2023: Volume 1

FEBRUARY 2023

Vol.1

In case you’ve just enrolled: Your guide to UTS support services BRONTE SKINNER

Touchy subject: Why the media can’t afford to tread lightly around Pell’s legacy

JOSEPH HATHAWAY-WILSON

No pride without protest: The past, present and future of Mardi Gras

JACQUI ADAMS AND CLAIRE MATTHEWS

How to: Lakemba Ramadan markets

ARSHMAH JAMAL

Vertigo and its entire contents are protected by copyright. Vertigo will retain the right to republish in any format. Contributors retain all other rights for resale and republication. No material may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the copyright holders.

CONTENT WARNINGS

Vertigo readers should be advised that there are content warnings before relevant pieces. Please keep this in mind as you enjoy our magazine; your health and safety are important to us.

Please keep this in mind as you enjoy our magazine; your health and safety are important to us.

Contact the UTS Counselling Services on 9514 1177, or visit the UTS Counselling Services website to find out more and access the extensive online self-help resources.

“The University of Technology Sydney would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians and Knowledge Keepers of the land on which UTS now stands, and pays respect to Elders past, present, and emerging.”

Maree Graham, Deputy Director, Students, and Community Engagement, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research

THANK YOU FOR READING VERTIGO

Vertigo would like to extend an acknowledgement to the Traditional Custodians and Knowledge Keepers of the land on which we lived and worked as editors and designers during the creation of this magazine. We pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging, and extend this respect to any First Nations’ people reading this volume.

As students we must acknowledge the Indigenous contributions to academia that have enriched our understanding of Australian history and culture. We exist on stolen land, and recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded.

Axel, Bronte, Claire, Joseph, Sapphire, Siena, and Yvonne pay their respects to the Gadigal and Wangal peoples of the Eora nation. Arshmah and Gökçe pay their respects to the Cabrogal people of the Dharug and Dharawal nations. Mary and Fiona pay their respects to the Wallumedegal and Dharug people of the Dharug nation, and Angelique pays her respects to the Gweagal people of the Dharawal nation.

https://utsvertigo.com.au/volume-1-

editor s’ letter.

Dear reader,

It is eight minutes to midnight and I’m sitting in the UTS Vertigo office on the third floor of Bon Marche. I’ve recently begun a new diet. It is called the MSG diet. I want to tell you that MSG stands for something hip and healthy. It actually stands for monosodium glutamate I’ve been eating microwavable Shin Ramyun for the past twelve hours.

At present, I am equal parts anxious and excited. In a few hours, the magazine which you now hold will be submitted to the UTSSA General Secretary, then on to the Director of Student Publications, on to our printing partners, and back to us, who will in turn hand it over to you, dearest reader, in anticipation of your earnest judgement. Soon after, it will sink beneath the clamour of tutorials, club socials, assessment deadlines and cryptic enrollment procedures, to later be examined in a moment of solitude by curious people like yourself.

The recurring theme of our first print issue is akin to that of the new university year – total, joy-ridden disarray.

Our Student News category is something of a who’s-who guide to the institution that is UTS; from your representatives in the SRC, to the clubs, societies and pillars of support at your disposal. In Politics & Law, we head straight into the rugged terrain of the Australian political landscape, as Vertigo observes the nation’s most ambiguous opposition leader. Arts and Lifestyle endows readers in a pilgrimage of feast from Lakemba to South Korea, before Society and Culture allows for a moment of tempered reflection on the history and future of Mardi Gras as well as the media’s memory of the late Cardinal Pell. Creative Writing brings a healthy dichotomy of short stories from UTS’s young writers before the visually enriching work of the university’s design contingent enlivens the Showcase section.

EDITORS:

→ Joseph HathawayWilson: Editor in Chief

→ Arshmah Jamal: Managing editor

→ Fiona Wang: Showcase Director

→ Angelique Birrell: Politics + Law Editor

→ Axel Connell: Creative Writing Editor

→ Bronte Skinner: Student News Editor

→ Claire Matthews: Arts + Lifestyle Editor

→ Yvonne Hong: Society + Culture Editor

→ Gökcę Çaliskan: Student News Editor

DESIGNERS:

→ Siena Zadro: Art Director

→ Mary Morrish: Designer

→ Sapphire Goldberg: Designer

We hope that something in Volume One is an inspiration to you, regardless of where that inspiration may lead you. Embrace that magic feeling of nowhere to go but everywhere at your fingertips. The start of the new year tastes like uncertainty.

MSG, meanwhile, tastes like fatty acid. Farewell, dear reader. The time has come for me to break my diet.

In friendship,

Joseph and the UTS Vertigo 2023 editorial team

Beneath the tower: UTSSA office bearer reports The Student Representative Council

11

Student Clubs Spider Webs Bronte Skinner

17

What we wish we knew in first year

Gökcę Çaliskan and Ayesha Baig

23

How to: Lakemba Ramadan markets

Arshmah Jamal

13 In case you’ve just enrolled: Your guide to UTS support services

Bronte Skinner

21

What’s up with Chris? Breaking down the NSW leader of the opposition

Mariam Yassine

27

Travel tips for Seoul

Yvonne Hong

33

No pride without protest: the past, present and future of Mardi Gras

Jacqui Adams and Claire Matthews

37

Touchy subject: Why the media can’t afford to tread lightly around Pell’s legacy Joseph

39

49

Imperfect Life

43

The Butterfly Farm

47

53

Horoscopes

55

HathawayWilson

Charpai Arshmah Jamal

Axel Connell

Junk Charlotte Gentry

Juemin Xiao

Yvonne Hong and Fiona Wang

PRESIDENT Nour Al Hammouri

INSTAGRAM: uts_students_association

FACEBOOK: The UTS Students Association

Welcome to UTS – congrats on making it in; you’re going to love it here. Now, what is the UTS Students’ Association? The UTSSA represents, supports, and advocates ALL students at UTS. We’re a student-led service directly responding to your needs, whatever they may be. Our work is led by our goals of wanting to ensure that your time at UTS is as enjoyable, easy and smooth as possible. Vertigo will help you explore the multiple arms of UTS and the services of the UTSSA , which include but are not limited to; Bluebird and NightOwl, Bluebird Pantry, Student Advocacy Service, Collectives, Vertigo and a few of our campaigns that the UTSSA will focus on for 2023. Looking after the UTSSA (alongside everything I’ve just mentioned) is the President's job. Me. (and of course the rest of the executive team).

Hi! I’m Nour Al Hammouri, an Advanced Science (Pre Med) student. As well as being the President of the UTSSA, I’m also an intern here at UTS, primarily focusing on Multiple Sclerosis. As President, it is my aim (and job) to be elevating your voices and bringing your ideas, opinions and needs to the decision-making tables. Hopefully, through discussions, we will be able to enact the change that YOU want to see. The work of the UTSSA is only a reflection of what you want the University to look like. After all, you are paying to be here, so it is only fair that it reflects your needs and wants.

Historically, we’ve seen a lot of demand from students to establish and build student-focused services like Bluebird Brekky, Night Owl Noodles and, recently, Bluebird Pantry. This demand still continues; therefore, we’ll continue to prioritise it and build on it. There are a lot of structures within UTS that students just aren’t satisfied with, and for that reason we’ll continue tackling and demanding an improvement in the systems that disadvantage students. But to be able to effectively and accurately respond to what students want to see, we need to hear from you directly. For that reason, we invite all UTS students to join us where we work. We will provide you with the platform to directly raise your concerns.

To keep up to date, I highly recommend following the Students’ Association on Facebook and Instagram. You can also sign up to our mailing list, where you’ll receive direct information from us on when our next SRC meetings are.

See you there!

: ILLUSTRATIONS BY SAPPHIRE GOLDBERG & MARY MORRISH

GENERAL SECRETARY Will Simmons

Hi! I’m Mia Campbell, the Welfare Officer for 2023 and a third-year Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Science (Applied Physics) student. The Welfare Collective has a broad range of focuses, including mental and physical health, socio-economic disadvantage, academic support, safety on campus, and affordable and adequate student housing amongst other areas.

In 2023, the Welfare Collective will work towards and advocate for: the improvement and expansion of student counselling services; holding UTS accountable to the commitments of the 2022 Student Partnership Agreement in relation to sexual assault and sexual harassment policy; streamlining the process of applying for extensions/special consideration; expanding class and resource availability to better support students who are working full-time; addressing the culture of socio-economic, racist and sexist discrimination within classrooms, especially in STEM fields; and expanding Bluebird Brekkie, Night Owl Noodles and the Bluebird Pantry.

If you’re interested in getting involved with the Welfare Collective, we’d love to see you at our meetings! To keep an eye out for when they’re

I’m Will Simmons, your General Secretary for 2023. We’ve had a productive start to the year so far, and I am very keen to see what the Union willl achieve this year. This year will be a big year for students with the University Accords and the Voice to Parliament, so I encourage every student to be involved in the UTSSA campaigns to help fight for a better future.

Over the past month, I’ve been working hard on the UTSSA 2023 Handbook. The Handbook is a guide to UTS and your Student Union. The handbook is free and available across the campus; I highly recommend picking one up.

WELFARE OFFICER

Mia Campbell

INSTAGRAM: uts.welfare.collective

FACEBOOK: UTS Welfare Collective

EMAIL: welfare@utsstudentsassociation.org

WOMEN'S OFFICER Aylin Cihan

It has been an unusual three years for UTS international students. This year, we will make up for stolen time. We aim to grow our international collective through existing events and collaborate with other collectives within the UTSSA and UTS departments. We want to attract diverse members who share at least one identity – our experience as international students – and support them to thrive.

This year we also want to listen to our international students more closely. We encourage everyone to do a student survey on O’Day and tell us about your expectations, struggles, and experiences. This way, we can arrange upcoming events and support your actual needs accordingly rather than through general assumptions.

The challenges of this year include how we can grow our collectives and our influence. We want to ensure that we can maximise our capacity for communication. One ideal solution will be negotiating with UTS internal departments and partnering with them. Alternatively, and also traditionally, we can arrange various activities and promote collectives within our campus. Either way, we want to be friends and comrades with each of you.

Hey! I’m Aylin Cihan, your 2023 Women’s Officer, a fourth year Bachelor of Laws student with a goal of pursuing gender equality in an unjust system. The Women’s Collective (WoCo) is a student-led safe and encouraging space for women, non-binary and women-identifying students at UTS. This year the WoCo is looking forward to increasing educational opportunities for all women and aims to provide further access to support and social networks that can help improve women’s wellbeing at UTS. The Women’s Space is currently in building 3 (CB3.4.32) and is a great space for enthusiastic women to meet like-minded individuals and have fun, empowering conversations about approaching relevant issues.

As a collective, we strive to respond to the sexism and misogyny that continuously affects women on campus and throughout the social and economic framework by creating a comfortable and judgement-free activist space. We are passionate about activism and ensuring that we are making the most of the university experience, aiming to encourage further education and social opportunities for women. We also organise game and drink nights and have many opportunities for you to get involved in things you're interested in and make new friends along the way!

INSTAGRAM: utswoco

FACEBOOK: UTS Women's Collective

EMAIL: womens@utsstudentsassociation.org

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS' OFFICER

Joy (Jiacong) Xu

Student Club Spider ebs.

BY BRONTE SKINNER]

BY MARY MORRISH]

With 196 student clubs and societies at UTS, there is a club suited to everyone. Club O’Days can be a little bit overwhelming simply because there are SO MANY student clubs to pick from, so here’s an overview to help you pick some for this year.

SOCIAL SPORT CLUBS

- UTS Oztag

- Bouldering Society

- Finska Society

- UTS Sk8Soc

- UTS Quidditch

- Ice Skating Society

- UTS Table Tennis

- Football Appreciation Society

DANCE CLUBS

- Dance Society

- Hip Hop Society

- Cheerleading

- Pole Society

FOOD AND DRINK

- Café Club

- Food Appreciation Society

[ILLUSTRATIONS

[WORDS

POP-CULTURE CLUBS

- Literary Society

- Film Appreciation Posse

- K-Pop UTS

HOBBY CLUBS

- Puzzle Society

- Keyboard Society

- Mahjong UTS

- Chess Club

- Pokémon Club

- Gamer’s Guild

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIETIES

- Design Society

- Women and Non-Binary Students in STEMM

- Journalism Society

- Maths Society

- Medical and Health Society

- Economics Society

- Professional Aeronautics and Astronautics Society

- Banking and Finance Society

PERFORMING ARTS

- Comedy, Revue and

- Performance Society

- Music Society

- Backstage

SOCIAL IMPACT

- Red Cross Society

- EcoSoc

- Students for Humanity

- The Big Lift

IN CASE YOU’VE JUST ENROLLED:

YOUR GUIDE TO UTS SUPPORT SERVICES

For most students, enrolling in a course is the hardest part about university. Now that you're here, however, you may find yourself needing support, in the form of career advice, academic support or personal help. Here are the support services UTS has to offer.

Higher Education Language and Presentation Support (HELPS)

HELPS provides extra support for students struggling with assignments. They support undergraduate and postgraduate students who may be struggling with English and need extra academic literacy support. Book an online or in-person meeting at Building 1, Level 5, Room 025. They can help give direction for assignments, greater clarity in regard to the assignment’s criteria, and advice for referencing and academic writing.

Phone: +61 2 9514 2222

Booking System Website: https://helps-booking.uts. edu.au/

UTS Health Services

There is a medical service on campus located in Building 1, Level 6, Room 001, which provides in-person consultations and telehealth (phone or video call) consultations for students, staff, alumni and their families. This is a confidential, bulk-billing and QPA accredited practice that operates with doctors and registered nurses.

Phone: +61 2 9514 1177

UTS Careers

UTS Careers offers on-campus and online career support for students. Located in Building 2, Level 4, Room 221, they offer personalised career advice, events, resources, programs and post plenty of job and intern opportunities on their website, CareerHub. This is also where you can book an online or in-person appointment.

Phone: +61 2 9514 1471

Email: careers@uts.edu.au

UTS Student Centre

The UTS Student Centre is located in Building 10. They offer assistance with admissions, offers, enrolment, timetabling, course advice, graduations, testamurs, student ID cards, and academic records. You can reach out for assistance in-person, by phone, and through email.

Australian phone: 1300 275 887

International Number: +61 2 9514 1222

[WORDS BY BRONTE SKINNER]

Food! Courtesy of the UTS Students’ Association

The UTS Students’ Association (UTSSA) is a democratic body that represents the students of UTS. They provide several food relief services such as: Bluebird Brekkie, Night Owl Noodles, and the Bluebird Food Pantry. Bluebird Brekkie is served from Monday to Friday (8:30am – 10:30am) in the Building 1 foyer during the semester. Night Owl is on Tuesdays and Thursdays (5:00pm – 7:00pm), also in the Building 1 foyer during the semester. Meanwhile, the Bluebird Pantry offers free food on campus and is located in Building 2, Level 3, Room 120, near the food court. All students must register online for the Pantry and check-in with their student ID to grab their five items for the week.

Activate UTS

The website Activate UTS connects you with students with similar interests in student clubs/societies or social and competitive sports. They are located in Building 1, Level 16. ActivateFit.Gym is located in Building 4, Level 2 and offers personal training and group classes.

Phone: +61 2 514 1444

Financial Assistance Service

The Financial Assistance Service supports and provides advice for students on study-related finances. There are Financial Assistance Programs which can help students who are experiencing cash shortfalls.

Phone: 9514 1177

Email: financial.assistance@uts.edu.au

International Student Centre

UTS International supports international students, located in Building 1, level 3A, they can help with documents for visa applications and other student visa-related reasons. International students can also contact a student advisor who can help them adjust to life at UTS.

Phone: +61 2 9514 1531

Email: internationalstudent@uts.edu.au

UTS Student Legal Service

The UTS Student Legal Service is located in Building 1, Level 3 and offers students professional and free legal advice and referrals.

UTSSA: Peer Tutoring

The UTSSA also offers a Peer Tutoring Service for those struggling with a subject. Minimum cost is $25 and you must complete a 'Request a Peer Tutor Form' for a Peer Tutor.

Mathematics and Science Study Centre

Located in Building 4, Level 3, Room 331, and offered online, the Mathematics and Science Study Centre supports students in introductory mathematics and some first-year science subjects. They support students who may need extra practice with the ‘assumed knowledge’ requirement for UTS subjects.

Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning

The Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning is a space built for Indigenous students which offers a range of support and services. They are located in Building 1, Level 6, and are open Monday to Thursday 9:30am – 4pm and Fridays 9:30am – 1pm.

Phone: 1800 064 312

Multi-faith Chaplaincy

UTS Multi-Faith Chaplaincy offers students and staff free and confidential chaplaincy services which involve support, discussion groups, and meditation sessions. Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Officers are located in Building 3, Level 4, Rooms 20 and 19. You can book an appointment by phone or email.

Phone: +61 2 9514 2523

Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Coordinator, Joanna Thyer: joanna.thyer@uts.edu.au or uts.chaplaincy@uts.edu.au

UTS Counseling

UTS offers a free confidential counseling service to help students with personal, psychological, study-related, and administrative difficulties. The service offers up to six free sessions. Further sessions may be available via a referral from a GP.

Phone: +61 2 9514 1177

Email: student.services@uts.edu.au

Accessibility Service

The Accessibility Service supports students with disabilities, medical, or mental health conditions. They are located in Building 1, Level 6, and provide assistance and support to access services, assessment arrangements, and reasonable adjustments. To register for the Accessibility Service, one must first make an appointment with an Accessibility Consultant and complete the 'UTS Accessibility Service Registration' form prior to the appointment. You can book an appointment over the phone and through email. For the appointment, you must provide supporting documents from a registered health professional and subject details such as subject names/numbers and teaching staff.

Phone: +61 2 9514 1177

Email: accessibility@uts.edu.au

UTS Housing Service

UTS Housing offers campus accommodation for UTS students. They are located in Building 6, Level 2, and can help with general enquiries for UTS Housing. Applications for Autumn 2023 have closed but you can apply for Spring 2023 intake in May.

Yura Mudang is located on UTS campus on Harris St above Building 6. It offers shared apartments of two to six bedrooms and studio apartments. The cheapest accommodation available is the six-bedroom apartment, which costs $320 weekly, two-bedroom at $359 weekly and a standard (small) studio apartment costs $390 weekly.

Phone: +61 2 9514 1529

Email: housing.service@uts.edu.au

UTSSA Collectives

Additionally, the UTSSA provides safe spaces for women and non-binary students, queer students, ethnocultural students, and disabled students through the provision of various collectives. The UTSSA Office is located in Building 1, Level 3, Room 22, (they also provide equipment loans for calculators and wi-fi dongles.

Phone: (02) 9514 1155

Website: https://utsstudentsassociation.org.au/ Email: students.association@uts.edu.au

[WORDS BY GÖKCĘ ÇALISKAN AND AYESHA BAIG]

To the new students of 2023, welcome to UTS! The first year of university is a unique experience for all students, but there are certain experiences that every tense and anxious first year has. From the sacrifices you’ve made to be accepted into your course to the horrifyingly complex process of enrolling into your units, the first year is most definitely chaotic (in the best way). As former first year students, here are some things we wish we knew:

YOU GET TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOURSELF

There is a type of workload that no one warns you of — the emotional type. It takes work to realise that entering university is a new chapter of your life, and your normal is redefined. Do your best to figure out where your priorities lie, what makes you happy, and let that guide you through your year.

YOU’VE GOT TO STOP SETTING IMPOSSIBLE STANDARDS

Divorce yourself from expectations that exhaust you – make room for personal growth. If you feel a little nervous in your first few classes, chances are everyone else feels kind of nervous too. Change is inevitable and often causes stress, but that doesn’t mean you are any less capable. Understanding this can ease taking that first step to introducing yourself to a fellow student.

Last year was my first year as a journalism student. The image of being a student in a university was portrayed in high school be more challenging than the work we’d encountered in high school. However, what surprised me most was how relaxing university was. Yes, there will always be times when I overthink things, but there was a strong independence given to me that I didn’t find in high school. I believe the 2023 students that are fresh from getting a so-called important number from NESA might have a strong idea

about classes, tutes, and so much more. What I took in from my first semester in 2022 was that results are not the be-all-or-end-all.

ESSAY WRITING AND REFERENCING IS NOT THE SAME AS HIGH SCHOOL

Academic writing is a key distinction between university and school. Google Scholar becomes your best friend when trying to find academic sources, and it’s important to keep the references of those sources handy whilst researching. If you don’t, you run the risk of, compiling a heap of work for yourself afterwards, between figuring out what source was used for what and how to correctly reference.

The format of essay writing also differs from in high school. It’s important to ask questions if confused, look into previous students’ examples and utilise available resources. The UTS HELPS workshops and website have self-help resources on how to write essays that can bridge any knowledge gaps. Our library website also provides study guides for each faculty, so giving the UTS Library website a visit can be a great starting point to build the mindset needed to nail those assessments.

YOU MIGHT (MIGHT? WILL) GET LOST, BUT THAT’S OKAY

Getting lost is not as uncommon as we think, and it happens to the best of us. Finding the humour in getting lost, or why walking through the Central tunnel feels like the world’s most difficult trek, is what will make those moments worth it.

Get involved: The first year is a uniquely intricate experience, and incredible experiences are awaiting you.Be open, join Facebook groups, get involved with any societies that captivate you, and find ways to materialise the memories. BeReal was very popular during my first year, so that could help to capture funny moments, but taking photos, polaroids, or keeping mementos can be a fun way to remember the first year, just as long as you remember to stay in the moment!

Right now, this advice is just words, and you won’t fully understand what they mean until you experience it, but keeping them in mind as you navigate the first year can’t hurt. Good luck first years – we wish you all every kind of success!

DOWN THE NSW LEADER OF THE * OPPOSITION

What’s Up with Chris?

WORDS BY MARIAM YASSINE

As the NSW state election rapidly approaches, people are faced with a state Coalition government and a Labor opposition that agree on many critical issues. Such issues include the necessity for austerity measures for pay and work conditions as well as the “let it rip” COVID policy. Every election in recent years has seen a rise in bipartisanship, which has elevated to unprecedented heights during the pandemic. While some may view this agreement as beneficial political cohesion, it has caused something of a political crisis among working-class individuals and young people. Consequently, certain voters have been feeling disillusioned and disengaged with the Labor party. The federal election last May saw the lowest primary votes in more than 50 years for both Labor and the Coalition. The same shift was evident in the Victorian state election last November where, despite drastic drops in its vote around working-class areas, Labor retained office after support for the Liberal Party fell to historic lows.

The upcoming NSW election will likely be telling of this recent political change, as we will watch if NSW Labor can convince voters of their worth in government. Owing to this, Labor leader Chris Minns must find a way to differentiate himself and his party from the Liberal party, a task that is

being navigated questionably. Minns appears to have been skating on thin ice in the past few months despite Labor’s consistent lead in the polls. His failure to support recent strikes by teachers, healthcare workers, and transport workers, as well as Dominic Perrottet’s proposed gambling reform, has left his supporters with plenty of questions.

In 2015, Minns was elected to represent the Sydney suburb of Kogarah in the NSW parliament. His political record is of interest, not only due to the rapidly approaching state election, but because it is a concentrated expression of the character of Labor. This character is particularly important in the coming election, as it has been 27 years since NSW Labor last won from opposition, when Bob Carr won by a single seat in 1995. Minns appears to have a colossal task ahead of him. However, to maintain its position of power, the Coalition must also cling onto seats, which, after 12 years in government, could be difficult for the Coalition.

Minns has decided to stick to textbook Labor issues, a strategy that helped Western Australia’s Mark McGowan achieve success. Essentially, Minns plans to mirror policies that have delivered favourable electoral results in other Labor states such as fair work legislation, investing in local

manufacturers, and a focus on social services. However, this is proving challenging as, unlike in other states, Perrottet has emerged from the shadow of his popular predecessor, Gladys Berejiklian, and slowly developed his own image.

One clash between Labor and the Coalition’s policies regards Perrottet’s proposed gambling reform, which would see the implementation of a mandatory cashless gambling card required to use gambling machines throughout the state. This reform proposal came after findings by the NSW Crime Commission, which revealed poker machines were being used to launder billions of dollars in criminal proceeds, and that opportunistic crimes were being committed to fuel poker machine addictions. The United Workers Union, the Royal Australian College of Surgeons, the NSW section of the Health Services Union, and Mark Morey, the Commissioner of the NSW Police, and Liberal statesman John Howard have all endorsed Perrottet’s decision. Minns has declined to call for bipartisan support for these proposed changes or to denounce the aggressive lobbying efforts of the gambling industry. Minns is instead endorsing the voluntary ClubsNSW trial idea. However, since these trials are not mandatory, it is doubtful that those who profit illegally from poker machines or suffer from gambling addiction will choose to participate. Many see this as risky given the need for gambling reform is evident and urgent.

Another contentious issue for the upcoming election is the critical issues NSW faces within the education, healthcare, and transport sectors, with union members in these industries staging several strikes during 2021 and 2022. In recognising the immense size of these issues, Minns has promised to help fix them, claiming Labor is “ready for the challenge, [and] we want the responsibility”, as reported by The Canberra Times. Two of the main issues in the education sector currently are the lack of teachers in the workforce and subsequent teacher burnout, which Minns intends to fix by offering at least 10,000 temporary teachers across NSW permanent roles. He also pledges to help cut admin work for teachers down by five hours per week to, as he claims, “Get teachers back to doing what they do best - teaching our kids!’”. However, these promises were largely matched by Premier Perrottet, who said he would also shift 10,000 temporary teachers into permanent positions.

Regarding the transport sector, Minns stated that a new fleet of trains would be manufactured in NSW to replace the state’s outdated railway infrastructure. Additionally, he claimed he would assist the healthcare sector by increasing healthcare financing and nurse staffing, removing the pay ceiling in the public sector, and stopping privatisation.

Minns’ current political stance can be described as a concerted effort to tackle some of NSW's most significant political issues. He remains a nuanced political figure who is helping to de-

termine the future of the Labor party state-wide and federally. However, the lack of differentiation between him and current Premier Perrottet on critical policies has left many voters confused and concerned about the future. So far, the majority of voters prefer the NSW Labor party’s new policy proposal over the Coalition's. Still, only time will tell if this consensus will be upheld into the March election.

In recognising the immense size of these issues, Minns has promised to help fix them, claiming Labor is “ready for the challenge, [and] we want the responsibility”, as reported by The Can- berra Times.

CW: RACISM AND ISLAMOPHOBIA

How to: Lakemba Ramadan Markets

WORDS BY ARSHMAH JAMAL ILLUSTRATIONS BY SAPPHIRE GOLDBERG

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, which changes slightly every year in relation to the Gregorian calendar, when practising Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, breaking their fast with prayer, food, and friends. Every year during Ramadan, Haldon Street in Lakemba is closed off to accommodate a cornucopia of food stalls, that one random uncle who got his hands on a microphone, and the bustle of crowds.

Last year, there were close to a million people coming to the markets during the month, which was four times the crowd compared to 2019. Due to the growing popularity of the event and a heightened respect for Islamic culture, 2023 is sure to have more. Compiled is a list of ‘underdog’ food stalls for our dear Vertigo readers to visit during Ramadan this year (from around the 22nd of March to the 20th of April)!

Perhaps this is obvious, but please don’t go to Lakemba with the intention of ‘snacking’. Some of the food stalls are only open for Ramadan, so make the most of it!

Bring cash! Most, if not all, of the stalls do not take card. There is an ATM; however, there is always a huge line.

Share the food with your friends! The plastic boxes you get are filled to the brim. If you’re trying to get a bite of everything, it’s best if you share that one box. Otherwise, you’ll fill up quickly!

Don’t drive there. Seriously, use public

TO STALL OR NOT TO STALL

PRE-HALDON STREET

transport. The street is a minute away from Lakemba station. You will be waiting for a spot for so long, you’ll most likely leave. Plus, public transport = good for the environment!

Be respectful. This is basic manners, but it’s important to be kind to the stallholders and the people around you. Don’t be immature or condescending. Also, be patient! The large crowds across the street are not their fault.

It’s important to know that multiple stalls have the same food. You want that one camel burger but the line's too long? No worries, walk up the street, and you'll find another one. However, some stalls specialise in one specific type of food that you won't be able to get anywhere else (shout out to the sahlab at Yummy Yummy Knafeh). Here's a list of favourites, but be sure to try out all the stalls!

Murtabak AT THE STALL OUTSIDE BEST PRICE SUPERMARKET

Murtabak is griddle-fried roti stuffed with spiced meat or egg. This stall’s one is probably one of the best as they make it to order. It has a good kick of spice, but it’s not chilli.

Knafeh AT KNAFEH AL ANDALOS

Knafeh Bros has nothing on this. It’s the perfect balance of sweetness and not too overpowering. To wash it down, get the mint tea or the piping hot and rich sahlab.

Jalebi AT DHAKA DELIGHTS

Pre-warning: this dessert is overly sweet but a fan favourite. Jalebi is dough, deep-fried in a circular pattern, then doused in sugar syrup. It’s made fresh, so you’ll burn your fingers when they give it to you (but at least it’s delicious!).

Biryani and haleem AT KHUSHBOO

It’s flavourful, it’s warm, and it’s hefty! You have an option of beef and goat for the biryani (spiced rice), and the haleem is a lentil and beef stew. Get a box with both and share with the gang.

Satay and roti AT ISLAND DREAMS CAFE

Originating from Christmas and Cocos Islands, the satay here is famous. You have an option of lamb or chicken, and it’s made fresh. It’s tender, spicy, smoky, and the best I’ve ever tried.

Turkish sand coffee (I FORGOT THE STALL NAME)

Made on a bed of hot sand, it’s aromatic and very strong. Good palette cleanser!

Bakdash ice cream AT BAKDASH

Listen, get this at the end. It’s smooth, covered in pistachio, and you can taste the rose water. It’s a sweet note to finish the markets on!

LET’S CUT TO THE CHEESE

What started as a single stall selling knafeh and camel burgers has turned into a festival. If you do attend the markets this year, have fun while maintaining respect for the culture and people.

The rise of TikTok has seen an obvious boom in the popularity of these markets. Just because your video went viral, does not mean you are not entitled to this event. Remember that these food stalls are a ‘home away from home’ for a majority of the Muslim diaspora in Lakemba (and Greater Sydney). For many, it is their safe space, making it truly confusing and outrageous to hear of and experience racism from white people.

Last year, there was a huge divide over the gentrification and exploitation of the Lakemba markets. Many Muslim and broader South Asian

and Arab attendees experienced racism and disrespect. Some even walked away without any food due to the influx of tourists rendering the lines excessively long. White people complained about an ethnic area not catering to their needs (how dare they not play loud EDM music during Ramadan!).

Sharing our space and food is not the problem. In fact, sharing and congregating is a central theme in Islam. But it becomes unfair when the same people eating our food and walking the same roads exploit our culture and food for entertainment and clout whilst mocking and abusing us.

So, when attending, remember to be respectful of the community and the holy month of Ramadan. Google exists if you’re confused about what not to do, or even ask a fellow Muslim friend for advice.

My recent trip to South Korea was relatively unexpected. My sister received an internship at a tech convention in Daegu for December, which she had been notified of in October. As a result, we decided to make a holiday out of it from November to December. Dragging her best friend and her best friend’s younger sister along, we embarked on this pilgrimage back to the motherland — the first one since COVID; the first one without our parents. In classic Koreanmother fashion, this was a fact my mum became incredibly fixated on, as it induced many anxious phone calls during which she expressed how worried she was about us being in a big city, unable to speak the language (we both speak perfectly adequate Korean, and my sister frequently made conversation with our taxi drivers).

As I write this, I should inform you that I have slowly morphed into an incessant food and travel blogger. In the next phase of my metamorphosis, the genesis being this Seoul travel guide, I will begin a TikTok page dedicated to the “places in Sydney you must visit part 2093”. I will then produce a line of whimsical travel journals available to be purchased at your local Dymocks. Watch this space.

THE GENERAL DOS AND DON’TS OF SEOUL

When we landed in Incheon Airport, the first recommendation our mum gave us was to have Australian cash handy to exchange for South Korean Won, as we would need it to:

1. Eat out – some independent vendors would not take card

2. Top up T-Money cards: (South Korean Opal Cards) as the recharge stations do not accept cards as a form of payment.

We did not heed our mother's advice. We regretted it terribly.

Though we did not travel much on public transport, we ate out at the traditional markets nearly every morning. For a group of four, we spent around $300 AUD cash throughout the two weeks we were there (approximately 262,000 Won). This covered basic expenses like breakfast or purchasing goods from vendors that did not accept card at markets. So, withdraw cash!

Further, when payments are made on card, I would recommend signing up for a digital banking app that provides no surcharge fees for interna tional spending. This made it much easier for us to use our cards through out our trip with out spending too much time bud geting across dif ferent accounts and transferring money back and forth.

THE ART OF TAXI CATCHING

Flagging down a taxi is a universally understood language – you stick your hand out and the taxi comes to you. However, in Seoul, you’re often left feeling incredibly vulnerable after realising that the majority of taxis you are frantically waving your arms at are choosing to drive straight past you. This, combined with the intense eye contact you direct at the driver and the intensity with which they avoid your eye contact as they drive past, will manifest itself in a sudden deep desire to end it all.

In order to efficiently flag down a taxi, you must download KakaoT – the taxi app that most Koreans use to order taxis. In Seoul, people commute everywhere through taxis. As a result, most taxis driving on the street will already be occupied.

If you do choose to be brave and flag down a taxi, you can identify a free taxi by the taxi sign lit up on its roof. You can also recognise a free taxi by the phrase ‘ lit up in either green or red.'

Overall, I would recommend downloading all the apps. Yes, download the KakaoT app, but also download Naver Maps or KakaoMap. These are good for navigating Seoul and accurately calculating travel times — car travel or otherwise. On some occasions, Apple Maps or Google Maps would tell us it was a 15 minute walk when in reality the walk was around 40 minutes.

GWANGJANG MARKETS

Gwangjang markets became the staple breakfast location of our time in Seoul. For students or post-grads on a budget, this market provided the most culturally enriching experience at the best price. We were able to split food between the four of us, spending approximately $5.00 on breakfast every day. Prices varied throughout the stalls but some of the cheaper options, like the tteokbokki (rice cake in a gochujang sauce), will cost around 6,000 W. The more expensive options, like a large bowl of manduguk (dumpling soup) – and I am talking very large – will cost you around 11,500 W ($13.20 AUD).

I should note, if you are sharing food, you will have to go a little bit earlier before the lunch rush. During this time, the etiquette is understood to be one serving per customer. This will also cover the cost of the complimentary banchan (side dish) that comes with your meal. Korean dining is very unique due to the provision of complimentary side dishes ranging from kimchi, blanched seasoned spinach, or pickled zucchini. However, due to the cost of making such dishes, especially in a time of recession and inflation, the minimum of one serving per person is a respectful way to ensure these businesses stay afloat (also, and I speak from experience, the ruthless aunties will yell at you if you sit down during lunch rush and proceed to order two bowls of noodles shared between four people).

The Gwangjang Markets was truly my favourite part of this trip. For those who have no idea where to start when entering the realm of Korean cuisine, food mar kets and casual street dining are a succinct way to immerse yourself in the culture. From the pushy Korean aunties who care not for the ambience of the dining experience to the variety of foods on offer – from quick eats like eomukguk (fish cake soup) to heartier meals like sujaebi stew (hand-torn noodle soup). You can become truly overwhelmed by the amount of people, with barely any walking space and the hurriedness with which these aunties will be serving you. The Gwangjang Markets is a terrifying, slightly anxiety-inducing, yet incredibly nourishing experience.

One morning, we walked past some American tourists who, as we passed by, muttered “Can't wait to get gastro”. It is at this point that I would like to reassure you, precious readers, that you will not in fact contract any illnesses eating at the oldest food market in Seoul. Perhaps, if you are not accustomed to the strong flavours of South Korean cuisine, you may find it a shock to the tastebuds. However, you will not contract gastro. If this is still a concern, may I recommend the adjoining G525, the convenience store, which offers a variety of freeze-dried ramen for you to select from.

One of the most memorable moments of our trip became our obsession with the deung galbijjim from a particular restaurant located in the Seongsu district. Called CC Deungpan (you can check them out on Instagram @CC_deungpan), the two owners have perfected a variety of galbijjim dishes. For those not familiar, a galbijjim is a braised short rib slow-cooked in a sweet sauce. Sometimes this sweet sauce is a soy base, sometimes a kimchi base. At this restaurant, you will find a contemporary take on the galbijjim, using braised dwaeji galbi (pork ribs) alongside bean sprouts, king mushrooms, and spring onion. You can choose from three levels of spice, and there are other dishes on offer, such as the rosé galbijjim. This I would highly recommend. A sweet and creamy kimchi soup base, braised pork ribs, fried king mushrooms, and the addition of pasta cooked in the same soup.

We went three times.

And took photos with the owners.

A must-visit.

THRIFTING!

Thrifting in Seoul has irreversibly transformed my attitude to the thrifting scene in Sydney. Needless to say, it is dismal here. Good, genuine leather could be thrifted in Seoul, and was done so enthusiastically, for around 25,000 to 50, 000 W (around 28 to 58 AUD). Here, a tattered leather jacket from one of five vintage stores in Newtown will probably cost you $100 or more. There, Ralph Lauren sweaters in near-perfect condition cost 35,000 to 60,000 W depending on the area (around 40 to 70 AUD). Here, a stained one that has witnessed two World Wars for around $70 (Storeroom Vintage, I’m looking at you).

For curated, Newtown-style vintage shopping, head to Hongdae. The famous Hongdae shopping street is filled with vintage stores and you could truly hop store to store for hours on end. Honourable mentions include Kiko Vintage and Vintage Santa. Shops here will have a price range of 45,000 W (50 AUD) and up.

My favourite area for thrifting had to have been the Dongmyo district right near Jongno-gu. The downfalls of shopping at a curated, vintage store like Hongdae is you lose the right to bargain with your merchant. If Korean is a language in your arsenal, thrifting at the Dongmyo flea markets allows you to haggle prices with owners. Unfortunately for non-Korean speakers, locals see foreigners as automatically rich due to your ability to travel internationally, so your fate is much dire. For us Korean speakers however, this entailed creating elaborate sob stories of us being broke university students (true, though slightly exaggerated), which resulted in my sister snagging an authentic vintage Ralph Lauren cow-skin leather jacket for 50,000 W from 100,000 W (60 AUD115 AUD).

Overall, price points at Dongmyo are drastically lower than that of Hongdae. These flea markets are for the most part a free-for-all, with racks stuffed with a sheer volume of vintage pieces ranging from discarded old leather jackets from the 1980s - 2020s to recently donated secondhand pieces.

And while you’re in Dongmyo, I urge you to visit the Korean dumpling and bread shop Wangsangol Royal Donuts. A local store run by two aunties, it hosts a range of staple Korean savoury and sweet breads retailing at 1000 W (around $1.15 AUD) as well as the best steamed pork and kimchi dumplings consumed on the trip.

375 Cheonggyecheon-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

MORE HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Two destinations I would urge you to visit would be the palaces in the Seoul CBD (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changyeokgung, Gyeonghuigung) and Chuncheon; a city an hours drive outside of palaces stand to be great history lessons on the legacy of Imperial Korea, alongside a light education on the impact of Japanese occupation in South Korea from the 1910s to 1944.

Chuncheon, located North-East of Seoul, is a populous city with great cafe culture and home to one of the more niche South Korean dishes yet unknown to Sydneysiders. The hometown of my paternal ancestors, this city houses the dish known as dakgalbi. Even South Koreans recognise that dakgalbi can only be tasted in Chuncheon, and dakgalbi dining in and of itself is an experience. Similar to Korean BBQ, though yet to be exported to Sydney, chicken is cooked on an open pan alongside a dakgalbi sauce with a base of gochujang and cooked with cabbage, sweet potatoes and rice cake.

A QUICK NOTE ON PLACES I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND

The Gangnam area, made known to many through that one PSY song from the 2010s, is the most expensive suburb in Seoul. As such, many of the stores, specifically within the main strip (Gangnam Street), are packed with retail stores of higher price points. The friends we travelled with, Alannah and Avila, who had grown up in San Francisco likened this area to Los Angeles’ Rodeo Drive. As broke twenty somethings, there was not much appeal in shopping brand new with tags, specifically for retail brands to the likes of Ralph Lauren, which we could also find in Sydney. The same sentiment fell for Jamsil Lotte World, one of the biggest department stores in Seoul, which was simply a shopping complex that stocked international brands like Zara, Sephora, Adidas, and Foot Locker. Though if you’re looking to take advantage of conversion rates, a day in Gangnam would make for a good plan for snapping up staple pieces you have been eyeing at a cheaper rate.

It is important to note that my enthusiasm for Seoul is definitely rooted in my whole identity revolving around the fact that I am Korean. Aside from this, Seoul is truly a city that must be visited. There was nothing more refreshing for Sydneysiders than to visit a city in which nightlife does not end at 1:00 AM and is exclusive to Fridays and Saturdays. To be able to shop, eat and drink the majority of the week made for an unforgettable trip and an easier travel. But of course, as is custom when visiting any country external to yours, treat vendors with respect and make an effort to acculturate yourself to the etiquettes of South Korea. External to the immaculate night life is a history of colonisation that truly seeps through every orifice of the culture once the history is understood. It can be recognised in some of the foods that remain incredibly popular today, like eomukguk, which was born during Japanese occupation, or even the palaces which are only memories of what they once were.

NO PRIDE

WITHOUT PROTEST.

THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF MARDI GRAS

Content warning: Homophobia, transphobia, suicide, racism, police brutality

[WORDS BY JACQUI ADAMS AND CLAIRE MATTHEWS]

Bricks, rocks, and punches: all were thrown at police in retaliation for decades of homophobic persecution one fateful night in 1969 – an event that would come to be known as the Stonewall riots. The New York City protest sparked a global movement for gay liberation, one which had been brewing for many years prior in the revolutionary atmosphere of the 60s and 70s. Inspired by this show of resistance and acting in solidarity with the U.S Gay Liberation Front, Australia’s first Mardi Gras began as a protest in 1978. Now, over 50 years since Stonewall, the gay liberation movement has experienced a rapid transformation due in large part to the success of queer activists and grassroot campaigners in bringing about social and legal change. As LGBTQ+ communities continue to assimilate into mainstream society, many have questioned whether the radical spirit of Pride has been ‘tamed’ and the event de-politicised to cater to corporations and the neoliberal establishment.1 Particularly in Australia, there has been a gradual shift away from the political roots of Mardi Gras towards a more sanitised, corporate atmosphere. So, what do we still have to riot for? Shouldn’t we be celebrating how far we have come in a show of unity and joy? Do politics still belong at Mardi Gras? These are the questions which dominate discussions around Sydney’s annual Mardi Gras parade. But before it was a parade, it was a protest.

All photos sourced by the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives

THE RADICAL ROOTS OF MARDI GRAS

The gay rights movement was formed at the intersection of the Black liberation movement, the rise of second-wave feminism, the Vietnam war protests, and the Parisian class uprisings in May 1968. Protests against police brutality and solidarity within and across political movements were key to the scale and success of the fight.2 After activists from San Francisco wrote to various Sydney gay rights groups in 1978 asking for demonstrations of solidarity in honour of the upcoming Stonewall anniversary, a protest was organised. It was set to be multiple things – a march, a political display, and a celebration of queer joy, resistance, and visibility. After the date was set for the evening of June 24, the name ‘Mardi Gras’ was suggested as a cheerful homage to the carnival elements of the event. LGBTQ+ people from around Sydney marched from Taylor Square down Oxford street, attracting crowds of bewildered onlookers from nearby pubs and bars. The protesters held signs calling for an end to the discrimination and criminalisation of homosexuality, as well as demonstrating support for Indigenous and Black civil rights movements which were developing in parallel to the Gay Liberation Front. The plan had been to end in Hyde Park with speeches and calls to action, but after police denied protesters access, there were spontaneous calls to ‘take the Cross’ and march past their permit into Kings Cross.3 Chanting provocative slogans and linking arms, the group of about 500 people advanced and were met with police brutality. One 78er, Diane Minnis, described the way cops were “picking people up, throwing them in the police wagons, slamming the doors on their legs”.3 At the end of the night, 53 people had been arrested. Some were in jail cells and some were left brutalised on the streets. The next morning their names and addresses were publicly printed in the pages of the Sydney Morning Herald, costing many their jobs, housing, and relationships, and driving some to suicide.3

A public apology was made in 2016 by the Sydney Morning Herald, as well as the NSW government. The NSW police provided an apology through Surry Hills superintendent Tony Crandell, but many of the original marchers noted that they were still waiting for direct communication from the chief police commissioner.4 Back in 1978, the violence caused a huge public backlash, with supporters rallying to ‘drop the charges’ against protesters. Eventually, this succeeded and all charges were dropped by the late 90s.5 Additionally, persistent campaigning led to the relaxation of legislation around permits for street marches. In 1979, after uncertainty and fear around whether another march should happen, 3,000 people took to the streets to commemorate the events of the previous year. There were no incidents involving police (or at least, none recorded), and positive media coverage helped platform the queer community into the spotlight. Thus began the creation of a legacy, with crowds growing bigger and bigger every year as Mardi Gras returned again and again, always maintaining its political edge through a variety of floats relevant to the current issues within the community. Even during the AIDS/HIV epidemic of the late 80s, with pressure on organisers to cancel, the parade maintained its momentum. This was during a time when hate crimes and gay bashings were on the rise, with reports of police covering up the murders of queer people.6 In response, the well-loved group Dykes on Bikes was formed in the late 1980s to protect gay men and general supporters of the community. In 1991, the tradition of having Dykes on Bikes lead the Mardi Gras parade was established.

“Stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks” was a well-known chant from the 1978 Mardi Gras.7 It captures the intersectionality of struggles faced by the queer community. From the early 1970s, gay liberationists have been criticising the nuclear family, gender roles, capitalism, and other forms of institutional oppression. They demanded radical action on all fronts, taking a stand for those whose causes might be less ‘palatable’, like sex workers and the trans community. Daring to imagine a world beyond the confines of heteronormativity, these dreams were born and spread through vibrant campus cultures and student life. Parades during the late 80s and 90s stood firmly with Indigenous rights and against police.8

As time progressed, businesses and workplaces began to grow accepting of queer customers, and so came the rise of the ‘pink pound’ in the early 2000s. Suddenly, the purchasing power of the queer community, but also the possibility of monetising many of the cultural events and festivals such as Mardi Gras, became evident to corporations. Previously, small local businesses like porn stores and non-for-profits had sponsored these events. However, as a larger heterosexual audience began to partake in the celebrations, so did the mega-corporations. Social occasions are valuable ways for queer people to create safe spaces for themselves and share common experiences. To counter societal guilt and shame, a push for the pride, visibility, and empowerment of queer people took place through the medium of partying. It is undeniable that much of Mardi Gras’ popularity comes from the many attractive opportunities to party in an atmosphere of indulgence and seduction. In turn, this has provided corporate incentive for businesses and governments to create opportunities for product-placement and marketing. Ultimately, a party is easier to commodify than a protest.

This is not to say that joy, celebration , and fun don’t also belong at Mardi Gras, but rather to highlight that party and protest don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Since the beginning of the gay rights movement, there has been a disconnect between those that believe in respectability politics and those that have always stood by the most marginalised of the community. Liberation for some is liberation for none: we cannot claim to have nothing left to fight for when there remains violent attacks on trans youth. We cannot claim that there is nothing to protest when Indigenous lives continue to be taken by police –the very same armed police that are invited to participate unabashedly during Mardi Gras. Which queer lives are being celebrated when we talk about the 'wins of the movement'? What of those queer folk experiencing homelessness, those who have disabilities, or who live as sex workers?

LGBTQ+ people are overrepresented in the sex work industry and the criminal justice system, as well as being at higher risk of homelessness.8 These people, as well as people of colour, Indigenous, and trans communities remain on the frontlines of discrimination in Australia. When protesters in 1978 spoke of liberation, they spoke fiercely of inclusivity for all. Progress has been made, but let us not forget the recent attacks on safe schooling for trans and gender-diverse children and the discussions around amending the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) and the Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 (NSW).

CONTEMPORARY POLITICS: PRIDE IN PROTEST

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras organisation has exhibited its rightwing politics most clearly over the past decade through its relationship with the NSW Police Force, as well as the Mardi Gras Board’s continued insistence on appeasing Liberal supporters and corporate sponsors. This has often occurred at the expense of community and activist collectives.

The absence of police solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community was blatantly displayed in an act of police brutality against the then eighteen-year-old Jamie Jackson at the Mardi Gras festival in 2013.9 Instead of developing an independent investigatory body into the police, as was suggested in a subsequent forum, Mardi Gras developed a private accord with the New South Wales Police Force.10 Evan Van Zijl, an organising member of queer activist collective Pride in Protest (PiP), recalled the Mardi Gras board shirking more deep-seated issues of bigotry within the police force — to them, the problem was simply that “police outside of the local area were unfamiliar with queer people.” This position was reflected in the accords with the commitment to ‘cultural sensitivity training for police officers, especially for those from local area commands outside of Surry Hills.’ 11

The Black Lives Matter movement of 2019 and 2020, in Australia and abroad, forced the queer community to again confront the validity of the police’s place at Pride. An open letter from PiP declared that structural issues with the police and prison system were to blame for the racist targeting of minorities in Australia, black deaths in custody, and bigotry against the LGBTQI+ community.12

The first Pride in Protest Oxford Street rally was held in 2021 against several attempts by Mardi Gras to stop it. That year, Evan and one other organising member of PiP were taken to the Supreme Court for

calling a rally in breach of COVID regulations at the time. As of the 1st of March 2021, there had been zero community transmissions of COVID, and the SGLMG’s Mardi Gras parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground was anticipating 10,000 attendees. This demonstration of oppression came in response to a rally expecting 900 participants at a time when the cap on protests in NSW had been lifted to 3,000. Finally, as a result of staunch resistance from Pride in Protest, the LGBTQI+ community, NGOs, the Greens, Labor, and Independent MP’s, NSW Health granted the first protest exemption to PiP’s 2021 Mardi Gras march. It was a mammoth win for the community, democracy, and the right to protest in NSW. Still, the police’s attempt to quash PiP’s Mardi Gras rally in 2021 remains a clear recent example of suppression and over-policing of queer activism in Sydney. The rally brought several thousand people to the streets in a marked display of resilience and continued commitment to the original sentiments of the 1978 Mardi Gras rally.

Of course, the struggle didn’t end there — PiP’s open letter later in the year encouraged the Board to remove the NSW Police Force and NSW Corrective Services floats from the 2022 Mardi Gras parade onward, notably from World Pride 2023. The organisation called for the Board to take a stance on the policing of the parade as an unambiguous show of solidarity with Black Lives Matter and of intolerance for police violence. To date, the letter has been signed by 39 organisations and over 1,000 individuals. The organisation came within forty votes from passing a motion to have police removed from the parade at the SGLMG AGM that year. But the push to exclude the police from Pride has grown harder without the energy harnessed during the BLM movement and with strong opposition from the right-wing caucus of the Mardi Gras Board. In 2022, the Board refused to hear PiP’s motion to remove the police from pride—along with every one of their other motions—at their AGM, with the defence that they were not ‘legally viable.’13

The determination of the SGLMG Board to appease the Liberal party became clear when in 2016 James Brechney — responsible for starting DIY Rainbow in 2013 — passed a motion at the SGLMG AGM to ban Malcolm Turnbull from attending the parade as a response to his poor handling of the marriage equality issue.14 The Board later backtracked, capitulating to pressure from Independent Alex Greenwich to reinstate Turbull’s invitation to the parade.

PiP became key players in the push-back against the rightwing caucus of the SGLMG Board when they launched their first annual SGLMG campaign in 2017, each year successfully winning at least one spot on the Board of Directors. In 2020, PiP raised a motion to have Scott Morrison and the Liberal party banned from attending the 2021 parade. 44% of members voted in favour of the motion. Although it could not pass, it came closer than it had the previous years, and this in the face of a “generally white, cis middle-aged” majority, a deliberately disabled Zoom chat function, and meeting facilitators ignoring questions.15 This instance was not the first of targeted attempts from SGLMG to silence PiP at AGMs, nor would it be the last. The refusal of the Board to hear PiP’s motions, instead regarding them as questions, was a clear breach of Mardi Gras member democracy and an attempt to quash the organisations’ more radical demands.

But it’s not only activists at AGMs who feel the effect of the changing nature of Pride. Mardi Gras has been transformed by its own corporatisation over the decades — what started as a protest now resembles a playground for corporate sponsorship deals where profit is placed before the interests of the queer community. SGLMG’s greed and irresponsibility in this regard has done nothing but escalate the degree to which Mardi Gras has been pinkwashed.

The SGLMG’s ongoing sponsorships with QANTAS and American Express are particularly problematic. American Express has done a great deal of harm to the sex worker community in Australia in the past, most notably in 2015 when they blocked payments from common sex worker platform backpage.com, hindering the ability of sex workers to be paid for their work.16 SGLMG’s monetary ties with QANTAS are problematic for the latter’s role in the deportation of refugees in this country. It is hard to imagine an organisation that purports to fight for minority groups would align itself with a company that profits off the deportation of refugees from Australia.

The activists that marched in 1978 should not only be an inspiration to us, but a reminder that queer rights will not result from an organisation whose allyship lies with big corporations and right-wing MPs, but from community action. The Mardi Gras rally organised by Pride in Protest will be happening on the 19th of February at 12pm. Together they will march down King Street and continue a proud tradition of community action and resistance.

*Refer to the QR code at the back of the magazine for references

SUBJECT: WHY THE MEDIA CAN’T AFFORD TO

TREAD LIGHTLY AROUND PELL’S LEGACY

WORDS BY JOSEPH HATHAWAY-WILSON

Content warning: Child sexual abuse, suicide, substance abuse

The headline of Jennifer King’s obituary to George Pell reads as follows: “Cardinal Pell, Australia’s most powerful Catholic, who was dogged by scandal.”1 Appearing on The Guardian’s website shortly after the announcement of Pell’s death, the headline promises readers an unflinching examination of Pell’s life and, more importantly, his impact on the lives of others. One can imagine Andrew Bolt’s eyes rolling into his head as he prepares to berate King and the “woke left” for their grotesque vilification of an honest and innocent Christian figurehead.2 Unfortunately, the strength of the promise is quickly compromised. The obituary’s subheading describes how: “Cardinal was acquitted on appeal of child sexual abuse charges but remained tarnished by his response to paedophile priests over decades.” The compromise here does not concern the factual integrity of the information provided, but exactly what information the journalist chose to provide and in what context.

News media coverage of George Pell’s death saw two key facts battle for a place at the forefront of the late Cardinal’s legacy. The first – and so far pre-eminent – fact is that Pell was convicted of child sexual abuse but had his conviction overturned by the High Court just a year after he was admitted to prison. This fact about Pell’s life has managed to weasel its way in full into the headings, sub-headings, and ledes of most articles and obituaries concerning the Cardinal. Perhaps it was the sensational prospect of Pell personally committing such heinous crimes which has allowed the quashed conviction to dominate coverage of his death, even if he was later found to be innocent. The second fact of the matter, as disclosed by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, is that Cardinal Pell was aware of his subordinates in the Catholic Church exploiting their powers to commit acts of paedophilia, and that he did not attempt to resolve this. In some instances, as with the now-deceased Peter Searson, Pell failed to take action. In others, such as with the now-convicted Gerald Ridsdale, he attempted to cover the matter up.

In King’s defence, her mention of George Pell’s “response to paedophile priests” does allude to the findings of the Royal Commission, and the article later references the findings of the Commission explicitly. The Guardian, meanwhile, followed the obituary with a feature article by Christopher Knaus about the findings of the Royal Commission’s un-redacted report on Pell two years earlier.3 However, the refusal to put Pell’s protection of child predators at the forefront of media coverage – as could have happened in his obituary – mirrors a disappointing standard set by various media outlets in the wake of his death. The ABC’s first written article covering the Cardinal’s death was quick to mention his acquittal.4 In fact, the quashed conviction made up approximately a third of the article. Meanwhile, the findings of the Royal Commission were restricted to a single sentence in the middle of the piece. The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun were equally tight-lipped on the Royal Commission, despite making serial mentions across news articles, feature articles, and obituaries of the quashed conviction.

What was said of The Daily Telegraph and The Herald Sun in relation to the Royal Commission can also be said of The Australian, the only exception to this being Gerard Hender-

son’s outright attempt at invalidating the findings of the Commission, wherein he exclaimed:

“[The Royal Commission] did not produce any oral or documentary evidence in making its hostile findings against Pell. Instead, the Royal Commission found that Pell’s evidence was, variously, “inconceivable”, “implausible”, “not tenable”, “unlikely” and so on. These were opinions only, unsupported by evidence.”5

Henderson’s criticism is only viable when removed from the context of the report. Even so, he seems to have turned a blind eye to the more definitive findings of Report of Case Study No. 28: Catholic Church Authorities in Ballarat.6 These findings include: Pell’s admission that he should have disclosed his knowledge of child sexual abuse by Priest Edward Dowlan in the early ‘70s (Page 164); the revelation that Pell directly ridiculed and dismissed reports from colleagues about Dowlan’s behaviour (Page 173); or the especially damning revelation in the section on notorious paedophile Gerald Ridsdale (Page 246):

“by 1973 Cardinal Pell was not only conscious of child sexual abuse by clergy but had also considered measures of avoiding situations which might provoke gossip about it.”

“Perhaps it was the sensational prospect of Pell personally committing such heinous crimes which has allowed the quashed conviction to dominate coverage of his death, even if he was later found to be innocent.”

The commissioners were “satisfied” with all of these findings. These findings did not reside within the realm of likelihoods and conceiveabilities as Henderson suggested. It should also be noted that, of all the voices in the conservative media willing to leap to the defence of Cardinal Pell, Henderson was one of the very few willing to attack the Royal Commission. Most found it easier to brush it aside entirely.

Ultimately, a line in the sand can be drawn between the various sects of NewsCorp, most of which seem to have leapt to the defence of Pell’s memory, and the media outlets more committed to interrogating his legacy. The question is: Why are these outlets not more willing to prioritise the findings of the Royal Commission? There are several possibilities, not least of which is the profit incentive. The story of Pell’s arrest and acquittal is one of villainy and vindication, bolstered by the shock-factor of the Cardinal’s personal charges, albeit later disproven. It was a generation-defining story, a stark comparison to the bleak findings of the abuses of power presented in the Royal Commission. As it happens, these findings were redacted until after his acquittal, by which point the global media landscape was ridden with news of a fast-unravelling global pandemic. It should also be noted that the only outlet of the top five most consumed media outlets in Australia to mention the findings before Pell’s acquittal was the publicly-funded ABC in their initial news radio broadcast of the Cardinal’s death. Another reason why the findings may have received less attention is the lack of indictment with regard to Pell’s knowledge of child sexual abuse. Laws which mandate the reporting of child sexual abuse were not introduced in Victoria until 2014 and don’t apply retrospectively. Additionally, it is not certain that Pell would been found guilty of these laws – the Royal Commission did not find he knew of any specific instances of child sexual abuse, only that he knew it was occuring.

*Refer to the QR code at the back of the magazine for references

Legally, George Pell is off the hook. The findings of the Royal Commission, however, are yet to be disputed (except, perhaps, by Gerard Henderson). While they don’t reveal Pell to have been a paedophile himself, they paint a picture that is arguably just as grim.7 In 1973, Pell was conscious of paedophile behaviour from Priest Gerald Ridsdale. It was in his power to help prevent it – he did not. Ridsdale has now been convicted of over 70 acts of abuse, the latest of which occurred in 1988, 15 years later. Also in 1973, Pell was informed of paedophilia occuring at the hands of Priest Edward Dowlan and immediately ridiculed the allegations. Dowlan has now been charged with over 40 acts of child sexual abuse, the latest of which occurred in 1985, 13 years later. In 1989, as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Pell was made aware of abusive behaviour by Priest Peter Searson – not just in conversation, but through a list presented to him by a delegation of Searson’s colleagues. He refused to act on it. The latest recorded complaints of sexual abuse against Searson were reported to have occurred in 1998, nearly ten years later.

To measure the impact of Pell’s behaviour by the sheer number of acts he could have prevented would still fall short of accurately assessing the devastating impact of his career. This number is compounded by the number of victims and survivors who never received justice before a court of law. It is compounded by the weight of trauma bestowed upon the children of survivors and the weight of suffering bestowed upon their friends and families, often exacerbated by suicide and substance abuse.8 Furthermore, by failing to take action against child sexual abuse in these specific instances, Pell failed to set a precedent within the Catholic Church of Melbourne and greater Australia that would likely have prevented innumerable other instances, not relating to Pell, from occurring. In this sense, the extent of the harm done by George Pell is and always will be immeasurable. For this same reason, it is imperative that those who document his legacy prioritise the defining features of his career. In this instance, that means the findings of the Royal Commission. Pell may be gone, but society’s memory of him is far from fading. To paint a picture of the Cardinal according to what he did while he was alive is not to speak poorly of the dead, and it’s nowhere in the vicinity of being a witch-hunt. It is, rather, a firm reminder that no one, regardless of their position, can evade the burden of their own actions.

“To measure the impact of Pell’s behaviour by the sheer number of acts he could have prevented would still fall short of accurately assessing the devastating impact of his career.”

Charpai

WORDS BY ARSHMAH JAMAL

i crave a mother’s love. so tender so kind.

i crave a mother’s love. to be held to be fed.

i crave a mother’s love the warm kisses the comfort of home.

i crave your love mum.

CONTENT WARNING: EMOTIONAL TRAUMA

I. Confusion

Mother lived in front of a graveyard in Pakistan. Whenever we drove down the dusty road that led to Mother’s Childhood, I would smell decay. Thick, milky smoke billowing from over the wall. A stark contrast from the greenery and life of her own upbringing.

Whenever we visited Mother’s Childhood, my emotions would threaten to tumble out of my eightyear-old self. It was always too big, too overwhelming. It made me sick for days.

One sticky night I stood at the end of my mother’s charpai. Cicadas were singing woefully in the graveyard, the hum of electricity buzzed in and out of

my ear. I swear, I heard soil being patted.

Snot dripped in pools down my grandmother’s shirt, hanging off my shuddering frame. Violent hiccups shook my ribcage. Vomit perched in my oesophagus, burning like acid in my throat. I woke my mother by shaking her gently. I did not want to get yelled at. I did not want her to be angry with me.

Mother woke with a start, the white of her eyes glowing in the cramped dark.

“What?”

I couldn’t speak. Gasps of incoherency collapsed over my lips. No matter how hard

I tried to form sentences, I couldn’t speak.

“What do you want?” Mother demanded.

The harsh bass of her voice woke my grandmother with a start. She hurriedly stood from her bed and started to examine me. The room began to ebb away from me.

Mother’s sharp eyes stared at me as grandmother’s hands stroked my hair, “What the fuck do you want? Go back to sleep!”

The room started growing, trying to contain Mother’s anger.

My grandmother tutted at Mother as she tried to

lead me to her bed. Maybe her warmth could substitute the mother’s love that I desperately ached for in that moment. Maybe, if I let my weak body succumb, it would appease Mother and make her love me more.

But the universe wanted war.

Grandmother’s palm stroked my spine. Immediately, I threw up. I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop. I’m sorry. It wouldn’t stop. I’m sorry. I heard sobbing and perhaps, in my delusion, I screamed as well. Moments where I stopped to heave in the muggy air were paired with Mother’s most vile swears. The graveyard was silent.

My memory fails me, but I am sure that Mother yelled at me to clean and pushed my little hands away when I reached out. I think that’s why I would get sick whenever I visited Mother’s Childhood. She forgot to mother me because she was too… young. She had me but I did not have her.

My memory fails to piece together the aftermath. Perhaps for my own sanity. Perhaps to allow Mother’s ship to dock my sea of love. Mother pinched my immature heart, and it still strains every time I take a breath. And now when I wake, it is truly painful.

When I think of my mother I think of her holding a cleaver in my kitchen my kitchen is a heart, beating and pumping and loving but mother is constantly

Stabbing Stabbing Stabbing Stabbing Stabbing Stabbing Stabbing…

I sit at the table waiting, yearning for her to sit on my chair but I have realised she will sit at her own table with blood on her face and my heart choking in her hands and my lungs gasping for air and she will never sit at mine not mine never mine never mine never mind.

I am your daughter of sin of shame of hate of pure rage that you can never love but I will always love and yearn

this is not a joke. mother eat me and give birth to me again this time i will make you proud.

II. Resentment

When I was fifteen, we lived in front of a graveyard. The graveyard didn’t house people but decayed dreams, lost hope, and broken promises.

“I’m going to therapy.”

“What do you mean therapy?” Mother whipped her head to me and seethed, “you don’t need it.”

Mother continued to fold her clothes around me, imprisoning me on her charpai. I stared at her apprehensively. How do I justify that need when she is questioning me?

“I need it,” I said, meekly.

Mother laughed. She laughed a boisterous laugh that shook the charpai and reverberated through my bones and bounced around in my head.

“If you need therapy, I need those mental hospitals.”

Maybe she does. Maybe if she had taken care of herself, I wouldn’t need it too. Maybe

we would’ve loved each other and I would not feel this resentment. This same resentment sags my skin, greys my hair, aches my muscles.

the rent. Do you know how many people would kill to be where you are? You have a roof; you have parents that love you and talk to you and support you—”

When I look in the mirror, I see my mother. I see my mother’s eyes, cheeks, nose, when she was my age. I see my mother’s dreams and aspirations floating around her.

I see my mother’s lover adoring her, and she is childless. It was the happiest I have ever seen her.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY MORRISH

Mother continues, “I think that’s why I wanted you to

“So I can carry your Mother shrugs. Whenever Mother speaks about her past, I want to scream. Not out of anger but out of guilt. Mother was great at studying and, with her grades, could’ve quickly become the best doctor in Pakistan. She could’ve been prosperous and come to Australia on her own terms. Maybe she would’ve met a better man and had better kids.

If I had the option to choose between my happiness and Mother’s, I would always choose hers. Maybe then she would’ve grown up surrounded by love. In turn, she would’ve raised her blood

“How’s therapy?” Mother asks, breaking my thoughts. I nod my head because it has been going well. I’m proud of how far I’ve come.

was this one scene where she was a famous actress, and was really successful but she wasn’t married or had children like her reality actually was.”

I look at Mother, who is still lying beside my legs, “Would you choose to go into this universe?”

Mother rolls her eyes and waves the question. I nudge her head to make her answer.

“Who wouldn’t? You have money, and I won’t have a daughter like you,” she jokes. I laugh with her and shake my head.

“I don’t think I would, though. I wouldn’t have had you, and I think you’re the best thing that has ever happened,” Mother says. “I believe I am alive because of you.”

“Would you choose to have us again?”

I stare at Mother, perplexed. “Always.”

The Farm.

Butterfly

CONTENT WARNING: VIOLENCE, GORE.

AXEL CONNELL

They looked expensive. Wings like a novoscope, or a famous opal.

A few hours ago, Ralphie Culpepper’s bald head hadn’t yet been blown square through like a pumpkin filled with firecrackers. The slop inside his skull had yet to be acquainted with the closest wall and his shambolic brain-splatter scooped nor disposed of. Instead, he smoked reverently at a cocktail table outside Paulie’s by the Harbour, watching whatever passes for life in the noontide sun. He thought he might’ve made a joke because Paulie sputtered and guffawed, then handed him a glass of lemon squash, off-tap, which he hadn’t asked for.

“Funny words, Ralphie boy! Oh, you magic man!”

How much could those wings go for? Not practically but as an attraction, you see?

Ralph smiled, dragged and returned to his observations; An old junkie scratching at the seat of his work jeans and, beyond a brood of briefcases – bespoke comb-overs in brown, Ox-

ford brogues – another bald fella with tattooed sleeves, faded bottle-green. Paulie started again and Ralph regarded the ink on his friend’s own arms; some half dozen topless women dappled with liver spots like soggy tobacco.

“See, what I think you never understood, Ralphie, is that there must exist a compromise in these business-type scenarios. I mean, what about planting some sunflowers near the loo in the beer garden? I’ve got a mate who could even make that old workbench into a garden bed! That would attract the butterflies and class the place up a bit without all these moody daydreams about something which we both know would never practically happen!”

Paulie exhaled, his sunburnt scalp vegetating a mangled crimp of pepper-shaker curls, and he added in a dingier tone; “Plus the B-O-S-S would never approve. You know how God gets with change.”

“Colm told me yes last night.” Ralph said “He’ll sign off on it when he gets in,”

and turned away, partly to hide the smugness tugging at the corners of his mouth, to face the promenade.

The sunlight caught a patch of Paulie’s messy braid, spilling over one shoulder. His indecipherable beard and chest hair danced in a low singlet. For a moment, he resembled a Viking berserker, ready to lunge at Ralphie with all the holy terror of a man who knows he is righteous in his pissmad fugue. Instead, Paulie’s eye twitched and his lips quivered and he began to roll a dart.

“I mean, for God’s sake Ralphie! You didn’t think to tell me? For fuck’s sake! There’s a Madame Tussaud’s down the way if you want that type of bullshit! I mean, who do we cater to anyways? Why do people like the pub? They wanna get

shitfaced and talk to anybody else who’s shit-tired and ‘as had a dogshit day! Not to fluff around in some butterfly garden out the back of -”

“Butterfly enclosure,” Ralph said. “It’ll be a butterfly enclosure.”

Ralph stared out at the oceanscape behind him. A hundred tons of colonial sandstone, half bleached in the brittle Jacaranda shade and old shipping joineries converted to studios for art or yoga.

“Everything changes and nobody here wants it, Paul. But nobody here’ll begin to understand it if we don’t make a change.”

“I’m all for change, Ralphie, you know me!” Paulie plucked at his bristly turkey’s-gobble. “We renovated the pokies, did we not? You want butterflies? You want something shiny? You

want something colourful? What about those yuppie pricks that’re swarming in from clubs up the end in three hundred dollar sneakers! A butterfly enclosure, but? A butterfly enclosure like at a wildlife zoo in the back of a pub – our pub, that might I say, we manage, IN PART! I mean, you didn’t think to tell me it was approved?”

“We’re signing off on it tonight, Paul.” Ralph said and met eyes with his partner. He got up and dropped a couple of coins on the table. “God thinks it’s good for business as much as me. Give us an edge and shit. Colm’s licensee and that’s what.” Then he added: “We’re under. We’re going under. Sorry, friend.”

* * *

A few days ago, before Paulie Pugliani found himself gaping out the open door of

a nameless fleabag motel off some equally anonymous stretch of bushland highway, muttering sorry, sorry, sorry, at the distant sirens twinkling red and blue; he had spoken a name.

It was a name he had once heard slurred from the mouth of a pub local, long since barred. A name which silenced that ragged congress of 12:00 a.m. beer garden spooks. A name that would impress an image of both Herculean strength, and Medusean horror, into even the most calloused old geezer. So much so, that he might quake his considerable jowls and flick his sagging earring and donate a slurry of beer froth, dish-soap thin, down his gullet so as to avert eyes with the man who spoke it.

Colm’s gaze had jabbed up at him under Paulie’s by the Harbour’s droning chaplets of mosquito light.

“Paulie, Paulie. Is that who I think you’re going on about…?”

“I heard he was cellmates with Ivan Milat!” An old timer interjected.

“My mate’s brother told me they called him the Bunyip ‘cause he used ta deal meth out of a shack in a swamp!” Another said.

And clamouring and clamouring, as the licensee licked his amber teeth.

The name Paulie had uttered, then, was merely insurance. To make sure that he, as always, came out on top. After all it was his name on the pub –and, sure, Ralphie was smart but he had a head like he’d been chasing parked cars when it came to compromise. The name was that of a vanisher. A phantom devil. A dematerializer. It was the name of someone to call at the wit’s end of a raw deal, when you know the notion of compromise has been boot-kicked from the table entirely. If you wanted somebody not just disappeared, but for the world to only ask questions in some must-reeking backroom, with the taps running at full blast.

Colm grinned, eyes twinkling with the rarest breed of boozer’s virtue: intent. His gold tooth glittered in the backbar-murk and drew towards Paulie a napkin with a scribbled number.

“For in case you need it. And God help whoever you need it for.”

* * *

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARY MORRISH

A few hours ago, before Ralphie Culpepper’s body was bathed in wet cement beneath a lonely part of the city that the Trip Advisor reviews plead you to avoid after dusk, he was mentally preparing his nostrils to rail a couple No Doz before the late shift. He came out of the bathroom and assumed his post behind the bar. The horses were on. Between that and the occasional hitch of a barstool over Paulie’s mummified carpet brittle, some MTV pop-hit blared from dual flatscreens. A shadow walked in from the back and sat at the stool opposite Ralph.

“What’s having?” Ralph smarmed.

The shadow, whose face was obscured by a long, white cap, said nothing.

“Open a soda pop, watch it fizz and pop (Mm-hmm),” Brittney cut in from the TV.

“After anything, friend?” Ralph enquired, louder this time.

He saw beneath the stranger’s bowed head and half-buttoned work shirt, the tattooed words; When I die, bury me upside down so the world can KISS MY — before being swallowed by the other side of the fabric.

He adjusted his cap and the glint of a glass eye reflected a chirpy music video overhead.

“Heard there’s gonna be a butterfly farm,” the stranger growled.

“Not a farm,” Ralph said. “A farm implies we’re using them as products. We don’t want them to work for anything. It’ll be an enclosure. In the beer garden. We just want people to come and

look at them.” He glanced around. “We’re hoping it shakes some life into this place.”

“If you’re making money off ‘em, they’re still being used for somethin’,” the stranger said.

“Well,” Ralph affected a smile, “I’d welcome you to come along on opening day to see how happy they are!”

“I saw one once.” The stranger said and looked back down at his beer. “At the big airport in Singapore. One of those enclosures.” He hung on to every syllable of the last word. “It was beautiful.”

“Ahhhh, so you’re a fan!” Ralphie smiled. “Have you come in because you heard about us?”

“No,” the stranger lifted his head abruptly and revealed his face, pocked and cratered like some seasick moon.

“I come ‘ere to tell you I’ve found something of yours that you lost.” The stranger gestured to the ‘Employee’s Only’ section of the pub. “Chucked it in there for ‘ya.”

“Something I lost?” Ralph said, eyeing the stranger who stood up from the stool and beckoned for him to follow, and added more wearily; “Well, if I forgot I lost it then it’s, of no real loss to me, friend.”

The stranger considered him for a second.

“I really think you should see it, Ralphie. It’s a present, really, from your friend Paul. In the back.”

Ralphie looked around. A subarctic sweat christened his brow. Nine o’clock on a Friday night and not a single barfly to be seen. Nobody here except him and…

The stranger had slithered over to his side of the bar and tapped him with the tip of something metallic hidden in his pants pocket.

“Wha- What? Why? Is this about —”

“Let’s go now, Ralphie. We can either do it here or out there.” The stranger gestured again to the ‘Employees Only’ section with the semi-automatic pistol that was now completely out of his pants pocket.

Ralph’s was the image of a man with one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. He said nothing and whimpered. The stranger escorted him into the back, which resembled a breakroom but had no real furniture.

The stranger sat on a milkcrate and rested the gun on his lap. He said tiredly,

“Get on both knees and put your hands behind your head.”

Ralph did what he was told. Then he began to blubber.

In his final moments, Ralphie Culpepper’s soon-tobe-unyoked brain did two noteworthy things.

The first was a plea:

“Wait- WAIT - WAIT! I can fix it! The enclosure — it doesn’t need to go ahead! I mean, it was a pipe dream is all! If Paulie’s hired you — tell him it’s nothing! A fad! We’re under anyway. What’s a bloody butterfly enclosure gonna do to fix anything!? You really don’t need to hurt me!”

The stranger sighed and rubbed his gun-free hand across his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Believe me Ralph, this is gonna hurt me far more than it’s gonna hurt you.”

And shot.

The second noteworthy thing happened in the final, microcosmic shudder of brain activity Ralph was afforded in the split second before that 115 grain hunk of refined steel, hurtling towards him at approximately 1,300 kilometres per hour, made contact with the frontal bone of his skull.

In that moment, Ralph had a vision:

He was five years old again and on a fishing trip with his father. Dad had just decapitated a yabbie and it was sizzling on the campfire stove. Something in Ralphie’s young mind couldn’t bear the way the wet, pink-

ish innards had splattered across the campsite floor. He had taken off sobbing and fallen face-first onto a narrow floodplain which scythed across the river. There, between the rat burroughs and the river muck was a single, dazzling, butterfly wing, half submerged between the mud straits.

It was dusk and the wing kissed the pale light in a million tiny, crystal refractions. It was jagged and it was frail, and in that moment, he was all joy and all pain and all love, and suffering - not because of the pain but because he could never be - never fathom, couldn’t ever even think to fathom a scraggy fraction of the beauty he saw beneath the river silt. And it hung forever in that dirty crevice of the world.

At the same time, both Ralphs, the one with aching knees in the ‘Employee’s Only’ and his hypnotised kid-self from the replaying memory, realised they had stopped crying.

There was a gurgle and a crash and some impressive flailing. Then nothing but Britney Spears coming from the now-empty bar. Open a soda pop, watch it fizz and pop (Mm-hmm)

The clock is ticking and we can’t stop (Now)

Open a soda pop, bop, shubop, shu-bop

The clock is ticking and we can’t stop.

Junk. → by Charlotte Gentry

"Junk" harnesses the ideals of limitism to create garments that are sensitive to and celebratory of the emotional value of the material.

The intent behind each piece is to create a nuanced sense of connectivity, intimacy, and romance, allowing individuals to build enduring and nourishing relationships with their garments. Sartorial techniques and recycled clothes bestow a rich material memory and emotive layering upon each piece. Unbleached, recycled cotton knits and laces are sourced to create rejuvenating and supportive material experiences. The pieces are designed to create slow, buildable performances on the body, urging individuals to spend more time with their clothing as they wrap, tie and modulate each piece to their preference.

I M

P E R

F E C T L I F E b y Yuemin Xiao

Living alone is free and unrestricted.

WORDS BY FIONA WANG AND YVONNE HONG

WHAT PISCES SEASON MEANS FOR YOUR SIGN...

When the moon looks like a perfect toe nail, gallop across every zebra crossing you encounter. Bonus points if you simultaneously wear a bell around your neck. Only then will you be ensured an unlimited supply of chequered slip-on Vans.

Taurus

Welcome to February! This month, you will encounter an orange cat named Ed. Make sure to stroke the side of his mouth three times, followed by seven clockwise twirls. You will inevitably feel dizzy after this, so make sure to blink and Mike Myers (Cat in the Hat edition) will appear in front of you. Hold his ear and be transported into the multiverse.

Gemini Cancer

Wear lots of cardigans this month. I really like cardigans and I don't think they're worn enough.

Aries Leo

Calling out all my Leo Twihards! This one’s for you! This month, you will be gifted with arguably the best experience of your life. Edward Cullen will be watching you sleep. That’s all. Sweet dreams my loves.

Libra

Be careful who you confide in. Nobody can be trusted. Everybody works for the government.

Virgo

In this month of February, you will meet a mysterious person with a bold moustache. They will whisper sweet things to you. Stroke their moustache twice and convince them to dye it blonde. This will unlock the key to the metaverse. Steve Jobs will be waiting at the end of the tunnel.

Scorpio

A suspicious elfen creature will greet you at your doorstep on the twelfth night of February. He will knock mischievously and run away. Be sure to follow him with a coquettish smirk. You will run off into the night together.

Saggitarius

As the moon continues to renegade, Libras must be cautious of hair dryers. An omen has been placed on the Dyson airwrap with the renegading moon at opposition. As Libra is one of three signs belonging to the air element, they will be heavily affected. Stay away from the Dyson air wraps. This month you NEED to wear tartan pants. Please. This specific fashion choice will guarantee your luck this month. No time for explanation.

Aquarius

DONATELLA VERSACE! (*purple heart emoji*)

Capricorn Pisces

The month of February will lead you to new beginnings. Every time you meet a new face, make sure to give them a pat on the head and bark at them. This will unleash your inner beast, so make sure to warn your friends to wear a helmet as you take them on the wild ride that is your February journey.

This February is all about embracing your inner Lady Gaga. Raise your claws, Monsters! You were born this way, baby!

Call

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Cover by Yuemin Xiao and Siena Zadro