Outspoken by UWA Student Guild

N E K O P OUTS 2018

STUDENT ASSIST The Guild’s friendly team of Student Assist staff offers free, confidential advice and support for any issues you may face, for example if: • You have issues with your student visa or are wondering about your visa options after graduation • You’re struggling with Australian teaching and learning styles • You’ve received a letter about academic misconduct • Uncontrollable circumstances are affecting your academic performance • You’re stressed out and having trouble coping with life and/or uni

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Contact Guild Student Assist at: assist@guild.uwa.edu.au

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Contents PROLOGUE yes, we did many things then, all / beautiful Editorial & Contributors

Art by Catherina Pagani

PART ONE - PERSONALS shame would not hold down your eyes / but rather you would speak about what is jus Preferences, Discrimination, and Why You Are Wrong by Rigel Paciente

6-7

One Year Later by many

8-9

“Queering” Shakespeare - Why the Push for Gay Representation in Modern Shakespeare Pushes Women Right Under the Bus by Amelia Birch

10-11

LGBT+ Abroad by many

PART TWO - LIFESTYLIN’ but I say whatever / one loves, is LGBT Reviews by Dylan Perkins

Why I Unironically Stan Rupaul’s Drag Race by Lara Miller

12-13

Gay Cake Recipe by Meg Carland

Oh, Your Ring of Keys by many

How To Succeed In Dating Without Really Trying by Rigel Paciente

20-23

Good Gays/Bad Gays by Reece Gherardi

15-16

The Importance of WLW Only Events by Martha J. McKinley & co

PART THREE - HISTORICAL 21 someone will remember us / I say / even in another time The Forgotten Victims of the Nazis by Gabe Spiro

24-25

Gay Power Couples of Ancient Greece by Stephen Hawkins

26-27

Meet the editor AMELIA BIRCH

A big thank you

I had Make My Bed by King Princess on loop while editing this and tbh I can’t think of a better soundtrack for squinting at a very gay Google document for hours on end.

TO ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTORS WHO GAVE THEIR STORIES, PATIENCE, AND ENERGY TO OUTSPOKEN 2018

GAYEST THING I’VE EVER DONE

RIGEL PACIENTE

STUDYING

Currently in the process of cramming every History of Art core unit into the next 12 months. Wish me luck.

CURRENT LGBT MEDIA I’M CONSUMING

I flew to Stockholm to see a production of Fun Home which was entirely in Swedish, a language I do not speak, and still cried the whole way through.

STEPHEN HAWKINS

BEST THING ABOUT BEING INVOLVED WITH OUTSPOKEN

LARA MILLER

I started coming to the Pride Department in August 2017, so caught the very end of last year’s editor (and all around superstar) Rigel piecing the magazine together. I was too shy to ask about submitting an article. Fast forward to 2018, after overcommitting to every Pride event I could feasibly get my hands on, I ended up being offered the opportunity to be Outspoken editor. It’s been wild and stressful but an absolute honour to be editor this year. This magazine feels important for so many reasons, and it’s been such a privilege to have been able to collect and deliver these funny, poignant, honest stories.

THE THING THAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT

Why does Trixie Mattel have such a disproportionately large lesbian fanbase? Why would anyone talk about Georgia O’Keeffe’s flowers when they could talk about her sick desert bones instead? I know the stars are fake but why do I then feel personally attacked by every Gemini meme ever?

ROMILLY POMI

ALKASIM GHANIM SHANELE PAYART GABE SPIRO DYLAN PERKINS LAURA BULLOCK MEG CARLAND RUBY BLAKEWAY MARTHA J. MCKINLEY REECE GHERADI CATHERINA PAGANI AMELIA BIRCH XANDER SINCLAIR

Artwork By Catherina Pagani

PART ONE - PERSONALS

shame would not hold down your eyes / but rather you would speak about what is just PREFERENCES, DISCRIMINATION, AND WHY YOU ARE WRONG By Rigel Paciente TW: MENTION OF SLURS I would firstly like to preface this little rant/ spilled thoughts with a disclaimer that I am, indeed, salty. Beyond salty. Salty, but not so filled with angst as to mean to showcase desperation. This is just a mere observation, or perhaps even an attempt to point out flaws in the gay community’s attitude. But with that being said, let’s start this TEDx talk. For a community which preaches acceptance, there is a lot of discrimination within said community. For decades, we have been fighting for basic fundamental rights, for example, the right to marry, and on an international scale, the right to live. Yet when it comes to specific groups of people within the community, apparently they aren’t good enough for you to get involved with. I use “get involved with” as a loose term, be it sexually, romantically, or even just socially. Most excuse this as “preference”. Which is fine to a degree, because we all do have our own preference regarding gay archetypes or simply just having a personality “type”. But at what point does preference become discrimination? When you place Masc4Masc on your Grindr profile, are you really simply looking for someone who is a bit more on the masculine side or are you fem-shaming and showcasing your own fragile masculinity via internalized homophobia? When you have “No Asians, No

Blacks, No Browns” on your Grindr profile, is that merely a preference, or is there an underlying problem of racism that you need to address? See the problem is, the very existence of preference of superficial things such as the two listed above is inherently and fundamentally problematic. But this is not to say that those who have preferences are automatically problematic, which they are not. But the act of refusing to listen and analyse to a deeper level what is truly going on is what makes them problematic. “Masc4Masc” is one of the pillars which hold internalized homophobia and fragile masculinity up. People excuse it as merely preference when it comes to dating and sex. But more often than not, this goes beyond what it takes to get into the bedroom. It has been too common of an occurrence where I have a conversation with a more masculine presenting gay man who complain about “the fems” or the “sissies” and how much they are the cause of why there are still cis-gendered heterosexual people hating on the LGBT community. Which, quite frankly, doesn’t make sense. If they were more in tune with the LGBT community, they would know that it is actually quite the opposite. If anything, the radical opposition of societal norms are what drives the LGBT vehicle through the years, as well as making the LGBT community that much more iconic. Have you seen Jonathan from Queer Eye? Fem, not trying to be masculine, embraces himself, and is a what? ICON. A legend, a star. Telling someone to act a certain way because it makes YOU uncomfortable based on feelings that have no logical backing is selfish. Perhaps just get over that hump of internalized homophobia, and let people live as they want to. They’re not hurting you, and the straights actually love the fems. Get over it, and yourself.

“No Asians, No Blacks, No Browns” showcases nothing but underlying racism in the LGBT community. I don’t necessarily think that it is the individual’s fault, but rather for the larger community and society for upholding odd beauty standards. I mean, how often do nonwhite people get showcased as sex icons? Not quite often. It’s the idea that what is conventionally attractive only appears in white people which is upheld by larger society that truly allows racism to not… go… away. It is easier said than done, but perhaps we should try our best to challenge that. After all, the only thing (in my eyes, at least) that differs me to you is our skin colour. But what is worse the ruling people of colour off of your dating/sex pool is when you fetishise them. It is disgusting. A naïve, young gay might think that they are propped up and put on a pedestal but it isn’t quite the case. To reduce someone to their skin colour and background while neglecting who they are essentially as a person is extremely degrading. The blatant objectification and stereotyping of someone based on the amount of melanin in their skin is downright weird. I would love nothing more than to actually be recognized as “Rigel” as opposed to “misc brown person #6”. Also, no. Just because I am a person of colour doesn’t make me automatically submissive. Yes, people of colour can top people too. And no, I refuse to roleplay me groveling in front of you, almost worshipping you for your lack of melanin ass, getting sunburnt easily ass, pasty ass, no personality having ass.

these are two of MANY flaws that the LGBT community displays. But perhaps, abolishing these two would be a good start. I don’t know either how we will achieve this apart from talking about it, calling people out, educating people, and changing our own thought patterns and attitudes about the given situation. But hey, creating change is never easy.

LIVE YOU BEST LIFE, MY PALS. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE TO LIVE THEIR BEST LIVES TOO. WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. PERHAPS NOT CREATING ANYMORE DIVISIONS WOULD BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY IN THE LONG RUN.

I acknowledge that changing these attitudes, much like changing the attitudes in wider society, is going to be difficult. It’s going to take a whole lot of educating young gays for all of these flaws in the community to be abolished. Not only this,

One Year Later:

THE UWA LGBT COMMUNITY REFLECTS ON THE EQUAL MARRIAGE PLEBISCITE OF 2017 ROMILLY POMI I never came out to my father, though he must have guessed it or heard it second-hand from my mother. And in turn, he never verbalised his disappointment in me, though I felt it (and also heard it second-hand from my mother.) He was never so cruel to me, or to himself, as to enquire about boyfriends or relationships. He would never ask me anything to force my hand and make me lie, or worse, tell the truth. The fact of my homosexuality was an uninvited guest to all our conversations, always present but never acknowledged. The plebiscite gave voice to many unspoken things. Over a staticky line, my father, who hadn’t voted in a federal election since Gough Whitlam, told me that he had mailed off his postal vote. He had voted yes. I didn’t know what to say, so I thanked him. This brief yet laden exchange remains the closest thing to an open declaration of acceptance that I have ever received, and perhaps ever will receive, from him, my pained yet tolerant father. It feels bitterly hard won and long overdue, much like the outcome of the plebiscite itself. The plebiscite gave voice to many unspoken things. It gave Australia’s anti-LGBT bigots the biggest platform they had ever had. Like so many LGBT Australians, I struggled to cope. Not since a young child had I felt such deep and debilitating feelings of sickness, uncleanness and shame due to my sexuality. I was surrounded by vitriol.

This culminated in a traumatising experience where a gender non-conforming friend and I became the target of lesbophobic slurs and threats from a group of men, while a whole traincar of indifferent onlookers failed to do or say anything in our defence. It wasn’t just the physical altercations – our bodies, our relationships and our lives became the subject of public scrutiny and discussion. Our humanity – inherent, inviolable and self-evident – was now up for debate. It was degrading and took an enormous toll, mentally. The noxious three month long campaign came to a close on my 23rd birthday. It would be another week before the votes would be counted and a landslide “Yes” result returned. I wish to G-d a different path had led us here, one where we were afforded the dignity we were due. But all I can do now is move forward and hope that the promise of future happiness will be enough to compensate for the deep-rooted scars the plebiscite has left.

ALKASIM GHANIM To be honest, not legalising gay marriage didn’t seem important to me at the time the plebiscite was making rounds. Now that it’s here however, it feels like an integral part of our modern society. I myself was fairly ignorant of the effects of having gay marriage legalised and was rather indifferent towards the result of the referendum but that may just be because I knew regardless of the existing stigma against LGBTQ+ communities, people who took those ideals to heart were in the minority. This was well reflected in the vote; 60% of people voted yes. In reflection of this, it’s an important signifier of how the social conscious as a whole is progressing into an accepting society, in which everyone can feel equal in regards to their most basic rights as human. The age in which the LGBT community is discriminated against is truly close to ending, closer than it has ever been. Now it’s the legalising of homosexual marriage, and truly the sky’s the limit as to how we can progress towards complete abolishment of LGBTphobia.

AMELIA BIRCH

RIGEL PACIENTE

In mid 2017, I moved back to Australia after five years away. It was a difficult transitionary period and I found myself scrambling with the identity I’d built for myself overseas, and how that related to being back in my home city. A month later, the plebiscite was announced. It wasn’t exactly the ideal welcome home scenario, but it was a hell of a lot easier to throw myself into campaigning than trying to process feeling like a stranger in my own country after so much time away.

Listen. What else is there to say? The plebiscite was a traumatic experience for a lot of LGBTQ+ people, and it was extremely unnecessary. If only the government grew a spine and just made the decision, we would have been spared of this plight. But alas, the results, albeit not a good enough recompense for the plight that we had suffered, were great. To be honest, I did not expect a great majority, let alone the 62% of the votes being for.

Marriage has never felt particularly important to me, and the plebiscite didn’t change that. However, as arduous as those months were, it probably couldn’t have happened at a better time for me. Family members I hadn’t spoken to for months or even years reached out to express support. The needling urge to be part of change outweighed all the social anxiety I’d been feeling about returning to university without knowing anybody, and propelled me right into the first campaign meeting held by the Pride Department. Through working on this campaign it allowed me to form connections so quickly with others within the LGBT community, providing me with friendship and purpose at a time where I was feeling very vulnerable. The campaign period was unspeakably awful, and I hate so very much that it had to happen, but I can’t quite bring myself to wish it had never happened

Imagine having to experience gruelling months of being told that you and your experience are illegitimate. That your relationships are illegitimate. That you don’t deserve the rights and privileges that accompany marriage under the law. Have I made it obvious that it was not a pleasant experience to go through? Also, can we just take a moment to discuss the ‘No’ campaign’s arguments? How utter bullshit. Firstly, the argument of marriage equality ruining the sanctity of marriage, and how it is against your religion is utter bullshit, and quite frankly, egocentric. Are you really going to assume that everyone in Australia abides by your religious laws? As far as I’m concerned, we are all governed by state law, not your bullshit religious ones. So your argument is automatically invalid because not everyone follows your faith. Not everyone follows your laws. Are you even aware of what you are denying same-sex couples by not allowing them to marry? Like attaining inheritance shall something happen to their partner? How incredibly selfish. I don’t care about your religion or its beliefs. If you are denying someone of basic rights and privileges, you are, in my eyes, an asshat. Thank you for listening to my TEDx Talk. If I wasn’t confined to 300 words, I’d continue this roast. But alas, you’re at the mercy of word limit.

"Queering" Shakespeare

WHY THE PUSH FOR GAY REPRESENTATION IN MODERN SHAKESPEARE PUSHES WOMEN RIGHT UNDER THE BUS. WOMEN GETTING SIDELINED SO MEN CAN MAKE ART? GROUNDBREAKING.

By Amelia Birch In 2017 it was 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK, and it was the season for every cultural institution in England to try to shoehorn LGBT themes into their summer. The National Theatre announced their production of Twelfth Night starring household name Tamsin Greig as Malvolio, the universally disliked character who is ridiculed for being in love with his female boss by every other person onstage to the point of being manipulated into public humiliation, threatened with exorcism, and thrown in jail. When played by a man, Malvolio is clownish, deluded, and downright predatory. The choice to turn Malvolio into a lesbian, all angular bob and sensible gym shoes, in unrequited love with her boss tapped into every lesbian’s worst nightmare of being read as a predator. Essentially, the National Theatre took one of Shakespeare’s gayest plays and in trying to put an alternative spin on it for Pride season, inadvertently made it into the most homophobic piece of theatre I have ever sat through. But they aren’t alone in this clumsy attempt to “queer” up Shakespeare. It is a truth universally acknowledged that the reason Shakespeare’s plays have their longevity is their relatively simple, universal themes. Though these stories are told in extremes, most people are familiar with being in love, feeling betrayed, and arguing with their parents, commonalities in pretty much every play. Over the last decade

there has been an overall push to readdress a lot of the imbalances in Shakespearean works - many of his plays highlight confusion around gender and sexuality, and that’s something that a lot of theatre-makers now grab with both hands and run with. But even within this new fad of “queering” Shakespeare, there are pitfalls, and more often than not it’s women who, like in traditional Shakespearean practice, get kicked to the side for the sake of art. Similar patterns are seen in attempts to “reclaim” a narrative for the modern-day LGBT audience. A commonly held belief is that Renaissance theatre was only performed by men and no woman was ever seen onstage. Although the accuracy of this is disputed by scholars, it’s a belief which has been romanticised through popular culture (I hold the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love personally responsible for this) and it essentially means that men can cut women from their productions and feel edgy and authentic instead of just being labelled as a plain old misogynist. This get out of jail free card for misogynistic theatre-makers has existed for a while but has gotten a new lease on life now that all-male productions can now be seen as showcasing gay representation. Regardless of intent, the reality is that the few roles that women have written for them in Shakespeare are taken away so men have even more space to tell their stories.

In 2016 Shakespeare’s Globe announced that their much awaited production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream had cast a male actor, Ankur Bahl, in the role of Helena, making one of the central two romances into a gay love story. I won’t get into why the relationship between Helena and Demetrius isn’t exactly the healthiest representation in a narrative sense, but the response to this casting was polarising. New director Emma Rice’s decision was applauded by some as bold, daring to shake up the traditions of the Globe theatre as their first female artistic director. Simultaneously people were returning their season tickets in protest, torn up in envelopes and posted back to the theatre in refusal to see Shakespeare presented with such overtly gay themes. I was in two minds over it, excited for the opportunities a central gay romance offered for this interpretation, but bitter over one of the only roles written for a woman being taken away and given to a man. Rice attempted to address the gender imbalance, casting Puck and all of the players as women, but in a production which attempted to push boundaries and be controversial it still left the lines of most main characters being spoken by a man. I’m uncertain about how transgressive that can really be. Small victories start to be won with the focus on reclaiming narratives from a female perspective. In 2013 Shakespeare’s Globe launched a smallscale touring production of Taming of the Shrew with an entirely female cast. With a woman in every role, it turned Kate’s closing monologue into something wry and playful, her “thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper” tongue in cheek as she holds hands with her wife, rather than the horrifying misogyny it perpetuates in a mixed gender cast. Later on in 2016 the Globe presented Imogen, a relatively faithful adaptation of Cymbeline which prioritised the role of Imogen over that of her father, allowing the audience to understand the play through a new lens. Breaking away from convention, in 2016 Schaubühne Berlin partnered with The Royal Court to produce Ophelias Zimmer, a German language adaptation of Hamlet through Ophelia’s eyes, where she remained onstage for the entire production and the audience witnessed her boredom, frustration, and manipulation first-hand. Instead of her story being explained by Hamlet or Laertes, Ophelias Zimmer forced the audience to consider Ophelia’s narrative first, and Hamlet’s second.

But though the pool is small for equality when it comes to the centralisation of female narratives, it’s clearly smaller still for WLW. When male roles are reallocated to women, nine times out of ten it is a character who is entirely unsexualised, without any capacity for desire or romantic plot. And on the rare occasion we do get a prominent role, it’s always with caveats. The all-women Taming of the Shrew only had four performances and a tiny budget, overshadowed by the two all-male casts of Twelfth Night and Richard III featuring Stephen Fry dominating that same season, receiving literal months of performance time and West End/Broadway transfers. There’s been a whole lot of discourse around LGBT representation in media and art. Do I think there are more important issues faced by the community than media representation? Of course, absolutely. But for centuries the theatre has existed as a safe space, and through trying to sell tickets and push boundaries we have grown complacent with who that safety is for and what it permits. I think of how myself, a lesbian, and my friend Serena, a bi woman, sat in the most reputable theatre in England with over a thousand other people. I remember how it felt as the audience surrounding us roared with laughter while Tamsin Greig’s nervous, earnest Malvolia was stripped of her clothes, thrown in prison, threatened with exorcism, and left alone in the rain in the show’s final scene, all for being in love with another woman. I remember how our cheeks burned with shame throughout, and we both agreed unspoken to not voice our true feelings about the play until we were outside on the street, away from anyone who might overhear and accuse us of taking it too personally. It was personal. Yes, women need to play a more central role in modern adaptations of Shakespearean works, but I would rather watch twelve bland white Cumberbatches dragging out tedious Hamlet after Hamlet, than have to sit through my greatest fear as a woman who loves women being performed for laughs on a taxpayer funded stage. This trend of “queering” Shakespeare is one that probably sounds good in theory, but we should refuse to condone a new idea of the same old theme: women getting thrown under the bus.

LGBT +Abroad

INTERNATIONAL LGBT EXPERIENCES

Dylan Perkins Being gay in Australia: what a wild, wild ride. On the one hand, people can be pretty damn chill about the whole thing, but on the other hand – it was only a year ago that there was literally a massive postal plebiscite on whether or not same-sex couples should be allowed to get fucking married. But I digress. Being a gay man in Australia is for better or worse something that has massively impacted my world views and shaped the way I interact and communicate with those around me. It comes in the way I have to bury a stab of dread when I hold another man’s hand in public. Or assess the mood of those around me on public transportation when I wear my Incredibly Obviously Gay Denim Jacket™. For many people, this is just a fact of life, but for me its deeply irritating, because I’ve had the good fortune of living in a country with an arguably more visible and supported LGBT+ community. Many (all) of those who know me (or have spoken to me for more than three minutes) know that I lived in the United Kingdom for a while – London, to be specific – and it’s this experience that really gave me a taste of what being gay could be. In London, I never felt awkward about being visibly gay in public. I always felt more supported than not by those around me – not always by people giving me a smile or complimenting me on my outfit on the way to pride, but in other ways too: a café owner walking out to chastise a man preaching anti-homophobic vitriol in front of Bank station, a old married couple stopping to give a stern glare at protesters at Pride. These little acts of kindness and acceptance from strangers in the UK really helped galvanise within me an acceptance for who and what I am: a gay man with nothing to be ashamed of, and I will always be grateful for that. My friends and colleagues were all supportive, and even more

beautifully, unbothered by my gayness, and I finally found myself truly comfortable within my own skin. As you can imagine, moving back to Australia came as something of a shock (least of all the fact that I’d never planned to come back at all). Going from a city with dozens of gay and lesbian bars, to a city with two heavily straight infiltrated spaces was disheartening. Being called homophobic and queerphobic slurs on public transport, was soul crushing. Watching a bunch of hyper-conservatives hijack a protracted debate about whether or not samesex marriage should be legalised and forcing a ridiculously expensive and mind-numbingly preposterous “non-binding postal plebiscite” when there was the numbers and the political will to legislate a change in the marriage act without it, was enraging. Having my English and European friends’ message me to ask me how I was doing in the fact of such a stupid and soul-destroying situation but having hardly any of my Australian friends or family do the same thing, was incredibly painful and brought home a single, telling truth: Australians need to get better about LGBT+ rights. I don’t want to feel like an unwelcome stranger in the country I was born in, but unfortunately, I do. Don’t get me wrong, there are many ways in which Australia is kicking Britain’s arse (Brexit is a strong contender) but in this area, we all need to do better. It would be easy to say that LGBT+ people need to speak up more and demand to be taken seriously, and to an extent that could be true. But to borrow a phrase from the inestimable Hannah Gadsby: It’s 2018 Australia, pull your bloody socks up.

Shanele Payart For two years I lived in Grenoble, a medium-sized city near the French Alps. Two years of intense loneliness. Away from my friends and being under intense pressure to prepare for my exams. I only met two queer people there: my girlfriend at the school library - the old-fashioned way - and my first flatmate. There was probably an LGBT club at the uni but it was a bit too far from the city, so my flatmates’ school soccer team was the only openly LGBT-friendly group I knew of. A shame I wasn’t ready to play soccer! Even when trying to sneak around bars that were said to be gay ones, there were mostly guys or much older people, and I got too intimidated to go inside. I remember coming back to Paris and experiencing a whole new world - lots of bars, shops and several LGBT community and activism groups. I went to one and was welcomed with a free drink and some questions about my name and gender. There was a debate going on about how to handle being LGBT at work, school or uni. What struck me the most was the diversity of people around: law and medical students, café workers, engineers, nurses, unemployed people, or high school students; all backgrounds, styles, beliefs and genders. A place of openness and tolerance. But unfortunately, not every gay place is like that one, and I eventually got tired of the intolerance I met. For example, I remember my school queer department members stating that Pride Parades are no place for straight people since they are not involved. I also remember lesbian and gay bars often opened only exclusively to women or men... Well, where should I go guys? But what struck me the most was probably being angrily stared at by a whole bunch of men, while crossing a street in front of a bar, hand by hand with my girlfriend. The bar was a gay bar, in the middle of the Marais, ie THE historical queer village of Paris! What I figured out is that some people are trying to fight exclusion with even more exclusion. Finally, my last interaction with the LGBT community are my rugby teammates. Even though the team is openly queer friendly, everyone’s welcome there and it’s composed of both queer and straight people, all respectful towards one another. Heaven on Earth!

Rigel Paciente I should preface this reflection by saying that this is only my personal experience of queer* culture in the Philippines, and that I do not speak on behalf of all queer* Filipinos when I write this commentary of Philippine queer culture. There is a lot of talk about the Philippines being very anti-LGBTQ+ due to the country being Catholic dominated. But from my experience, that wasn’t the case. Even down to the language, it is very queer friendly. In Tagalog, which is the most common dialect spoken in the Philippines, there actually are no words for he/him, and she/ her. There is only “siya” which is they/them. Upon growing up, gender norms were never enforced on to me. I never really grasped “masculinity” and “femininity” until we moved here to Australia. It was quite a culture shock for me, actually. Perhaps it’s just my parents who were progressive, but even in the schools that I went to, sexuality and gender identity were never boxed in or limited. Furthermore, LGBT people ruled the media in the Philippines. There are so many openly Trans people on television as well as overly feminine gay men, and never once did anyone question it. Perhaps it was their innate talent to entertain, but their gender identity or sexual orientation were never made a big deal like they do in western countries. I am aware, however, that there are still very conservative people in the Philippines, and that it might be an equal split in the number of progressives versus conservatives. But alas, these are just my own personal experiences. It might not be the same for everyone. I realise that change still needs to happen at a global scale to shift the attitude towards all LGBT people to a more positive light. The Philippines is no exception.

Oh, Your Ring Of Keys

A COLLECTION OF THOSE KID LESBIAN MOMENTS WHERE YOU CAN LOOK BACK AND GO, “OH, RIGHT, YEAH.”

ROMILLY POMI I can remember precisely what spurred on my gay awakening: Lucy Liu in Charlie’s Angels. Specifically, the scene where she struts into a classroom, bespectacled and clad in a skin-tight leather skirt, with a riding crop in-hand. Set to Heart’s Barracuda. 8 year-old me didn’t stand a chance.

AMELIA BIRCH I was obsessed with Noni Hazlehurst from Play School when I was four and genuinely believed that I was going to marry her. I was a precocious kid so I’m pretty sure it was just dismissed as another funny thing I’d said. Last year my mum actually apologised for telling me that I couldn’t marry Noni, and it felt like a very wholesome fullcircle moment.

LARA MILLER As a kid it was my dream to adopt twelve kids. I wanted my husband to earn some money for us, but live in a separate house down the road. In high school I realised a wife sounded much more fun. After coming out I asked my brother if he was surprised. He said, “well, I thought back to all the boys you liked over the years, and I realised that there weren’t any.”

LAURA BULLOCK I had my first ‘I wonder’ moment back in 7th grade with my favourite butch lesbian teacher and my first gay crush on my English teacher in 8th grade! Thinking back, my refusal to wear dresses or my hair out since forever should’ve given it away… and of course, the softball thing.

MEG CARLAND In hindsight, I didn’t have the usual reaction to hearing those quintessential high school words “I hear [insert boy’s name here] likes you”. The wave of existential dread that always followed really should have given it away much sooner.

RUBY BLAKEWAY Sometimes coming out isn’t something that happens all at once. Sometimes it happens gradually. One day you’re admiring your female friends at age 14 without realising that you never look at men and the next you’re 16 and your best friend is coming out and you realise that being gay is actually an option for you, not just something that happens to other people. Sometimes it’s being uncomfortable with yourself for years, but telling your mum that you’re gay and having her laugh and turn your worry to dust at the age of 21. Sometimes coming out is finding people just like you who love and care about you who make you proud to say, “I am me. I am a lesbian, and I am proud” at the age of 24. Sometimes, coming out to yourself can be the hardest part, but it can be one hell of an adventure along the way.

Good Gays/Bad Gays

By Reece Gherardi

The community of gay men in Western Australia is very diverse. It includes men of different ethnicities, religions and ages, not to mention a whole host of other qualities. Looking at gay men in the whole of Australia, the community grows more diverse, and even more so if you look at gay men throughout the entire world. So why do people treat us as if we are one homogenous group? I’ll open Facebook and I’ll see an article or opinion piece by Vice, them, or some other selfdescribed progressive publication condemning what they call ‘gay culture’. It might be a recommended post; it might be shared in one of the LGBT groups I’m in, asking for comment; it might be shared by a ‘woke’ Facebook friend praising it, whose profile picture has a Pride flag filter, or a French flag filter, or whatever the flavour of the month happens to be at that time. But I will see it. A quick read through reveals the same tired critiques. Gay men are too obsessed with sex and are too picky about who they have sex with. Gay men act too masculine or, sometimes, the opposite; gay men act too feminine. Gay men are too obsessed with their bodies and are very shallow. Gay men have too much representation. Gay men go clubbing too much, drink too much, and use recreational drugs. To top it all off, the author is rarely ever actually a gay man. This venom is reserved for gay men (and lesbians) specifically. These articles are often coupled with uncritical praise for what the author often deems ‘queer culture’ – a culture that excludes us for not being ‘queer’ enough. Those who are not gay men (and lesbians) are applauded for their way of being LGBT, and are allowed to exist without a second thought. So why is it different for us? Why are we targeted in such a way by other members of the LGBT community?

The particular way in which these articles construct their criticisms of gay culture lacks nuance. Instead, they dichotomise the gay community, creating a distinction between ‘good gays’ and ‘bad gays’. Bad gays personify the author’s idea of the negative attributes of gay culture; they engage in hook-ups and go clubbing every night. They are too masculine or too feminine, whichever the author has decided to target. They go to the gym every day and post shirtless Instagram photos. Good gays don’t do any of that. They are monogamous, and go clubbing very rarely. They hit a nice mix of masculinity and femininity. While they exercise and stay healthy, they aren’t preachy about it.

Good gays are acceptable. Bad gays are not. It is important to note that articles critical of gay culture, albeit unintentionally, promote homophobic ideas about gay men. Perceptions that we are obsessed with sex, can’t control our sexual desires, are too effeminate and are not relationship-orientated have existed in society for centuries. These ideas have been used, and continue to be used, as reasons to discriminate against us. Bad gays are proudly gay and highly visible. Their presence is everything that makes heteronormative society uncomfortable with gay men, and they are the ones condemned by these articles. Good gays, by being quietly gay, are less visible. They are more tolerated by heteronormative society because of this lack of visibility, as their homosexuality does not have to be acknowledged. They are the ones these articles support.

Good Gays/Bad Gays CONTINUED

The dichotomy created between good gays and bad gays, therefore, directly mirrors the homophobic rhetoric that positions heterosexuality as ‘normal’ and homosexuality as ‘abnormal’. In this case, being quietly gay becomes ‘normal’, and being openly gay becomes ‘abnormal’. What these articles miss, however, is that there is no correct way to be gay. To create an idea that there is, and that there are good gays and bad gays along with it, is a reflection of one’s own negative perceptions of gay men – perceptions influenced by a heteronormative society where being gay is seen as lesser. It is homophobia, plain and simple, wrapped up in progressive packaging to make it more palatable to a ‘woke’, twenty-first century audience. These ideas have led to the re-emergence of a sort of neo-homophobia. Criticisms of gay men, just for us being gay, have now become acceptable, so long as they are considered progressive. It is acceptable to criticise homosexuality as ‘exclusionary sexuality’. It acceptable to feel uncomfortable upon seeing a same-sex relationship because it’s ‘allosexual’. These ideas are, unfortunately, gaining traction in many progressive circles, and gay men who speak out against it risk being banned from those spaces. This is not to say that there are no negative aspects of gay culture, because there are. Misogyny in gay men’s spaces is an issue that needs to be dealt with, along with the idea that it is acceptable because the man saying it happens to be gay. Racism is also another issue. There are a number of legitimate issues that we, as gay men, need to address. However, articles condemning gay culture rarely focus on these issues. Racism is seldom addressed, except superficially, and I have never seen misogyny in gay men’s spaces discussed. These articles are more concerned with offering a condemnation of aspects of gay men that the author does not like.

I will tell you some negative aspects of ‘gay culture’, though. Gay men are six times more likely to attempt suicide, or have suicidal thoughts. Gay men are seven times more likely to have drug and alcohol abuse issues. 42% of men who seek treatment for eating disorders are gay men, and gay men are twelve times as likely to binge or purge. Misogyny in gay men often manifests in hypermasculinity, and the fear of being perceived in any way that society associates with womanhood. Articles that simplify these issues down to idea that gay men are too masculine, gay men are too body-obsessed, gay men drink and go clubbing too much miss the point that these behaviours can be self-destructive, and that many gay men suffer the adverse effects of these behaviours. All in an attempt to vilify us. These articles also don’t take into account the best parts of gay culture. Being friends with other gay men is a wonderful thing, and has let me experience so many things that I otherwise wouldn’t have. The value of shared experience with other gay men has been essential to me in helping with my mental illnesses. There have been laughter-filled nights and games and fun, and there have been sleepless nights of D&Ms and feelings. And yes, we do all bond over the fact that we are all attracted to men. Knowing other gay men and being part of gay culture has been one of these most enriching experiences of my entire life.

THESE, AND MORE, ARE THE GOOD PARTS OF GAY CULTURE. ARE THERE NEGATIVES TO GAY CULTURE? ABSOLUTELY, AND WE NEED TO BE BETTER AT ADDRESSING THEM. What we don’t need are more vapid, homophobic criticisms of gay men, disguised as progressivism.

THE IMPORTANCE OF WLW ONLY EVENTS

By Martha J. McKinley & co

Listen. We need to talk about the infiltration of spaces for queer women by men. The purpose of these women-loving-women only events is for queer women to meet other queer women and to build solidarity within a community of people who face multiple kinds of oppression. The structure of these events is not made to cater to or placate men. However, we are increasingly hearing of men complaining about being made to feel unwelcome in such spaces. This situation can be made parallel to family events, which are customarily restricted to the members of the family only. You wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t expect families from down the road demanding to be present, or having a problem when they are turned away from these events. However, men have been found to be offended when they are turned away from these women-loving-women only events. Some women view it as a predatory behaviour on behalf of men and that these men are trying to establish dominance. This results in some women being uncomfortable at these events as their expression of being a woman/ queer is constrained under the male gaze. These women-only events are not to be considered as a zoo, and queer women are not there to perform for men nor to be observed. Many have wondered the reason as to why men are offended when they are not allowed to attend these women-only events; is it because some men view queer women as a challenge or is it that they are hoping to turn women or find a Bi/ Pan woman? Assault of women is already almost expected to be a part of a night out and queer women run another risk as they also experience homophobic behaviour. Feeling uncomfortable, unsafe and unable to be in full control of their experiences is very common. The presence of men in events where queer women expect to find only women does not aid those women to feel any safer.

Most women feel unsafe, as they fear of being assaulted and harassed or are unsure of the intent of those men, when they are supposed to feel protected and supported surrounded by other queer women. Additionally, this ends up in some women being uncomfortable as their expression of being a woman/queer is constrained under the male gaze or feel that they are being roped into the sexual fantasies of the men present. A different and very common issue is that men attending these women-only events take up spots and fill up the club to its capacity, thus preventing other queer women to attend an event that is being hosted for them to begin with. At the point where men are taking up so much space that women are denied access to their own community is surely when it becomes unacceptable for those men to be there. What needs to be understood when examining this situation is the difference between equality and equity and their importance to the LGBT+ community. Equality is the even distribution of resources for all parties. However equity is division of resources accounting to the parties circumstance. So marriage rights = equality, and HIV support for queer men = equity. It is imperative that we consider the empowerment of the queer woman, particularly in an era when the death of the lesbian club is something we are all aware of. With these spaces in rapid decline, the LGBT+ community needs to rally behind the few that still exist, allowing queer women to connect with their own community and experience a night out clubbing just as a straight man would; with no fear of sexual assault or harassment, for themselves or their friends. Queer women deserve equity.

PART TWO - LIFESTYLIN’

but I say whatever / one loves, is

REVIEWS By Dylan Perkins CALL ME BY YOUR NAME How do I even begin to describe Call Me by Your Name? Call Me by Your Name is flawless. It has two gorgeous co-leads and stunning cinematography. I hear it grossed $41.4 MILLION DOLLARS. One time, I watched it on a plane and I cried. One time it punched me in the face. I t was awesome. Okay, hyperbolic Mean Girls quote aside. This is just a seriously good movie, okay? Like, wow. Armie Hammer. Timothée Chalamet. Other… People. This movie is just a very gay time to be alive, okay? Like so gay. And despite a rather traumatic moment with a peach (seriously, watch it, it’s A Lot™) it comes across as a really great movie. The acting is superb, the cinematography is top notch, the achingly slow and tenderness with which the storyline unfolds is unparalleled by anything I’ve seen in quite some time. The ending is… fine. I came out of the movie changed. Basically my problem is that I can’t really talk about this film without spoiling it, so here’s my proposition: go and watch it and then come find me in the Tav. Where I will be drinking about this movie always. Go and see it, please.

5 Peaches out of 5

LEAH ON THE OFFBEAT BY BECKY ALBERTALLI Leah on the Offbeat is one of those rare novels that really stands up well against its predecessor. For those playing the home game, it’s a direct sequel to the much-celebrated Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (aka the novel upon which the movie Love, Simon is based). The novel switches track from following the loveable antics of Simon Spier to focusing on the one and only Leah Burke – the delightfully deadpan and sarcastic queen of my heart. The primary focus of the novel surrounds Leah and her struggle to deal with her various insecurities and (gasp) her bisexuality. That’s right sweeties, we have an honest to goodness bisexual protagonist on our hands. Albertalli’s writing is fresh and as always, relatable: Leah’s snarky wit, eye-rolling retorts, and secret worries about not being good enough are definitely accessible and are sure to hit the spot with millennials suffering under the crushing ennui of living in the worst possible timeline. The pace of the book is fairly fun too – not too slow, but time is taken to draw out important strands of storytelling to examine them properly, meaning that the very satisfying conclusion to the story doesn’t feel rushed or unexpected. I honestly found myself rooting for Leah, and occasionally had to put the book down in frustration when she did something stupid or self-destructive – not because it was a poor writing choice, but because it was way too relatable for comfort. As always however, the heart of the novel’s story telling lies in the ensemble cast, and this book doesn’t disappoint. Abby and Nick feature strongly, as well as the lovely inclusion of Leah’s mum, and for those of you who will only read the book because your favourite gay kid and his African-American Jewish boyfriend are in it (for shame, honestly) never fear, there’s certainly enough Simon and Bram to go around, and it was definitely refreshing to see them through Leah’s eyes. Overall this book is fun, accessible, and a great example of bisexual visibility.

4 finger guns out of 5

WHY I UNIRONICALLY STAN RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE

PEACH AND RASPBERRY CAKE (ME BY YOUR NAME)

By Lara Miller

By Meg Carland

GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES, AND MAY THE BEST WOMAN, WIN! I love RuPaul’s Drag Race. Actually I don’t just love it, I’m obsessed with it. It started last year, one of my friends showed me an episode, and I was instantly hooked. For those who don’t know, the show is about drag queens who compete in challenges to win the title of America’s next Drag Superstar. I love the sequins, the creativity, the corny catchphrases, and the sass. But what I love the most is how gay it is. It is unapologetically GAY. While the show is light and fun, it also touches on really serious issues that the contestants have faced as gay people and drag queens in America. Contestants share personal experiences such as coping with discrimination, overcoming adversity, and rejection from their family for being gay. These discussions of serious issues elevate the show from being a quirky piece of entertainment to a meaningful part of LGBTQ culture, as well as an entertaining and uplifting fun time. The show represents homosexuality not only as normal, but as something to be celebrated! Additionally, it challenges traditional notions of gender, and portrays drag queens as humans, rather than freaks or clowns. Queer representation in TV shows and movies is so important. Before I came out I would cling to any same-sex romance or love story that I could find, because it made me feel so much less alone. Shows like Pretty Little Liars, Glee and Orange is the New Black were so important to me because of their positive representation of same-sex attraction. These shows normalised my view of homosexuality in general, making me feel much more comfortable with my own sexuality. Having characters to look up to who were going through the same things as me made me feel much less isolated, so seeing real members of the LGBTQ community living successful, enjoyable lives is even more significant. RuPaul’s Drag Race is provocative, iconic, and extra, but most of all it is a treasured part of LGBTQ culture. Recently the show has propelled beyond the LGBTQ community into mainstream culture, because its entertainment value and positive messages appeal to all audiences. The show preaches resilience, confidence, individuality and self-love, because as RuPaul says, “if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?”

THIS IS A VERY GAY CAKE. ENJOY.

Ingredients: 125g butter

1 cup castor sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 2 eggs 1.5 cups self-raising flour 1 large tin peaches, sliced 150 g frozen or fresh raspberries 0.5 cup icing sugar (and extra to dust at the end)

Method:

Preheat oven to 160o and line the bottom of a 28cm diameter, or similar, spring-form pan with baking paper Cream butter, sugar and vanilla together in a mix master or with a hand mixer until thick and pale. Add eggs, and mix well. Fold in flour gently Spread mixture evenly in the prepared tin. Arrange peach slices over the surface of the mix, and sprinkle the raspberries over the top of them. Dust 0.5 cup icing sugar over the whole cake Bake for one hour, or until a skewer comes away clean when you poke it into the center of the cake (this is a very moist cake, so a little batter on the skewer is okay) Dust with a icing sugar and serve

How To Succeed In Dating OR RIGEL GIVES YOU A LOWKEY QUEER EYE MAKEOVER By Rigel Paciente Okay, listen up pals. I’m going to be giving you a couple of tips on how to be more successful when it comes to dating. Daunting, I know. I, too, resent the whole process. But alas, if you want to find someone, you got to run that extra mile to make yourself stand out and look the part that the moon intended you to be. Don’t disappoint her. By her, I mean the moon. Don’t disappoint her. I’m going to be splitting this into 5 sections, just as they do in each episode. I shall cover grooming, food and wine, lifestyle, housing decorations, and most importantly, fashion. Yes, sulfates are bad both for your skin and hair. Yes, I am going to give you a recipe that isn’t just smashed avocado but is also very easy to make. Can you believe? Also, I realize that a lot of things that will be mentioned are easier said than done. So try to do all of these to best of YOUR ability. If anything, treat this as a loose guide, and interject YOUR own truth into it. Ultimately, you are the priority here. Oh stop. I see you blushing. Now I’m blushing. Screams into the void.

ANYWAYS, READY. SET. GO.

Lifestyle

Listen up team. What is more attractive than a stunning smile, gorgeous eyes, and a welltailored outfit? Yes. CONFIDENCE. Say it with me! Confidence. This three syllable word will get you so far not only in dating, but in other aspects of your life too! There is nothing more captivating than confidence, and here’s the reason why. When you’re confident, you exude an air of being aware. Whether being aware of yourself, your environment, whatever is happening on the other side of the world. But what’s key is that confidence will make it seem as though you have life by the neck and you are in control. You have gap between your middle incisors? Smile anyway! Show off those sparkly pearls. You’re shorter than the average height or shorter than what people find attractive? Strut that runway anyway! I know that all of these are superficial, but let’s keep this real. We are all superficial beings. But upon closer inspection, in my eyes, confidence is really just getting rid of those superficial ideals and being proud of your own skin. The only thing that is stopping you from living your best life is YOU. Let go of those chains hunny and WERK. THAT. RUNWAY. YES GAWD. Insert “we been knew” here. I realise that this is an advice that is given over and over and over again. But I need you to realise that it beneficial not only in dating, but in other endeavours as well. A little bit of pride will help! Just not too much that you become stuck up and have your head up your own ass.

Without Really Trying Fashion

Okay, right. So what naturally enhances your confidence when you know you look damn good? Fashion. Your clothes will make a massive difference in your attitude and the way that you carry yourself. When you know you look good, you’ll be walking that runway hunny ok werk mawma.

INSTRUCTIONS.

This section will be directed towards the audience who lean towards male fashion. It doesn’t have to be expensive for it to look good. You just need to master the fundamental, basic tricks when it comes to dressing up.

•

Cuff your pants for that indie bad-boy yet fashionable feel.

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Cuff your sleeves to show off those guns hunny! Also, it helps with proportions of your body when you’ve also cuffed the jeans.

•

If you’re going for ankle height shoes, you will have the option to wear ballet socks to leave your ankles exposed. If you’re wearing a boot, socks are necessary. Patterned socks, preferred to match the overall colour scheme.

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Having your shirt tucked in is never a bad idea.

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You can also experiment with the French tuck for a more casual look. The French tuck is essentially where you tuck just the front to show off the buckle of the belt, and leave the rest untucked.

Let’s assume that you are about to go on a date, seeing as your confidence payed off. Let’s start with a basic outfit.

So what will elevate this look from basic to yessss henny is the way that you sell it. Sure, you can just plop these on and leave it at that. But what differentiates style from fashion is the way that you wear the clothing!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: •

A sensible button up will get you places. Make sure it fits your form, not skinny, but properly fitted. Long sleeves, short sleeves, it doesn’t matter so long as it fits properly. Try go for more indie looking prints. Either that or no prints. Florals are always a good option. You will know if your shirt is the right fit if the beginning of the sleeve lies at the edge of the shoulder.

•

Skinny/form fitting jeans are essential to everyone’s wardrobe. Tippity top tips for beginners when it comes to matching shirt with pants. If you are wearing a patterned top, wear non-pattered pants. A sensible pair of white good fitting pants will do you wonders.

•

Sensible leather/faux leather dress shoes can be worn in any situation apart from super casual situations. Go for those. Try to match the colour of your shoes with your belt, and make sure both of those go with the overall outfit. Think colour schemes.

•

BLAZERS CAN BE WORN CASUALLY. Do not be afraid to wear blazers. With that, pocket squares will elevate any look and give you that extra pop of style and personality. Make sure to match the pocket square and blazer to the overall colour scheme.

There are a couple of overlying themes here. But to make it simple, match the colours! Have a colour story, and theme! Make sure they go together! Also, don’t be afraid of patterns and colours! So long as they make sense together. Being pleasing to the eye doesn’t necessarily mean having a nice face. If you wear something aesthetically pleasing to look at, you’ll be getting good, good looks from everyone. Take it as a sign of “thank you”.

Grooming

Grooming comes hand in hand with fashion. After all, you’re trying to create the physical manifestation of your inner beauty. For the sake of simplicity, I’m going to assume that you already have nice hair, and know how to take care of your body so we can go straight to what can elevate your look to the next level. If you want more in depth advice when it comes to grooming, just watch Queer Eye. Or use your common sense, I guess. What I’m going to talk to you about is make-up. BUT the gag of the century is that this will be directed towards men/male-identifying students, OR to anyone who is afraid to wear makeup. This look will be minimalized, and there aren’t a lot of products that you’ll need.

ITEMS NEEDED: •

Concealer, one shade lighter than your skin tone

•

A beauty sponge

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A powder brush

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Compact translucent setting powder

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Mascara

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Shimmer bronzer

•

Chapstick

STEPS: Start with the under eye concealer. You do not need much, and you don’t want to put on too much because it will look cakey later. Just damp the beauty sponge, squeeze off the excess water, put a pea size drop on the sponge, and dot the under eyes. Blend, blend, blend, blend. Stick to your eye bags, eye lids, up to the bottom side of our brows. The point of this isn’t necessarily to get rid of any imperfections, but simply to make you look more awake. Stipple/bounce into the skin! Do not drag or swipe! Set the concealer with the compact translucent setting powder. Dab the powder brush into the compact and then proceed to PAT into the places where you placed the concealer! Simple! Take the shimmer bronzer and the same powder brush that you used for the setting powder. Dab the brush into the bronzer and stipple onto the high points of the cheeks, the perimeter of the forehead, the bridge of the nose, the chin, and the cupid’s bow. Not too much though, you want just enough pigment and shimmer to pay off, but not so much that you look like the tin man. Unless that’s the look that you’re looking for, anyway. To define the brows, use the mascara to add a layer of pigment. Then shape as you want! Eyebrows are the gateway to the eyes. Make them expressive and on fleek. This will do you good. Use the mascara to define your lashes too! Focus the mascara to the outside lashes to give the illusion of your eyes being slightly bigger as you’re leaving room for it to look “opened up”. That’s it! This is all you need. No crazy eye shadows, highlighters, etc. Something simple, yet effective. You’re going for fresh faced, nothing too extreme. Again, anyone can use these tricks, but this is more for those who are scared to wear makeup.

Home/Interior Décor

There isn’t a lot to be said as we don’t have the money to just redecorate and renovate an entire house or apartment so I’m going to keep it simple. Keep. Your. Room. Tidy. And. Clean. Throw away things that you don’t need, organise all your items so that it makes sense and looks good to the eye. That’s it. That’s all you need. A candle won’t hurt (anything that releases good smells is always a good idea). Candles are also romantic but if it’s too much, then don’t get one. Likewise, flowers are always a plus. You can never go wrong with roses. Classic, romantic flowers.

Food

Here’s a simple, yummy, yet healthy breakfast meal that you can cook.

PROTEIN SOUFFLÉ PANCAKES.

Ingredients: 8 egg whites 4 egg yolks 2/3 cup of self-rising flour 1/3 cup of Protein powder Splash of vanilla essence Lemon Juice 5 tbsp. of milk (any) Any toppings that you want.

Method:

Using an electric beater, make meringue out of the egg whites. Beat until soft peaks form In another bowl, add the yolks, the flour, the protein powder, the vanilla essence, the lemon, and the milk. Mix until thoroughly combined. Add a third of the meringue mixture at a time, folding it in until thoroughly combined. Cook! Top with desired toppings. Toppings recommended: Strawberries, bananas, and maple syrup. Whipped butter.

Final Thots

JUST HAVE FUN WITH THE WHOLE DATING EXPERIENCE! IT’LL BE LONG AND ANNOYING. MIGHT AS WELL DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY ON THE WAY TO FINDING THE ONE!

PART 3 - HISTORICAL

someone will remember us / I say / even in another time THE FORGOTTEN VICTIMS OF THE NAZIS By Gabe Spiro Looking at Germany today, it seems as though her bloody past is a different country entirely, perhaps even an imaginary one. The image today of a progressive, inclusive Germany stands in stark contrast to the horrors perpetrated over 70 years ago. When the refugee crisis started earlier this decade, Germany opened her arms to nearly a million asylum seekers and quickly started integrating them into society. All images of the swastika and other Nazi paraphernalia are banned, the school children are taught a frank history about the atrocities their grandparents either took part in or were complicit in and the government openly acknowledges the guilt of the holocaust. All this has contributed to a German society that is open, inclusive and welcoming. LGBTQI+ citizens are protected by anti-discrimination laws and marriage equality was approved last year in a single vote in their parliament (that is to say without a costly referendum). Berlin, the capital, is often called the Gay Capital of Europe with its vibrant LGBTQI+ culture. The Queer history of Germany reached an epoch in the Post WW1 Weimar Republic. Following the German Revolution which saw Liberal Democracy replace the conservative Prussian aristocracy, the new Weimar Republic became one of the most representative democracies in the world with universal suffrage for all citizens. The new centre-left government rolled out a series of reforms intended to liberalise German society and a new permissive attitude began

to be adopted by the young republic. Berlin, as the centre of revolutionary thought, attracted many artists and thinkers, many of whom were queer, and soon the city was a cultural hotbed with a thriving gay scene and nightlife. The cabarets became crypto-gay clubs where the gender bending performances would attract queer individuals looking for a safe space to be themselves. This in spite of the fact that homosexuality was still illegal and police raids on gay clubs were common, often under the pretence of enforcing ‘Vice’ laws. With the field of psychoanalysis pioneered by Sigmund Freud gaining greater intellectual attention, early scientific studies on the nature of homosexuality and transsexuality started in Germany. One such researcher, Magnus Hirschfeld began studying homosexuality and transsexuality, not as a mental illness but rather as normal variations in human development. Magnus, who was bisexual, opened the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft (Institute of Sexual Research) in 1919 to further his research as well as help patients struggling with their identity. Unlike the broader medical community at the time, Hirschfeld would encourage patients to see their sexuality and gender as natural as opposed to a disease. He would often find himself talking his patients out of suicide, many of whom noted how he helped them to keep going. In that same year, he wrote and co-starred in Anders

als die Andern (Different from the Others), a film about a gay man who is blackmailed into coming out. The film portrayed the character’s sexuality sympathetically and is an early example of queer themes in cinema. Hirschfeld was also a tireless advocate for gay and trans rights, using his research as the basis for his arguments for decriminalising homosexuality and transsexuality under the phrases “Justice through science”, arguing “That which is natural cannot be illegal”. Through his connections with closeted members of the Reichstag, many of whom were his patients, he managed to get a bill to decriminalise homosexuality and transsexuality considered though the election of conservative catholic politician Franz Von Papen as chancellor thwarted this effort. As is often the case, this new permissive Germany caused backlash by reactionary politicians. After his bill was thwarted, Hirschfeld went into self-imposed exile and the Institute of Sexual Research came under greater governmental scrutiny. The start of the Great Depression shattered a relatively stable period in the otherwise tumultuous Weimar Republic, allowing more radical groups such as the Nazis to gain influence. The Nazis used the queer scene as an example of the ‘moral decay’ in German society and labelled the artists as degenerates. When they finally took power, whatever progress Germany had made was immediately undone as they closed the Institute for Sexual Research and arrested many of those who worked there as well as their patients. Gay and trans people were sent to concentration camps with the rest of Hitler’s undesirables. The greatest injustice happened after the war when the camps were liberated. Homosexuality was illegal in the Allied nations and upon finding out why they were sent there, many gay and trans camp survivors would be imprisoned under their home countries’ sodomy laws.

THESE WERE HITLER’S VICTIMS, A FORGOTTEN TRAGEDY IN THE HORROR THAT WAS THE HOLOCAUST.

Gay Power Couples

of the Ancient World By Stephen Hawkins Homosexuality in Ancient Greece is an immensely interesting topic, both for ancient scholars and modern students of the classics. The ancient Greeks viewed homosexuality extremely favourably - gay men and women were treated much better in the Greek city-states than their counterparts were in Rome, but it would be wrong for us to believe that Greece was a magical gay paradise. Life for gay people in Greece was far more nuanced than that. The Greeks believed homosexuality was a natural part of every man’s life. When a boy was young, around 15 or 16, he was expected to explore his homoerotic feelings with other boys his age and with older men. Growing up in an intensely patriarchal society where other homoerotically minded men were literally everywhere, it’s easy to believe that the young men of Greece would have had no problem finding a date on a Saturday night. Greeks boys were trained in the arts of wrestling, fighting with swords and shields, and various other fitness related activities. As per tradition men performed almost all sports naked. The Greeks loved the idea of beauty and physical perfection and in the Olympic Games naked young men were awarded laurel wreaths and the honour of having pleased the gods, plus favours from potential suitors. All this nudity contributed to the highly sexualised environment that was life in the ancient world. As a boy grew to manhood the societal expectations of homosexuality changed for him. As a youth he was the passive partner to the more experienced older man, but as a grown man he had to become the active sexual partner

to another young man or a submissive man his own age. Greek men had sex for pleasure, but they also were highly aware about the balance of power between lovers. Adult Greek men had to prove their manliness by being dominant with their sexual partners, as a man who was submissive past his teenage years was looked down upon by society as weak and feminine. Generally, it was believed that being gay was a phase of a man’s life that he grew out of once he got married and had a child, but after they got married a lot of Greek men went back to their lovers. Once you fulfilled your duty of marrying and procreating you could go back to living a gay life and no one would care. In a culture that encouraged men to follow their hearts you could love pretty much anyone you wanted to. Greek myths and history are full of stories of gay love. Zeus had affairs with several human men but the most famous is his relationship with the young shepherd Ganymede. Ganymede was regarded as the most beautiful young man in the entire world and Zeus fell in love the moment he saw him. Zeus knew he had to be with Ganymede, so he did what any rational deity would do - he transformed into an eagle and flew the boy up to Olympus, making him his royal cupbearer. Zeus’ wife Hera was infuriated that he would flaunt his new toy boy in front of her and the other gods and she threatened to kill him, but Zeus refused to allow any harm come to his beloved Ganymede and Hera begrudgingly accepted him. Other well know gay godly pairings are Apollo and Hyacinthus, whose

blood sprouted beautiful flowers after he died; and Heracles with his companion Hylas whose abduction by water nymphs broke Heracles’ heart.

ACHILLES AND PATROCLUS, THE HEROES OF THE TROJAN WAR, CAN BE REGARDED AS PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS GAY COUPLE IN ANCIENT HISTORY. They both fought on the Athenian side of the war in Troy and were extremely close and affectionate to one another. When Achilles refused to fight due to his anger at being dishonoured by King Agamemnon, Patroclus donned his golden armour and fought on the battlefield in his stead. Patroclus was killed by the Trojan hero Hector who thought he was delivering a death blow to Achilles. When news reached Achilles that his lover was killed, he was devastated. He performed funerary rites for Patroclus and then, although he was told he would die in battle by an oracle, attacked the Trojans in a furious rage. Achilles succeeded in killing Hector and avenging Patroclus, but he was shot in the heel by an arrow some time later and died. They were buried in a joint tomb just outside of Troy. Achilles and Patroclus became an enduring symbol of comradeship and love in the classical world, and centuries later Alexander the Great and his lover Hephaestion would visit the tomb and pay their respects to a power couple they sought to emulate.

were magnificent warriors and crushed the Theban army, many soldiers broke rank and fled but the Sacred Band refused to run and stood their ground despite overwhelming odds. Phillip’s soldiers killed all 300 of them and laid their bodies side by side. While he was happy to have defeated them he also reportedly wept for the loss of such an amazing group of men and ordered his soldiers to bury them and pay respects to the fallen heroes. A statue of a lion now stands where they fell to commemorate their bravery. This article is merely a scratch at the surface of the history of homosexuality in Ancient Greece. For the curious reader there are so many more exciting, romantic, and tragic tales concerning same sex couples to discover. As I mentioned at the beginning, Classical Greece wasn’t a utopia, it had its fair share of problems and shortcomings. However, one of the reasons that in the current age we keep looking back at Greece with awe and respect is because they were a truly enlightened people who knew that some of us are gay, some of us are straight, and if we fight against our innate nature we not only dishonour the gods but we also dishonour ourselves. The modern world could benefit by learning some lessons from the Greeks.

Outside the realm of myth there was a group of gay warriors whose story has touched the hearts of romantics for hundreds of years. The Sacred Band of Thebes was a battalion of 300 gay soldiers, organised into 150 couples, who defended the city-state of Thebes around the year 379/8 BCE. The idea behind this uniquely gay army was that men who love one another would fight viciously to protect their partners from being killed by enemies. The Sacred Band quickly became an elite wing of the Theban army, bringing about decisive victories against Sparta to gain their independence. While they gained a reputation of being invincible it sadly did not last forever. In the year 338 BCE, at the Battle of Chaeronea, Phillip II of Macedon and his son Alexander went to war with Greece to establish a united Macedonian empire. The Macedonians

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