The Informer

On this episode of The Informer, we head to Queensland tonight as we speak to one of the baton bearers of the Commonwealth Games, as well as speak to the honourable Yvette D’Ath, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, because Queenslanders have two more weeks to have their say on LGBTI Births, Deaths and Marriages reform.

 

And as of this week in Tasmania, Under the expungement of historical offences scheme, criminal charges relating to historical homosexual or cross-dressing offences can be expunged.

 

We find out how you can apply to have convictions expunged, as well as look at the fact that we don’t need to play one political party against another in order to achieve LGBTI rights, with Tasmania’s expungement legislation hailed as the best in Australia, which had the Government, the community and both houses of Parliament working together to ensure the best possible outcome.

 

This episode of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 and was hosted by Ruby Susan.

Continuing to look at what it means for an event like the Commonwealth games to be inclusive, Ian Muchamore now speaks to retired Women’s Hockey Player and BBC Wales journalist Beth Fisher, who he met at the opening ceremony when she was cheering on her girlfriend as she entered the stadium.

We also speak to David Grevemberg, the Commonwealth Games Federations Chief Executive Officer about what this kind of inclusivity means, not only to the games, but to our changing world narrative.

A lot of work has been done to make this year’s Commonwealth Games an inclusive and positive spaces for all competitors and attendees, from guidelines for gender neutral language, to a Pride House creating a safe space for the LGBTIQA+ communities.

This kind of visibility makes all the difference, or does it?

In a tale of two Mathews, Ian Muchamore speaks to two former sportsmen at the Gold Coast Pride House, who come at inclusivity and visibility for LGBTI athletes from two very different spaces during this years commonwealth games.

One of the most controversial moments of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games took place today, when New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard took to the stage in the women’s +90 kilograms category.

Laurel is transgender, but some do not feel that she should be eligible to compete. Australian Weightlifting Federation CEO Michael Keelan expressed concerns on behalf of his organisation over the inclusion of Laurel in the Commonwealth Games.

Ian Muchamore spoke to the David Grevemberg, the Commonwealth Games Federations Chief Executive Officer about their decision to allow Laurel Hubbard to compete today in the women’s weightlifting competition.

On this episode of The Informer we head to the Gold Coast for the 2018 Commonwealth Games as we look at the pride of visibility, when you see your girlfriend in the opening ceremony, to the importance of creating a space on and off the sporting field where everyone can be included.

We speak to one of the Commonwealth Games Federations Chief Executive Officers about their decision to allow Laurel Hubbard to compete today in the women’s weightlifting competition, amidst the Australian Federations concerns that it may not be fair to allow a transgender women to compete with cisgender women.

And we look at what it means for an event like the Commonwealth games to be inclusive and diverse, not just on the outside, but internally as well, and how that creates a greater more inclusive culture, not only for the sport, but for the world as well.

 

Welcome to our monthly media-watch segment. Where we look at the highs and lows of Australian Media coverage, of issues relevant to the LGBTIQA+ community and the larger fight for equality.

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94.9 on 29th March 2018

We now continue our conversation with Anna Piper Scott in the lead up Transgender Day of Visibility, but we are also throwing in some of Bisexual Health Awareness Month as well, but this time we are looking at how living your life with a positive expression outside of the binary can change the narrative for those around you for the better.

Today, more young people than ever are coming to believe that gender and sexuality binaries are outdated concepts. And are forging new kinds of relationships where gender constructs are less meaningful.

Anna’s partner is bisexual and this made all the difference for her when she transitioned.

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94.9 on 29th March 2018

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival  is the third largest international comedy festival in the world, and this week, it has begun.

You might be thinking, so what, why is this something we are talking about here on The Informer, well, with Transgender Day of Visibility coming up on Saturday, we decided to speak to Anna Piper Scott, a transgender women who is also a comedian from Perth who is performing as a part of the Comedy Festival.

After ten years performing onstage, Anna stepped out of the spotlight to transition, and three months later stepped back in as a woman, and joins Dean Arcuri now to talk about what it is like to continue to keep the laughs going, when you’ve transitioned in such a public way.

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94.9 on 29th March 2018

This Saturday, March 31st, is International Transgender Day of Visibility,  celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide.

In the lead up to transgender day of visibility on Saturday some trans people have gotten together with friends to paint trans flag at the corner of Smith St & Webb St in Fitzroy, Melbourne.

Dean Arcuri spoke to Tom, one of the organisers who will be painting the flags, about why this kind of visibility was so important.

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94.9 on 29th March 2018

Comedian Anna Piper Scott, who has come out as transgender, and has stepped back into the stand-up spotlight this year joins us tonight on the episode discussing transitioning in the spotlight, comedy and conversations outside the binary and more.

We also speak some trans people who are painting trans flags around Melbourne, as we discuss what this kind of visibility and inclusion means for those marginalised in our communities.

And in a new segment, Rachel has dived into the news in our Monthly media-watch segment. Looking at the highs and lows of Australian Media coverage of issues relevant to the LGBTIQA+ community and the larger fight for equality.

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