Queers

The End of Queers

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 07:11:45 GMT

At least, for now. Benjamin and Simon reflect on four years of discussion about queer politics and culture, wondering what’s changed, what we’ve learned, and whether all of this was worthwhile. Thanks everyone for listening and for your support—we’re sure we’ll be back at some point and in some form, so stay tuned.

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

Queers is a Lipp Media podcast.

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We present: Sinister Sissies

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 22:00:00 GMT

Buckle up Sodomites! Sinister Sissies is your gateway to gay true crime, homoerotic horror and all things man-on-man and macabre!

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Sinister Sissies is a Lipp Media podcast.

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Conflict Is Not Abuse

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 23:41:11 GMT

Benjamin took the opportunity of a recent beachside holiday to do some light reading with Sarah Schulman’s book Conflict Is Not Abuse, which Simon read (and loved) a while back. This episode is a discussion of Schulman’s critical, compassionate, and ultimately reparative take on the theme of conflict, the book offering insight into themes that run throughout the discussions of the podcast.

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

Queers is a Lipp Media podcast.

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Free Speech

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 02:02:51 GMT

The Israel Folau sacking, campaigns to block far right activists from entering into Australia, the high court decision to uphold the sacking of the public servant Michaela Banerji. Free speech is everywhere in the news at the moment, yet despite it being central to both the politics of Benjamin and Simon we've never done an episode on it. This week we dive in head first. What even is free speech, why do we talk about it so much, and does it matter?

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

Queers is a Lipp Media podcast.

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Interview: Jarryd Bartle

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 04:06:03 GMT

Simon interviews writer, lecturer and consultant Jarryd Bartle across a range of topics relating to sexual and criminal deviancy, queer and otherwise. Jarryd talks about the uses and limits of the criminal justice system, whether the current focus of queer politics is a useful path to social change, and why he no longer considers himself “queer”.

Follow @SinisterSissies on Twitter to listen to Jarryd’s podcast, Sinister Sissies.

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

Queers is a Lipp Media podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sexless Queers

Sun, 21 Jul 2019 23:17:00 GMT

In the second part of our two-part discussion critiquing the role of sex in queer communities and politics, Benjamin and Simon get to the heart of the matter: is sexuality compulsory in queer movements and spaces? And if it isn’t, then what even is queerness?

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

Queers is a Lipp Media podcast.

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Interview: Jaya Keaney

Mon, 08 Jul 2019 00:20:52 GMT

Benjamin interviews writer and research Jaya Keaney about her work examining concepts of race in the stories of queer families who conceive kids using reproductive technologies, digging into what it means to re-imagine the queer family in the context of race.

‘Grandma, 61, gives birth to own granddaughter so her son and his husband can be dads’, by Sonja Haller.

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

Queers is a Lipp Media podcast

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Let’s Not Talk About Sex, Baby

Mon, 24 Jun 2019 02:27:37 GMT

We talk about sex a lot on the podcast, but what about people who don’t feel so comfortable about it? In the first episode of a two-part discussion challenging the role of sex in queer communities and politics, Benjamin and Simon talk sexual anxieties, how queers might overcome them, and whether that’s something we even want.

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

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The End of Queer Press

Sun, 09 Jun 2019 22:15:46 GMT

With the announcement that Australia’s longest-running queer publication has effectively closed its doors, Benjamin and Simon reflect on the value of queer media in an age when queer news is increasingly covered by mainstream publications. The question at the heart of the issue: what do we lose when we lose community-controlled queer publications?

‘Star Observer enters voluntary administration and is up for sale’

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

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Winter is Problematic

Sun, 26 May 2019 22:16:42 GMT

Just what the world needs—another Game of Thrones take! But after sharing their thoughts on the end of this TV juggernaut, Benjamin and Simon dig into the episode’s big question: what political responsibility does pop culture have to depict the world in particular ways?

‘The Real Reason Fans Hate the Last Season of Game of Thrones’, by Zeynep Tufekci

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

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Interview: Sally Goldner

Sun, 12 May 2019 22:41:06 GMT

Simon interviews community advocate and educator Sally Goldner, discussing Sally’s advocacy for bisexual and trans folk, diversity education inside and outside LGBTIQ communities, and why we’re all so hung up on binaries.

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

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Foxhole Fantasy

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 00:04:32 GMT

In the jumbo-sized Anzac Day episode you didn’t know you wanted, Benjamin and Simon ask why it’s okay to commemorate war in some ways but not others, and wonder what’s really at the heart of these taboos. Plus, a bonus discussion about loneliness and isolation in queer communities for Gay Star News’ Digital Pride.

‘‘Lest We Forget!’: Strip club slammed for controversial Anzac-themed ‘women in uniform’ night’, by Stephanie Bedo

‘Gay men post Grindr profile pictures from Berlin Holocaust memorial’, by Michael Koziol

For more about Digital Pride, visit Gay Star News.

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

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The Good Queer Body

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 23:50:12 GMT

A chat about body image and gay men quickly spins out into a discussion of queer bodies more generally, as Benjamin and Simon ask: what does it mean to look like—or fail to look like—the right kind of queer?

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast, Instagram at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

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Interview: Brendan Maclean

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 21:59:30 GMT

Benjamin interviews singer-songwriter Brendan Maclean about his new album And the Boyfriends, digging into the evolution of his music, what it means for gay men to work closely with women, and the complex relationship between queer artists and queer art.

And the Boyfriends is available on iTunes, Spotify and Bandcamp: https://brendanmaclean.bandcamp.com/album/and-the-boyfriends.

Subscribe (for free!), rate and review Queers on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Follow Queers on Twitter at @queerspodcast and Facebook at Queers Podcast.

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Episode 55: Filthy Queers

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 22:40:19 GMT

Why isn’t sex a bigger part of public discourse around queerness? Looking at a classic essay about the revolutionary potential of gay sex, Benjamin and Simon get filthy and dig into the roles sex can play, in theory and in practice, when it comes to queer politics.

‘Cocksucking as an Act of Revolution’, by Charles Shively

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Episode 54: No Really, What Can You Do

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 08:55:01 GMT

Benjamin and Simon have another crack at figuring out what individuals can do in the face of structural problems, and while the conversation stays on track this time they still end up in the weeds. What’s the relationship between collective action and structural change? And is community-level activism an effective alternative?

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Interview: Gay Alcorn

Sun, 17 Feb 2019 23:44:04 GMT

Simon interviews journalist Gay Alcorn, discussing recent articles she wrote about violence against women. In her analysis, Gay asks the question: is feminism too narrow a lens through which to examine gender-based violence?

‘It's a false comfort to say the murder and rape of women is caused by sexism’, by Gay Alcorn

‘Let’s not use the murders of women to score ideological points’, by Gay Alcorn

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Episode 53: What Can You Do

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 00:21:20 GMT

Benjamin and Simon sit down intending to record an episode about what individuals can do in the face of structural problems like homophobia, but an article about violence against women sparks a disagreement between the hosts over the question: to what extent can and should we examine individual participation within broad structures of oppression? It’s the most we’ve ever disagreed!

‘Men of Australia, it's time to pick your side’, by Clementine Ford

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Episode 52: Surf the Web, with Queers

Mon, 21 Jan 2019 01:30:35 GMT

Benjamin and Simon hit the world wide web to talk social media. It comes up a lot on the podcast, but what does social media mean for queer politics in 2019? Is it a place to find community, or is it bringing about community’s end?

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Interview: Kapul Champions

Sun, 06 Jan 2019 23:24:23 GMT

On a trip to Port Moresby, Benjamin interviews an advocate with Papua New Guinea’s only queer community organisation, Kapul Champions, to discuss the political priorities for queers in the country, and the impact of LGBTIQ political discourses in Australia.

For more information about Kapul Champions, visit: https://rainbowpng.wordpress.com/2016/10/23/group-kapul-champions/

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Episode 51: Pop Queers

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 11:53:28 GMT

Benjamin and Simon close out 2018 with a look back at its pop culture—what they liked, what they didn’t, and some of their most significant queer touchstones, from Roseanne to Queer Eye to Janelle Monáe.

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Episode 50: Queers at Fifty

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 22:48:03 GMT

Queers has made it to 50 episodes! Looking back at almost three years of podcasting, Benjamin and Simon reflect on what the show has meant to them, the combination of events and thinking that has shaped the discussions, and what it means to strive for complexity in queer debates.

Subscribe to us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/queerspodcast

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Interview: Annie Kelly

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 01:05:43 GMT

While traveling in the United Kingdom Simon interviewed the PhD student Annie Kelly. Annie is studying at the University of East Anglia, researching the online anti-feminist groups Return of Kings, A Voice for Men and the Reddit forum Kotaku in Action.

Simon and Annie talk about the ideologies and ideas of these groups, their differences and similarities with each other, and the connections between anti-feminist groups and the broader far right. They also discuss Annie’s article in the New York times on ‘tradwives’, a community of women in the United States who advocate for a return to traditional gender roles.

The Housewives of White Supremacy (New York Times Article): https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/opinion/sunday/tradwives-women-alt-right.html

The Alt-Right: Reactionary Rehabilitation for White Maculinity (Soundings article): https://www.eurozine.com/the-alt-right-reactionary-rehabilitation-for-white-masculinity/

A GamerGate explainer: http://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2014/10/28/4116140.htm

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Episode 49: Queers Educates the Stupid Masses

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 12:32:57 GMT

Diving back into the thorny issue of consent, Benjamin and Simon turn this time to the concept of ‘enthusiastic consent’, and wonder whether it really is an effective framework for addressing a problem as widespread—and as complex—as sexual assault.

‘Tea Consent’, by Blue Seat Studios

Interview with Tanya Serisier, by Living the Dream Podcast

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Episode 48: Story Time

Fri, 07 Sep 2018 02:55:20 GMT

Benjamin and Simon finally get around to watching Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette, and it sparks a discussion about the role of stories in queer activism. Can we really change the world just by telling our individual stories? Or do we need to connect to something bigger in order to effect change?

The Queerstories speaker we mentioned was from author and academic Sara Knox, who hasn’t been featured on the podcast, but you can find out more about her academic work here.

The academic working on storytelling and domestic workers in the United States is Sujatha Fernandes, whose work you can see on her website.

The academic work on crowdfunding for medical expenses is done by Matthew Wade. You can find out more about his work here.

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Interview: Jax Jacki Brown

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 05:02:10 GMT

Benjamin interviews disability and LGBTIQ activist Jax Jacki Brown about the intersections between queer and disability activism. Their discussion touches on the limits of discourse in both spaces, what it means to actively queer bodies, and how sex can become a site for practising liberation.

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Episode 47: A Guide to Belonging

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 09:58:03 GMT

A politics that says we should respect and celebrate difference is all well and good, but what does that mean for belonging? Benjamin and Simon discuss the importance of finding a place to belong, and wonder whether our need for belonging is at odds with a politics of liberation.

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Episode 46: Civil Queer, Respectable Queer

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 00:10:12 GMT

What starts out as an in-depth look at the explosive reunion episode of Ru Paul’s Drag Race Season 10 leads Benjamin and Simon into a discussion of respectability politics and civility politics in queer communities and beyond, and what it means for queers to support each other when things get tough.

‘The Vixen Speaks on Season 10 Reunion and How RuPaul and ‘Drag Race’ Fail Black Queens’, by Mathew Rodriguez

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Interview: Jordan Raskopoulos

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 02:41:37 GMT

Simon sits down with comedian Jordan Raskopoulos about coming out as trans in a very public way, what it means to be a comedian who cares about being funny at the same time as she cares about queer communities, and being encouraged to embrace her body through roller derby.

Jordan's website: https://www.jordanrasko.com/

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Episode 45: Problems with Privilege

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 05:30:00 GMT

A question about the relative privilege of gay men within queer communities turns into a debate about the value of analysing privilege through an identity-based lens at all. Benjamin and Simon grapple with the question: does assigning privilege to certain groups of people help us overcome oppression, or simply drive us apart?

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Episode 44: Full Equality

Thu, 24 May 2018 05:32:31 GMT

An article about the idea of “full equality” for LGBTIQ people gets Simon and Benjamin wondering what the idea even means, particularly once most of our civil and legal rights have been taken care of. If we can’t see a sexual revolution coming any time soon, where does the idea of equality stop making sense, even on its own terms?

‘‘Full equality’: how Netherlands is pointing the way for Australia on LGBT rights’, by Paul Karp

‘Canberra business cleared of discrimination for firing no voter’, by Jesse Jones

Facebook comment, by Andrew Robert

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Interview: Scott Williams

Wed, 02 May 2018 12:54:19 GMT

After a debate in the media over the ethics of gay parenting, Benjamin interviews gay dad and rainbow families advocate Scott Williams about the politics of queer families, assumptions made about adoption and surrogacy, and the possibilities of family units that don’t fit nuclear norms.

More information about Rainbow Families NSW can be found on their website.

‘Julie Bindel: Gay men who use surrogacy: “Narcissistic, rich, racist, entitled pricks”’, by Jake Hook.

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Extra: Rising Minds

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 04:23:12 GMT

Earlier this year, Benjamin was asked to present a lecture on ‘The Future of Sex and Sexuality’ as part of Rising Minds, a lecture series that hosts speakers from London, New York, Toronto and Sydney to examine topics in technology, business and culture.

This episode is from the Rising Minds podcast feed, which they have generously allowed us to share here. You can find more of their lectures on their website, www.risi.ng, or subscribe to Rising Minds on iTunes.

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Episode 43: Acronyms, in Theory and Practice

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 04:13:35 GMT

The queer acronym (LGBTIQA+, etc.) seems to be getting longer with each passing year, but who gets to be a part of it? Benjamin and Simon start out wondering whether it’s useful to dissect which letters are in and which are out, leading to a surprising discussion about the limits of abstract debate when it comes to effecting political change in the real world.

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Episode 42: A Politics of Consent

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 12:44:41 GMT

The #MeToo movement against sexual assault has dominated global headlines over the past six months, but what does it mean for queer communities? Looking specifically at gay male spaces, Simon and Benjamin consider some complex and difficult questions about the nature of consent.

'How gay men normalize sexual assault', by Phillip Henry

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Interview: Janet Rice

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 22:02:02 GMT

At the Better Together conference in Melbourne in January, Simon interviewed Senator Janet Rice, the Australian Greens' LGBTIQ spokesperson, about the overlaps between environmentalism and queer politics, the legacy of the marriage equality postal survey, and the future of LGBTIQ politics in Australia inside and outside of parliament.

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Episode 41: Sex Panic

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 12:28:02 GMT

As Australian politics is embroiled in a good old-fashioned sex scandal, Benjamin and Simon dig through the muck to ask: why do we care so much about people having sex anyway? Can queers be the vanguards of a society where sex is no longer the logical endpoint of human intimacy?

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Episode 40: Don’t You Know Who I Am

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 00:31:02 GMT

We usually think of stereotypes as wholly negative things, but when it comes to queers, what are the consequences of rejecting them? Simon and Benjamin take a long, hard look at stereotypes, asking where they come from, how they limit our experience, and whether it’s possible to move past stereotypes without throwing some queers under the bus.

‘The most ethical way to allow gay men to donate blood is to end HIV’, by Nic Holas

‘PrEP revolution: Shame, class and bareback sex’, by Shafik Zahyr

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Live: Better Together 2018

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 00:48:41 GMT

It's the first ever Queers live episode! Recorded at the Better Together 2018 conference in Melbourne, Simon and Benjamin were joined by researcher Hannah McCann and advocate Morgan Carpenter to take on a big question: are queers better together?

For more information about Hannah McCann: binarythis.com

For more information about Morgan Carpenter: morgancarpenter.com

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Episode 39: Another Queer in Review

Mon, 18 Dec 2017 06:52:12 GMT

2017 is almost at an end, which means it's about a year since we did out last 'Queer in Review' episode! At the end of a year dominated by—what else—marriage, Benjamin and Simon wonder what a post-postal survey Australia looks like for queer politics, and poke our heads up out of Australia to look at how queers have been doing worldwide.

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Interview: Nic Holas

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 03:23:00 GMT

Ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December, Benjamin interviews writer, producer and HIV activist Nic Holas about his work advocating for people living with HIV, about the impact of a big few years in HIV treatment and prevention in Australia, and about how the legacy of HIV and AIDS shapes our queer present.

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Episode 38: Yes

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 03:14:00 GMT

Australia’s postal vote campaign on same-sex marriage is over and the results are in: it’s a yes. Still wading through the complex aftermath of the announcement, Benjamin and Simon share their feelings about the victory and the campaign as a whole, and reflect on what this all means for queer politics in Australia now and into the future.

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Episode 37: Queers on Queer

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 02:06:00 GMT

What the hell is queer theory? We talk about it all the time, we throw the word "queer" around like it's confetti at a gay wedding, but what on earth do we mean? Simon and Benjamin take a crack at explaining the notoriously difficult idea, fail, then succeed a little bit, then finally land somewhere in the middle of a murky queer mess.

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Interview: Benjamin Law

Wed, 18 Oct 2017 01:57:00 GMT

Simon is joined by the writer and author Benjamin Law to discuss his Quarterly Essay 'Moral Panic 101: Equality, Acceptance and the Safe Schools Scandal'. They discuss the causes of the scandal, the dangers of framing queer people as 'vulnerable', and what queers should do after the marriage equality postal survey.

Moral Panic 101: Equality, Acceptance and the Safe Schools Scandal: https://www.quarterlyessay.com.au/essay/2017/09/moral-panic-101

That could have been me: Benjamin Law on the suicide of gay schoolboy Tyrone Unsworth: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/12/that-could-have-been-me-benjamin-law-on-the-suicide-of-gay-schoolboy-tyrone-unsworth

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Episode 36: Bad People

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 01:50:00 GMT

Benjamin and Simon take a look at Benjamin Law's Quarterly Essay on the Safe Schools scandal, and wonder what it says about the ways queer communities engage with problems as 'systemic'. Are some people just bad? And if issues like queerphobia are bigger than anything one person, how can we even begin to break them down?

'Moral Panic 101: Equality, Acceptance and the Safe Schools Scandal': http://bit.ly/2yo9HSB

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Episode 35: Brunching for Equality

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 01:26:00 GMT

The campaign for the yes vote in Australia's postal survey on same-sex marriage is in full swing, coming after years of speculation from within queer communities about what a free-for-all public debate on the issue might look like. Digging into the campaign so far, Simon and Benjamin ask whether it's all as bleak as many queers fear, or if this is an unprecedented opportunity to fight homophobia.

'Same-sex marriage No campaign launches; 'Vote No' scrawled in Sydney skies': http://ab.co/2xgPCu4 '

The Project gets mixed reception for gay marriage 'no' ad parody': http://bit.ly/2fisuqH

'Marriage equality would be a victory for 'respectable' gays, but what about the rest of us?': http://bit.ly/2xgbMMS

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Interview: Helen Razer

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 01:17:00 GMT

Benjamin and Simon are joined by writer and commentator Helen Razer to discuss whether there's any 'left' left in queer communities, the successes and failures of identity politics, and to ask if there's even any point to queer political movements in the face of capitalism.

An extract from Total Propaganda: Basic Marxist Brainwashing for the Angry and the Young, by Helen Razer: https://dailyreview.com.au/otal-propaganda-basic-marxist-brainwashing-angry-young/63964/

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Episode 34: Andrew Garfield's Queer Utopia

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 01:09:00 GMT

When actor Andrew Garfield says he's currently a "gay man right now, just without the physical act", Simon and Benjamin decide to take him at face value and address the question: who gets to identify as queer? In this second part of a two-part episode, things get weird in a discussion of postmodern pornography, the abstract-ness of "identifying", and whether Andrew Garfield is the vanguard of a queer utopia.

'Andrew Garfield Faces Backlash After Saying 'I Am a Gay Man Right Now Just Without the Physical Act'', by Dave Quinn: http://people.com/theater/andrew-garfield-angels-in-america-gay/

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Episode 33: The Queer Essentials

Mon, 24 Jul 2017 01:01:00 GMT

A major fashion magazine says it's "gender fluidity" when a (heterosexual) celebrity couple swaps clothes occasionally, leading to a backlash then an apology. Delving into the thorny topic of 'essentialism' within queer communities in the first part of a two-part episode, Benjamin and Simon wonder what is gained (and maybe lost) when we locate even an idea like gender performance within particular and essential identities.

'Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik are part of a new generation who don’t see fashion as gendered', by Maya Singer: http://www.vogue.com/article/gigi-hadid-zayn-malik-august-2017-vogue-cover-breaking-gender-codes

'Vogue apologizes for Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik 'gender-fluidity' cover story': http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/07/15/vogue-apologizes-for-gigi-hadid-and-zayn-malik-gender-fluidity-cover-story.html

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Episode 32: Up Your Ally

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 00:35:00 GMT

Even though we all would have preferred otherwise, "allies" were in the spotlight during this year's Pride Month, raising the question: what role should allies play within queer activism, and even within queer communities themselves? Simon and Benjamin pit pragmatism against idealism in a discussion about how far we should go to be inclusive.

'To Abercrombie & Fitch: No, The Pride Community Isn’t ‘Everybody’', by Alex Hollander: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/to-abercrombie-fitch-no-pride-isnt-for-everybody_us_59420ad9e4b0d99b4c921155

'Gym brand explains LGBTI alphabet in stunning video - but leaves out asexuals', by Stefanie Gerdes: https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/watch-gym-brand-explains-lgbti-alphabet-stunning-video-leaves-asexuals/

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Episode 31: A Relatable Pop-Culture Podcast

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 00:27:00 GMT

Tired of heavy podcast topics, week after week? Benjamin and Simon have the podcast for you, delving into pop culture to find meaning in queer cultural representation and asking the big questions, like: did your parents ever catch you watching Queer as Folk? And have you ever urinated next to a minor celebrity?

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Episode 30: Old Colonial Queers

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 00:19:00 GMT

Homonationalism: it's a big word and kind of a complex idea, but with LGBTI rights increasingly a flashpoint for cultural conflict around the globe Simon and Benjamin decide to wade in. At this international intersection of colonialism, racism and queerphobia, is it even possible to make a positive difference?

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Episode 27: Kids

Fri, 26 May 2017 23:52:00 GMT

The recent arrest of a journalist charged with offences relating to child pornography gets Benjamin and Simon thinking about the long-standing association made in public debate between queers and pedophilia. Are we as past this sort of fear mongering as we'd like to imagine, or has the moral panic never really gone away?

News story about Ben McCormack's arrest: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/a-current-affair-reporter-ben-mccormack-charged-over-child-porn-allegations-20170406-gvf2rx.html

Daily Mail coverage: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4396550/Dating-profile-Grindr-Current-Affair-s-Ben-McCormack-emerges.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4388528/ACA-s-Ben-McCormack-directed-father-son-incest-film.html

Sarah Schulman Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.schulman.56/posts/10158279914035188

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Episode 29: Queers vs. The State

Tue, 23 May 2017 00:09:00 GMT

From marriage equality to Safe Schools, it seems like everything our communities are fighting for at the moment involves the state granting either recognition or protection to queer people. Benjamin and Simon go head-to-head with the state in a discussion that asks: why should we critique the status quo? And more importantly, where might that leave us?

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Episode 28: Agree to Disagree

Thu, 11 May 2017 00:00:00 GMT

The furore over a star-studded letter calling for a version of the Safe Schools anti-bullying program Australia could "tolerate" was a flash in the pan, but it raised some questions about queers' capacity for disagreement. Simon and Benjamin wonder what's served by robust debate within our communities, and question the value of all of us just getting along.

The original letter and petition has since been removed, but here's a news story: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/02/troye-sivan-guy-pearce-and-missy-higgins-push-for-safe-schools-replacement

Ben Grubb's apology: https://medium.com/@bengrubb/an-apology-4c5c530d4a8d

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Episode 26: Weak Queers

Mon, 08 May 2017 23:43:00 GMT

When it comes to political debates, queer communities are increasingly framing ourselves as "vulnerable". In the face of an often hostile world, Simon and Benjamin wonder what is gained (and perhaps what is lost) when we talk about ourselves as vulnerable communities in need of protection.

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Episode 25: Ballad of the Bigoted Bakers

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 23:36:00 GMT

'Religion versus queers' has reared its ugly head again in the debate over the Coopers beer boycott, so Benjamin and Simon decide to dive into that most inappropriate of dinner-party conversation topics: religion. How do we weigh the rights of LGBTI communities against religious freedom? What does it even mean to ask that question?

An article on the Coopers boycott: http://www.smh.com.au/business/our-company-supports-marriage-equality-coopers-apologise-amid-bible-society-pub-boycott-campaign-20170314-guy4vu.html

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Episode 24: Less Than Different

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 00:28:00 GMT

Although "born this way" has become a rallying cry for queers, Simon and Benjamin are pretty sure it's the wrong way to fight for the political change we want. But when you feel like you were born this way, what happens when our politics crash headfirst into our experiences?

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Episode 23: Fisting Against Homophobia

Wed, 08 Feb 2017 00:20:00 GMT

A new (and very sexually explicit) music video has a lot of queers asking: does this represent me? Benjamin and Simon respond with cries of "respectability politics", and dig into why marriage equality—what else—seems to bring out some pretty awful homophobia in gays everywhere.

'House of Air', by Brendan Maclean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2uZyTm_w0M

'Queer art pushes boundaries: why I made my explicit gay porn music video', by Brendan Maclean: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/feb/07/queer-art-pushes-boundaries-why-i-made-my-explicit-gay-porn-music-video

'It's Time', by GetUp! Australia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TBd-UCwVAY

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Episode 22: Something a Bit Like Homophobia

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 00:11:00 GMT

Homophobia. It's everywhere! But what happens when we struggle to actually point to examples of it in our day-to-day lives? Simon and Benjamin wonder whether we need to find new ways to talk about homophobia.

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Episode 21: Against Identity

Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:01:00 GMT

Queers is back for 2017, and Benjamin and Simon decide to kick off the year with a serious look at identity politics. After all, if we're going to spend so much time talking about it, we should probably figure out what it means.

'A queer take on Safe Schools and identity politics', published in Overland: https://overland.org.au/2016/06/a-queer-take-on-safe-schools-and-identity-politics/

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Episode 20: Queer in Review

Wed, 14 Dec 2016 23:40:00 GMT

It's been a big year! From Safe Schools and the marriage plebiscite to Brexit, Trump and the Orlando shooting, Simon and Benjamin reflect on what's changed for queers in 2016. And almost a year since the podcast started, we take a look at how we're doing so far, and at what comes next.

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Update: Homosexual Histories Conference

Tue, 06 Dec 2016 23:32:00 GMT

In late November Simon presented a talk at the Homosexual Histories Conference in Melbourne, organised by the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives. In this recording of his talk, Simon presents research he has been working on for his first book, Sexy Capitalism.

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Episode 19: Money Problems

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 23:26:00 GMT

Controversy around sponsorship of the queer festival Midsumma by News Corp gets Benjamin and Simon thinking broadly about what corporate sponsorship means to queer communities. Where and how do we draw the line when it comes to taking money from companies we don't like?

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Episode 18: Good Queer Bad Queer

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 23:18:00 GMT

The US Presidential Election result has Simon and Benjamin thinking about call-out culture, and wondering what's achieved in social media's violent search for the politically perfect.

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Episode 17: The Coming-Out Trick

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 22:11:00 GMT

The act of coming out is one of the few remaining things queers have in common. Reflecting on their own coming-out experiences following International Coming Out Day, Benjamin and Simon ask what it means to come out in the age of essential identity.

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Episode 16: The Monolithic Queer

Wed, 28 Sep 2016 22:04:00 GMT

Community. We talk about it all the time, but what are we actually talking about when we do? Simon and Benjamin try to break down what we mean (or don't) when we say things like "queer community".

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Episode 15: Camp Queers

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 21:59:00 GMT

Taking a week off from doom and gloom this week—or trying to, at least—Benjamin and Simon talk about one of their favourite things: RuPaul’s Drag Race. This celebration of camp culture begs the question, what’s so great about being queer?

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Episode 14: Dignity, Sometimes Dignity

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 21:54:00 GMT

Two recent news stories get Simon and Benjamin thinking about the idea of "safe spaces", and wondering whether gay men's claims that those spaces have been invaded are everything they appear to be.

An editors' note from The Daily Beast on the Rio Olympics story: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/11/a-note-from-the-editors.html Shannon Power's

Star Observer article: http://www.starobserver.com.au/opinion/gay-men-need-stop-sexually-assaulting-women-shannon-power/152159

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Episode 13: Ourselves and Others

Wed, 10 Aug 2016 21:48:00 GMT

Benjamin is back from the International AIDS Conference in South Africa, and talking with Simon about the experience leads to a discussion of misogyny, masculinity, and what HIV can tell us about the politics of gay-male sex and experience.

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Interview: Cianán Russell

Sat, 30 Jul 2016 21:41:00 GMT

At the International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, Benjamin interviewed Cianán Russell, a trans man who ran the only session in the conference program focused on transmasculine folk. Starting from a discussion of how the session came together, Cianán touches on misogyny among gay men, the complications of identity politics, male sexual entitlement, the need for men to explore vulnerability, and more.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault. Sections of the interview were published in Star Observer: http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/aids-conference-2016-trans-men-navigating-the-politics-of-misogyny-in-gay-spaces/151122

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Episode 12: Bigoted Hearts and Bigoted Minds

Fri, 08 Jul 2016 04:27:00 GMT

In the wake of a Federal Election in Australia, Benjamin and Simon talk bigotry, and wonder whether there are more constructive ways to deal with issues like homophobia than throwing around words like "bigot" in the first place. NOTE: Apologies for the poor audio quality on this episode—something went wrong in recording, but we'll have it sorted for the next one.

Margot Kingston writing on Pauline Hanson: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jul/04/pauline-hanson-takes-centre-stage-again-but-this-time-we-should-listen-not-lampoon

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Episode 11: The Imagined Political Queer

Sat, 18 Jun 2016 04:22:00 GMT

In the second episode of a two-part discussion about distinctions between queer politics and queer identities, Simon and Benjamin get to the question at the heart of the matter: what are queer political movements? If the political diversity of queer people is becoming more and more visible, can and should these movements even exist?

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Update: Safe Schools

Tue, 07 Jun 2016 04:05:00 GMT

Following the previous episode on Safe Schools and queer role-models there have been significant developments. In a quick update Benjamin and Simon talk about what's happened in the Safe Schools debate, discussing the suspension of academic Roz Ward and a new article from Catherine McGregor.

News on Roz Ward: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jun/03/la-trobe-lifts-suspension-on-safe-schools-academic-roz-ward

Catherine McGregor's "The Ugly Face of the Revolution": http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/the-ugly-face-of-the-revolution/news-story/223af67eaaaa1f0d41f729110908c3f6#load-story-comments

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Episode 10: We Don’t Need Another Hero

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 04:02:00 GMT

In the first episode of a two-part discussion about distinctions between queer politics and queer identities, Benjamin and Simon look at an opinion piece by high-profile transgender Australian woman Catherine McGregor and ask the question: what does it mean to have visible queer role-models if their politics stand in opposition to our own?

Catherine McGregor's Opinion Piece: 'I am transgender, and I oppose Safe Schools': http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/i-am-transgender-and-i-oppose-safe-schools/news-story/7e194d1cc3037b6966b9fdab59871bf9

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Episode 09: Queers Know Best

Thu, 19 May 2016 03:57:00 GMT

Eurovision is "the biggest gay holiday of the year" according to one host of Queers, though controversy surrounding Russia in this year's competition gets both Simon and Benjamin thinking about how queers in Western countries engage with the treatment of queer communities around the world, for better and for worse.

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Episode 08: The Germaine Greer Experience

Fri, 06 May 2016 03:52:00 GMT

Two recent non-queer critiques of mainstream left-wing politics prominently feature queer issues, which leads Benjamin and Simon to go looking for a connection between the centrality of queer issues to progressive political movements on the one hand, and "political correctness" on the other.

The Vox article discussed can be found here: http://www.vox.com/2016/4/21/11451378/smug-american-liberalism

The Guardian article discussed can be found here: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/apr/26/conservatives-love-to-hate-political-correctness-but-the-left-should-rail-against-it-too

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Episode 07: Burned by Business

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 03:46:00 GMT

This week queers reacted with shock and disappointment when Australian telecommunications company Telstra appeared to backflip on its support for marriage equality. Simon and Benjamin examine the decision and its aftermath, questioning the goodwill queer communities have for apparently pro-queer companies.

Update: since we recorded this podcast Telstra has issued a statement saying they will "renew their active role in the marriage equality debate". You can see Telstra's statement here: http://exchange.telstra.com.au/2016/04/18/marriage-equality/

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Episode 06: The Self-Help Guide to Queerness

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 03:40:00 GMT

An article framing so-called "reparative therapy" for queer people as an expression of self-determination finds Benjamin and Simon confronting some deeply held beliefs, and asking what options there really are when being queer is an impossible choice.

The article discussed in the episode can be found here: http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2016/04/16625/

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Episode 05: Made Straight

Fri, 18 Mar 2016 03:34:00 GMT

A discussion of Adrienne Rich's classic 1980 essay on "compulsory heterosexuality" leads Simon and Benjamin into the politics of sexual essentialism, from "born this way" to "no Asians" on Grindr profiles.

You can read Adrienne's essay here: http://people.terry.uga.edu/dawndba/4500compulsoryhet.htm

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Episode 04: A History of Violence

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 04:27:00 GMT

Mardi Gras is upon us, and this year it has prompted apologies (with varying degrees of sincerity) from institutions with a history of violence against queer people. Watching the reactions play out, Benjamin and Simon think about how queer communities remember past violence in the face of a violent present.

Note: following the recording of this podcast news broke that Mardi Gras threatened the organisers of the float "No Pride in Borders" that they would be banned from the parade due to them protesting against ALP leader Bill Shorten.

Links to that story can be found here: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/07/mardi-gras-parade-threatened-to-ban-refugee-advocates-if-they-harassed-bill-shorten
And Simon's take on the matter here: http://www.starobserver.com.au/opinion/mardi-gras-shameful-moment/147319

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Episode 03: Queer and Loveless

Fri, 19 Feb 2016 04:19:00 GMT

Valentine's Day gets Simon and Benjamin thinking about love, but questions about how queer politics became all about love quickly spin out into a discussion of what it means to be queer when you take love and relationships out of the picture.

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Episode 02: Pride, What is it Good For?

Thu, 04 Feb 2016 04:13:00 GMT

A peaceful protest at Melbourne’s Pride March ending in violence exposes some deep ideological divisions within queer communities, leaving Benjamin and Simon to grapple with the question at the heart of the conflict: who exactly are pride events for?

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Episode 01: Queering Bowie

Tue, 26 Jan 2016 23:17:00 GMT

In the wake of the sad news of David Bowie's death, Bowie superfan Simon shares his own experience of the ways the iconic musician influenced his sexuality, while Benjamin wonders what makes—or doesn't make—someone a gay icon.

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