary Transgender Woman 7.30pm, Saturday 4 November, $30/$25 conc. The SpringOUT Queer Comedy Collective 7pm, Wednesday 8 November. $25/$20 conc. Tickets at thestreet.org.au
n Sunday Story Time Sunday 12 November | Canberra’s new Mill Theatre at Dairy Road presents a night of works by local writers, performed by a single actor in a chair and spotlight.
n The White Mermaid or The Little Lotus at Seymour Centre, Chippendale, December 7 – 23 | Trevor Ashley’s adultonly Christmas pantomime.
n Currents That Run In Our Body Until December 15 at the Bearded Tit, Redfern | Five artists explore the currents that run through their bodies.
The cult classics keep on coming at the National Sound & Film Archive with a Scream double feature on Halloween and a screening (or is that screaming?) of American Werewolf in London Keep an eye on the NFSA website for more screenings of forgotten gems and culty classics, dug up by local dragartist-slash-culture vulture, Venus Mantrap.
Scream double feature 7pm. Saturday 28 October, American Werewolf in London 8pm, Friday 24 November from 8pm. nfsa.gov.au
MUSIC On the back of their recent album Oro, Plata, Mata, Mo’Ju reveals what really matters to Stephen Corvini
For over a decade, Mo’Ju has been on a personal journey exploring various musical styles and genres and significantly, as a third culture person of Wiradjuri and Filipino blood, the deeply personal notion of family and identity.
A few years ago you said in an interview that you were “too queer, too brown or not attractive enough to sell records”. Do you still feel that way?
I was trying to express that I came into this industry in an era where someone like myself wasn’t really considered marketable because of my identity. The powers that be in the industry just didn’t know how to market someone like me, which I think is an under-estimation of Australian audiences. I do think it’s changing. I think that is due the people that have come before me and the doors that they’ve kicked down and then this younger generation who are out there really levelling up.
Is there anybody that you look up to who has helped your career?
Yeah, there are many. People like Uncle Jack Charles who, as a queer First Nations elder, really
was quite widely known and recognised for his contribution to the arts. I cannot imagine the challenges that he faced and how difficult that would have been to remain such a positive light in the community in the face of all of the things that he experienced.
Do you get a lot of support from LGBTQI+ organisations? Yeah but I could always do with more! I was so honoured to be an ambassador for WorldPride. To have the opportunity to perform at the Opera House was amazing and such an incredible thing to be part of. The audiences that I probably feel most at home with are those from the same communities that I’m from. At the same time, there is something rewarding about playing to a different
yourself, particularly in the music industry, which we tend to think of as a really progressive space but it’s not. It’s quite heteronormative and in this country anyway, it’s very white. I’ve often had people around me who don’t really necessarily relate to my experience, trying to kind of dictate to me how certain things should be done. I’ve just realised that I don’t necessarily have to do it that way and doing it my way ends up resonating a lot more with people.
experiment with new sounds? For me, it’s just keeping myself interested in what I’m doing. I definitely do find it fun to write in different genres of music because you’re forever learning about the craft of songwriting through doing that. There’s so much to be learned from people that have come before you and different schools of thinking about songwriting. The records that I want to make are probably just gonna get more and more experimental.
What kind of engagement with your music exists internationally?
It’s something that I probably haven’t explored nearly as much as I should. We did the soundtrack for a film in Germany and a bit of touring, released albums in Germany and in Japan and I’ve had some releases in
demographic.
You’ve said, “I’m rebirthing my sound, I’ve always been unafraid to experiment on every album. With this record, I’m a more confident artist than I’ve ever been”. What is giving you that strength?
The one thing that’s been most valuable is that I’ve learned to trust my own intuition. I think it’s very common for some people to have impostor syndrome and to second-guess
I’ve enjoyed that your music has had a great evolution of styles. Are there any other genres that you’d like to explore?
Yeah, all of them! I never thought I’d be working with a symphony orchestra. As I’ve embraced technology more, exploring more electronic sounds and then marrying that with a more traditional kind of orchestral instrumentation. It’s just like, how can I continue to evolve my own songwriting and push myself outside of my comfort zone and
the States and have done some writing and played a few shows over there but in all honesty, I quite like a simple life. There’s certainly opportunities out there and there’s things that I do want to experience but really I quite like the career I have here. My family is super important to me and my family’s here. A lot of people have to pick up and uproot themselves to really make an international career work and that’s just not a priority for me.
I think to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve come from.From the personal collection: self-portrait, Panglao, Bohol; The Ruins, Talisay City, Negros Occidental; Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Top-right:
Family is a powerful and recurring theme in your music. I think to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve come from and that sort of relates back to communities in a broader sense. It’s really important to know whose shoulders you stand on and the things that have happened before to enable you to be where we are now and to also understand where we’re headed. That’s what’s important for me, exploring family and
family history through music. I see my job as a storyteller to keep certain oral traditions alive and document those family histories through my music. But you know, when I say family, I don’t just mean my immediate family or my bloodlines. I also mean my chosen family as well and those in that kind of inner circle, my community, the people that I’ve made a family with.
I think as queer people, those types of families are really important to us because not everybody has such a positive experience with their birth families and so I think a broader understanding of what family means is also really kind of integral to interact.
What part does spirituality play in your life?
I consider myself a spiritual person and also a big fan of science. I think it’s about how those two things speak to one another and recognising that two things can be true simultaneously. It’s deeply personal and I think a lot of that is tied to my relationship with my ancestors and a relationship with the environment that I live in. I think that is probably a very universal experience for First Nations people anywhere in the world.
When I was a kid, all I wanted to be when I grew up was an illustrator. That’s what I wanted to do and I still like to draw.
I’m an avid photographer, a real photography enthusiast. There’s all sorts of things I imagine myself doing and I do think they all come into play in how I put my music out to the world. I even applied to film school and nearly went down that path but later I got into a music degree and I haven’t looked back.
What makes you happy?
It’s pretty simple for me. I love being around my family, my friends, being part of my community, being creative, collaborating. I get to make music with people that I love, they’re my friends. When I was younger I loved being on the road on tour but now I do enjoy playing shows but I don’t need to be on the road for months at a time. More and more, the older I get, I love the studio. For me, it’s the creative process and doing it with people that I love.
Jerry Kirbell was horrified when he had to pull his personal collection out of storage to show it to curator Dr Hannah Paddon from Canberra Museum & Gallery and it sprawled across three rooms: “It was like, ‘Holy crap!’ I was seeing stuff that I didn’t even recognise,” he laughs. The highlights of his collection are now the subject of the Madonna 40: A Celebration exhibition that’s on at CMAG until March 2024.
While Jerry moved to Canberra in 2016 to work as a carer for the NDIS, he was just a 12-yearold boy growing up in a small working class English town when Madonna hit the scene in 1983 with first single Holiday. It was love at first sight: “I bought Smash Hits magazine every fortnight and seeing Madonna on the cover with a neon green sweater and messed up hair was just stunning,” he recalls. “I was hating high school and she was my salvation.”
The burgeoning collector started buying 45 RPM singles, then albums, 12” singles and imports but much to his disappointment, he was too young for her first UK tour. That changed with the groundbreaking Blonde Ambition tour. “I had tickets for every night and for every bit of damn merchandise I could get my hands on!”
Jerry has now seen Madonna performing a total of 26 times and declares the Blonde Ambition tour, which features in the documentary In Bed With Madonna, and The Confessions Tour, as her best. His favourite
musical stages of the constantlyevolving artist includes True Blue, Like a Prayer, Erotica, Confessions on a Dance Floor, as well as the more recent Madame X. “I like that that album is her telling a story. It flows beautifully and I love that.”
Jerry had the chance to meet his superstar in the flesh in 2004. “I was at home one evening and it came up on one of the Madonna websites that she was doing a book signing the following day for the first 250 people in the line. My husband at the time was working late and came back from his shift and I was like, ‘I need to go to London. I need to go to London now!’ So we drove to London and got there just before the tubes opened, shot across London and I was number 75 in the queue!”
“Her face is probably the thing that I remember most about that experience and at that time she was still putting on a bit of a British accent,” says Jerry. “I just garbled about how much I would die for her and got the token
presence about her which is just off the scale.”
Jerry ramped up his collection when eBay became a thing: “It was promotional box sets and things like that. At the time, they were still kind of semi affordable.
“My favourite items will always be stuff from concert tours,” he says. “I was lucky enough to win one auction quite early on which was an unused Live Aid ticket, an American Live Aid programme and T-shirt. I love those. A drum tech sold me drumsticks from the MDNA show in Hyde Park in London and his crew T-shirts. Other things like Smash Hits magazines mean just as much, and ads for records and things like that. I don’t particularly value things on what they’re worth.”
‘And would you like a book?’ Then I got ushered out and I just cried. I’d always heard this thing about her where there could be 100 people in the room but you only notice Madonna and it’s so true. She just has this.. I can’t even explain it … there’s a
The CMAG exhibition will be Like a Prayer answered for Madonna fans: “What I’m trying to do is to cover every aspect of her career in music, film and theatre, chronologically,” says the collector. “There will be random things like an Evita premier programme signed by Stephen Meisel, who was a photographer for her Like a Virgin album. When she launched the Material Girl line at Macy’s she had Kelly Osbourne and Lourdes as part of the promotion and there’s like a signed photo of both of them. Things like that.” There will also be a party on November 10 with nothing but Madonna.
Madonna40: A Celebration is on display until March 2024. Canberra Museum+Gallery. cmag.com.au
I can’t even explain it … there’s a presence about her which is just kind of off the scale
PRIDE Canberra’s LGBTQI+ festival, SpringOUT, returns with its biggest program in years.
Kaleidoscope II
10am-4pm | Tuesday to Sunday | Belco Arts Centre | Free
An open exhibition featuring LGBTQI+ artists from Canberra and throughout Australia sharing through art what being queer means to them.
SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER
Pride Grows – Gathering and Information Morning Tea
10am-12pm | Meridian, Turner | Free
Pride Grows offers a range of events and activities from tree planting to nature walks. Come along to the morning tea and find out how you can get involved.
Queer Elders Speak: Tales From The Lesbian Sisterhood
12pm-2pm | Canberra Museum & Gallery (CMAG), Civic Square | Free
From sneaky rendezvous at secret Sydney spots to
forging lifelong friendships in Melbourne’s music scene, learn about their struggles, joys and the iconic moments that made them who they are today. Get ready for a heartwarming yarn, hosted by MC Jenni Atkinson
FROM 4 NOVEMBER
She Shapes History: LGBTQIA+ History Walking Tour
2pm-4pm | Saturdays in November | Glebe Park, Civic | $50
This walking tour around Canberra’s inner north visits sites where revolutions began, queer romances were sparked and history was made.
SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER
The Silver Tea Room Ball
2pm-5pm | Ainslie Arts Centre, Braddon | Free
Delight in the soft rhythms of jazz, the classic steps of ballroom, the lively beats of swing and the rhythmical allure
of salsa and learn some new steps.
THURSDAY 9 NOVEMBER
New work play reading: A Better Tomorrow by David Atfield
7pm | The Street Theatre, City | Free (bookings essential)
A tale of same-sex love blossoming during the horrors of WW2 as two Australian airmen are tasked with bombing Germany, while on the ground, two German women try to survive a collapsing nation.
SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER
Queer Elders Speak: Mateship and Memories, the Gay Gentlemen’s Chronicle
12pm-2pm | Canberra Museum & Gallery (CMAG), Civic Square | Free
These blokes will share their tales of resilience, camaraderie and the evolution of Australia’s gay scene. Hosted by Jenni Atkinson.
Canberra Qwire Singing Out With Pride – 30th Anniversary Concert
3pm | Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music Building | $20 to $40
The choir will celebrate the beautiful and heartwarming stories of our community with
special guest and renowned folk singer,
music with joyous performance.
FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER
Zumba With Pride
6pm-7pm | Canberra Dance Theatre, 1 Kingsley St, City | $16.50
Dance to a pride-filled playlist with this easy-to-follow danceinspired fitness class that incorporates cardio, muscle conditioning and balance with sass and a whole lot of booty shaking.
Drag Cabaret Myths & Legends
9.30-11.30pm | Smith’s Alternative, Civic | $25/$20 conc. at smithsalternative.com/calendar
Myths, fables, lore, and fantastical times are coming to life with a queer lens. See drag monsters, goddess burlesque, pole sagas and sideshow sorcery come to life.
SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER
Canberra Frontrunners 2nd Annual SpringOUT Pride Run & Walk
9am-11am | Starts Peace Park, Yarralumla | Free
The group will travel around Lake Burley Griffin in a 5km clockwise
loop. Or, for those who are up for it, a second lap!
Queering CMAG: Drawing in the gallery
1.30–3.30pm | Canberra Museum & Gallery (CMAG), Civic Square | $10/$7 concession | Bookings essential
Queer artists Fox May and Gerald Jones are queering up the galleries with a drawing session in the Guns and Flowers exhibition. A curator talk highlighting the eX de Medici works on display will be followed by a drawing session and an opportunity to share ideas, experiences and stories.
Diversity ACT: Arts and Wellbeing Open Day
11am–3pm | Diversity Hub, 8 Laidlaw Pl, Kambah | Free
Come and have a cuppa and see how you can get involved in the Diversity community. There will be art, market stalls and music.
ACT Veterans Rugby Club Charity Pride Rugby Game
1pm | Portsea Oval, Royal Military College, Duntroon | Free
This is the first Pride rugby game in ACT rugby history and serves as a clear message that ‘Rugby is for Everyone’. The game is between the ACT Vets and the Barbarians.
Queer Elders Speak: Bisexual Journeys – Between Two Worlds
12-2pm | Canberra Museum & Gallery (CMAG), Civic Square | Free
Navigating both straight and queer spaces, they’ve trodden a unique path. A lesson in love, identity and true Aussie spirit hosted by Jenni Atkinson.
SUNDAY 19 NOVEMBER
Pride-Themed Chocolate
Decorating Class
2pm | Salthouse Community Centre, Haig Park, Braddon | $102 ($50 per class surcharge for private classes)
This event is open to everyone who wishes to celebrate diversity and creativity through chocolate!
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MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER
International Transgender Day of Remembrance
All day event
Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an International annual observance on that honours the memory of the trans lives lost to acts of transphobia and discrimination.
WEDNESDAY 22 NOVEMBER
Out for Australia LGBTQIA+ Heroes
5.30-7.30pm | Badger & Co, Kambri Precinct, ANU | Free
Each year, 30 outstanding individuals under the age of 30 are chosen by Out for Australia (OFA) based on their tangible contributions to the LGBTQIA+ community, success in their field and the qualities they exhibit as inspirational role models. Come and celebrate the ACT local winners from 30 Under 30.
WEDNESDAY 22 NOVEMBER
2023 SpringOUT Comedy Festival – Queer Comedy Special
7-9pm | Transit Bar, Civic | $30/$20
A night promises to be full of laughter and mirth hosted by MC Luka Musicki (pictured) and featuring Roland Bull, Sarah Pam Ison, Laura Johnston and Chris Knight
THURSDAY 23 NOVEMBER
The ACT LGBTIQ+ Ministerial Advisory Council Think Tank
5.30pm | 220 London Circuit, City (option to join via MS Teams) | Free
Come and share your opinions, ideas and lived experiences to help inform the ACT Government on its queer policies.
SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER
Queer Elders Speak: The Rainbow Collective - Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual Stories & Beyond
12-2pm | Canberra Museum & Gallery (CMAG), Civic Square
Meet a diverse crew including a trans elder, a queer pioneer, an intersex superstar and an asexual trailblazer as they spill the beans on their diverse journeys and fights for justice, hosted by Jenni Atkinson.
SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER
Madonna Exhibition Collector’s Talk
2-4pm | Canberra Museum & Gallery (CMAG), Civic Square | Free
Join collector Jerry Kirbell and local drag artist Venus Mantrap as they discuss their passion for all things Madonna and the artist’s impact in the queer community. Read about Jerry’s collection on page 26.
Pride in the Capital: A Playback Theatre Performance Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Pride in the ACT
6.30-9pm | Gorman Arts Centre, Braddon | Free
Playback is a form of improvisational theatre in which audience members tell stories from their own lives and watch as actors and musicians enact them on the spot using movement, music and words.. but without a script or rehearsal.
SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER
PhotoAccess Cyanotype Workshop
1-4pm | Salthouse Community Centre, Haig Park, Braddon | Free
Guided by a skilled PhotoAccess tutor, you’ll be encouraged to craft prints reflecting your personal stories using found organic materials, acrylic letters, icons and symbols.
THURSDAY 30 NOVEMBER
SpringOUT Pride Community Picnic
11am-4pm | Salthouse Community Centre, Haig Park, Braddon | Free
Celebrate our community and relax over some local street food and drinks, rainbow merchandise, roving performers, a QWIRE performance and a free workshop by PhotoAccess
Capturing Queer* Voices: A SpringOUT Literary Event
6-8pm | The Book Cow, Kingston | Free
Hosted by Jo Falvey, panellists Freya Maske, Nigel Featherstone, Helena Fox and Honni van Rijswijk will share their personal writing journeys and describe how they capture queer Australian voices through fiction.
FRIDAY 1 DECEMBER
World AIDS Day
8-10am | AIDS Garden of Reflection, National Arboretum | Free
An opportunity to gather as a community, show solidarity with people living with HIV and remember those we have lost. Meridian will host an early morning event with a guest speaker followed by tea and coffee.
SUNDAY 3 DECEMBER
Big Gay Breakfast
9am-12pm | Tilley’s, Lyneham | Free
Buy your own breakfast on arrival and join the gays in the undercover eating area and have some free champagne.
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PRIDE Newcastle’s month-long Pride event is on right now, writes Danny
We all know that Newcastle is beautiful – but did you know that it has a thriving LGBTIQA+ community too?
Jamie MacKee of Newcastle Pride says that the city recorded one of the highest ‘Yes’ votes for same-sex marriage and that its transformation is something to behold: “It’s risen from 20th century working class roots through to a thriving, pulsating, vibrant, beautiful city with 17 gorgeous beaches,” he says passionately.
Newcastle Pride launched in 2018 and organises the monthly dance party
Screaming Gays and Mixed Froots after-work drinks/networking event but it’s their month-long pride festival throughout October that really takes the rainbow cake.
While some headline events like the pride youth formal Rainbow Rave, Trans Glamore and the Short ‘n Curlies film festival have already happened for this year,
Corvini
the Hello Hamilton Pride Week is underway right now. The pride-
on Saturday 14 October and Newcastle Pride’s flagship event, Fair Day, in Gregson Park on Saturday 21 October (with the official after-party happening at Bernie’s Bar).
You can expect face painting and rainbow stories for the rainbow fams, the Tits ‘n Feathers Morning Tea with Newcastle’s own Les Girls, Glenda Jackson; Drag Bingo, the glamorous Cocktails on Real Queens of Hamilton roving up and down Beaumont Street, Drag Karaoke Cockington Black and Canberra’s Xenon Revolution and the smooth sounds of Rox Pianoman on the
On the closing weekend, there’s the comedy night Stand Up With Pride, dragon boating and the party-to-end-allparties, the Official Strut Dance Party (and of course, its after-party at Bernie’s the following day). What’s not to love about Newcastle?
When Frankie (he/him) and Aevi (they/them) were living in Melbourne they had been surrounded by members of the queer* community. When they first moved to Canberra, friends from Melbourne would send love and were in regular contact but it wasn’t the same as being with their community.
When the couple had their first child seven months ago, they were focused on raising him and adjusting to the unique challenges they faced as a queer family, especially that of accessing health services. The new family experienced everything from coming up against blatant homophobia to having to repeatedly reiterate who you and your partner are and the nature of the relationship.
It felt like the health system had ignored a fundamental aspect of the queer pregnancy journey: the unique way that queer couples come to pregnancy and the difficulties and complexities
around this that sometimes come with their own set of traumas.
To find peers with similar experiences and to connect with other queer families, the new family were excited to throw themselves into finding a play group. Frankie and Aevi were sure there would be a queer
a year of parenting leave, which meant they could focus on the project together between nappy changes and feeds. A website, registration forms, finding ways to engage the queer community and advertising all needed to get done.
Seahorses are the only species in which the male gets pregnant and gives birth, hence the reason why they settled on the name Seahorse Playgroup.
Frankie explains, “Seahorse is a transmasculine symbol of parenthood. I’m our child’s birth parent and I’m trans masculine”.
They are grateful for the support they received from Childcare ACT and Rainbow Families Inc to get the playgroup started. The latter has been so encouraging that Seahorse Playgroups is now one of their official family catch ups.
playgroup in Canberra because wasn’t it meant to be the gay and lesbian capital of Australia? When they realized there wasn’t one, they found themselves uniquely placed to establish a playgroup which catered for families like theirs.
Frankie, a community engagement officer, drew upon his skills to get the ball rolling. Both Frankie and Aevi had taken
The Seahorse Playgroup meets on the first and third Friday of every month at Bruce CIT and caters for unborn to three year old children. Yes, they accept pregnant members!
They have created a roster of activities and have many creative members who bring their diverse and useful skills to the group.
“During the first session we play a get-to-know-you game and some welcome circle stuff, nursery rhymes, a baby acknowledgement of country and every session has an activity,” explains Frankie.
Finding a safe exercise space for LGBTQIA+ people can be up there with the elusive hunt for an understanding GP or, frankly, a sensitive health professional of any kind.
Slowly there are more places where queer people do not have to hide themselves in order to reach their health and fitness goals with a venue in Canberra allowing people to bring their full selves to a space which had
traditionally been the source of discrimination and exclusion.
A Tiny Studio has a name that defies the size of its goals. Its owner Don Smedley hopes the gym can be an oasis for queer people to work out. “What I wanted to do was to provide a space where I could make people healthy, active and support people within my community,” he says. “I came into being healthy and active later on in life. I never
Seahorse is a transmasculine symbol of parenthood
Some of the activities Seahorse Playgroup has lined up for the rest of this year include dancing, teddy bears and parachutes, paint and playdough, pillow fort construction and an excursion to the Botanical Gardens.
They are currently at capacity but suggest people register interest as there will be spots available in the new year.
Frankie and Aevi are especially keen to hear from other queer families who are wanting to help and organise playgroup sessions and then potentially establish more sessions. They are always happy to hear from new people.
So far, everyone that has filled in the intake form has mentioned that it’s a queer community they are seeking for themselves and their child. “It’s special that we get that and also hold space for it,” says Frankie. “Queer culture is such a wonderful place to raise a kid. We are creative and supportive and interested in issues that not only relate to us. We do gender and parenting differently because of who we are. We don’t have these strict gender expectations. This is the joy of queer parenting.”
For more information on Seahorse Playgroup go to www.rainbowfamilies. com.au/canberra_rainbow_parents_ social_group
really pursued it earlier because I never felt comfortable in those (gym) environments,” he admits.
“I felt that was really detrimental to me as a person physically because I didn’t seem to fit in. And so therefore, I missed out on those opportunities as a youngster.”
Don started to compete in triathlons at 30 and when he moved to Canberra in 2018 wanted to spread a message of health and wellbeing as a personal trainer for the ACT’s queer community.
Providing a one-on-one service to people of all levels of experience, Don says that some of his most satisfying moments have come from people who are just stepping into a gym
environment for the first time.
“Seeing people’s attitudes change, their dispositions, they’re just healthier and happier by giving them this accessibility, you definitely see a big change in their confidence and it accelerates the process of them getting healthy,” says Don.
The trainer says being a queer man allows him to provide a level of sensitivity to the unique needs of the LGBTQIA+ population in health spaces. “I think it’s super important because it’s a lived experience that I have and you’re aware of the (gym) environment. You have that sensitivity.
“There’s a requirement for queer businesses to provide these services because we still need
to repair a lot of the trauma that our queer community has been through so that people feel confident that they can traverse these spaces properly.”
This is never more important, says Don, than with older members of the queer community who have potentially had to suffer through decades of slurs and heteronormative ideals in health spaces. “Older clients always have this sort of barrier,” he says. “It’s amazing seeing them come in, having no experience and then after a year they’re running, doing exercises and trying new things.”
A Tiny Studio 15 Coranderrk St, Canberra. Phone 0400 256 167 and online atinystudio.com.au
Come on, you can admit it, you are more than a little fascinated with facial rejuvenation, anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers, threads and fancy facials. Yes, there is some bad press about celebrities who’ve gone too far with their procedures. It is not all like that if you do your research.
Did you know that facial rejuvenation is often done by a dentist? When you think about it, that makes a lot of sense given a dentist’s knowledge of facial structure and their educational training in anatomy.
One such dentist in Canberra is Dr Deanne Carr from Ogee Facial Rejuvenation. After practising dentistry for many years, Deanne found great joy and real passion in providing facial rejuvenation to help people both look and feel fantastic. Dentists have
comprehensive knowledge of the structure and development of the face, including an intricate knowledge of the skin, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels and how they affect facial movement.
Deanne’s facial rejuvenation techniques include: facial muscle relaxers, dermal filler, rejuvenation threads, injection lipolysis, HydraFacial, Tixel and carboxytherapy.
For when the wrinkles just aren’t cute anymore...
@dr_deanne
New clients start with a comprehensive examination where treatments are tailored to each individual to achieve the desired, natural looking outcomes. Dr Deanne can use these techniques in specific facial muscles to change facial characteristics like contour, shape, and firmness. If you are wanting to affirm your gender using facial rejuvenation techniques then anti-wrinkle treatments and/or dermal fillers can provide a way to see how your face looks with subtle alterations.
Dentists have the added benefit of being very skilled in delivering anaesthesia — often a component of facial rejuvenation treatment — this means you can experience facial rejuvenation treatments in comfort, without pain.
Ogee Facial Rejuvenation is at Metropol Building 3, C05/1 Boolee Street Reid and online ogee.au
Andreas Embodiment is an LGBTQ+ men’s life coaching and sacred sexuality service for queer, gay and bisexual men available in Canberra and online. Services include nude yoga, including private and online classes as well as a group men’s class held fortnightly at Balanced Yoga in Kingston.
Andreas also offers embodied sexuality coaching through yoga, sacred sexuality and somatic healing modalities to improve men’s relationships, sex lives and to feel more confident in themselves and their bodies. This can help heal men’s relationships with their own bodies and address issues like
performance anxiety and sexual dysfunctions. For men who are interested in exploring the sacred erotic arts of tantra and taoism, Andreas offers a coaching service to explore and open male sexuality into a more spiritually liberated space.
Find out more at www. andreasembodiment.com
Infinity Worm
Saturday 16 September, Goolabri Estate ACT
As someone who was part of Canberra’s original rave scene of the early ‘90s, I know that this city can turn out some wicked events. I was excited about our first large-scale electronic music festival since March 2020 when Art Not Apart gave us one last dance before the world shut down.
Expecting to shuffle to some house and techno beats, we only ended up confused at Infinity Worm. It turns out that something had happened in the meantime: a new musical genre came along called ‘hyperpop’.
A sort of bastard child of dance music, it’s rave-inappearance for a generation who were born online and have ridiculously short attention spans.
The DJs build up to drops that never come or cut out the best bits completely, replacing it with static, rewinds or genre hops. They strip out the musical
progression, hacking off dance music’s umbilical cord while stealing its loot and elevating musical chaos to an artform.
With generic techno being played on the smaller stage earlier in the day, it took a full
peace, love, unity, respect ... and personal space.
This is partying for the age of disruption: distracted, disconnected and revelling in it with youthful abandon.
For an old raver, it was like visiting a distant relative and realising we have nothing in common.
Grumbles aside, the festival had an incredible host venue in Goolabri Estate, awesome sound and production by Sidestage (seriously the loudest speakers I’ve ever heard at a party!), brilliant visuals and some amazing slabs of beats served thick and fast.
half a day for the main stage to switch gears from downtempo to something danceable – with extended waiting times for setups between acts.
There was only one set that we could really dance to before Black Lung came on in a pig mask and pounded us into oblivion with insane BPMs.
Thick Owens jumped into the crowd and suddenly shirtless bros were smashing into everyone as a mosh pit detonated on the dancefloor. It was the antithesis of the rave scene’s mantra of
Rolling Stone, reviewing a similar event in L.A. in February said: “This is a subculture that brings out the club kid Party Monsters of the TikTok generation. The only party scene where people could be vogueing and moshing simultaneously”.
OK, so there was no vogueing at Infinity Worm but queer people were definitely to be seen.
Yep, there’s diversity at the end of the world! Maybe there is a special place for us in hell after all.
FESTIVALS Danny Corvini’s expectations are completely shattered at this hyperpop raveInfinity Worm’s mainstage: the calm before the storm PHOTO: DANNY CORVINI
Suddenly shirtless bros were smashing into everyoneWATCH ON YOUTUBE DJ THICK OWENS, JUST BEFORE THE MOSH
SHEBA
MEETHOD
We’re NSW’s leading health organisation specialising in community health, inclusion and HIV responses for people of diverse sexualities and genders. We’re here to help LGBTQ+ people in the Hunter live their healthiest lives, and we provide support for HIV testing & treatment, sexual health, alcohol and other drugs, mental health, domestic and family violence and more. We’re ACON. We’re here for you and we’re here for health.
ACON Hunter, 129 Maitland Road Islington 02 4962 7700 | hunter@acon.org.au
acon.org.au/hunter
/ACONHunter
New owners of The Imperial Erskineville, the Universal Hotel Group have revealed a revamped main bar that will see this iconic LGBTQIA+ venue retain its legendary status. From new sumptuous, diverse dining options to vibrant, expansive entertainment and now with an open invitation for four-legged friends –The Imperial is painting the Inner-west many shades of fabulous. The changes start on the entertainment lineup. Jewel in the crown is the new Saturday night show, The Priscilla Experience. This brand
new, high-octane production celebrates the iconic Australian film that first put The Imperial on the map. Featuring Lada Marks, Sia Tequila and Aunty Tamara, The Priscilla Experience delivers heart-thumping numbers, lavish costumes and drag comedy that’ll have you spilling your drink. With three stages now spread across the main bar floor, it doesn’t matter where you (and your pooch) sit, you will get a front row seat!
The Imperial Erskineville, 35 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville. Priscilla shows at 8, 9 and 10pm Saturdays.
Dress up in your favourite Material Girl outfit and get ready for some serious vogeuing to an all-Madonna playlist at Into The Groove, the Madonna dance party. The ticket includes themed cocktails, grazing table yummies and entry to the exhibition.
Canberra Museum & Gallery (CMAG), Civic Square, Friday 10 November,
Get ready to go spinning around, all the way back to Ramsay Street as STUN Magazine presents I Should Be So Kylie in both Canberra and Newcastle. Featuring live performers, drag acts and DJs playing nothing but back-to-back Kylie. Check out the ads on pages 38 and 40 for full line ups and ticketing info.
Cube, Canberra, Friday 3 November, 8.30pm-12am. Bernie’s Bar, Newcastle, Saturday 25 November, 8pm-1am
She was one of the most controversial stars of the recent RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under season three and now Hollywould Star is bringing all of that sass and body-popping magic to Canberra. It’s a special Christmas event by Cube to close out the year and say thank you to its loyal gay customer base.
Cube, Canberra, December 15 from 10pm
