The Informer

Bisexual Health Awareness Month was launched on social media 5 years ago in March, and is happening right now, providing a space for greater conversation, understanding and for raising greater awareness about the Bisexual Community.

People in the Bisexual community face all the same challenges as lesbians and gay people, but are also subject to erasure and invalidation, and suffer poorer physical and mental health.

So how can we change that?

Dean Arcuri speaks to Misty Farquhar about coming out as bisexual and what it means to help elevate the visibility of the bi community, who are often left behind.

If you would like to reach out or find out more about the Bisexual + Community in Perth, you can find their closed group by searching via Facebook.

And we will have more stories and perspectives from members of the Bi community throughout the week for Bisexual Health Awareness Month.

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94.9 on 26th March 2018.

With its tenth season hitting the airwaves tomorrow, it’s time for us to take a good hard look at how a reality show that marketed subversive queer culture to the mainstream has changed how we express ourselves within our queer culture.

With queens in the latest’s season receiving death threats and racist abuse online from fans, are we taking our expression too far at the cost of our queer expression and identity, or is this the teething problems with a new space of queer drag expression ready to break through?

Squirrel friends, Nic Holas, the cofounder of the institute of many & australia’s most wildly read drag race commentator via junkee.com, Mathew Wade editor of Star Observer and Frock Hudson, the Queerer alter ego of the Informers Executive producer and cabaret comedian Dean Arcuri, delves into this as we look at who is really causing problems when it comes to RuPaul’s Drag Race

This segment of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 on 22nd March 2018.

With LGBTIQ movies winning Oscars and hitting cinemas more and more each year, what does this mean for queer cinema?

Is mainstream cinema starting to give us what we have been waiting for, our lives and narratives on the big screen, or is it just a watered down version of our expression?

The Melbourne Queer Film Festival is on right now and has had plenty of sold out sessions, so there’s still passion for a different kind of LGBTIQ narrative being explored on the screen, and we found the perfect queer screen fan to share that with us.

Sarah Collins travels every year from Perth to Melbourne to watch queer cinema with members of her community and friends exploring our stories on the screen.

Remember Queer Cinema happens all around the country,  with MQFF heading to Alice Springs April 6th – the 8th and the Bendigo Queer Film Festival taking place on the 27th – 29th April

Outside of the yearly Mardi Gras Film Festival in February each year, Queer Screen stages a second season of LGBTI films in September, so be sure to check them on social media and while  Brisbane’s Queer Film Festival at New Farm Cinema just finished but will be back next year in March.

With screenings of LGBTIQ films telling our stories all around the country, what are you waiting for, check out some queer cinema today.

This segment of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 on 22nd March 2018.

BPM is an award winning movie which dramatizes the story of AIDS activists in the 1990s in France – it is based on the real story of communities faced with illness and death who took protests and direct action to the streets.

Ian Muchamore caught up with past HIV Activist and screenwriting consultant who is in Australia as part of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. They discuss why a story about activism from 25 years ago, engages so well with the LGBTI generations of today who are not only passionate about advocacy and political action but hitting boiling point when trying to create change in a society that should be more evolved by now.

This segment of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 on 22nd March 2018.

On this episode of The Informer, we look at activism of the past and how it can influences and affect the changing narratives and approaches of young LGBTIQ activists today. As we speak to with past HIV Activist and screenwriting consultant Philippe Mangeot.

With LGBTI narratives and characters being elevated in mainstream movies and popular culture, does our queer identity still need to be explored on screen in the same way? Do we need queer film festival to tell our stories, and what spaces do they provide us culturally?

We ask Sarah Collins, who lives in Perth but travels to Victoria for the Melbourne Queer Film Festival every year.

And, has Rupaul’s drag race f’d up drag, or is it you?

With racists hate and death threats being thrown at the competitors online, and the fact that we are elevating an unrealistic expectation when it comes to queer commentary from people in a reality tv show, have we actually taken a show that marketed subversive queer culture to the mainstream, and helped it junk the shark at the expense of our identities?

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

Children with Gender dysphoria no longer have to seek court approval to undergo surgery in Australia.

It was decided last week by The Family Court that they will no longer intervene in cases where children with gender dysphoria have the permission of their parents and treating doctors to undergo surgery.

Principal Solicitor of last weeks case where the decision was made, Hilary Kincaid from the Inner City Legal Centre, speaks to us now.

This aired on The Informer on March 21st 2018.

 

 

We now continue Dean Arcuri’s report on the ACT’s Safe and Inclusive School Initiative resources as he speaks to Tim Bavinton, the executive director for the Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT, and find out why a focus on the ACT community was needed when it comes to safe and inclusive schools.

The Safe and Inclusive School Initiative resources ensures staff in the ACT are well-equipped with the skills needed to create safe environments for all students, free from bullying and unlike Safe Schools, membership is not compulsory, with it being up to each school to decide how it would use the resources.

This aired on The Informer on March 21st 2018.

Correction : The Safe and Inclusive School Initiative Resources is in ACT, not NT.

While the federal government withdrew financial support for safe schools, the Labor government in the ACT has taken over funding of Safe Schools, but with some amendments. The Safe and Inclusive School Initiative resources ensures staff in the ACT are well-equipped  Schools, membership is not compulsory, with it being up to each school to decide how it would use the resources.

Dean Arcuri reports, speaking to Tim Bavinton, the executive director for the Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT and Principal Michael Battenally from the ACT principals association.

This aired on The Informer on 21st March 2018.

Correction : The Safe and Inclusive School Initiative Resources is in ACT, not NT.

 

The HIV prevention pill, PrEP, will be available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from April 1, giving Australia its greatest opportunity yet to drive serious reductions in HIV transmission.

Dean Arcuri reports on what this means with Darryl O’Donnell, chief executive of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations. PrEP is 99 per cent effective at preventing HIV transmission among gay and bisexual men.

It will be available to people at high risk of HIV at a cost of $39.50 per month (General Patients), with users receiving a three month prescription and a sexual health check each time they visit their GP.

This aired on The Informer on 21st March 2018.

 

Wednesday the 21st of March is Harmony Day.

Harmony Day is an opportunity to share our cultural heritage and celebrate what it means to be Australian, recognising our culturally diverse society and celebrate Australian multiculturalism.

Tonight on The Informer it’s no joking matter with the announcement that the HIV prevention pill PrEP will be available Australia wide from April First.

We also head to the ACT and find out about their replacement for Safe Schools funded by the Labour government, the Safe and Inclusive School Initiative Resources. We find out what the program means for school environments, creating a more inclusive and accepting learning environment for LGBTIQ young people around the ACT.

Plus, we touch base with the Inner City Legal Centre, who were a part of a court case last week that saw the Family Court decided that it will no longer intervene in cases where children with gender dysphoria have the permission of their parents and treating doctors to undergo surgery.

This episode of The Informer was hosted by Tom Morgan on JOY 94.9