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LYOURVE BODY EVEN IF YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE HER >
MADE IN AUSTRALIA FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU SEP / OCT 2014
LIFE LOVE 42 24 EQUALITY
ONLINE ADDICT IS SOCIAL MEDIA TAKING OVER YOUR LIFE?
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KIDS OF SAME SEX COUPLES HEALTHIER & HAPPIER CHANGING OUR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT GENDER
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DEMENTIA & AGED CARE IN THE LGBTI COMMUNITY
VINTAGE PORTRAITS OF LOVE & PRIDE GET COOKING BAKE OFF IS BACK!!!
> LOOK UP & LIVE LIFE WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH
72% RECORD SUPPORT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY
The Dickson Tradies and The Woden Tradies are Canberra’s premiere entertainment destinations. With à-la-carte restaurants Essence and Pillars (home of The Tradies Legendary Schnitzel) offering truly excellent meals and exceptional value-for-money and Bluey’s Café’s locally-sourced coffee, fresh desserts, meals, and snacks (available until 4am daily), The Tradies serves-up a perfect dining experience. Combine amazing food with an exclusive selection of Canberra region cool-climate wines, daily giveaways, live entertainment, promotions, and special events, and you’ll soon discover that The Tradies has something for everyone.
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Every Monday from 6:30pm The Dickson Tradies & The Woden Tradies
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Every Monday from 5:30pm The Dickson Tradies & The Woden Tradies Every Tuesday from 9:30am The Dickson Tradies
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Every Tuesday from 5:30pm The Dickson Tradies & The Woden Tradies
The Dickson Tradies 2 Badham St, Dickson ACT, 2602 | The Woden Tradies Cnr Launceston & Furzer Sts, Woden ACT, 2606 For the information of members
FUSE MAGAZINE MADE IN AUSTRALIA SEP / OCT 2014
LIFE LOVE 42 EQUALITY EDITOR Alexander Thatcher
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ASSOCIATE EDITORS Linda Djumlija Yasmin Element
FUSE FEATURES
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Christopher Powell CONTRIBUTORS Rose Pappalardo Megan Munro Scott Malcolm Dwayne Lennox Paul Sobczak Robert Henderson Melisa Paz May Garrett Philippa Moss Keiran Rossteuscher PHOTOGRAPHERS Doug Robinson Rose Pappalardo CONTACT FUSE 0412 309 992 hello@fusemagazine.com.au fusemagazine.com.au PO Box 3577 Manuka ACT 2603
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How much time do you spend on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or Twitter? No, seriously: is it hours a day? New research has shown that the more time you spend engaged online, the more likely you are to feel unhappy and dissatisfied with your life. Are you an online addict? Find out if social media is taking over your life and what you can do about it!
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Average Joe ‘AKA Paul Sobczak’ tells us that, for the first time in his life, he actually feels good about the way he looks. Paul shares how he changed his feelings about self image and how you too can learn to love your body.
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Emperor Hadrian (117-138AD) was celebrated as one of Rome’s greatest Emperors. He was also the first leader in history to make it clear that he was gay and to declare his young lover a god. Playwrite Davis Atfield uses this story as a springboard to explore many issues affecting today’s society and gay community, especially its obsession with youth and beauty.
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WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU All rights reserved. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The appearance, mention or likeness of any person or organisation in editorial or advertising in no way suggests sexual or political orientation. Photographs used to illustrate editorial do not depict the real lives, behaviour or sexuality of the models. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the FUSE publisher, editor or staff. Any health, fitness or dietary advice contained in this magazine is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician and a fitness/health professional before changing your diet, doing any exercise program, or taking any supplements or remedies of any kind. Submissions of text, photographs or any other material will be taken as consent to publish said material.
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Editor’s Rant What’s On : Movies What’s On : Events & Shows Round Up : News & Politics Round Up : Marriage Equality Report Community : Erase the Binary Couch Potato : Film & TV Out & About : Cube Nightclub Money Shot : Be Money Smart Fab Things: The Latest Cool Stuff Health & Wellbeing : Gay Periodic Survey Ear Candy : Sugar Daddy Bring It Home Eat Me : Green Power! Health & Wellbeing : LGBTI Aged Dementia Homo Heritage : Vintage Portraits of Love Stargazer : Your Horoscope FUSE Community Directory Dear Rose FUSE42CONTENTS
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❂ LIVE WITH YOUR HEAD HELD HIGH HAVE YOU GOT NOMOPHOBIA? A recent study found that a staggering 53% of people are anxious when they forget their mobile phone, lose it, run out of battery, or have no network coverage. The new phobia — the fear of being out of mobile phone contact — has been coined Nomophobia. It begs the question, ‘when was the last time you left your smart phone at home, on purpose, or turned it off for more than a day’? My dad has never owned a laptop or an iPhone and probably has no idea what an app would be. Things have certainly changed in just a single generation. He’s just like most of us, enjoys a coffee in his favourite cafe or a weekend with his mates. But the biggest difference is that’s he is not spending half that time checking his Facebook newsfeed, seeing who has ‘liked’ his latest post, uploading a photo on Instagram, or posting a tweet — ‘just drank #beer in a boat’. He doesn’t need others to know what’s he’s doing to feel validated and most importantly, as the Buddhists would say, he’s living in the moment.
FUSE
I’m starting to wonder if I’m actually any better off with my swag of 4G and WiFi enabled gadgets that I religiously drag everywhere with me. We’ve been convinced that we ‘need’ these things and that they make our life better but as I look around, I think that maybe it’s all gone too far, too fast.
Alexander Thatcher Editor
Don’t get me wrong, I think social media has many benefits and my iPhone is a pretty awesome tool, but it does seem to me that too many people are missing so much of ‘real’ life, with their heads down and eyes glued to 4 inch screens. Do you think you’re a social media junkie? You can find out in our article about online addiction and read how it’s affecting our lives and what we should do about it! p14. In this issue of FUSE we also look at the importance of loving and honouring your body — even if it’s not what the world considers ideal p19; changing our perceptions on gender in an effort to ‘erase the binary’ p16; the issues of LGBTI people with dementia in aged care p41. And on a lighter note, we check out a new gay play by David Atfield called Scandalous Boy, which is coming to The Street Theatre during SpringOut p24. I’m also excited to announce that BAKE is back again so it’s time to get cooking. Last year we held Canberra’s very first GLBTQ Bake Off at the EQ Café in Deakin and it was a huge success raising over $2000 for charity. Hopefully this year we can do even better. It’s a really fun event and we are going to include some live shows and extra goodies to help make the day even more fabulous. So mark Saturday 8 November in your calendar and start thinking about what awesome food you’ll enter in this years Bake Off. More info on p7. Enjoy, Alex
WHY YOU SHOULD BE PART OF THE
CANBERRA GLBTQ BUSINESS & COMMUNITY DIRECTORY FUSE Magazine is currently putting together Canberra’s own GLTBQ Business & Community Directory for 2015. This will be an invaluable resource for our whole community. If you are a business or organisation who would like to engage with the gay and lesbian community by advertising in the directory please contact Alex on 0412 309 992 or email hello@fusemagazine.com.au. We are also offering not-for-profit community groups and support services a free listing in the directory, please contact us for details.
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EDITOR’SRANT
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MOVIES
Gay pride beginnings : In 1965 out pickets called “Annual Reminders” began to inform and remind Americans that LGBT people did not receive basic civil rights protections.
SIN CITY : A DAME TO KILL FOR OPENS 18 SEPTEMBER Fans will once again delve into creator Frank Miller’s Sin City universe for tales of love, betrayal and murder. Almost a decade after director Robert Rodriguez teamed with graphic novelist Frank Miller to bring the stylish, pulpy and bloody Sin City to the big screen comes this sequel. Or is it a prequel? Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson and Mickey Rourke are all back for more, joined this time round on the hard boiled (and mostly black and white) streets by Josh Brolin, Eva Green and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
DRACULA UNTOLD OPENS 2 OCTOBER Luke Evans (Fast & Furious 6, Immortals) stars in Dracula Untold, the origin story of the man who became Dracula. Every super hero has an origin story so why not a villain? And why not one of the oldest villains in literature? Count Dracula wasn’t always a bloodsucking creature of the night and this film, directed by first-timer Gary Shore, charts the transformation of Vlad Tepes (Luke Evans) from Transylvanian prince to vampire — history books be damned! Dominic Cooper and Game of Thrones’ Charles Dance also star in this action-adventure.
KINGSMAN : THE SECRET SERVICE OPENS 23 OCTOBER Colin Firth is no stranger to the secret service, having played a Cold War era operative in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), but Kingsman — a story about a super-secret spy organisation that recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program — is an entirely different kind of film. Based on the graphic novel of the same name, it sees a clandestine British organisation recruit potential young operatives and veteran agent Harry Hart (Firth) sees much promise in the street wise smart-ass, Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin (Taron Egerton). Directed by Kick-Ass’s Matthew Vaughn, it looks like fun.
PRIDE OPENS 30 OCTOBER
FUSE MOVIE PICK OF THE MONTH!
Sometimes a common enemy can unite to very different causes. Such was the case in 1984 Britain, where the striking miners and the organisers of the Gay Pride march were united against a common evil: PM Margaret Thatcher. Pride, inspired by a remarkable true story, is in the vein of The Fully Monty and Billy Elliot, and stars Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Paddy Considine and Dominic Cooper. “This a richly enjoyable film and one that persuades you that the good guys might actually have won in the end” — The Guardian.
By Dwayne Lennox
FREE DENDY MOVIE TICKETS : Email us and tell us what you think of FUSE, comment on an article or sign up to the FUSE eNews and you could win free tickets to these fantastic movies. hello@fusemagazine.com.au
FREE MOVIE PASSES KINDLY SUPPLIED BY DENDY CINEMAS CANBERRA LEVEL 2, NORTH QUARTER CANBERRA CENTRE, BUNDA STREET, CANBERRA CITY 261-263 KING STREET, NEWTOWN • SHOP 9, 2 EAST CIRCULAR QUAY, SYDNEY PORTSIDE WHARF, REMORA ROAD, HAMILTON WWW.DENDY.COM.AU
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AN ILLUMINATED WONDERLAND COMMONWEALTH PARK • CANBERRA WEDNESDAY 24 SEPT - SUNDAY 28 SEPT 2014 • 6.30-10.30PM • World-renowned comedians • Brilliant lighting designs • Fantastic food and wine • Roving entertainment • Bustling night markets Buy tickets at www.ticketek.com or 13 28 49 FLORIADEAUSTRALIA.COM/NIGHTFEST
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Sunset Boulevard > 8 – 25 October “The show’s a hit. Lloyd Webber’s most artfully constructed score. It offers two of Lloyd Webber’s best songs in With One Look and As If We Never Said Goodbye.” Time Magazine
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics by Don Black & Christopher Hampton Based on the Billy Wilder Film Orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber
8 – 25 October The original production of Sunset Boulevard won Tony Awards in 1995 for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book of a Musical as well as many individual acting and design awards. It has also won a Drama Desk Award and been nominated for two Laurence Olivier Awards as recently as 2009. From start to finish it’s a tragic tale, both in its conclusion and in its depiction of someone who confused the immortality of her screen identity with the mortality of her flesh and bone. It’s easy to see why the film version was voted one of the best films ever made: the characters could have been created by Sophocles, the story seismically spirals into despair and the themes resonate to the present day. ‘Scored with some of Lloyd Webber’s loveliest melodies the lyrics are witty, funny and genuinely poetic. There shouldn’t be a dry eye even in the lobby.’ Vincent Canby, The New York Times
BOOK NOW! FOR TICKETS CALL 02 6285 6290 253 CRAWFORD ST, QUEANBEYAN
theq.net.au 6
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WHAT’S ON
OVER
FLORIADE BLOOMS TO LIFE IN 2014
BAKE IS BACK!
13 SEPTEMBER – 12 OCTOBER 2014 COMMONWEALTH PARK
2.00PM – 5.00PM SATURDAY 8 NOVEMBER EQ CAFE & LOUNGE 70 KENT STREET, DEAKIN
Floriade is encouraging visitors to embrace their passionate side when the world-class floral extravaganza returns for its 27th year this September. Whether you express it on the field or from the sideline, through your hobbies or in your efforts to make our world a better place — there will be something for everyone as Floriade delivers yet another fantastic program of events inspired by the 2014 theme, Passion. In addition to the beautiful flowerbeds, Australia’s biggest celebration of spring will feature gardening tips from experts in the field, inspiring musical performances, culinary demonstrations by world-renowned chefs and an exciting line-up of children’s entertainment. The 30 days of activity will be programmed into four themed weeks — Arts and Culture, Food and Wine, Family Fun and Outdoors and Adventure — to ensure there is something new and exciting to see each week. The festival atmosphere continues after dark for five nights only as Commonwealth Park is transformed into an illuminated wonderland for the ticketed twilight event, Floriade NightFest. Now in its seventh year, the enchanting evening experience offers an array of fantastic food and wine, brilliant lighting designs and bustling night markets, as well as performances from roving entertainers, world-renowned comedians such as Tom Gleeson and Luke McGregor, and more. Floriade will be held at Commonwealth Park in Canberra from 13 September until 12 October 2014, while NightFest will light up the park from Wednesday 24 September until Sunday 28 September. For more info visit floriadeaustralia.com or call 1300 852 780.
$2000
IN CASH AND PRIZES TO BE WON!
Buyers and bakers wanted! Deliciously good and heaps of fun — BAKE : Canberra’s GLTBQ Charity Bake Off is back! Grab those aprons and make a difference in the kitchen this SpringOUT. If you don’t bake, don’t worry, because we also need lots of people to come along to buy, eat and be merry. Fabulously delicious food and drinks will be available from 2.00pm. Enjoy the live entertainment, enter the raffle and take part in fun games and challenges. The BAKE auction and award ceremony starts at 3.00pm. Money raised will go to the AIDS Action Council and A Gender Agenda, a not-for-profit organisation providing support for the Canberra trans* and intersex community. REGISTRATION Registration is between 11.00am and 12.00pm Saturday 8 November. Please bring your entries to the EQ Cafe function room (accessed from the deck). Registration is $5. Please note: Judging starts at 12.00pm sharp and if you’re late, your cake may not be included in the competition. All entries will be auctioned for charity and must be edible. With over $2000 in cash and prizes to be won, grab your BAKE entry form and see the list of categories on the FUSE website.
Want to know what else is happening, visit our ‘What’s on’ section at fusemagazine.com.au WHAT’SON
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ROUND UP RESEARCHERS SUCCESSFULLY ELIMINATE THE HIV VIRUS FROM CULTURED HUMAN CELLS Researchers from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, say they have found a way to eliminate HIV permanently from human cells. At the closing ceremony of the AIDS 2014 conference in Melbourne, many of the speakers, including longtime AIDS researcher and International AIDS Society Presidential Award winner Eric Goosby, told of how utterly terrifying the disease seemed 30 years ago.
NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS CHILDREN RAISED BY SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER In a new study, University of Melbourne researchers surveyed 315 same-sex parents and 500 children about their physical health and social wellbeing and have found that children of same-sex parents enjoy better levels of health and wellbeing than their peers from traditional family units. Lead researcher Doctor Simon Crouch said major factors like, lack of gender stereotyping in parenting roles leads to more harmonious and happy households. “Previous research has suggested that parenting roles and work roles, and home roles within same-sex parenting families are more equitably distributed when compared to heterosexual families. So what this means is that people take on roles that are suited to their skill sets rather than falling into those gender stereotypes, which is mum staying home and looking after the kids and dad going out to earn money. What this leads to is a more harmonious family unit and therefore leading on to better health and wellbeing.” “Quite often, people talk about marriage equality in the context of family and that marriage is necessary to raise children in the right environment, and that you need a mother and a father to be able to do that, and so marriage should be restricted to male and female couples. I think what the study suggests in that context is that actually, children can be brought up in many different family contexts, and it shouldn’t be a barrier to marriage equality.” Dr Crouch said.
However, as the medical community and wider community has learned more about the HIV / AIDS, the resolution to fight it — and destroy it — has only become stronger. Temple University’s new discovery may yet bring us closer to this reality. Scientists have found a way to cut the infected genes out, potentially eradicating the virus for good and negating the need for lifelong treatment. Dr Kamel Khalili, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Temple calls said there where still serious hurdles but that it’s an “important step” towards the eradication of AIDS, though it is still years away from the clinical stage. “We want to eradicate every single copy of HIV-1 from the patient,” said Dr Khalilli. “That will cure AIDS. I think this technology is the way we can do it.”
Family Voice Australia research officer Roslyn Phillips, chipped in saying, the study should be taken with caution. “You’ve got to look beyond studies like these to what happens when the child reaches adulthood, and that’s the only time with independent assessment you can really say what’s gone on with the parenting and then ask them how they’re going in all sorts of ways, I think that would be a more relevant study.” she said.
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Young people today may well live to see an openly gay president, or a time when few people will care whether the president is gay or not... By the time that happens, I am sure we will have found something else equally silly to divide us. Jack Lessenberry — US Radio Commentator
NEWS&POLITICS
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Did you know : Ellen DeGeneres — Emmy Award winning actor, writer and stand-up comedian — is considered the most influential gay person in the world? DeGeneres came out in 1997 and is the host of one of America’s most successful chat shows, The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
THE INVISIBLES VINTAGE PORTRAITS OF LOVE AND PRIDE A new book full of a remarkable collection of archival photographs — sometimes poignant, sometimes playful, invariably tender — of gay and lesbian couples in the early twentieth century is truly a testament of love. Each couple, Diane Ackerman wrote in her sublime natural history of love, gets to redefine love, and these are some humble and humbling, beautifully human, immeasurably yet quietly courageous redefinitions.
JESUS WOULD APPROVE OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE Sir Elton John called the most progressive Pope we’ve ever had in history “wonderful” and said Jesus would approve of marriage equality in an interview with Sky News.
The collection of unique vintage photos of gay couples — privately and often secretly celebrating their relationships — spans from 1900 to 1960. While this is a time many now regard as the deeply closeted “dark ages,” these photos show same-sex couples who were clearly out (at least for a moment). Some camping it up for the cameras while others in loving or clearly domestic poses. These photographs of couples posed handin-hand, revealing happiness, serenity, and a surprising air of freedom, were discovered and collected by the author at flea SEE MORE markets and garage sales, the names of the subjects and VINTAGE their photographers lost to time. PHOTOS P42
The book is available at: amazon.com for $16.95
Although the Pope Francis does not support same-sex marriage, Elton John praised the Pope’s attitude toward LGBT people as a sign of progress. “He’s excited me so much by his humanity and taking everything down to the humility of faith,” he said. “It’s all basically about love and taking everybody in inclusiveness.” The singer, who plans to marry longtime partner David Furnish, with whom he has two children, also said Jesus would approve of same-sex marriage. “If Jesus Christ was alive today, I cannot see him… saying this could not happen. He was all about love and compassion and forgiveness and trying to bring people together, and that is what the church should be about.” He also wants to meet with the Russian President to discuss the country’s stance on gay rights after Putin said many Russians were fans of John “despite his orientation.” “As long as I’m alive, I will fight for people’s rights,” John said.
MAKING WORLD HISTORY : Australia has the honour of being the first developed nation in the world to abolish a price on greenhouse gas emissions, taking a giant global step backwards on climate policy. 66% of people claiming they are “angry” at the repeal of the carbon tax, according to a SMH poll of over 25,000 votes — go figure..
NEWS&POLITICS
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ROUND UP
Photo courtesy of 2SER 107.3
SAY NO TO BULLYING
THE ICONIC AUSTRALIAN LGBTQ RADIO SHOW ‘GAYWAVES’ HAS BEEN PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY Sydney’s first LGBTI radio program Gaywaves has been preserved by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), a project made possible by a bequest from the estate of gay rights activist and broadcaster Dietmar Hollman. Gaywaves premiered in November 1979 — a time when male homosexual behaviour was still criminalised in all but one of Australia’s states and territories. It aired weekly on community radio station 2SER until 2005. The program was ground-breaking and at times, controversial. The Australian Broadcasting Tribunal classified a 1982 episode on lesbian sexuality as ‘indecent and obscene’. Despite this ruling, Gaywaves took a risk and re-played the episode during the program’s 20th anniversary celebrations in 1999. Week to week, Gaywaves illustrated the Australian gay liberation movement through coverage of HIV/AIDS rallies and Mardi Gras parades, interviews with community representatives, news, current affairs reports, music and even two radio dramas. It also shared content with the US program This Way Out, which had international distribution. Gaywaves was run by a passionate group of volunteers including Dietmar Hollman, who joined the team in 1985 and worked on the program for more than 15 years as a presenter and producer. The bequest has allowed NFSA to digitise more than 160 Gaywaves episodes and also permitted the NFSA to acquire contemporary programs from Melbourne’s JOY 94.9FM, Sydney’s 2SER, Mountain District Radio 3MDR, among others. “Through his generosity, Dietmar Hollman has guaranteed that the pioneering voices of Australia’s gay liberation movement will be able to be heard by future generations,” explained radio archivist Chris Arneil. Selected interviews and segments from Gaywaves can now be heard on the NFSA’s SoundCloud channel at: soundcloud.com/nfsaaustralia
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Yet another study has shown that teens who are considered “different” from their peers are the most frequent targets of bullies. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) students; students who are overweight; and students who are perceived as “weak” are the most likely targets of bullying by others. Nine out of ten LGBTQ youth report being verbally bullied because of their sexual orientation, while 55.2% of those students reported being cyber bullied. The study also found 83% of girls, and 79% of boys report being bullied either in school or online. Most of the students in the study reported name calling as the most prevalent type of bullying, followed by teasing, rumor-spreading, physical incidents, purposeful isolation, threats, belongings being stolen, and sexual harassment. Surprisingly, cyberbullying occurred with the least frequency. Not shockingly, students who are bullies as young adults continue the trend of abuse and violence into adulthood. By the age of 30, approximately 40% of boys who were identified as bullies in middle- and high school had been arrested three or more times. Unfortunately, only 20-30% of students who are bullied tell adults or authorities about their situations.
Why do we need events like this which give legitimacy to a deviant and harmful lifestyle? The purpose of the Gay Games may well be to try to create a different impression and disguise the truth, which is that homosexuality is associated with much higher health risks and it is not life-honoring and life-giving behaviour but the opposite. US radio host Linda Harvey, of Mission America
NEWS&POLITICS
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Girl2Girl is a website for lesbians and bisexual women. Get the low-down on the down and dirty with lesbian sex 101. Find out why you should bother with safe sex; how to use latex barriers; how to stay safe emotionally before, during and after sex; and so much more. Check it out today!
Knowing what you want is an important step to emotional safety
Girl2Girl.info 11
ROUND UP NEW POLL SHOWS RECORD 72% SUPPORT FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY
Mark Textor of Crosby|Textor said, “The fact that nearly three-quarters of Australians support allowing gay couples to marry is exciting in itself — rarely do you get such a clearcut endorsement. But the really exciting part for me is the long-term trend; support rising steadily from just 38% when Newspoll first posed the question a decade ago.”
An overwhelming majority of Australians now believe that marriage equality should be allowed in Australia. The results are part of a nation-wide survey, in which attitudes towards allowing same-sex couples to legally marry were assessed. The poll, commissioned by Australian Marriage Equality (AME) and conducted by Crosby|Textor, reveals strong and growing support for legalising same-sex marriages since this question was last asked in Nielsen’s 2013 poll. Almost three-quarters of Australians (72%) now support legalising same-sex marriage, including around half strongly supporting’ it. Just a fifth opposed this to any degree with those strongly opposed, a small and shrinking 14%. Comparing this to the other national telephone polls conducted over the last decade there is a clear and steady upward trend in support. The poll also found that 77% of people also support a conscience vote on this issue in parliament. The national director of AME, Rodney Croome, said, “With Australians across all key demographics supporting marriage equality in record numbers, it’s fair to say the public has made up its mind, the community debate is over, and it’s time for politicians to act.” “We will be using this landmark research to work with government members who have yet to declare support for reform to show them they have nothing to fear.”
“Support for same-sex marriage has doubled since 2004, and is still rising. The seismic shift in public attitudes towards marriage equality is undeniable. Almost everyone agrees that this is the right thing to do and there is no need to have a grand fight on this issue.” The survey also asked a variety of demographic and lifestyle questions of the survey respondents; finding that more people in every single group surveyed supported than opposed same-sex marriage. Of particular note: • A majority of those identifying with major religions supported marriage equality, including Catholics, Anglicans and non-Christian religions. • A majority of older Australians (aged 55 years or over) supported marriage equality. • A majority in all states and regions across Australia including Western Sydney and regional Queensland. • A majority of (heterosexual) people already in a marriage supported marriage equality.
“With Australians firmly behind marriage equality, it no longer needs to be a heated or divisive issue and can instead be one where people unite across the political spectrum to achieve reform.” “It is also significant that support for marriage equality is now higher in Australia than in many other countries when they achieved the reform.”
• A majority of people with children supported marriage equality. Mark Textor said, ‘This poll definitively puts pay to some of the myths that married couples or those with religious beliefs are against same-sex marriage. It doesn’t devalue their marriages or faith, and instead gives everyone equal access to the rights they are accorded’. 72
% 57
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JUN 2007 GALAXY
JUN 2009 GALAXY
OCT 2010 GALAXY
AUG 2011 GALAXY
DEC 2011 NIELSEN
FEB 2012 GALAXY
AUG 2013 NIELSEN
JUN 2014 C|T
‘Even a majority of those opposed to marriage equality agree that their elected members should be free to make their own decision rather than follow a party line. It’s time to let politicians do what the public clearly wants. Rodney Croome — Australian Marriage Equality
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IS SOCIAL MEDIA TAKING OVER YOUR LIFE? It is now easier than ever to keep in contact with friends and family, post photos, share information and chat on sites like facebook, Google+, Snapchat, twitter and instagram. Dating apps like Grindr, Scruff, Pink Sofa — and the many others — allow us to easily find someone to chat too, hook up with on any night of the week or seek that illusive meaningful relationship. They offer a wide spectrum of choice — without having to venture out — and a lot of advance information on potential partners, all fed to us in a convenient way. On the business front, the professional networking site LinkedIn allows users to request introductions to business people who are known to their contacts. The potential of this enhanced connectivity is huge; whereas once you would be left sifting through business cards after a networking event, trying to remember details about each person, you can now easily look up a connection’s credentials and business interests on their social media profile. It does seem on the surface the social media websites — personal and business — and dating apps have lots of fantastic advantages and can improve your life if used mindfully, but are they for everyone and are they making many of us lazy and possible even depressed? If you go deeper do you feel more connected or in fact alienated after hanging out on Facebook or Grindr for hours on end? Have you actually converted those hours on LinkedIn into cash or have you just used it as a distraction from the things that really need to be done in your business? A recent review of some seventy-five studies concluded that “users of Facebook do not differ in most personality traits from nonusers of Facebook.” But, somehow, the internet seemed to make them feel more alienated. An analysis of forty studies also confirmed the trend: Internet use had a significant detrimental effect on overall well-being. In a UK study last year on social media’s effects on self-esteem and anxiety, it was reported that 50% of their participants said that their “use of social networks like Facebook and Twitter makes their lives worse”. In particular, participants noted that their self-esteem suffers when they compare their own accomplishments to those of their online friends. In addition to confidence issues, two-thirds claimed they find it difficult to fully relax or sleep after spending time on social networks. A quarter cited work or relationship difficulties due to online confrontations. And more than half say they feel “worried or uncomfortable” at times they are unable to access their Facebook account, mobile apps or email accounts. Study after study has revealed that people are now more likely to be engaging in compulsive internet use, and are at increasing risk of anxiety, depression and isolation as they obsessively log in and out. We live in a generation that’s tech-crazy and extremely distracted. Social media and much online activity blurs the lines of reality and many people wrongly believe it’s a viable alternative to real, personal interaction. Of course we can’t ignore the fantastic contributions of technology to awareness and connectivity, but there’s a serious disconnect when people start paying too much attention to their screens instead of the boundless world that’s literally in front of them. Each minute you spend overly focusing on your smart phone, ipad or computer is a minute lost savouring the very awesome present.
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FUSEFEATURE
ONLINE ADDICT DID YOU KNOW » 800 MILLION PEOPLE USE FACEBOOK EVERY DAY AND THE SITE ACCOUNTS FOR ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE MINUTES USERS SPEND ON THEIR SMART PHONES.
Remember what time you went to bed before you installed that social media, Grindr, Scruff or Pink Sofa app? That’s what time you should still go to bed!
DID YOU KNOW » AS OF GRINDR’S FIFTH ANNIVERSARY IN 2014, THE APP HAD MORE THAN 10 MILLION DOWNLOADS AND OVER 5 MILLION ACTIVE USERS WORLDWIDE.
TIPS TO CURB ONLINE ACTIVITY AND GET YOUR LIFE BACK 1. Set Boundaries! Schedule your browsing time and decide how many hours are acceptable to be online and stick to it! 2. Hold back a bit. You don’t have to look at or reply to every message, post or email right away. It helps to disable those constant and unnecessary notifications. 3. Consider any social occasions such as time with your family or friends as down-time. Turn off your phone or if that’s to confronting, set it to silent. 4. Have a whole day offline at least once a week when you don’t access any mobile apps or websites. 5. Find out it if you’re addicted or rapidly tumbling toward trouble? Check out: netaddiction.com/internet-addiction-test
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Nomophobia : The fear of being out of mobile phone contact.
HERE ARE TEN SIGNS THAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS A PROBLEM FOR YOU
DID YOU KNOW » FACEBOOK HAS 1.07 BILLION MONTHLY MOBILE USERS, OF WHICH 650 MILLION OF THEM ACCESS FACEBOOK ON THEIR PHONE EVERY DAY. BUSINESS TIP If you want to use a social media site for personal as well as professional networking, consider creating a separate account under a nickname, so you can keep your professional account clean.
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You have more communications with people on social media sites and mobile apps than you do in real life.
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You regularly find yourself together with friends, all accessing your own social media sites instead of actually talking with each other.
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Checking social media websites or mobile apps is the first thing you do in the morning and your constantly checking in all day and into the late evening.
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You’ve cut short a real-world conversation to check Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Grindr, Scruff or Pink Sofa.
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You make important announcements about your life online before personally tell those closest to you. Have you ever revealed something deeply personal on social media that you’ve regretted later?
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You’ve heard some variation on the words “I wish you would stop chatting online and spend time with me.” You’re often accessing your phone apps while in social situations.
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You regularly choose to chat online rather than to pick up the phone and actually talk with someone or actually visit them!
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The number of likes and/or comments you get on a post or photo is important — you’re constantly checking in.
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Are you obsessed with how many ‘friends’ you have or don’t have. Most of your online ‘friends’ you never actually meet?
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You post only (or mostly only) selfies.
HAVE A WHOLE DAY OFF AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK WHEN YOU DON’T ACCESS ANY MOBILE APPS OR WEBSITES
The more you browse through your social media websites and mobile apps, the more likely you are to feel unhappy and dissatisfied with your life. It’s not that people gravitate toward social media when they’re feeling blue, found a new study. Instead, social media use actually seems to breed discontent. It’s still not clear why — and it’s possible that only certain styles of online behaviour lead to distress — but the researchers have some suspicions. “Given the public nature of these sites, people end up reporting a lot of the positive things going on in their lives, and a user of Facebook might end up with a biased impression of other people’s lives,” said Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the University of Michigan. “So, they might feel sub-par compared to their friends and all the wonderful things their friends are doing.” Real-life relationships have all sorts of benefits, studies show. Positive social interactions can boost happiness and intelligence and lead to better decision-making. People who are more socially integrated live longer, healthier lives. The list of benefits, Ybarra said, “goes on and on.”
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DRAG AND BURLESQUE PERFORMERS MEGAN MUNRO AND MELINA FAHRENHEIT ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON AN IMPORTANT NEW PROJECT TITLED ‘ERASE THE BINARY’. The Workshop: ‘A More Confident You’ is intended to assist the sex and gender diverse community. Megan and Melina will be showing participants how to do makeup, select clothing to suit various body shapes and talk about hair and self care. If you come along you’ll also walk away with a small makeup kit, a great new outfit and various other skills you might not have already had. The Show: Gender is not binary, it’s not all male or female it is a spectrum. The second part of the project is a evening of performance. Held on 27 September — keep a look out for venue details, the aim of the night is to have fun and challenge gender stereotypes and binaries.
MR GREEN TEAL AND MELINA FAHRENHEIT Photograph by Chris Manchester at Captivae Photography.
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Erase the Binary We live in a society which is dominated by gender binaries. There is male or female ‘everything’. Our gender is important to our very being, how we move in the world and how others see us. Not everyone subscribes to being male or female, and there are people who are ‘born male’ (known as cisgendered) who, at heart are female, and vice versa. There are also people who ‘float’ in between the two genders and don’t necessarily identify as one or the other, although their biological ‘sex’ could be either. There are also people who are born intersex which is a biological condition. There are many intersex conditions, people who are born intersex are often born with ambiguous genitals, they are not clearly male or female. Some intersex conditions are chromosomal and it is not always clear a person is intersex until later in life. It might take a health complaint or condition to reveal a person is intersex. In Australia it is still legal to perform surgery on intersex babies to alter their genitals, thereby assigning them a ‘sex’. A person’s sex, or genitals do not determine their gender. Gender is in the heart, it is how a person feels.
By Megan Munro
People who are not born with their sex matching their gender, or people who are intersex, or people who are somewhere in between, are often discriminated against. It’s everywhere in life: on forms; using public toilets; meeting new people; finding employment; intimate relationships and navigating the health system. The aim of this project ‘Erase the Binary’ is to widen broader community understanding and perception about gender and sex. We will do this in two ways. We will be holding a workshop, which will directly assist members of the sex and gender diverse community and we will be hosting a night of entertainment being held on 27 September — keep a look out for venue detail — which will focus on gender and gender diversity. This will be open to the wider community. We are raising money through an Indigogo campaign to help us do this. Any extra money we raise will go to A Gender Agenda, which is a local sex and gender diverse advocacy/support organisation. TO SUPPORT, GET MORE DETAILS AND TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE ERASE THE BINARY PROJECT VISIT: • indiegogo.com/projects/erase-the-binary/x/7914295 • Facebook, search ‘Erase The Binary’
Gender is one of those things everyone thinks they understand, but most people don’t. Like Inception. Gender isn’t binary. It’s not ‘either/or’. In many cases it’s ‘both/and’. A bit of this, a dash of that. This tasty little guide is meant to be an appetiser for understanding. It’s okay if you’re hungry for more.
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Walk in to treatment for MINOR INJURY or ILLNESS
Now open at the Tuggeranong and Belconnen Community Health Centres 7.30 am – 10 pm daily
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PLEASE NOTE: children under 2 years and those who have complex health issues should visit their GP
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For the first time in my life, I actually feel good about the way I look. And guess what? I don’t have washboard abs. My biceps aren’t bulging to escape from my shirt sleeves. And I’ll probably never be a gay magazine cover model.
By Paul Sobczak
So what gives? Well, when I turned 30 I changed the way I thought about health, attractiveness and masculinity. These changes in thought have helped me to overcome insecurities, get healthier than I have ever been and embrace my body – just the way it is. At the risk of sounding like a cheesy, late night infomercial, if I can do it, then so can you!
O
Y UR BODY O
L VE
Turn the page and find out exactly what I did.
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I got real about fitness
I got healthy
During my 20s, ‘getting fit was code for going to the gym, training like an idiot (because I pretty much had no idea what I was doing) and then stuffing myself with food, any food, in the hopes that it would transform my tall, lean body into a muscle God. Needless to say, all of these attempts didn’t see me achieve my goal.
Just because I’ve accepted that I’ll never have a ripped, shredded cover model body, doesn’t mean I’ve let my health and wellbeing go down the toilet. On the contrary. I do workout at the gym and do yoga for physical fitness.
When I turned 30, ‘getting fit’ became about getting fit. Hopes of getting a Hugh Jackman-like body were replaced with wanting to do stuff like 10 chin ups (with correct form), and work on my leg strength to protect my sore knee from getting any worse as I got older. I do want to get strong, and that might mean muscly. But that is so far from my main goal.
I got real about attractiveness Yes, muscly guys are hot. But so are tall guys, short guys, brown haired guys, red heads, bald guys, the list goes on… It’s amazing how only a few, very narrowly defined male beauty ideals have become the norm. Where does that leave the 99% of us who don’t fit into them? What about stomachs that aren’t perfectly shredded? Or biceps that have freckles on them and are slightly hairy? Or having a small penis? There is beauty in all of these things. Attractiveness is all about perspective. If we lived in a society where these qualities were celebrated, you’d feel better about them. In Egypt, they value obesity as a sign of wealth. Here we look down on it as a personal weakness. The moral of the story? Be like a fat person in Egypt. Enjoy your body and all the things about it that only you have.
I got over focusing just on appearance This might fall under the ‘you know you’re getting older when…’ category, but it’s true all the same. As you get older, your body does change. It’s happening to me, and I see it happening to other guys in their early 30s too. The first few wrinkles start to make an appearance, body metabolism changes and a grey hair or two might be popping up here and there. This made me realise if I keep focusing on just the outside (both to judge others, and to be judged by others by), I was fighting a losing battle. As youthfulness slips further and further into the past, a change of focus is required. The flip side to getting older is that I’m starting to feel like I’m getting my life, and myself, better sorted. In areas such as career, relationships, family and finances, I’m making progress. I’m using the skills and knowledge I have gained to move in the direction that feels right for me. And I hope I’m becoming more of the man I would like to be. Kinder. Compassionate. Open-minded. Friendly. These qualities outshine the importance of appearance infinitely.
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I’ve also been researching and experimenting with different food choices. I don’t believe there’s a one size fits all approach that works when it comes to nutrition and food. Wouldn’t it be great if it was? Instead, you need to do some work and find out what works for you. It could be vegetarianism, or Paleo, or just eating less crap…
I got real I don’t think we ever really stop comparing ourselves to others. It’s part of our nature as human beings, so we’re going to do it, even if we know it might not be the best thing for us. Nowadays, if I do compare myself to others, I try to do it in context. If a guy is in his mid 20s, a model and genetically blessed, it’s not really a fair contest. He wins hands down. So, it’s about looking at others who are more like you. As I’ve started to do this though, I’m noticing that my usual feelings of competitiveness, jealousy and yes, even bitchiness are diminishing. I guess it comes back to point #3, I’m no longer that focused on appearance. I also realise that the more focused on appearance I was, the more it said about me, and my own self-esteem. It didn’t have anything to do with the guy I was comparing myself to.
WHAT BODY TYPE & SHAPE ARE YOU? Ever wondered why some people can eat a whole chocolate cake and not gain a thing, while you seem to feel your bum growing just by looking at it? While this may seem an unfair mystery, it’s actually due to differences in your genetic make up, which is a combination of both your body shape and your body type. Your body shape is based on the size of your physical features and their relation to each other on your body, while your body type determines your body’s ability to gain fat and muscle. In addition, certain exercise types are more effective if you’re a particular body shape or body type.
♥
Inverted Triangle / Rhomboid / Rectangle / Triangle / Oval
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Learning to love your imperfections This one is hard for me. I would like to have been able to write a list of things about my body that I don’t like here. But guess what? I can’t bring myself to do it. I have the list in my mind. I’m just not ready for that…yet.
BODY IMAGE IS THE WAY THAT SOMEONE PERCEIVES THEIR BODY AND ASSUMES THAT OTHERS PERCEIVE THEM. THIS IMAGE IS OFTEN AFFECTED BY SOCIAL PRESSURE, FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND THE MEDIA.
But I’m making a start. I used to be the master of doing a Mariah Carey in front of the mirror. In other words, I’d only ever look at myself (and especially my naked body) from selected, pre-approved angles. If I held my stomach in, puffed my chest out, had a towel draped strategically to cover my body, I could be OK with what I saw reflected back at me. Now I can look at my entire naked body in the mirror and feel OK with it. I’m not at the ‘love’ stage yet with my body. That’s the end goal. For now, I’m in the ‘like’ stage…and that’s OK with me.
THINK OF YOUR BODY AS THE VEHICLE TO YOUR DREAMS. HONOR IT. RESPECT IT. AND FUEL IT.
You don’t need to broadcast your imperfections to the world. That’s not what this is about. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin when it’s just you and a mirror. Start there. Create your own goals that work for you.
Building up confidence It’s all well and good to talk (or write) about these things, but there’s nothing like putting yourself into a real-life situation where you really need to step up and face yourself, and your demons, head on. Next Summer, I’m hoping to have built up my confidence enough to go to the beach, take my shirt off and not feel stressed out or self conscious about it. I just want to be able to enjoy a day at the beach damn it. Yes, there will be ‘hot, buff’ guys everywhere. Undoubtedly that will pose a challenge, but I want to be fine with it. And by loving my own highly imperfect body, I hope WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. I will be. Read more articles by Paul Sobczak at: littlegayblog.com
BE YOUR BODY’S FRIEND AND SUPPORTER, NOT ITS ENEMY.
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How Does Captain America Feel About Gay Marriage? “It’s insane that civil rights are being denied people in this day and age. It’s embarrassing, and it’s heartbreaking. It goes without saying that I’m completely in support of gay marriage.” Chris Evans plays Captain America.
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN After directing Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, Ralph Fiennes turns his attentions to another Englishman of letters: Charles Dickens. But this isn’t another adaptation of the much-loved writer, rather it is the not-so well known story of his affair with the much younger actress, Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones). Fiennes (as Dickens) pulls double duty in front of and behind the camera, but it’s the women (including Joanna Scanlan as the hard-done-by Mrs. Dickens) who are most impressive in this period drama.
WALK OF SHAME
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL
Admit it, we’ve all been there: out late the night before and ending up somewhere — with someone — we shouldn’t have. After one such night, Meghan (Elizabeth Banks), an aspiring television news anchor, finds herself in downtown L.A. sans phone, car, I.D. and money. She also has only eight hours to get to the most important job interview of her career. News just in — girl, you in trouble!
One of the critical darlings of 2014 (and with good reason), Grand Budapest is also the most commercially successful film of writer-director Wes Anderson’s career, taking $170 million at the international box office. Headlining an all-star cast (including Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Ronan and Bill Murray) Ralph Fiennes (in rare comedic mode) is Gustave H., manager of the titular hotel which sits in the mountains of a fictitious European land on the eve of a not-so fictitious war. Great fun!
SNOWPIERCER Following a climate disaster which has frozen the planet, the surviving members of the human race live aboard the Snowpiercer, a hi-tech train designed by an eccentric billionaire, which continually travels the planet. As before the fall of civilisation, people are still divided into class but those at the back of the train, lead by Curtis (Captain America’s Chris Evans), are as mad as hell and aren’t going to take it any more. Korean director Joon-ho Bong’s compelling sci-fi is a dark, political and bloody ride.
TRANSCENDENCE The merging of humans and computers seems to be a running theme in 2014, with Her and Lucy (both starring Scarlett Johansson) broaching the subject from different — romance and action — angles. There’s no Scar-Jo in Transcendence, the directorial debut of cinematographer Wally Pfister (who lensed The Dark Knight trilogy), instead we get Johnny Depp as a computer scientist whose consciousness is uploaded into the mainframe following his death. What could possibly go wrong?
By Dwayne Lennox
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CAPTAIN AMERICA THE WINTER SOLDIER Awakened after 70 years on ice to fight alongside the Avengers in 2012, the first Avenger, Captain Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), gets his second solo mission in The Winter Soldier. Teaming with Agent Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Steve discovers that fighting the good fight isn’t as black and white as it once was as forces from within strive to bring S.H.I.E.L.D. down. Captain America also comes face-to-face with two ghosts from his past in this action-packed blockbuster.
You’ll find all these titles at JB HiFi, online or at all good DVD outlets. Check out fusemagazine.com.au for DVD giveaway details. Reviewed for FUSE by Dwayne Lennox — thelennoxfiles.blogspot.com.au FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU
Marriage Equality: What Next? 5.30pm til 7.30pm > 10 September 2014 Street 3, The Street Theatre, 15 Childers Street, Canberra Are you wondering what happened to marriage equality? Please join us for an interactive discussion about Marriage Equality legislation. Ms Di Simpson, Family Lawyer, will lead a discussion by panel members: Ms Heidi Yates: Chair of the ACT LGBTIQ Council; Mr Simon Corbell: ACT Attorney General; and Mr Ivan Hinton-Teoh: Deputy Director of Australian Marriage Equality CRFLPA Members: $20 Non Members: $40 RSVP by Monday 8 September 2014 to crflpaorg@gmail.com. Payment details will be provided upon receipt of your RSVP. Drinks and snacks will be provided on the night. Limited places are available. We look forward to seeing you there.
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ETHAN GIBSON PLAYS ANTINOUS IN SCANDALOUS BOY
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By Robert Henderson
SCANDALOUS BOY SEX AND NUDITY COME TO CANBERRA IN A SCANDALOUS NEW PLAY Every time I’ve seen a play directed by David Atfield, be it Lovely Louise, Pink Triangles or the sell-out Blackbird, I’ve always been extraordinarily impressed. So it will be exciting to see a new play written and directed by Atfield come to The Street Theatre this November. Scandalous Boy, it seems, is set to be another fantastic success. I couldn’t help myself and asked the director about the rumors’ on apparent nudity and sex — when I interviewed him — and he promptly told me “there will certainly be a lot of both in Scandalous Boy.”
Scandalous Boy tells the story of 50 year old Emperor Hadrian’s meeting his great love, the 16 year old Greek boy Antinous, referred to by a Christian historian as “that scandalous boy”. After his mysterious death aged 19, Hadrian had Antinous deified as a God and he was worshiped all over the empire for more than 300 years. Being a God he’s immortal so the play opens with Antinous narrating his life from the viewpoint of today. This way Atfield is able to use the relationship as a springboard to explore many issues affecting today’s society and gay community, especially its obsession with youth and beauty. The play looks at the nature of gay relationships, between older and younger men, and in fact any relationship where there is an age, money or power difference. Antinous was trained in the Greek role as a male consort or ‘eromenos’. Typically the relationship with the older man would last from the ages for 16 to 19, and then a new youth was chosen. So the continuation of the relationship past 19, would have been one of anxiety for Antinous. Will he be dumped for a younger man? What does he think of his sugar-daddy? Hadrian was totally besotted by Antinous, but how much of that love was returned? What do other men in similar positions feel? Atfield was inspired to write Scandalous Boy as he kept coming across so many statues of the same figure in Europe, be it at the Vatican, Athens, Madrid, Berlin or Cophenhagen, named, but coyly described as Hadrian’s “favourite”. There are so many statues of Antinous that he’s the third most numerous human figure, after Augustus and Hadrian. The more Atfield found out about Antinous the more amazed he was that he’d never heard of him and that he wasn’t a gay icon. History is written by the victors and the Christians have expunged Antinous as much as possible. David told me he was very excited and pleased with the success he’s had in casting the play. For the lead role of Antinous the actor needed to look young, be incredible fit and crucially, of intense physical beauty, both with his face and body.
Writer and director David Atfield
But he also has a very wide dramatic range to cover. He found all these in Canberra actor Ethan Gibson (pictured below). For the powerful, brooding role of the Emperor Hadrian, the talents of Nicholas Eadie, well known for the TV shows Cop Shop, The Henderson Kids, A Country Practice, Medivac and Underbelly, he also starred in the world premier of Holding the Man, has been in many theatre works and was an AFI Best Actor Award Winner for the mini-series Vietnam co-starring with Nicole Kidman. Other characters in the play are Sabina, wife to Hadrian in a loveless, political marriage; Lucius former lover of Hadrian’s who successfully kept the young men from getting too close to Hadrian until Antinous came along; and Marcellus, a sweet and attractive 19 year old who becomes Antinous’ secret lover. The conflicts between these characters and the circumstances of Antinous’ mysterious death make for an exciting, acerbically funny, thrilling and controversial play. Can’t wait!
Scandalous Boy opens during this year’s Canberra SpringOut Festival at The Street Theatre 14-23 November Bookings thestreet.org.au or 6247 1223
HADRIAN & ANTINOUS Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus was not only a peacemaker who pulled his soldiers out of modern-day Iraq. He was also the first leader of Rome to make it clear that he was gay. Although an accomplished ruler, Hadrian owes his fame mostly for his renowned devotion to his lover, Antinous. Antinous was considered a visible manifestation of divine perfection. Although a poor boy, by the end of his short life, he was known all over the Empire. After spending only seven years together Hadrian’s young lover, Antinous drowned mysteriously in the Nile in 130. The Emperor was completly overcome with grief, and declared the young man to be a god, and founded an Egytpian city, Antinoopolis, in his honour. Antinous was considered throughout the empire to be a visible manifestation of divine perfection. In the following years at least 2000 bronze and marble busts and statues where made to honour Antinous.
FOOTLIGHTS
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OUT&ABOUT
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FREE ENTRY & HAPPY HOUR There is nowhere else you should be in Canberra! Come and play at Cube nightclub. Free entry and happy hour every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night until 11pm.
Are you Fierce enough for Cube’s brand new #FierceFriday — it’s Cube’s newest show stopper, showcasing all of Canberra’s local drag queens with shows and socialites every Friday night. Brace yourself as September 26 brings the celebration of Cube’s ninth birthday. This celebration will make gay herstory, with heaps of awesome giveaways all night, fabulous shows and we will be revealing of a brand new and fabulous look for Cube — be ready for the ride of your life as we celebrate nine amazing years. Because it’s you guys and girls that keep us going, we want to give you the BIGGEST party yet! Following the birthday bash our next party will be the Cube House of Horror Halloween Party, featuring the style of a classic haunted house! Free entry if your dressed in Halloween theme and there will be prizes for the freakiest looking costume in the house — get creative and get to Cube!
CUBE OPENING HOURS • THURSDAY 9PM - 5AM • FRIDAY 9PM - 5AM • SATURDAY 10PM - 5AM • SUNDAY 10PM - LATE 33 PETRIE PLAZA CIVIC, CANBERRA CITY • CUBENIGHTCLUB.COM.AU
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• Be part of a grass roots community organisation • Receive two free safe sex packs per year • Be kept up to date with the latest news and events at the Council • And much more!
www.aidsaction.org.au Contact the AIDS Action Council on (02) 6257 2855 or contact@aidsaction.org.au
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Money Smart BE
September is Money Smart Month. From September 1 – 7 Money Smart week promotes the importance of financial literacy for all Australians. The Australian Securities and Investment Commission has a range of fantastic resources online for people of all ages to get engaged with their own financial management. Here are a few of my tips on how to achieve freedom around your money and how to increase your financial wellbeing.
1 LEARN SELF CONTROL If this is a skill that you have not yet mastered this is the top of the list for good financial management. It is the art of delayed gratification. In this day and age of things being instantaneous it is all about saving money for the things you want rather than building up high levels of personal debt.
2 KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY GOES One of the golden rules around financial management is spending less than you earn. The best way to do this is by setting up a cash flow plan and then tracking where your money goes. The money smart website has a fantastic excel budget planner and also a smart phone app to track your spend. Self control is key here as every dollar you consume is a dollar you can not use elsewhere, be it for future spending in retirement, purchasing the dream home or the list of holiday destinations you want to experience.
By Scott Malcolm Director of Money Mechanics
3 START AN EMERGENCY FUND Another personal finance rule is to “pay yourself first”. No matter how much debt or how low you feel your salary seems, it is ideal to put some money aside into a high interest savings account to build up a buffer of cash. If you can, set a target of $2,000 for your emergency fund or ‘worth living’ account as I like to call it, you can start with a small amount of $20 – $50 per pay and build this account up to provide you with an overall buffer.
4 UNDERSTAND YOUR SUPERANNUATION If you are an employee 9.5% of your salary goes into a superannuation account for you to help save for you retirement. This is your money, however just not until you are at retirement age. If you have more than one super fund check out my.gov.au to see if you have any lost super accounts and consolidate these to save fees and have everything in the one place. If you need advice on this speak to a professional who can help compare the funds you have and help you select the best one for your needs.
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HAVE A BACKUP PLAN
Last but not least it is important to put in place a plan B, to ensure that if something unplanned or undesired happens in life you are protected. If you don’t have surplus assets to self-insure you can outsource this protection to an insurance company. You can insure for protection of assets (your car, contents and house), private health, life, disability and income protection. As apart of this you should also ensure your binding nominations for your super account, your Wills and Enduring Power of Attorney are up to date and appoint people who you want to benefit from any assets or insurance policies that you have in place. If you need assistance in exploring these further talk to a professional and start your journey to being free around your money and creating wealth with understanding.
If would like to ask Scott any questions, you can email him at scott@money-mechanics.com.au or call 02 6257 5557. (http://money-mechanics.com.au) Scott Malcolm is Director of Money Mechanics who are authorised to provide financial advice through PATRON Financial Advice AFSL 307379. The information provided in this article is of a general nature only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this information you should consider its appropriateness having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs.
MONEYSHOT
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Did you know : Ikea uses a whopping one percent of the world’s wood supply for it’s most popular products. Good news, 25% of Ikea wood is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
THE PERFECT SHOWER COMPANION This takes singing in the shower to the next level. Get your tunes blasting and make your shower time an even better part of your day. The speaker is water-resistant and features a handy suction cup that allows you to secure it to the shower wall.
POCKET SIZED WASHING MACHINE Doing laundry while your travelling can be a real pain and certainly not much fun. You either end up hauling a whole lot of smelly clothes around, waste time in nasty laundromats or spend a small fortune on hotel services. Good news is those days are behind you — enter a new Aussie invention called the Scrubba — it’s a super clever clothes cleaning device and it’s works a treat!
Its user-friendly design lets you control it with ease. The speaker comes with everything you need to enjoy it right away and it features a built-in rechargeable battery so you don’t have to worry about running for new batteries. Who doesn’t love jammin’ out in the shower? We do and with this affordable, quality speaker it’s possible. It easily syncs up with our phone, tablet, or PC and can be played up to 10 meters away from your device.
The Scrubba is light weight, compact and best of all, it’s super quick — it takes only 30 seconds of scrubbing for clothes to come out clean and smelling fresh. The inventer, Ashley Newland, tells us that the end result of rubbing for three minutes is actually comparable to cleaning clothes in a standard washing machine. The Scrubba is something that anyone who travels should definitely have — it really is totally awesome! A single Scrubba Washbag costs $54.95 and the full Scrubba kit, complete with a towel for wringing out wet garments and a clothesline with suction cup ends, is $89.95 thescrubba.com.au
Use it in the shower or even at the pool. For your added convenience this super sleek gadget is Siri compatible so you can make hands-free calls from anywhere. And best of all it’s only $39.00 deals.cultofmac.com
A SMALL BULGE CAN BE BEAUTIFUL Wallets, it seems are one of those things that we all have — they are usually squeezed uncomfortably into our back pockets and although we’re fond of a large bulge in our pants, when it comes to wallets, small is actually better. Part of our every day carry ‘EDC’, we bring them everywhere with us, and each of us has certain expectations for our wallets and how much we need them to hold. Bellroy is a company that seems to gets wallets and have put a lot of effort into building the perfect one. They design wallets with an emphasis not only on slim, but on elegance and function.
bellroy.com
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COOLSTUFF
This beautifully styled wallet is the best of both worlds, small footprint yet plenty of room for storage. Needless to say, the Slim Sleeve is your go to wallet for everyday use. Your main cards go in for quick access, while the easy pull-tab lets you get to your less used cards. Sounds like gay man’s wet dream to us. At $79.95 it’s so worth it.
FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU
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Did you know : As of June 2014, 500 million+ iphones have been sold worldwide. This total includes all iPhone models (starting with the original up through the 5S and 5C)
NEVER LOSE ANYTHING AGAIN! ‘Tile’ allows you to find lost keys, bikes, luggage, pets — anything really! It’s an absolutely brilliant little device that can be attached to all sorts of things so that you can locate them when lost. Tile is pretty easy to use. Attach a Tile to whatever you like and have it communicate via Bluetooth 4.0 with your iPhone to indicate distance and help you find stuff when it gets lost.
IT’S ALL ABOUT SHARING There was lots of excitement when the new Socialmatic concept camera popped up online last year. Now Polaroid is officially making the design a reality partnering with Socialmatic — social-matic.com The slim Wi-Fi camera allows its users to point, snap and apply one of Instagram’s retro filters to get various artistic effects, then either instantly share their shots and post caption on any of the major social media networks, or just run off a hard copy using the device’s built-in instant ZINK printer — it’s pretty cool stuff. The Socialmatic features a 14-megapixel sensor up front for most of your photography needs, and a much smaller two-megapixel sensor on the back for snapping and sharing selfies. The camera runs Android — accessible via a 4.5-inch touchscreen LCD on the back — so that, using various apps, the images it snaps can be uploaded to any of the popular social networks over a Wi-Fi connection. But if a wireless network isn’t available, the Socialmatic can also pass images to a smartphone over Bluetooth for sharing. [Polaroid] Polaroid Australia has confirmed that the Socialmatic will be available down under later this year and will set you back around $300.
It’s especially interesting when your Tile-tagged stuff gets stolen. Each Tile is marked with what it was attached to on the phone app, and if your bike gets stolen for example, you can mark the Tile as Lost. That then flags the Tile in the backend, and if any Tile user goes near your lost Tile, it discreetly communicates with the back-end that it has been found. Then your app gets notified that some kind stranger has passed by your lost item, and marks it on a map for you. That’s seriously nifty, but it’s all going to depend on how many people also have Tiles and the range of Bluetooth, which Tile says is up to 150 feet. If you’re interested in buying a Tile, you can pre-order them for $19.95, or you can buy Tiles from users selling their extras on eBay for around $25 each — just make sure that they’re not activated before buying. Oh and since Tiles use Bluetooth, they are only currently compatible with all apple products — sorry Android users.
polaroid.com/socialmatic
oreedesign.com
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COOLSTUFF
home.thetileapp.com
GET WOOD!
BUNGAJUNGLE
Beautify your desk with the Orée’s wooden keyboard and Bluetooth trackpad. Hand crafted in France, these are just two of there many wooden products which come in either walnut or maple. Check out their website for the full range.
A pretty fantastic looking iPad or MacBook stand. It’s a bendable, pose-able snake with a big fat magnet instead of a venom spitting head. You coil and bend the snake to make the stand of your choice. Prices start at $30 bungajungle.com
FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU
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THE NUMBERS RESULTS OF THE CANBERRA 2013 GAY COMMUNITY PERIODIC SURVEY
If you cast your minds back to SpringOUT last year, many gay and bisexual men in Canberra may remember having generously donated some of their time at Fairday, Bushdance, Cube Nightclub, The Ranch or Canberra Sexual Health Centre, to share some information about themselves by filling out a marathon survey. The numbers have been crunched for Canberra and while they haven’t quite got us clutching our pearls, there are some numbers which are cause for concern. The survey is done every two years in Canberra, asking sexually active and community attached gay and bisexual guys about their use, experience and/or attitudes towards condoms, HIV, STI check-ups and drug use. The research is conducted by the Centre for Social Research in Health at UNSW (University of NSW). In Canberra it is supported with funding from ACT Health and the AIDS Action Council. Recruiters are all fabulous and hard-working volunteers.
THE NUMBER OF MEN WHO DO NOT KNOW THE HIV STATUS OF THEIR REGULAR SEXUAL PARTNER HAS DOUBLED TO NEARLY 30% The Periodic Survey isn’t usually a highlight for most gay and bisexual men’s SpringOUT experience, but it is one of the most generous things these men can do for the community. The data from the survey provides information for the AIDS Action Council, clinicians, and policy-makers and also feeds into the bigger picture about gay men in Australia. The numbers everyone wants to know about is the use of condoms, especially for casual sex. In 2013 less than 30% of men with casual partners stated they did engage in sex without condoms within the previous six months. This is actually a minor decline from 2009 and 2011, but is still higher than 2000 when the survey first started, 22% and 28% respectively. The number of men who only ever use condoms for casual sex has declined from 53% to 46%.
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HEALTH&WELLBEING
Other numbers of concern include one in six guys have never had an HIV or STI screening, and since 2003, the number of men who do not know the HIV status of their regular sexual partner has doubled to nearly 30%. The data shows that 61% of guys have had unprotected sex with their regular partner in the last 6 months, and with so many not knowing their partners status, they are potentially at risk of HIV. However, around 50% of relationships have absolutely no agreement about sex with other people. There is a good deal of evidence which suggests that gay and bisexual men are making informed decisions about their health and their relationships. Regarding the numbers above, the majority of gay and bisexual men in Canberra are using condoms with casual partners most of the time – and this is a good thing. There has also been a steady increase in men who have had an HIV check-up in the last 12 months. Relationship agreements with regular partners have significantly increased, with the most common agreement being no sex outside of the relationship. There continues to be a trend in discussing HIV status with all sexual partners, including casual sex partners. There has been a minor decline in awareness of PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis), but it remains high at more than 65%. Gay and bisexual men in the ACT continue to lead rich and complex sexual lives. The way gay and bisexual men meet, conduct relationships and their relationship to HIV is ever evolving. The AIDS Action Council works to ensure everyone continues to have access to up-to-date and relevant information for making informed choices.
If you have any questions or would like info regarding HIV, safe sex, PEP, getting a sexual health check or communication in relationships, give the Council a call on 02 6257 2855, email contact@aidsaction.org.au or check out the website at aidsaction.org.au
FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU
By Keiran Rossteuscher Senior Community Education Coordinator
GAY COMMUNITY PERIODIC SURVEY
SNAPSHOT • 61% of guys have regular sexual partners, with monogamous relationships the most common relationship type in Canberra, reported by 31%. • 61% of guys with a regular partner said they have had unprotected anal sex with their partner in 2013. This proportion is stable. •
30% of men with casual partners reported any unprotected anal sex with those partners in the six months prior to survey. This number has not changed significantly between 2009 and 2013, but the trend over time is upwards.
• Nearly 50% of relationships have no agreements about sex outside of the relationship. 70% of relationships have agreements about sex and condom use within the relationship. • With reference to online dating, use of the internet has dropped significantly since 2009 (to 28% in 2013) while the use of mobile apps has become the most popular way to meet guys for sex (35%). • Non-HIV-positive men reporting an HIV test in the 12 months prior to the survey was 67%. In 2003 this was 57%. 1 in 6 have never had an HIV or STI test. • HIV-negative men in a relationship that don’t know the HIV status of their partner has risen from 14% in 2003 to 28% in 2013. > To read the full report visit: aidsaction.org.au/research
HEALTH&WELLBEING
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Supporting someone who is feeling suicidal
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www.health.act.gov.au/suicideprevention
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Be a friend Listen, keep in touch Give them time
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EAR CANDY The record doesn’t mark Harris’ first time recording, however, when he guest-starred on Glee, for which he won an Emmy Award, he recorded a cover of Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” with Matthew Morrison, and he also appeared on the cast recording for the 2004 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins. He was also a replacement Emcee in the revival of Cabaret on Broadway in 2003. The beauty of this recording is that it was essentially rushed to see the light of day, so it was assembled in a very DIY setting with little production or polish. Harris and company truly nail the glitter-smeared, pithy nuance needed for these now-iconic songs. Prime Cuts: “Tear Me Down,” “Angry Inch,” “Wicked Little Town.”
SUGAR DADDY BRING IT HOME NEIL PATRICK HARRIS IS ADDING ANOTHER CREDIT TO HIS RESUME: BROADWAY RECORDING ARTIST. The Tony-nominated actor and former How I Met Your Mother star has released an original cast album for the Broadway production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, in which Harris plays the title character Hedwig. We were all admittedly a little sceptical upon hearing that Neil Patrick Harris would be starring in the theatrical revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. We know Harris is an all-round good guy, an extremely talented performer and has a pretty terrific voice, but could “doogie howser” inhabit the queer, grit ‘n’ spittle essence of a transgender German glam rocker, lamenting her botched sex change? The answer is, absolutely! For those who witnessed him during his show-stopping performance of “Sugar Daddy” during the Tonys, (see it on YouTube) all doubt was erased — ‘a bit like a drag queen’s eyebrows’. Granted, composer Stephen Trask’s original songs are so strong and pretty amazing, but Harris has truly immersed himself in not only the character, but all the musical reference points Hedwig was built upon. He literally had some really big shoes to fill and he did it without any hesitation and with an absolute authority any drag queen would be proud of!
The composer Stephen Trask expressed his enthusiasm for the show’s new takes on his songs, “The talents of Neil and Lena and this amazing f---ing band have made these the best version of the score ever. After years of working with Justin Craig and a decade-and-a-half recording with Tim O’Heir, producing these recordings as a team with them has been everything I could have hoped. I think we truly captured the brilliance of these great performers. If any band wants to learn any of these songs, these are the versions they should study.”
Hedwig and the Angry Inch the Original Broadway Cast Recording is available on iTunes and at music outlets. hedwigbroadway.com
MUSICNEWS&REVIEWS
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BaKe
CanBeRRa’s LgBtQ ChaRity BaKe off
2.00pm – 5.00pm, satuRday 8 novemBeR @ eQ Cafe, 70 Kent stReet, deaKin BuyeRs and BaKeRs wanted!
RegistRation
Deliciously good and heaps of fun — BaKe Canberra’s LgBtQ Charity Bake off is back! If you don’t bake, don’t worry, because we also need lots of people to come along to buy, eat, and be merry. Money raised goes to the AIDS Action Council and A Gender Agenda, a not-for-profit organisation providing support for the trans* and intersex community.
Registration is between 11.00am and 12.00pm saturday 8 november. Please bring your entries to the EQ Cafe function room (accessed from the deck). Registration is $5. Judging starts at 12.00pm. All entries will be auctioned for charity and must be edible. Grab your entry form and see the list of BaKe categories at fusemagazine.com.au.
OV E R
$2000 in C AS A nD H PRiZES
A regular cervical screening test could save your life As it helps to prevent cervical cancer – even if you have received a vaccina�on for HPV For more informa�on phone 131 556 (cost of a local call)
www.health.act.gov.au/paptest
© Australian Capital Territory, Canberra www.health.act.gov.au | www.act.gov.au | Enquiries: Canberra 13ACT1 or 132281
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GREEN POWER! TOP 5 LEAFY GREENS
YES I AM A GREEN SMOOTHIE DEVOTEE
Greens are the number one food you can eat regularly to help improve your health. That’s because leafy vegetables are brimming with fibre along with vitamins, minerals, and plant based substances that may help protect you from heart disease, diabetes, and perhaps even cancer. Even so, Aussies are not eating as many vegetables each day as dietary experts recommend. To encourage you to put more leafy vegetables on your plate here are the top 5 super greens recommended by health professionals and why.
I have to admit the green smoothie has changed my life and I am one of those insufferable people who take my green smoothie to work and drink it in an over-sized glass bottle and yes it looks like green gloop.
KALE : This nutrition powerhouse offers everything you want in a leafy green. It’s an excellent source of vitamins A C, K, calcium, folate and potassium. Once green grocers couldn’t give the stuff away, now it’s one of the most popular greens sold. COLLARDS : This under-appreciated veggie is used in Southern-style cooking. Collard greens are similar in nutrition to kale, but they have a heartier and chewier texture and a stronger cabbage-like taste. SPINACH : Popeye’s favourite vegetable is packed with vitamins A, C and folate. And because heat reduces the green’s oxalate content, freeing up its dietary calcium, cooked spinach gives you more nutrition than raw. MUSTARD GREENS : Packed with goodness and easy to grow yourself, Mustard Greens have a peppery taste and give off a mustardy smell during cooking. Their spiciness can be toned down by adding an acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, toward the end of cooking. BROCCOLI : Broccoli is rich in vitamin C, A, potassium, and folate. Eat both the stalks and florets. Best raw or steamed — try mixing fresh broccoli in your pasta during the last three minutes of cooking.
What is a green smoothie? I am glad you asked because green smoothie drinkers love nothing more than to detail all the healthy goodness they are ingesting. Today my green smoothie is ginger, kale, spinach, kiwi fruit, frozen banana, chia seeds and coconut water. Yes it looks and sounds disgusting but I promise you it is delicious and so very good for you. I make a batch every day or so and store them in the fridge in a glass bottle and then grab one as I head out the door each morning. I have a super blender and I think it makes all the difference. Mine is a Thermomix but there are others on the market which can do the job just as well (maybe not as well as the Thermomix but good enough to drink). Blending it all up into the smooth green gloop is the key to enjoying. In case you’re wondering (let me tell you even if you’re not!), I’ve discovered many benefits to drinking green smoothies. I love not having to think about what I’m going to have for breakfast and I love how portable they are. I can drink them in the car, in the bathroom while I’m getting ready for work, at my kids’ basketball games and in airports on my way to meetings. I love that I am getting all my greens done for the day and drinking them - essentially I am cramming a bunch of nutrients into me that I couldn’t be bothered eating throughout the day. It’s just so efficient. Truthfully, this is the main reason I’m a green smoothie devotee. My favourite green smoothie combinations are : • Ginger (blend this up individually first before anything else), kale, spinach, cucumber, kiwi fruit, half a frozen banana (freeze them with the peel off), coconut water. • Kale, spinach, cucumber, mint, lemon, chai seads, mango (lovely when in season) and coconut water. Try one today — you will be a green smoothie devotee too! By Philippa Moss AIDS Action Council
Executive Director
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LOCATIONS Westfield Belconnen, Lvl 3 Ph: 6162 2790
Relationships Australia
Services include:
has experienced counsellors, mediators and educators who provide services in a friendly, open and respectful way for all members of our communities. We openly welcome people from the GLBTI communities.
• Enhancing relationships • Parenting • Relationship difficulties, including separation • Re-partnering and family relationships • Communication issues • Family violence • Managing conflict • Trust issues • Sexual difficulties • Grief and loss • Self-esteem & identity issues • Support for people finding it hard to manage their gambling and their families
Our focus is relationships and any issues impacting on you or your relationships in all domains of our lives, including partners, parents, siblings, friends, colleagues or children.
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Westfield Woden, Lvl 2 Ph: 6282 8428
Relationships Australia also delivers support services for Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants, and survivors of child sexual abuse who take part in or are affected by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. To find out more contact us on
1300 364 277 or visit racr.relationships.org.au
FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU
LGBTI PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA IN AGED CARE CAN YOU HELP WITH THIS RESEARCH?
The growing numbers of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people accessing aged care services represents an emerging and potentially challenging area for aged care service providers. In line with Australia’s ageing population, the number of older LGBTI Australians aged 65 years and over is expected to reach half-a-million by 2051. Alzheimer’s Australia is committed to ensuring that the needs of people with dementia from LGBTI communities are met in all aspects of service provision, information, support and education. In 2009, Alzheimer’s Australia commissioned a report looking into the issues associated with the interaction between service providers and lesbian and gay men with dementia and their family carers, including the complexity of family relationships and barriers that may effect care provision and quality of life. In 2010, a report was published by the GLBTI Retirement Association in Western Australia which provided practical strategies to retirement and residential aged care facilities, so that they are better able to recognise, understand and meet the specific needs of GLBTI people. This report identified practical strategies, such as staff education, inclusive environments and open communication, to assist these facilities in better understanding and managing LBGTI people. Towards the end of 2012, the Australian Department of Health and Ageing released the National LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care Strategy. This strategy was designed to enable better education, care and support for LGBTI people in aged care, helping staff understand any differences between their personal values or beliefs and appropriate and inclusive workplace behaviour and practice. This strategy was certainly welcomed by LGBTI and aged care advocacy groups all around Australia.
THE FACTS
Researchers from around Australia are continuing to investigate this area to further implement the goals outlined in this national strategy. One particular example is a project currently recruiting for LGBTI participants in Melbourne. Dr Catherine Barrett and her research team from La Trobe University are setting out to answer the question; are sexual orientation and gender identity affected by dementia?
There are 24,700 people in Australia with Younger Onset Dementia (under 65; and as young as 30)
Val’s Café, part of the Sexual Health and Ageing Program, at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University undertakes research and works with aged care service providers to improve the health and wellbeing of older LGBTI Australians. Working in partnership with Alzheimer’s Australia in five states/territories Val’s Café is hoping to document the experiences of LGBTI people with dementia. The La Trobe team would like to hear from LGBTI Australians living with dementia, their partners, carers or family about their experience of the condition, care and support needs and the impact dementia has on their relationships. The information will be used to develop education and resources for service providers on the unique needs of LGBTI people with dementia. To participate in a confidential interview, please contact the project researchers Pauline Crameri on 03 9479 8740 or email p.crameri@latrobe.edu.au and Dr Catherine Barrett on 03 9479 8702 or email c.barrett@latrobe.edu.au
There are more than 332,000 Aussies living with dementia. This number is expected to increase by a third to 440,000 in less than ten years
Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people with dementia is expected to be almost 900,000 by 2050
Dementia is the third leading cause of death in Australia and there is currently no cure
The number of older LGBTI Australians aged 65 years and over is expected to reach half-a-million by 2051
An estimated 1.2 million people are involved in the care of a person with dementia
HEALTH&WELLBEING
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THE INVISIBLES VINTAGE PORTRAITS OF LOVE AND PRIDE
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HOMOHERITAGE
FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU
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A lesbian, gay, trans*, bi, intersex and everyone inbetween event! Eat, drink and be merry on a beautiful spring morning with all your fabulous friends. It’s on again, the FUSE SpringOut big gay champagne breakfast at Tilley’s.
SUNDAY 2 NOVEMBER @ 10AM
SERVING YOU BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER 7 DAYS THE CALL IS YOURS! TILLEY’S CAN DO IT FOR YOU! Monday to Saturday 9am –10pm Sundays 9am – 6pm Reserve your favourite table or booth call 6247 7753 ~ www.tilleys.com.au
CORNER OF WATTLE AND BRIGALOW STREETS, LYNEHAM 44
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YOUR HOROSCOPE SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER 2014
By Melisa Sandfort
September is going to be a great month for romance and sex! Pluto is going direct which means that it will influence your creativity in the bedroom. But that is not all! Pluto is one of the most important planets when it comes to good financial energies, so get ready for possible financial gains. By the beginning of October, Mercury is going to retrograde, and that means that everyone should be careful with large purchases and contracts. Take a break from all intellectual activities by the first week of October.
Aquarius
January 21 – February 18 The weather is getting warmer and you will feel full of energy and motivation. It is the perfect time for you to get creative and brighten up your love life, whether you’re single or have a partner. Tip: Go on a fun trip with your partner, family or some friends.
Taurus
April 21 – May 21 Early October is a great time for you to take a break — the sun is going to make sure that everything is in order so you can enjoy some quality time. Tip: It is time to innovate! Think about new creative things that you can implement at work. Your boss will be thankful.
Leo
July 23 – August 23 Some wonderful surprises are coming, especially when it comes to your finances, so keep working hard and don’t forget your long-term goals. Tip: By mid October try to be a little less sceptical, especially in matters regarding your family and loved ones.
Scorpio
October 24 – November 22 You might want to slow down a little during October dear Scorpio. Try to remember that you have to let things happen in their own time — don’t push! Tip: Save some money, and plan something nice to do with your loved one or your friends over the coming months.
Pisces
February 19 – March 20 You will be particularly intuitive during September. Pluto and the Moon are going to be sending you a lot of life messages that are important and you should pay careful attention. Tip: Try to spend more time with your partner, family or friends in October.
Gemini
May 22 – June 21 The second week of October is going to be very busy with work or study related activities. But don’t worry, Mars is going to be there helping you to think and focus. Tip: It is time to start planning that trip you want to take this summer. It is never too early!
Virgo
August 24 – September 23 September is going to be an amazing month to expand your horizons and connect with new people. It’s a perfect time to be going out more often! Tip: Work shouldn’t stop you from doing the things you want to do. Organise your time and start enjoying new hobbies.
Sagittarius
November 23 – December 22 By the beginning of September you might feel that someone is keeping something important from you. The best thing for you to do in this case is to confront that person gently, with an open heart. Tip: Take care of your finances, especially by middle October.
Aries
March 21 – April 20 Things should be going pretty well for you at the moment dear Aries, but remember nothing last forever. Be prepared for change and make a commitment to being better. Tip: The Moon is going to be shining for you — use its energy to surprise someone special.
Cancer
June 22 – July 22 September is going to bring new exciting things to your love life. However you have to keep an open mind, remember that things aren’t always exactly the way they seem. Tip: Work hard and with commitment. The Universe might be preparing exciting work related news.
Libra
September 24 – October 23 Things may be good when it comes to the work and academic area, however you might want to keep your feet on the ground. Remember that greatness can only be achieved with hard work and the help of those around us. Tip: Pay a bit more attention to what you are eating.
Capricorn
December 23 – January 20 October is a good time for (or to start) meditation or yoga. It’s something that will really improve your life. Also, Saturn is going to be there giving you some energy to help you organise your thoughts. Tip: You may have some new innovating ideas, it’s time to share them! STARGAZER
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COMMUNITY DIRECTORY AIDS Action Council The AIDS Action Council provides information, support and services. More info: aidsaction.org.au
Diversity ACT A LGBTI community and service centre, for more information call 1300 794 717 diversityact.org.au
Pink Tennis Gay & Lesbian Tennis Group meets Mondays 6pm–9pm at Turner Tennis Club, Cnr McCaughey & Condamine Sts.
A Gender Agenda A resource for transgender, intersex, gender queer and gender variant people. genderrights.org.au
Friday Night Lip Service! Canbera’s regular queer radio show on Friday nights at 9:30pm on 2xxfm 98.3fm 2xxfm.org.au
Qnet : Queer Youth Cyberspace GLBTI people under the age of 25. Check out qnet.org.au
ACTQueer A free email list for LGBTI people in Canberra and surrounding region. groups.yahoo.com/group/actqueer
Gay ACT Squash Group Wednesdays 600pm–8.00pm, at ANU Sports and Recreation Centre. gayactsquash@googlegroups.com
Bit Bent Youth Group Meet other young people, get support or just hang out. Mondays at Belconnen Youth Centre 6pm–8pm and Thursdays at the Woden Youth Centre 5pm–6.30pm. Email: bit_bent@hotmail.com
Gaycrash Canberra Taking over the coolest Canberra straight bars one night at a time! facebook.com/gaycrash.canberra/info
Canberra Gay & Lesbian QWIRE Want to be involved with Canberra’s own gay and lesbian choir? Singers and non-singers encouraged. More info: canberraqwire.org.au Capital Queers Canberra’s Mardi Gras group. More info at capitalqueers.com VENUE : Cube Nightclub Canberra’s premier gay nightclub venue. Thurs 9pm-5am • Fri 9pm-5am Sat 10pm-5am • Sun 10pm-late 33 Petrie Plaza Civic, Canberra City. cubenightclub.com.au Dyke Dinner & Movie Group More info on FUSE website or see Canberra Lesbians on Facebook.
PFLAG-ACT A support and friendship group for parents and friends of LGBTI people. More info email pflag.act@gmail.com Long Yang A friendly social club for Asian and non-Asian gays and their friends. Canberra: lyccanberra.org Sydney: sydney.longyangclub.org Motafrenz : GLBTIQ Car Club Contact Stuart Poole ACT Convener Motafrenz on 0420 523 238 or email act@motafrenz.org motafrenz.org.au OUTBIZ : LGBTI Business Network Connect with other like-minded people, expand your business, find new customers or suppliers, network and support the LGBTI business community. Email: outbiz@yahoo.com.au
Queanbeyan GLBTI Youth Support Mondays 4pm–6pm at Axis Youth Centre, Campbell Street, Queanbeyan Park. Rainbow Bubs A playgroup and support group for same sex parents and their kids. Email: hoogied@yahoo.com Ranch Men’s Lounge Canberra’s mens’ space. They are located at Unit 19, Molongo Mall in Fyshwick ACT. A safe venue for men who want to meet men. See ad p47. Relationships Australia Canberra Region Do you need a counsellor or a relationship mediator? RACR provide services in a friendly and respectful way for all members of our communities. Telephone 1300 364 277. racr.relationships.org.au Tilley’s Devine Cafe For almost 30 years, Tilley’s has been a gathering place for the LGBTI community. Warm and sumptuous, it’s famous for its food, fabulous coffees and cake. Cnr of Wattle & Brigalow Sts, Lyneham. Telephone 02 6247 7753. Uni of Canberra Queer Collective A supportive social group for UC students and staff. Get in touch at: sexuality@theucsa.org.au or find our FB group: UC Queer Collective.
> > Want to know “what’s on” or be listed here, then visit us at www.fusemagazine.com.au
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A Little Laser Cosmetic Laser Clinic
Jennifer Dromgold is the owner of a boutique clinic providing hair removal and skin rejuvenation with medical grade treatments at affordable prices. Jennifer has clients ranging from gay boys & girls to people in the trans* community who need a professional that understands their needs.
Callala Beach THE LITTLE RIPPER
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EMAIL DEAR ROSE WITH YOUR PROBLEM TODAY!
By Rose Pappalardo
Dear Rose, It seems everyone around me wants a partner. I can’t think of a worse fate than being tied down. I actually believe that relationships kill love eventually. My friends think I’m ‘emotionally disabled’ and should see a therapist. Is there something wrong with me? Fancy Free
Dear Rose, My partner and I have been together for over 10 years and although everything seems fine on the surface and we still love each other I can’t help but feel alone. It seems we have nothing to say anymore and I fear we’ve lost something special and haven’t noticed. Is this normal? Jay
Dear Fancy Free, Bravo you for being true to yourself about what you want! In today’s world where everyone seems to have an opinion about everything, it takes a fearless soul to swim against the tide. In some ways we seem to have lost the capacity to assert ourselves as individuals for fear of being labelled as “emotionally disabled”. A straight couple I know dared to be bold enough to inform their friends and family that they had no interest in having children. They were astounded at the disapproving backlash they received. Remember though, life has a funny way of changing views over time. So whilst you are happy to be fancy free now, in the future you may have a totally different outlook, and that’s ok too.
Dear Jay, Stress not, it is perfectly normal for long term relationships to have their lulls. Unfortunately often this is when people will unconsciously go out and start searching for something outside of their relationships and that’s where the real trouble starts. At this point in your relationship, it’s time for you both to sit down and take stock of “where to next”. My partner and I did a similar thing and took 13 days off from the world. I like to call it the “get me off the merry-go-round” trip. Incredibly, it took five days for us to wind down enough to have a clear idea of where we were and where we wanted to go next.
Dear Rose, I’m so excited as I just landed a fantastic new job in the UK. Trouble is my GF does not want to leave OZ. She said I have to decide between her or the job. I know in my heart I love her, but I have to go. I feel it’s the chance of a lifetime. I know I’ll regret it if I stay, but what if I’m leaving my one true love? Sash
Dear Sash, Congrats on the dream job. Recently a friend needed to return to his home in the UK and his new OZ BF agreed to go with him for 2 months to check it out. It was a great solution as it allowed the BF a chance to have a look first before he packed up his life here. It’s not unusual today for couples to be temporarily separated from their partners as the world becomes more global. My advice is to approach your GF with an open mind and work out what her misgivings are? Is this something you can work out? Is she able to initially go over with you and see for herself? By doing this you are at least satisfying yourself that you have tried to find a way to keep your wonderful relationship. Whatever transpires with you and GF, I find that when it comes to true love, as old fashion as it sounds, love usually finds a way.
Begin by re-evaluating those hopes and dreams you had at the beginning of your relationship and treat them as the next exciting chapter in your lives together. They can be small things like learning to dance together or as big as taking a year off to travel the world. Often it’s our life we are bored of, not our partners.
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In our world today it’s really easy to lose our dreams or dismiss them as fanciful things in our day to day life. But in fact it’s those dreams that gives us a shared purpose and binds the threads that connect us. Stop. Talk. Re-evaluate. Take Action!
I also have a gay rescue pug called Leonard, who I take for walks, because I am very secure in my sexuality. He has a boyfriend and they are planning to adopt a Siamese kitten together. We’re very modern. Robin Williams, Comedian, Actor, LGBTI supporter and all-round fabo fellow.
Need help or someone to talk to? Support is available for anyone in distress by phoning (24 Hours) QLife 1800 184 527, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or AAC counselling services on 02 6257 2855. If you require relationship support or services call Relationships Australia on 1300 364 277
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If you need help or have a question email : dearrose@fusemagazine.com.au
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