Author: thequeerav

Young People Tell us What Makes Them Proud on Wear It Purple Day

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Today is Wear It Purple Day! Wear It Purple Day is a day where people can wear purple to support young LGBTIQ+ people and their right to thrive, irrelevant of sex, sexuality or gender identity. To celebrate and commemorate the day, we asked young people what they are proud of. Here’s what they had to say! 1. Kirsty, 23   2. Jordan, 24 (My Kitchen Rules Contestant 2016)   3. Logan, 22   4. Chessca, 22   5. John, 21   6. Maggy, 15   7. Elle, 21   What are you proud of? Write in the comments section below!

10 Talented Queer Musicians You’ll Be Singing Along to in No Time

Published by thequeerav

I’m always excited about listening to music, especially from talented queer artists! And so, I’ve compiled a list of queer musicians who I listen to on the regular, and who I think everyone should be listening to right now. 1. Abbe May – This Western Australian musician’s genre is described as “electronica dance doom pop goth n ‘be sexrockita dirty hip hop beats and vitriol” which, if you listen to any of her songs, you’ll totally understand why! You may have heard her cover of “Pony” on Triple J’s Like A Version Nine a few years ago. The cover is amazing though doesn’t even begin to show just how talented she really is. Check out her song “Are We Flirting” below, from her upcoming 5th LP Bitchcraft. Also be sure to check out the photos we took of Abbe May at the Queers on the Lawn event she performed at last year! To hear May talk about her sexuality, read Out In Perth’s article Abbe May Has Something to Say.   2. Ryan Cassata – He’s …

Meet Eli Erlick: A Trans Youth Activist Who Stars in Tegan and Sara’s New Music Video “Faint of Heart”

Published by thequeerav

Tegan and Sara released the music video for their song “Faint of Heart” last month. The song, from their 2016 album Love You To Death, is an 80’s inspired pop anthem about listening to your heart and not worrying what other people think. The music video, starring a group of young and inspiring LGBTQ people dressed as iconic figures in music history, is a beautiful hit of nostalgia, self-love and diversity. One of those young and inspiring people is Eli Erlick. Erlick is a queer transgender youth activist, writer and public speaker. She is also the Co-Founder and Director of Trans Student Educational Resources and has an uncanny resemblance to the Quin sisters themselves. We had the opportunity to talk to Erlick about the trans activism work she does, working with Tegan and Sara, and what it’s like to be the long lost Quin sibling. How did you get involved in the filming of the new Tegan and Sara video – Faint of Heart? It all started with a shirt. A friend commented that the …

6 Queer Athletes Who are Totally Winning (Medals) at Rio 2016

Published by thequeerav

So it turns out the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics holds a record number of publicly out LGBTI athletes,  approximately 50, depending on which publication you read. There’s no doubt this number will continue to grow in coming Olympic Games as the stigma of being LGBTI in sports and in life generally continues to decrease. In honour of this record number, we’ve decided to compile a list of all the queer athletes who are winning medals at Rio 2016, so far anyway! We’re sure there’s more to come! 1. Rafaela Silva (Brazil) – She defeated Mongolian Sumiya Dorjsuren to win gold in the judo 57kg weight division. 2. Carl Hester (Great Britain) – Won a silver medal in equestrian team dressage alongside Fiona Bigwood, Charlotte Dujardin and fellow out athlete Spencer Wilton. Germany won gold while the USA took bronze. 3. Spencer Wilton (Great Britain) – Won a silver medal in equestrian team dressage alongside Fiona Bigwood, Charlotte Dujardin and fellow out athlete Carl Hester. Germany won gold while the USA took bronze. 4. Rachele Bruni (Italy) – Won silver in …

Introducing Androswag: A New Direction in Modern Day Urban-Wear

Published by thequeerav

I often think about how clothing needn’t be defined as either men’s or women’s; one or the other. The idea that we as humans must fit into two distinct boxes and stay there obediently our whole lives is an absolutely absurd concept to me, one that goes well beyond clothing. As a kid I always preferred masculine clothing and dreamed of the day when I would be confident and financially independent enough to not be confined to the women’s section of every clothing store I set foot in. I was 18 when I bought my first “men’s” shirt which might not seem all that exciting to most, though for me it was a liberating moment. It meant I was able to express myself freely, break free of the notion that ‘only men can buy men’s clothes’ and most importantly, I could be myself. It still bugged me that, even though I didn’t identify as a man, most of what I was interested in was in the “men’s” section, though given the new found array of …

Avoiding BURNOUT: Trans Perspectives

Published by thequeerav

Avoiding burnout can be a difficult thing to do, particularly when you are so passionate about what it is you are doing. As someone who lives, works and breathes advocacy and equality for the LGBTI community, more specifically trans and non-binary communities, it can be difficult to stop the thought process of “how can I help someone else” and turn it into “how can I help myself”. As advocates, we try to help those who may not be able to help themselves. To put it simply, we care, sometimes too much and we don’t want to let others down. To add to this, we’re not just advocating for other people, but also for ourselves and our right to exist freely and equally; it’s all very personal and that can have a huge effect, even on the most positive minded person. For a long time I only ever helped myself by helping other people. I volunteer at various youth, mental health and/or LGBTI organisations, attend events and rallies to stay up to date with LGBTI issues, …

Rally for Marriage Equality in Perth, June 2016

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Hundreds of Perth people gathered for one final rally for LGBTI rights on June 25 before the upcoming election on July 2. The Rally for Marriage Equality, hosted by Equal Love WA, was one of many happening across Australia on Saturday. The crowd and speakers were particularly angry over the proposed plebiscite from the Liberals which would cost tax payers $160 million despite current public support for marriage equality. With the election less than a week away, opposition leader Bill Shorten has committed to making marriage equality his first act as Prime Minister should Labor win. “The first piece of legislation I introduce into the 45th Parliament will be a bill to amend the marriage act, a simple change,” he said. The words “a man and a woman” are replaced with “two people”, no $160 million plebiscite, no hurtful, hateful government-sponsored advertising campaign for us.” Should this be the case, this will not only be a win for same gender couples, but also trans, non-binary and intersex people. The Greens support for marriage equality hasn’t …

Perth Holds Candlelight Vigil for Orlando

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On Wednesday night, June 15, a vigil for those lost in the Pulse Orlando shooting was held at Perth Cultural Centre in Northbridge. Though it had only been days since news of the horrific attack had hit, hundreds of people were present to stand in solidarity with the victims, friends and families affected. Speakers at the event included Freedom Centre‘s Stephen Boccaletti, Lynn MacLaren, Louise Pratt, and many other passionate community members and professionals. Gay and Lesbian Singers of WA also made an appearance performing a chilling rendition of “Seasons of Love” from the Broadway musical Rent. In being at this event, seeing people coming together and hearing people speak so emotionally about their experiences of being LGBTIQ+, I’m reminded of how resilient this community I’m a part of really is. The lives lost in this tragedy will never be forgotten, though the voices of the Perth community, and of voices from people at events like this all around the world give me hope for a better future. Because I know, when faced with tragedies …

Review: Angels in America, Part 1 Millennium Approaches

Published by thequeerav

Angels in America, Part 1 Millennium Approaches, one of the most important and groundbreaking plays of the 20th century, made it’s WA premier over the weekend at the Heath Ledger Theatre in Perth. Set in 1985 New York City, the play explores the intertwining lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS amidst the AIDS crisis of the 80’s and 90’s. Prior Walter takes centre stage, diagnosed with AIDS and left by his lover Louis Ironson. Walter is then visited by an angel who brands him a prophet, tasked with saving humanity. Tony Kushner’s iconic play, Angels in America, has won many awards including the Tony Award for Best Play, twice, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was made into a mini series in 2003 starring an array of well known names such as Al Pacino and Meryl Streep and for which it won 11 Emmy awards, a record at the time. Most importantly though, the stories told in the play depict the very realities of people who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. It’s impossible, for those …

Safe Schools Rally, April 23 2016 [PHOTOS]

Published by thequeerav

On April 23 2016, community members, organisers and activists gathered at Murray Street Mall in Perth for the second time, to rally for Safe Schools in Australia. The event saw protesters from Equal Love and  the Socialist Alternative in attendance, and counter-protesters from Reclaim Australia and the United Patriots Front.  For more details about what happened at the rally, click here. For photos from the event, see below! The next Safe Schools rally will be held at Murray Street Mall on June 4. For more information head to the event page here.