Well Well Well

We’re diving into two iconic events in Melbourne’s queer community: A Week of Leather (AWOL) and the long-awaited return of Northside Bizarre.

AWOL and Northside Bizarre have long been cornerstones of Melbourne’s queer scene, creating vital spaces for connection, expression, and celebration within leather, fetish, and kink cultures.

We’re joined by Dean Arcuri and Brett Lasham from The Laird Hotel, who run A Week of Leather, and Craig Bascand from Down and Dirty.

Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell.

If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected]

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org and samesh.org.au.

This week on Well Well Well, we’re joined by Josh Smith from Lifeblood and Professor John Kaldor from the Kirby Institute to unpack the recent changes to plasma donation rules, now allowing thousands more—including gay, bi+ and trans Australians—to donate without a wait period.

We also look ahead to 2026, when gender-neutral rules for blood and platelet donation are set to be introduced.

HIV Futures is the largest and longest-running study of people living with HIV in Australia. Running since 1997, the study undertakes periodic surveys of Australians living with HIV.

Dr Thomas Norman joins us to discuss the study, what it aims to accomplish, some of the findings in previous years, and why people living with HIV should consider taking the survey themselves.

Learn more about HIV Futures 11 at hivfutures.org.

Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell.

If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected]

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org and samesh.org.au.

We speak with Becky about Birthing Belonging, which offers inclusive and accessible childbirth and early parenting education for LGBTQIA+ families through their Rainbow Kin sessions.

These sessions explore Inclusive Childbirth Education covering labour preparation, birth options, navigating the healthcare system, and creating affirming birth plans that reflect your values, as well as Early Parenting, newborn care, feeding, sleep, bonding, and building confidence as new parents.

Learn more about Birthing Belonging at their website or on Instagram.

Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell.

If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected]

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org and samesh.org.au.

In this special episode of Well Well Well, we’re coming to you from two corners of queer community celebration and connection. First, we head to the Adelaide Pride Gala to hear from this year’s award winners—recognising trailblazers, community champions, and unsung heroes making a difference across South Australia.

Then we sit down with Tom Herbert from Living Positive Victoria for a crossover conversation about their podcast Poslink+, exploring the power of peer voices, creative partnerships like HIV Unwrapped, and Bi+ inclusion in HIV services.

South Australia this year is celebrating 50 years of gay decriminalisation with a bevy of events from street parties to sport events and nature walks.

The flagship Adelaide Pride Gala is also taking place on Friday June 27th to honour the state’s history, celebrate the community and recognise those making a positive impact across South Australia.

In this episode of WWW we’ll hear from South Australians who were there when homosexuality was decriminalised including:

Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell.

If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected]

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org and samesh.org.au.

The City of Yarra is partnering with VicHealth to kick off Dry July with Somewhere Sober – a place for connection and conversation around the relationship between queer social spaces and alcohol.

This is a relaxed, welcoming event for LGBTQIA+ folks and allies who are sober, sober-curious, or simply keen to explore social spaces that don’t revolve around drinking.

For a primo showcase of sober (and sober-curious) LGBTQIA+ comedians and artists, check out the event on the City of Yarra website here.

Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell.

If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected]

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org and samesh.org.au.

This week on Well Well Well, we’re joined by Alex Lopez and Derryn Pert from Pelvic Health Melbourne to talk about all things pelvic health — what it is, why it matters, and how it shows up differently for different people.

We’ll explore the unique concerns across our LGBTIQA+ communities, including for gay and bi men, lesbian and bi women, and trans and gender diverse people.

This week on Well Well Well, we explore the power of play and life-saving health interventions.

Dr Phoebe Toups Dugas from Monash University joins us to discuss how games can be more than just entertainment—they can be spaces for identity exploration, community building, and inclusion for trans and queer players. We dive into what makes a game truly inclusive, how queer and trans gamers are shaping the future of game design, and why representation behind the scenes matters.

Then, we turn our focus to harm reduction with Linda Cowan from Thorne Harbour Health, who breaks down everything you need to know about Naloxone—how it works, how to access it, and how this simple intervention can save lives in the face of Australia’s ongoing overdose crisis.

TGD Gaming Resources: 

Published Papers:

Designed & Discovered Euphoria: Insights from Trans-Femme Players’ Experiences of Gender Euphoria in Video Games

Analyzing Trans (Mis)Representation in Video Games to Remediate Gender Dysphoria Triggers

Games Discussed:

Celeste

One night; hot springs

Cyberpunk 2077

VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

Easy, Free Development Platforms:

Twine

Godot

Sesh.ed (Instagram)
Follow @sesh.ed for down-to-earth, non-stigmatising drug education and harm reduction info.

Overdose Day
Learn how to administer naloxone and access overdose prevention resources: overdoseday.com

TripSit Drug Combinations Chart
Check drug interactions and potentially dangerous combinations with this easy-to-use chart: combo.tripsit.me

Drug Alerts (Victoria)
Stay informed with alerts from VicHealth and Sesh.ed. You can also get SMS alerts direct to your phone via Barwon Health: mhdas.barwonhealth.org.au

Free Naloxone at Pharmacies
Access naloxone for free through Victoria’s Take Home Naloxone program—no prescription needed: health.vic.gov.au – Naloxone Program

In this episode of Well Well Well, we shine a spotlight on the power of community-led solutions in HIV prevention, care, and support.

We’re joined by representatives from ViiV Healthcare, WAAC, Watipa, NAPWHA, Thorne Harbour Health, and the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre to discuss the 2024 Positive Action Community Grants. Together, we explore how these grants are funding innovative projects that make a real difference—whether that’s supporting peer-led initiatives, improving access to care, or addressing the unique challenges faced by people living with HIV across Australia.

Tune in to hear how grassroots organisations are driving positive change and what’s next in the fight for health equity.

Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell.

If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected]

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria at thorneharbour.org and in South Australia at samesh.org.au.