The Informer

The review into religious Freedoms in Australia is underway, headed by Phillip Ruddock, who we speak to tonight on the show, so that we can better understand how this process is going to work, and what it means for our communities.

The Melbourne Gay Community Periodic Survey was launched on the weekend by the Victorian AIDS council and is running all week, we find out why this data is so important, and how it plays a part on our national narrative for protection from sexually transmitted diseases.

We also get statistical as we look at the break down of our communities in the 2016 census, as the ABS starts preparing for the next census in 2121. Sure, that may seem a while away, but with formal submissions opening soon, it’s time for us to think about how we want to be better represented, so Australia can get a clearer picture of its rainbow communities.

This episode of The Informer on JOY 94.9 was hosted by Dan Roberts.

 

The Victorian AIDS Council along with the Centre for Social Research in Health and the Kirby Institute have begun conducting the Melbourne Gay Community Periodic Survey, an annual survey that takes a snapshot of sexual practices of men who have sex with other men in relation to the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.

Dean Arcuri spoke to Tex Mackenzie, the Health educator from VAC Reach at the Victorian Aids Council about the importance of collecting this kind of data, to get an accurate snapshot of the sexual and health practices of men who have sex with men.

If you’re in Melbourne and don’t get to fill a survey in this week, they will be available to fill in online from next week, and will be promoted via the Victorian aids councils Facebook page.

 

Tuesday 16th Jan is the last day for voting in the Melbourne Drag Awards, and one of the most coveted awards to win isn’t the Hall of Fame or Drag Performer of the Year, it’s the title Bitch of the Year.

 

We spoke to some of the nominees, Bumpa Love, Lexi Gaga, Missy La Minx and Abril Latrine, about why the shady narrative of drag performing, seems to be the element that everyone prefers.

This segment aired on The Informer at JOY 94.9 on 16th January 2018

The Better Together Conference saw the many different parts of our communities come   to explore what we need to start working towards to unify the collective letters under our rainbow.

Is that something we can, or even want to do or achieve?

In order to look to our future we have to look to our past, and instead of placing blame, look for how our history can help us in the fights our communities are not ready for on the horizon.

We were at the Conference last week and we now hear from Jason Tuazon McCheyne and Jamie Gardiner as the torch is passed from the gay conferences of last century, to the LGTBIQ dialouges of the future.

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94.9 on 16th January 2017

With a review into religious freedoms in Australia underway, on tonight’s show we begin to explore what this will mean for many in our communities as we asked Reverend Ric Holland rom St Michael’s Uniting Church in Melbourne how afraid we all need to be of what is coming.

We return to the Better Together Conference and look to the past to influence our future as we explore what equality means today and how the lables of the river of the passed has made way for a stream of possabilities for who we are and can be.

And with the Melbourne Drag Award nominations closing tonight, we find out why so many drag entertainers are clamoring to win the title Bitch of the Year, as we find out what has changed in what drag entertainment means to our community over the years.

Dan Arcuri hosts this episode of The Informer aired on JOY 94.9 on 16th January 2018

On the 22nd of November 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that the Hon Philip Ruddock, was to head a Review into Religious Freedom in Australia.

The Review kicked off less than a week ago on January 10th with a panel of six experts from law reform, human rights and religious back grounds.

The Review is due to wrap up on the 31st of March this year, and as this directly affects our community, The Informer will be following the review closely.

We are starting the conversation today with Reverend Ric Holland from St Michael’s Uniting Church in Melbourne.

The Informer’s Daniel Roberts spoke to the Reverend earlier today and started out by asking him-

“As a church leader, does he believe Religious organisations need protection from our community?”

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94.9 on 16th January 2018

Mr. Gay Pride Australia is a search for Aussies who best represent and support their community. The competition is designed to find, build, and develop future leaders within the LGBTI community in Australia and around the world.

Mr. Gay Pride Australia selects the official Australian representative for Mr. Gay World, who will this year be competing in South Africa for the competitions 10th year.

After a public campaign and a weekend of activites, Jordan Bruno from Western Australia was announced as Mr Gay Pride Australia at the Midsumma Carnival on the weekend.

The Informer spoke to him about what this title means to him and how he wants to use the platform to provide greater support for young LGBTI people around the country.

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94.9 on 15th January 2018

Yesterday saw Melbourne’s Midsumma Festival kick off with the annual and much anticipated Midsumma Carnival in Alexandra Gardens.

In a new step towards inclusivity – Midsumma have a created a safe and interactive space for blind and vision impaired people attending the Carnival.

Daniel Roberts and Dean Arcuri spoke to the key players involved and Daniel filed this report looking at the collaboration between Midsumma, Vision Description and the Slow Arts Collective.

 

This segment aired on JOY 94.9 on 15th January 2018.

Last week over 600 delegates Australia and overseas, attended the first the Better Together Conference, exploring issues facing the LGBTI movement and bringing together diverse voices from across our communities and discussing what it would mean to work better together and how we could achieve this.

What would a more inclusive LGTBI conversation look like?

 

One of the big themes that was talked about in the conference was that the lesbian and gay communities need to do more work to become better allies to the Bi, Trans and Intersex communities, but how do we do that?

Ian Muchamore spoke to trans advocate and educator Sally Tia Conning, President of the Organisation Instersex  International Australia, Morgan Carpenter and queer artist and advocate for bi voices, Dani Weber at the conference and asked how the L & G can support the I T B?

This segment aired on The Informer on JOY 94.9 on 15th January 2018.

We are back for 2018 and on tonight’s show we head to the Better Together Conference that was held on in Melbourne on the weekend, and ask the question, how can the gay and lesbian communities be better allies to the Bi, Intersex and Trans communities?

We head to the Midsumma Carnival as they explore a new step towards inclusivity with an interactive art instillation for blind and vision impaired people.

And we speak to the winner of Mr Gay Pride Australia Jordan Bruno from Western Australia and find out how he plans to build stronger pathways for young LGBTI people all around Australia.

Lara Dickinson hosted this episode of The Informer