All posts filed under: Current Affairs

Perth’s Stand Up for Safe Schools! Snap Rally [PHOTOS]

Published by thequeerav

On Monday night, March 21, Murray Street Mall was filled with people ready to show their support for the Safe Schools Coalition at the Stand Up for Safe Schools! Snap Rally. The rally was organised after the Liberal government announced plans to change, and eventually stop funding the program after 2017. Here are some photos of the rally, and of the people speaking up for Safe Schools in WA. To stay updated on issues relating to the LGBTIQ+ community in Australia, join the LGBTIQ+ Community Action Group on Facebook here. To show your support for Safe Schools and to let the government know what you think of their recent decisions visit ineedsafeschools.org.au. Lastly, remember to look after yourself! You can seek support at Lifeline and/or QLife! .

How Can I Help Safe Schools Coalition Australia?

Published by thequeerav

As news today hit of the changes to be made to the Safe Schools anti-bullying program, people were enraged, and rightly so. Today is National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence, ironic really, considering the Australian government just hit LGBTI youth with a major form of bullying themselves. Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham announced changes to the program which include amending some lesson plans, restricting all program produced resources to secondary students, and resources such as “OMG I’m Queer”, “OMG My Friend’s Queer” and “Stand Out” to one-on-one counselling sessions between students and “qualified staff” (Buzzfeed). It was also indicated that Safe Schools would not continue to receive funding after 2017. In light of this information, a lot of people are probably asking themselves, “What can I do?” I know I found myself asking the same question. To put it simply, the best form of support in this kind of situation is being vocal! Talk to your communities, educate yourself on LGBTI issues, participate in rallies and protests, and most importantly, let the government …

Gayby Baby Review: Families Leading Lives of Diversity and Acceptance

Published by thequeerav

I’m not sure what I expected as the lights came down at Cinema Paradiso on Sunday night for Perth’s Q&A screening of Gayby Baby. A documentary of course, but what kind of documentary? It seems anyone with a camera and something to say can make one these days, but it takes talent, determination and a lot of hard work to make something that has the ability to really inspire and make a difference in peoples lives. So, what kind of documentary is Gayby Baby? Gayby Baby follows the lives of four kids being raised by same sex parents; Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham. Produced by Charlotte Mars and directed by Maya Newell, someone who also grew up with same sex parents, the film goes into great depth about the struggles, triumphs and day to day experiences of these kids, who’s parents just happen to be gay. Sounds great doesn’t it! The New South Wales government doesn’t think so. Just last week they banned the screening of Gayby Baby during school hours where it was scheduled …

Why the Trans Community Needs to Ban the Word “Transtrender” for Good

Published by thequeerav

The other day, I was called a “transtrender” by a trans woman who refused to acknowledge my gender identity because I have, up until this point, not hormonally transitioned. Because the only thing that determines your gender identity is, you know, hormones (sarcasm). A “transtrender” refers to a person who identifies as transgender because they think it’s cool to do so. This particular trans reader insisted that I was not a “true” trans person, and that I claim this identity only because it’s the trendy thing to do. This isn’t the first time my transness has been called into question, but there’s something particularly sinister about this word that made me angry. Here’s the funny (and sad) thing about a trans person calling me a transtrender: They aren’t just hurting me. They’re hurting our community, and undermining our cause. There’s a lot of problematic implications that go with the term “transtrender.” It implies, for example, that a person’s gender identity is for outsiders to decide. It suggests that there is only one way to transition. It marginalizes …

Let’s Talk about the ‘I’ in LGBTI

Published by thequeerav

For a long time I didn’t know what it meant to be intersex. I’d briefly encountered the term in discussions and books but not enough to latch onto it’s actual definition and importance. Having just come to terms with my sexuality at 19, I was more focused on myself, and how my sexuality effected my life and those around me. In fact, it wasn’t until years later, when I started re-questioning my sexuality and for the first time, my gender, that I started becoming more interested and involved in the LGBTI community as a whole. I saw a BuzzFeed video today (below), talking about what it’s like to be intersex. I got really excited at the idea of mainstream media covering such a topic; though I wouldn’t expect anything less from BuzzFeed. It got me thinking though, about why I was so excited. The more I thought about it, the more I realised it was because of how little society actually knows about intersex people and how little they generally get talked about or represented in the media. …

23 BuzzFeed Videos, Lists and Articles That Will Rock Your Queer Socks

Published by thequeerav

BuzzFeed has really grown in popularity over the past few years, largely because of their diverse range of news and entertainment presented in new and fun ways. The queer community is most certainly included in this diversity and so I thought it was time to compile a list, in true BuzzFeed style, of queer BuzzFeed videos, lists and articles that will rock your queer socks. Enjoy! 1. 9 Queer Women in Tech Tell Us What They’ve Learned 2. Smashing Gender Binaries with the Queer Kids of Today 3. 59 Thoughts Every LGBT Student has Before Mardi Gras 4. 11 Things Everyone Always Assumes About Lesbians 5. LGBT TV Characters are Whiter, Male-er, And Richer than Real Queer People 6. Toms: The Complex World of Female Love, a short documentary by Coconuts TV, explores a sexual identity that is unique to Thailand. 7. 17 Times Queer Tumblr Totally Owned 2014 8. Margaret Cho is Here, Queer, And Taking Questions About Anything 9. Why Pronouns Matter for Trans People 10. 17 of the Sweetest Ways to Come …

2014 – What a Queer Year!

Published by thequeerav

A lot has happened in 2014, and a lot of progress has been made for the queer community. Let’s end the year on a high note and have a look at some of the more positive events and milestones from the last 12 months. The Queer Av! Okay so this is not exactly global or anything but I’m in the process of changing the name of this blog from The Gay Av to The Queer Av to make it more inclusive of the whole community. In other news, we are now on Instagram (@thequeerav), AND there are new and exciting projects and articles to come in 2015. Watch this space! A looooot of people came out this year in the LGBTIQ community. I’m not a fan of the whole ‘coming out ritual’ and I wish is wasn’t necessary for people to have to do. I can’t wait for the day when peeps don’t assume one’s gender and sexuality from the get go and therefore the event of coming out won’t exist. Having said this, it’s still …

Perth Community Comes Together For World AIDS Day 2014

Published by thequeerav

WA AIDS Council invited volunteers, staff, clients and supporters to join them at Robertson Park December 1 for World AIDS Day. The theme for this years World AIDS Day was Getting to Zero; zero fear, zero stigma, zero discrimination, zero ignorance, zero risks, zero new cases and zero deaths. During the event WAAC announced that almost $3,000 has been raised by staff members to be donated to BaanGerda, an organisation located north of Bangkok which provides homes to children orphaned due to HIV and HIV care. WAAC volunteers were thanked, in particular office volunteers Natalie Seed and Jenny Thomas who received awards. Visit www.waaids.com to learn more about what’s happening in the Perth community and what you can do to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Gaining Employment: A Trans Perspective

Published by thequeerav

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. …

Art Speaks Louder than Words

Published by thequeerav

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!