In the literature world, Melbourne author, Scott Stuart released his new book My Shadow is Pink. Scott reveals why he wrote the book and how he hopes that it can teach kids how to feel empowered, assured and self-confident no matter what interests and hobbies they choose to embrace.

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Now, producers from the Our One Story LGBT docuseries are looking to find the guys in the photos and return the pictures to them. Arion Potts joins on their quest.

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With queens in the latest’s season receiving death threats and racist abuse online from fans, are we taking our expression too far at the cost of our queer expression and identity, or is this the teething problems with a new space of queer drag expression ready to break through?

Squirrel friends, Nic Holas, the cofounder of the institute of many & australia’s most wildly read drag race commentator via junkee.com, Mathew Wade editor of Star Observer and Frock Hudson, the Queerer alter ego of the Informers Executive producer and cabaret comedian Dean Arcuri, delves into this as we look at who is really causing problems when it comes to RuPaul’s Drag Race

This segment of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 on 22^nd March 2018.

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Is mainstream cinema starting to give us what we have been waiting for, our lives and narratives on the big screen, or is it just a watered down version of our expression?

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival is on right now and has had plenty of sold out sessions, so there’s still passion for a different kind of LGBTIQ narrative being explored on the screen, and we found the perfect queer screen fan to share that with us.

Sarah Collins travels every year from Perth to Melbourne to watch queer cinema with members of her community and friends exploring our stories on the screen.

Remember Queer Cinema happens all around the country,  with MQFF heading to Alice Springs April 6^th – the 8^th and the Bendigo Queer Film Festival taking place on the 27^th – 29^th April

Outside of the yearly Mardi Gras Film Festival in February each year, Queer Screen stages a second season of LGBTI films in September, so be sure to check them on social media and while  Brisbane’s Queer Film Festival at New Farm Cinema just finished but will be back next year in March.

With screenings of LGBTIQ films telling our stories all around the country, what are you waiting for, check out some queer cinema today.

This segment of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 on 22^nd March 2018.

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BPM is an award winning movie which dramatizes the story of AIDS activists in the 1990s in France – it is based on the real story of communities faced with illness and death who took protests and direct action to the streets.

Ian Muchamore caught up with past HIV Activist and screenwriting consultant who is in Australia as part of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. They discuss why a story about activism from 25 years ago, engages so well with the LGBTI generations of today who are not only passionate about advocacy and political action but hitting boiling point when trying to create change in a society that should be more evolved by now.

This segment of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 on 22^nd March 2018.

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With LGBTI narratives and characters being elevated in mainstream movies and popular culture, does our queer identity still need to be explored on screen in the same way? Do we need queer film festival to tell our stories, and what spaces do they provide us culturally?

We ask Sarah Collins, who lives in Perth but travels to Victoria for the Melbourne Queer Film Festival every year.

And, has Rupaul’s drag race f’d up drag, or is it you?

With racists hate and death threats being thrown at the competitors online, and the fact that we are elevating an unrealistic expectation when it comes to queer commentary from people in a reality tv show, have we actually taken a show that marketed subversive queer culture to the mainstream, and helped it junk the shark at the expense of our identities?

This episode of The Informer was hosted by Dean Arcuri & aired on JOY 94.9

The post How our past can influence LGBTIQ activists of the future, Do we still need Queer Cinema? Has Rupaul’s Drag Race F’d up drag…or have you? : 22nd March 2018 appeared first on The Informer.

We cross to Canberra where today Deputy Greens Senator Larissa Waters has resigned from the Senate after realising she holds dual citizenship and should never have been elected to Federal Parliament.

Section 44 of the constitution disqualifies potential candidates from election of Parliament of Australia if they hold dual citizenships, last week Deputy Greens Leader Scott Ludlam admitted that his election was invalid because he did not renounce his NZ citizenship, both were strong supporters of Marriage Equality.

So what exactly does this mean, that’s the question we ask Rod Swift, former candidate for the Australian Greens and former JOY electoral expert. Swift knows a lot about electoral law and his views are his own, he is not speaking on behalf of the party.

And then we hope in our very own Tardis!

For the past 54 years the title character of the iconic sci fi series Doctor Who has regenerated into a man,13 times in fact, allowing actors to continue to reimagine the role. It was announced this week that with a new producer next year a new Doctor will be taking on the role, with actress Jodie Whittaker taking up the mantel.

While there was plenty of praise and support with this new direction for the characters status quo,, there was also plenty of negativity and commentary on social media that took the conversation to uncomfortable levels.

Michelle Shepard, who hosts our very own TRANS POV podcast  here on JOY 94.9, came to talk to us about her concerns and some of the triggers she felt seeing this commentary and discrimination about gender change and identityin popular culture and was happy to share this with us on air.

Finally, while everyone’s talking about the big AFL Pride Match that’s happening this Saturday in Sydney, there’s another Pride Match happening this weekend in Melbourne that your not going to want to miss. The James Melbourne Mustangs are taking on the Newcastle Northstars in an Ice Hockey Pride Match, a first for the Australian Ice Hockey League.

In partnership  with the Melbourne Mustangs and Amensty international, the game will promote equality in sport, you can find out more details and book tickets here.

The post What happens with Section 44? Doctor Who, Gender and identity conversations and Australias 1st Ice Hockey Pride Match : Tuesday 18th July 2017 appeared first on The Informer.

Geoffrey Winters, Director of Indigenous Law at Chalk & Behrendt law firm and interim-Chair of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal & Torres Striaght Islander Studies joins The Informer to talk about the changes.

Then we cross to Uganda where Kamoka Hassan is fighting to bring back the country’s only LGBTI event for a second year. Hassan tells The Informer team why he wants the Queer Kampala Film Festival to keep running, even if it means risking his own life to do so.

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Metro Trains says it supports the expo and that its artwork did not go against its policies for advertising.

But organiser Pete Smith said the problem lies with the one of the third-party agencies, S&J Media, who coordinates advertising on Metro Trains.

He said the company refused to go ahead with his advertising campaign because it does not allow campaigns on ‘sexuality or religion’. S&J Media did not respond to multiple media requests for comment.

Is it censorship? Is it discrimination? What’s going on?

This is the artwork that S&J Media knocked back. What do you think? Is it offensive? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter: @theinformerjoy

The post Has Queer Expo been banned from advertising on Metro Trains because it’s an LGBTI event? appeared first on The Informer.

Dr Lauren Rosewarne is not happy with the US election results.

Still in shock from the breaking news, that Donald Trump is to be the 45th President of the United States of America, we cross to Dr Lauren Rosewarne who is on the ground in Albuquerque, New Mexico for her analysis of the election and its remarkable outcome.

Then…

Next week SBS2 relaunches as SBS VICELAND.  Headlining the channel’s new program line-up is Gaycation, hosted by Ellen Page and her best mate Ian Daniel.  Together they explore the globe revealing the challenges faced by LGBTI people in countries where laws, governments and culture discriminate with life-threating repercussions. Ian Daniel joins us to explain further.  Catch Gaycation, 8.30pm Tuesday nights on SBS VICELAND and on SBS On Demand

Ellen Page and Ian Daniel in Gaycation, Tuesdays at 8:30pm on SBS Viceland

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