Author: thequeerav

Ian Thorpe: "I’m comfortable saying I’m a gay man"

Ian Thorpe, former Australian Olympic swimmer, has come out as gay  in an interview with Michael Parkinson. If you haven’t heard already, you’ve probably been living under a BIG GAY rock. “I’m comfortable saying I’m a gay man and I don’t want young people to feel the same way that I did,” said Thorpe, who also discussed his battle with depression and suicidal ideation. “You can grow up, you can be comfortable, and you can be gay.” Thorpe has been in the spot light from a young age, and has been asked about his sexuality right from the get go. “I concealed this and I think that I’ve held this as such a weight and there’s so much pain in this,” he said. “I had anger around this because I felt like I shouldn’t have been asked about it. If I wasn’t asked I feel as though I would have been much younger when I came out as being comfortable about this.” I think a lot of people would agree, coming out shouldn’t be this …

Gaining Employment: A Trans Perspective

A few weeks ago I wrote an article talking about my experiences in gaining employment as a queer person. The post was popular so I decided to post again about gaining employment, but this time from a trans perspective. I was able to ask Oskar about the ups and downs of gaining employment as a trans man in Perth and here’s what he had to say! What are the main problems you’ve had to face when it comes to finding employment as a trans person? As I’ve been struggling to change my name – my legal name is my biggest indicator that something is up – particularly since I don’t present as female at all these days. Little things such as what clothes to wear – female clothes or male clothes at a job interview? I’ve been forced to present as female for job interviews and it sucks. I worry a lot about my future career – I’m worried that despite my studies, I still won’t be hired in my chosen profession because I’m trans. …

Men In Style Society – New York fashion Blogger Shane Samuel

New York Fashion Week may be over but fashion is all year round! I was able to ask some questions to New York fashion blogger Shane Samuel recently. He talks about why he started his blog, being a fashion blogger in New York City, who he was keeping an eye on at this years New York Fashion Week and much more. Check it out. When did you first decide to start a men’s fashion blog and why?  I decided to start a fashion blog as an honor’s project during my sophomore year of college. I always had a thing for fashion, but I didn’t know how deep it went until I got to college and saw that almost all of the guys dressed the same. Can you explain to people who might not have seen your blog before, its aim and what it’s all about? I created Men In Style Society to serve as a platform for men who are looking for ideas to update their look or inspiration to create a new one. I …

Friday's Fashion Post: Tegan and Sara Team up with Keep

Tegan and Sara have teamed up with Keep Company to bring you some limited edition shoes which are available for pre-order from now until Tuesday February 11  at 11:59 PST. They will hit stores in late May 2014 but in limited numbers so make sure you pre-order if you’re really desperate to get your hands on a pair. Tegan’s Keep Plimsoll Homer features a quilted vegan leather body, a custom striped terry insole and purple color block accent on the bottom of the sole. Sara’s Keep Hi Top Guerra features illustrated international cat print, featuring cats meowing in different languages, a black accented heel stripe, sole and lining and a Signature Keep grass engraved cup sole. Both Tegan and Sara designed their own pair from top to bottom and are very excited by the results. “Both shoes really reflect our own personal style, so we hope you love them as much as we do,” they said. For further info and to pre-order yourself a pair visit www.keepcompany.com/page/TS

8 Reasons You'll Love Famous Sharron (Not that you need them)

In the suburbs of Perth there lives a woman; a woman like no other. Her fame is something to be inspired by and her use of glitter and colourful outfits something to be flat out jealous of. I don’t even need to say the name, you know who I’m talking about already right? Famous, colourful, glamorous, funny and…FAMOUS. Oh what the heck, it makes me feel a little closer to fame every time I say it; it’s FAMOUS SHARRON. I finally had the opportunity to see a Famous Sharron show on Sunday night at Fringe World (Famous SHARRON – The Fame Game). I have to say, she definitely made me LOL throughout the whole show with her quick wit, performance routines and interviews. It’s definitely something you need to see at some stage in your life. To get an idea of what to expect from a Famous Sharron show and reasons why you’ll love her I thought I’d come up with a list of some of my favourite things about her performance from  the show I attended last week. 1. When …

Why You Shouldn’t Gay Yourself Down For Anybody, Including Your Potential Boss

When I was twelve-years-old I decided that I wanted a career in Journalism, the reason being of course, I wanted to meet Hilary Duff and nothing was going to stop me. This is what dreams are made of…Am I right?! This of course transformed into a desire to meet many interesting people from all over the world. Flash forward a few years to when I was 16 and my dreams were still as strong, my degree picked out and my goals set whilst those around me fumbled with what they wanted to do with their lives and what they wanted to study. I began a degree in Mass Communication majoring in Corporate Screen Production and Journalism at the beginning of 2010 (Aged 19) at Curtin University. I was shocked at first to find the degree, and indeed my future profession seemingly dominated by an array of picture perfect, feminine, stereotypically straight looking women. I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel threatened. With my much more masculine appearance and identifying in the not …

Art Speaks Louder than Words

Anna Goodson, CEO & Founder of the Anna Goodson Illustration Agency, called for illustrations from the group recently after being disturbed by sexuality based discrimination in Russia. President Vladimir Putin signed a law at the end of June, banning the distribution of “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” to minors. With Russia hosting the Winter Olympics,  major concerns have been raised for the safety of athletes and tourists alike. “We are often asked to create images for clients but here was an opportunity for them to create something meaningful, personal and from the heart,” said Goodson. “We believe that Art Speaks Louder Than Words and we wanted to show the world that our agency and illustrators don’t support discrimination and violence of any kind, regardless of Religion, Race or Sexual Orientation.” Check out some of the amazing submissions!

Orange is the New Black – 13 Quotes That Can Be Used In Everyday Conversation

If you haven’t been living under a big ol’ queer rock lately then you’ll have heard of the new TV show Orange is the New Black. It’s a show that focuses on the story of Piper, a middle class blondie who is doing jail time for a crime she committed years ago with ex girlfriend Alex. Lots of queers…jammed into one space…crazy eyes…sexual frustration…PIE… Let’s just say It’s well worth the watch; a comedy with meaning. It even has (M)tF trans representation by someone who is trans in real life, which is rare on such a big show. Because I loved the first season so much, and am eagerly awaiting the second, I thought I’d come up with a list of OITNB quotes with examples of how they can be used in everyday conversation. Because lets face it…we all want to talk THAT talk. 1. Mr Healy’s ‘lesbian-based rooming’ talk with Piper     “Lesbian Request Denied.” Whilst you may want to use this every time you tell your girlfriend you’re “too tired”, it would be advised not …