Less Surface Level

What does it take to turn teenage pain into purpose that changes lives? In this episode, I sit down with Archie Beetle (they/them); the Founder and CEO of Queer Town, a Melbourne-based organisation reimagining what genuine LGBTIQA+ inclusion looks like across workplaces, schools, and communities.

Archie opens up about growing up queer, leaving the closet in high school, and the pivotal moments that transformed their personal struggles into a lifelong mission for education and empowerment. Together, they explore how Queer Town uses storytelling, humour, and lived experience to dismantle bias, shift culture, and even teach the “old guard” how to embrace inclusion with empathy.

This episode is a celebration of resilience, self-acceptance, and the power of turning pain into progress, for yourself and for the world around you.

Have you guys heard of the nine limiting beliefs that hold us back in life? Did you ever learn what yours is? Or the way that it impacts your life?

Today's throwback episode is with the beautiful Kat John.

Kat share the nine beliefs that will hold you back in life, and reminds us that limiting beliefs aren’t the truth, they’re stories we’ve rehearsed. In this episode we're diving into how those stories show up in life, the patterns we default to under stress, and how we can choose a new script.

Kat also chats about the ways to notice your type’s fears, reframe them, and take values based action instead.

If you are craving clarity, simple tools, and a nudge to back yourself, this episode is for you.

To find out more about Kat John:

https://katjohn.com.au/

Next week Season 4 begins, see you on the screen soon x

Today I’m joined by Sophie Shaw. Like me, Soph in her 20s that she was attracted to women, and she’s been brave enough to let that truth completely reshape her life. The way she continues to lean into authenticity is inspires others to do the same.

Together we chat about our coming out experiences, navigating people’s opinions and beliefs around the LGBTQIA+ community, the freedom that comes with being in a relationship with a woman, and the judgement that can follow when you stand tall in your truth.

Throwback Thursday episode:

Your favourite LGBTQIA+ / mental health / anti-diet advocate / MAFS participant Natasha Fabrizi joins us today to chat all things love, life, and moving across the world; offering wisdom not just on relationships, but on carving out a life that feels authentic and free.

In this episode, we sit down with Tash to explore the kind of love that reshapes everything you thought you knew. Through her relationship with her wife Stephanie, she has learned of love and trust in a completely different way; one grounded in commitment, safety, and deep connection. She shares what it means to build a partnership that challenges old patterns, invites vulnerability, and celebrates queer love in its truest form.

Hi everyone, welcome to final episode of Season 3 (Season 4 coming next) of Less Surface Level. During this episode we revisit the journey of opening, running, and eventually letting go of Beans Bar; a queer, neurodivergent-led community venue that became so much more than a bar.

We sit down with Beca Pressing, the brilliant woman who created Beans, reflecting on what it was like to open it with hope and vision, how the reality unfolded in unexpected ways. Most importantly, we explore the emotional labour of running this space while navigating mental health, burnout and expectations of others.

If you’ve ever built something that mattered to others, and had to reckon with what it cost you; this one’s for you. I hope you've enjoyed Season 3 of Less Surface Level, see you next episode for Season 4! x

For this fortnight’s episode I’m sitting down with Kirby Bentley, a proud Noongar woman whose influence stretches from sport to TV, advocacy, business, and culture.

This conversation goes to heartfelt places that Kirby doesn’t always go to, including her experiences loving women, and the healing lessons Kirby’s gathered across her journey.

Kirby grew up on Noongar Country in Mt Barker, WA, before a career in professional netball, AFLW with Fremantle and Carlton, and elite-level coaching. She’s the force behind the Kirby Bentley Cup, opening doors for young Aboriginal women in sport, and the founder of Djookian, a queer, female-led renewable energy company rooted in Sisterhood and community.

She’s also an ambassador for Djirra, supporting First Nations women impacted by family violence, and for Fred’s Big Run, raising awareness for culturally safe healthcare and preventing vision loss in First Nations communities (yup, she’s amazing). As a proud queer woman, Kirby’s visibility has helped create safer, more inclusive spaces, whether in sport, on TV in Survivor, in business, or in community.

I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording this episode.

In this episode of Less Surface Level, we sit down with India King and Kristina Krithararis, partners in life, love, and the queer-affirming creative business Scizza. Together, they share the behind-the-scenes story of how they built a space that centres safety, expression, and community for LGBTQIA+ people.

We explore their individual journeys, from early signs of queerness and creativity to the jobs that taught them what kind of environments they didn’t want to be part of. India and Kristina open up about their coming out stories, how they met, and the moment they realised they could build something meaningful together.

This episode is a love letter to queer creativity, partnership, and the kind of space that helps people feel truly seen.

SHOW LINKS:

https://www.scizza.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/scizza_/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/kristinzkrithararis/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/indiaking_/?hl=en

In this episode we're joined by Julie, the founder of Sundaylicious Melbourne, a queer women-led event that’s become a cornerstone of community, connection, and celebration in Naarm. We dive into the origins of Sundaylicious, the gaps it set out to fill, and the personal journey that shaped it. Julie shares the emotional labour, unexpected challenges, and deep moments of pride that have come with building a space where queer women and gender-diverse people feel seen and safe. Together, we explore what it means to hold space for joy, how identity evolves alongside community, and the legacy of creating something that matters.

In episode I sit down with one of my close friends, Chloe. She's moved through a lot of life with grit, softness, and a whole lot of growth. We go beneath the surface to revisit the early imprints that still live in her body, the quiet rebellions that shaped her spirit, and the ways she has created safety for herself. Chloe opens up about the joy of being a lesbian, how it’s stretched and softened her understanding of love, and how it continues to add depth to her life in unexpected ways. We talk about what it means to feel home in your body, and how our friendships become places of real intimacy and healing. From past selves we’ve outgrown to the versions we’re still becoming, this episode is a love letter to resilience, women loving women, and the power of being truly seen by someone who gets it.

In June 2025, queer pop artist Fletcher released her new single “Boy”, a vulnerable ballad about unexpectedly falling for a man. The release, timed during Pride Month, sparked intense debate across the LGBTQIA+ community. Embraced as a WLW icon, Fletcher’s pivot raised complex questions around identity, visibility, and what it means to be “queer enough.” Critics voiced feelings of betrayal and concerns about bi/pan erasure, while others defended Fletcher’s fluidity and right to love without labels.

This episode with Holly Pink and Chloe Rebello, unpacks the emotional, social, and political backlash, looking deeper at how identity policing, internalised biphobia, and the weight of representation collide in today’s queer landscape. We’ll explore why this moment hit so hard, what it reveals about our community’s growing pains, and how we can move forward with more compassion, more nuance, and more room for the full spectrum of queer love.