DNA Magazine # 265 by gmx63819

® m a d e t h at w ay

Cruising SIMON DUNN ON THE

P&O PRIDE CRUISE 22 FABULOUS AUSSIE

GAY-CATIONS

#265

THE BIRTH OF GAY POP

CHIEF MINISTER

ANDREW BARR

Welcome aboard A celebratory cruise for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies and supporters, to honour pride in self, the diversity of the community, and the endless variety of talented artists and entertainers in it. Our Pride Cruise will be a safe space for members of the community – something curated just for them. Gender and culturally inclusive and sensitive.

BE SAFE, BE WELCOMED, BE YOURSELF.

what to expect DANCING, THEME NIGHTS, ARTISTS, ENTERTAINERS, COMEDY, WEDDINGS

Guest Appearances

Pride Cruise

SIMON DUNN

VICTORIA ANTHONY

ETC ETC

COCO JUMBO

BOOK BY 1ST MARCH 2022^ FOR A

Deposit

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BOOK NOW | CALL 1300 367 512 POCRUISES.COM.AU/PRIDECRUISE CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL AGENT SCAN TO BOOK #^ Terms, conditions and exclusions apply, see https://www.pocruises.com.au/campaigns/ take-me-away-sale for details. Offer ends 1 Mar 2022. Sailings departing on or before 30 June 2022 and booked prior to 1 Mar 2022 are eligible for P&O Assurance [http://pocruises.com.au/ assurance]. To be read in conjunction with the P&O Cruises Australia Booking and Passage Conditions available at [https://www.pocruises.com.au/plan/how-to-book/book-travelconditions] which passengers will be bound by. Carnival plc trading as P&O Cruises Australia. ABN 23 107 998 443

18 February 6 March 2022 Our time e. is her to shine ’t want You won s ardi Gra M s is m o t in 2022! Festival

parade Sydney Cricket Ground 5 March

party Hordern Pavilion, Max Watt’s, Watson’s and The Entertainment Quarter 5 March

Tickets ON SALE now mardigras.org.au

kaftana pool party

paradiso pool party

ivy Pool and Changeroom 23 February

ivy Pool and Changeroom 28 February

sissy ball

laneway

Sydney Town Hall 26 February

The Beresford and Hill Street 6 March

Full program at mardigras.org.au

ERIC UCHOA By Stas Vokman, page 68.

m a d e t h at w ay FOUNDING EDITOR

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DNAmagazine.com.au magazine DNA (ISSN 1443-1122) is published monthly in Australia by DNA Men Nexus Pty Ltd, PO Box 3, Cooma NSW 2630 Australia. DNA and Made That Way are registered trademarks in both Australia and the USA. Trademark pending in the UK. Registered by Australia Post (PP243459/00169). Copyright © DNA Men Nexus. All rights reserved. No part of DNA 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.

8 DNA

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Where ALL GUYS come together Visit www.squirt.org today to join the action

CONTENT

265

Features 34

YES, CHIEF MINISTER

Andrew Barr is Australia’s first openly gay state or territory leader. He’s also a husband and a “fairy godfather” he tells DNA. 36

SIMON DUNN: BON VOYAGE!

P&O are launching their first-ever Pride Cruises in Australia and DNA cover model Simon Dunn is onboard. 42

THE BIRTH OF GAY POP

In the ’80s, gay pop sang out loud and clear. Marc Andrews looks at this groundbreaking era of sexy, political, pop. 56

22 FABULOUS AUSSIE GAY-CATIONS

Planning a holiday? It’s time to go local and discover our community and culture. 76

EUROVISION – AUSTRALIA DECIDES

It’s the nation’s chance to choose who we send to The Eurovision Song Contest!

Regulars

Extra Digital Pages 84

RICCARDO

FROM THE EDITOR

BURNTTOAST: What DNA readers say.

MONTH IN A MINUTE

FIGHT CLUB

MUSIC: Paul Mac, Kyle Bielfield, more.

HEALTH: The cure for hep C.

STREAMING: Just Like That, Coming Out Colton.

THEATRE: Girl From The North Country.

BOOKS: The Big Books Of 2022.

THE LAST WORD: Anthony Hughes.

By Roberto Chiovitti 90

TOMMY

By Rick Stockwell 100

DAVID

By Riley-McFarlane Photography 110

BLAKE TAYLOR

By Jade Young.

LEO

By Stas Vokman 120

Portfolio 68

ERIC UCHOA

By Stas Vokman

KYLAND

By Blake Yelavich 128

MATT

By Cain Cooper

10 DNA

ON THIS PAGE: Simon Dunn by Christian Scott, see page 36.

CODE 22

FROM THE EDITOR

ANDREW CREAGH

FIGHT CLUB

GET OUTTA HERE! It’s time to pack those holiday bags.

ne of the ongoing effects of the covid pandemic has been when and where we take our holidays. Pre-covid, we in the LGBTQIA+ community were impressive travellers. A DNA readers’ survey discovered that most of you travelled at least once to another country, and twice domestically, in an average (pre-covid) year. Overwhelmingly, we like to travel to destinations, and go to events, where we know other gays will be. Planning a trip to London, New York or Madrid? It makes sense to go during their Pride festivals. Gay ski weeks were another popular choice. Others planned their trips around sports events like The Gay Games and international gay sports tournaments like The Bingham Cup because they were competing or travelling with a partner. Covid has disrupted those regular travel patterns. Many of us are still avoiding international travel because of the uncertainty around exit and entry rules into other countries – which seem to still be in flux. The pandemic has also seen many events simply cancelled or postponed. The Gay Games, for example, were scheduled for this year but have been put back to 2023. Worldwide, most gay ski weeks have been cancelled for the last two years. This has led to an uptake in domestic travel. Unable to travel overseas in 2020-21, Australians spent more on local trips than 12 DNA

international holidays and, without expensive overseas airfares, saved money into the bargain. With some state borders also being closed, regional holiday destinations have been booming – great news for those badly impacted by the 2019 bushfires. Many off my friends have started ticking off their “backyard bucket lists”. Now is the time to see Uluru, Kakadu or trek The Great Ocean Road. The other positive is that many of our LGBTQIA+ communities have begun hosting their own Pride festivals, no matter how modest – hello Broome! And existing events are flourishing with the support of domestic travellers.

Let’s make 2022 a time to explore and discover. This month, DNA presents 22 Fabulous Aussie Gay-Cations. No matter what state or territory you’re in, there’s something for you. Go hippy in Gembrook at the Gaytimes Festival, get arty in Hobart at Dark MoFo, or just hot and sweaty at a Pride pool party in Darwin. We’ve included the big-ticket events – Mardi Gras in Sydney, Midsumma in Melbourne, Feast in Adelaide, Big Gay Day in Brisbane, and Pride Fest in Perth. But there are a couple of events that deserve special mention… P&O have announced two Pride Cruises, leaving Sydney and Melbourne, at the end of

this year, and a further three Pride Cruises in 2023. This is a fantastic opportunity for Aussies to enjoy an all-LGBTQIA+ cruise without having to trek to the northern hemisphere to board a ship. It’s a long overdue option and the response so far has been outstanding, with tickets selling fast. Summer Camp is an ambitious local touring festival that kicks off in Darwin and makes its way to Sydney then Melbourne. Its headliners are international queer superstars Years And Years (aka Olly Alexander) from the UK, and New Orleans hip-hop and electronic queen, Big Freedia. They’ll be supported by local darlings Cub Sport, Ladyhawke and The Veronicas, plus Summer Camp drag “counsellors” and a hot line-up of DJs. If, like many, you are simply not taking holidays at this time, I hope this story and these suggestions help inspire you to start planning. We’ve all been living with a crazy, unprecedented level of stress and uncertainty over the last couple of years. Taking time out, having new experiences and meeting new people is good for the mind, body and soul. Let’s make 2022 a time to explore and discover. Also in this issue is a time-capsule story taking us back to the ’80s when the world of pop exploded with sexy and political gay bands. We also speak with the Chief Minister of The ACT, the first openly gay Australian state or territory leader. And we catch up with cover star Simon Dunn, P&O Cruises ambassador. As always, stay safe, be kind and love yourself. Andrew Creagh Founding Editor

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BURNTTOAST

DNA READERS HAVE THEIR SAY...

MAI LEVI ON THE COVER OF DNA #264

Nice boy, sexy boy, big boy, that’s the kind of boy I want to see on the cover of DNA. Trying to pick up my tongue off the page (oops)! – Alexi Michael Best and beautiful cover. – Pierre Zanotti He is stunning. – Dan Griffith Erand Williams by JMV Photoart.

Love the undies. – Leugim Calderon Looking delicious. I’m getting hungry. – Derrick O’Jackson How good are pubes! – James Robert Such a hot bulge. – Cyril David

SINGAPORE’S MOST SUBSCRIBED ONLYFANS CREATOR ARRESTED FOR HIS CONTENT

Singaporean OnlyFans content creator, Titus Low Kaide (below) was arrested and charged with distributing “obscene material” reported DNA online. Singapore can do better and needs to stop interfering in the private lives of consenting adults. Time to modernise and reform to equality for all its citizens, and lead Asia in the these matters by setting the good example. – Chris KL Well, I guess many of the authorities are subscribed to his OnlyFans content! – Scott Lanton Singapore is a hot and sweaty shit hole anyway so another reason to not go there. LOL. – James Robert

14 DNA

ERAND WILLIAMS BY JMV PHOTOART

Posted on DNA’s website and socials Sexy! – Robert Ty Flores He is so gorgeous. – Steve Seitz Is he wearing a cockring under those indies? – Sylvain Larocque Can we get a close-up? – Thomas Guerrero Wow. Just wow. – Mark Feather That’s an errand I wouldn’t mind running hard. – James Robert

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SINGAPORE HARDENS ON ONLYFANS

TITUS LOW KAIDE INSTAGRAM

Singaporean OnlyFans star, Titus Low Kaide (pictured) is arrested and charged with distributing “obscene material”. Digital transmission of porn is illegal in Singapore. Kaide awaits a court hearing, with punishments ranging from a fine to six months in prison. He argues that as his OnlyFans is behind a paywall, nude photos aren’t publicly available. The case is seen as a potential benchmark for future OnlyFans creators in Singapore.

GAY CAKE ROW IN PIECES The Irishman who sued a Christian bakery for refusing to decorate his cake with a pro-gay marriage slogan loses his case after a seven-year court battle. Gareth Lee asked Ashers Bakery to deliver him the cake back in 2014 as part of a campaign to promote marriage equality in Northern Ireland. The case was first heard in the UK courts, which ruled against the bakery, citing discrimination laws. The UK Supreme Court then overturned this ruling, judging 16 DNA

“I don’t care who anybody sleeps with. If a couple has been together all that time – and there are gay relationships that are more solid than some heterosexual ones – I think it’s fine if they want to get married… I don’t know how people can get so antisomething. Mind your own business, take care of your affairs, and don’t worry about other people so much.” – Golden Girl Betty White, who died in January, just weeks before her 100th birthday.

in the bakery’s favour. Now, the European Court of Human Rights has dismissed the case, effectively saying that the bakery was within its rights to refuse due to their religious beliefs. The case is seen as a step backwards for equality and a dangerous precedent for antigay, religious companies that want the right not to serve LGBTQIA+ people.

TUTU DIES World leaders mourn the death of South African “beacon of light” Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was 90. Tutu was a tireless human rights campaigner whose voice was powerful in African countries and around the world. He was a dedicated campaigner for acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, used the term “rainbow nation” to describe a multi-cultural South Africa, and leaves a legacy of justice and freedom. PARDON FOR GAY SEX “CRIMES” The UK’s Home Secretary, Priti Patel announces that all gay men convicted under historical antigay laws will be pardoned. It comes after years of campaigning by LGBTQ+ activists, who have long demanded that such criminal records be expunged. BUTTIGIEG ABUSER FIRED A real estate agent who posted anti-gay comments about US politician Pete Buttigieg is sacked from his job. Andre Kravchenko used Instagram to make homophobic remarks about Buttigieg (currently the United States Secretary Of Transportation) and his husband and their children. Kravchenko’s employers were alerted to the posts and speedily fired him, saying they support gay rights. AWARDS FIRST Mj Rodriguez (pictured) makes history becoming the first transgender actor to win a Golden Globe. The 31-year-old took home the award for her role as Blanca in the series Pose. In 2021 she became the first transgender performer to be nominated for an Emmy, but didn’t win.

ADOPTION PROGRESS Taiwan’s LGBTQIA+ communities celebrate a step forward in state recognition as a court rules that a gay man can adopt his husband’s biological child. The case involves dad, 38-year-old Wang Chen-wei, and his 34-year-old husband, Chen Chun-ju, who are now the happy legal fathers of the child. The decision only applies to their specific case, but activists see it as a step forward towards more adoption rights for gay couples.

BBC

GRINDR KILLER SHOW SHOCKS A new BBC drama about the “Grindr killer”, Stephen Port, who murdered four young London men he lured via the app, raises questions about homophobia in the Met Police. The series, Four Lives starring Stephen Merchant (pictured), tells the story of a bungled investigation by police, who appear to have missed connections that could have stopped Port earlier. The show was a primetime hit in Britain over Christmas, taking the issue of alleged institutionalized homophobia in the police force to a wider (straight) audience.

GAY PENGUINS’ ANNIVERSARY Humans cheer as gay penguin couple, Sphen and Magic at Sydney’s Sea Life Aquarium, celebrate their third anniversary. The pair got together in 2018 and are a bonded couple. They looked after an adopted egg until it hatched and have successfully raised a chick, making them gay dads. Keepers say Sphen and Magic are close to the perfect couple and set an example to other penguins in the enclosure.

SHUTTERSTOCK

SYDNEY SEA LIFE

MONTH IN A MINUTE

DNA 17

FIGHT CLUB

HOMOPHOBES GET SLAYED! / COMPILED BY TORSTEN HØJER

FIGHT CLUB

CARDI B TELLS FANS HOMOPHOBES

ARE “UGLY”

TEEN CALLS OUT QATAR’S ANTI-GAY LAWS

Without the clout of a rap superstar, some people fight the good fight regardless. Take 15-year-old Brit, Chloe, who launched a petition on Change.org asking TV stations to highlight anti-gay laws in Qatar when they show matches from that host country in the World Cup later this year. She’s also asking them to employ gay presenters, to counter coverage from Qatar, which has a long history of repressive anti-gay laws including the death penalty for gay men having sex. The ambitious petition is attracting attention in high places, but a response from the BBC and the UK’s ITV is pending. 18 DNA

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merican rapper Cardi B is known for her outspoken views and they are increasingly pro-gay. Recently, her 20 million-plus Twitter followers were treated to this gem of a post: “Every bad bitch have a gay best friend or gay best friend cousin… If you homophobic you just ugly.” [sic] At the time of writing, her post had been liked almost 140,000 times, proving that when our LGBTQIA+ communities have allies in high places, the fight against homophobia can have real impact.

GIRL SLAMS FAMILY FOR SNUBBING GAY UNCLE AT CHRISTMAS

GERMANY CREATES ROLE TO FIGHT ANTIGAY DISCRIMINATION

A 10-year-old girl has chastised her relatives for their anti-gay views. Her uncle decided not to participate in his family’s Christmas due to the homophobic views of the grandparents. The anonymous man shared his story on Reddit under the title Upsetting Family Drama. The man’s niece asked why he wasn’t coming and he told her that he didn’t feel welcome because he’s gay. The girl confronted her family about their lack of acceptance, especially at Christmas. This caused a family argument and perhaps some food for thought as they tucked into their turkey.

Germany is making progress by appointing a gay man to the newly created role of Commissioner For The Acceptance Of Sexual And Gender Diversity. Sven Lehmann will advise the government on all things LGBTQIA+, helping Germany pass new equality laws and protections. Germany’s new government coalition says it aims to make the country “a pioneer in the fight against discrimination”. A politician with power who’s from the LGBTQIA+ community, working for our rights from the inside? Now doesn’t that sound like a good idea?

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MUSIC

REVIEWS BY MARC ANDREWS

MINUTE TAKER – WOLF HOURS Avant garde popster Ben McGarvey, aka Minute Taker, wasn’t taking any chances with his 12th album, Wolf Hours. He decided to entirely crowdfund the project to protect his creative vision and make it exactly how he wanted it to be. Previewed last year by the fabulously fearless After The Rain (featuring Bright Light Bright Light), it opens with the gripping Lead You Home, which comes complete with gay World War I romance video. Then there’s 10 more synthpop songs infused with his love of the 1980s, drawing influences from Pet Shop Boys, Kate Bush, Cyndi Lauper and Erasure. “As I was making the album it was a bit like going through a box of old stuff you find in the loft; full of the comfort and mystique of childhood nostalgia,” Ben/MT reveals, “but a bit warped and degraded over time!” Howlingly good!

Howlingly good!

PAUL MAC – JUST THE THING

Twenty years ago, one of Australia’s all-time gay dance anthems was unleashed onto the world: Paul Mac’s Just The Thing featuring the powerhouse vocals of Peta Morris. It not only became a huge hit and won 2002’s ARIA for Best Dance Release, but now returns two decades later with a swathe of new mixes for us to luxurious our ears and feet to. “I am so proud of this whole remix package,” Paul told DNA. “It is everything I hoped for. I’ve played the mixes out recently and the blissful response blew me away. Those that know it went wild and a new generation have been turned on to it. Twenty-year flashback indeed!” Still just the thing as a true party starter!

LOUIS LA ROCHE – WE’RE NOT SO DIFFERENT

Despite the rather continental sounding name, Louis is actually a guy called Brett from the town of Norwich in England who is rather good at making what he calls house/nu-disco nuggets. He’s so good that in the past he supported Kylie Minogue on tour and remixed Fatboy Slim and Bright Light Bright Light. Now for his fourth album he’s putting all those other disco wannabes on notice with music that sounds like a much-needed queer retake on the genre (one glitter-bombing track is even called One Big Gay Disco). Aussie expat Darren Hayes lends sweet vocal assistance on Cold To Me, which is almost like a throwback to his Savage Garden heyday. That’s no bad thing!

KYLE BIELFIELD – MAGNET

OLI SPLEEN – STILL LIFE

After trying the major label route and finding it wasn’t for him, this pop/opera hottie has chosen to do things on his own terms now. Magnet, which is at turns both radio-friendly and comes with a severe care of dirty “boogie fever”, might finally be his ticket to the next level. Kyle told DNA his new track is, “the essence of my voice and my identity. It proves to me that the fight is worth it – because seeing people enjoy my music is the biggest thrill of a lifetime. One piece of advice I’d give to my younger self is to fight like hell to do what you’re passionate about.” Feel that magnetic pull, queer music lovers!

From the man whose first album was called Fag Machine almost a decade ago, Oli Spleen’s most recent album Night Sweat And Fever Dreams in 2020 was his attempt to deconstruct and make sense of both his struggle with crystal meth addiction and his HIV-positive diagnosis. His most recent singles from new album Still Life, though, show that he’s an artist still pushing the boundaries of what it means to be both gay and a gay musician. How Wild The Wind Blows, The Garden and Hollow Moon have a yearning quality to them, which, if you’re a fan of John Grant, you may find is right up your, er, spleen. Engrossing, artistic and a revelatory queer voice who deserves to be heard.

20 DNA

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HEP CURED There is a cure, it’s a game changer and, with testing and treatment, we can eradicate the Hep C virus. e all know those feelings that go with your regular STI test: the anxiety about the blood test, and the awkward questions that go with it about partners, pills and party play. We live in exciting times, where we can prevent, treat, even cure most STIs. But there is more good news about blood borne viruses. Hepatitis C is now completely curable, and hep B is prevented by vaccination or can be treated, so that people can get on with life. Hepatitis C is a virus that’s spread through blood-to-blood contact. It can be transmitted through sharing unsterilised needles at parties or the gym, and it can also be transmitted through unprotected sex (albeit, very rarely). Once in our system, the virus sets about attacking the liver, potentially causing serious and life-threatening damage over the course of many years. There are rarely any symptoms until the liver has undergone significant damage. For this reason, many of the estimated 118,000 Australians living with Hepatitis C

22 DNA

don’t know they have the virus. Previously, treatment was long and hard, had a low cure rate, frequently caused side effects and many patients discontinued treatment. Thankfully, this has changed with new directacting antivirals (DAAs), which attack the hep C virus and stop it reproducing. Taken as daily pills, DAAs cure 95 per cent of infections with little to no side effects. Most people are cured in just 8 or 12 weeks. As explained by someone who underwent treatment, “The side effects and liver biopsies stopped me from getting treatment earlier. But one of my friends did the DAA treatment. Hearing them talk about being cured and having more energy was the decider. Powerful words. I guess I’d become used to feeling unwell because after the treatment I felt better in ways I hadn’t realised had anything to do with my liver.”

DAA Treatments Cure Over 95 Perecnt Of People With Little To No Side Effects DAAs have completely revolutionised treatment. For this reason, Hepatitis NSW, in partnership with NSW Users and the AIDS Association (NUAA) have developed a campaign to raise awareness of Hep C cures. Just think, with a cure rate of 95 percent in just 8 to 12 weeks, we have the potential to

eradicate this disease, if only we all get tested and treated. Curing your hep C means you don’t have to worry about passing it on to your partner or friends. You can party hard in the knowledge that you can’t pass hep C on as it’s completely cleared from your body. So, while the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on our lives, we have a unique opportunity to stamp out another virus.

I felt better in ways I hadn’t realised had anything to do with my liver. Take the first step to cure your hep C and book an STI check-up or hep C test and, if necessary, get treated. You can get treated as many times as you need.

MORE: For more on Hepatitis C and its cure, call the Hepatitis NSW Infoline on 1800 803 990 or visit the campaign website hepc.org.au

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HEALTH

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STREAMING

REVIEWS BY IAN HORNER

AND JUST LIKE THAT (HBO Max, Binge)

here did the time go! It’s a bit of a shock to those of us who’ve been bingeing on reruns that it’s 17 years since Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha were in the last episodes of Sex And The City. And nothing says time flies as much as Miranda’s little toddler Brady now a grown teenager having noisy sex in the next room. All our favourites are back (well, most), including Miranda’s now-live-in partner/ Brady’s dad Steve, Charlotte’s husband Harry, Carrie’s gay BFFs Anthony and his husband Stanford, and even Big, who gets a scene-stealing cameo that sets in motion the drama through the next eposodes. The biggest hole in the show is the absence Samantha and, after the debacle that was the second movie, who could blame Kim Cattrall for saying never again?! And yet, given the quality of the writing, the acting, directing, clothes and shoes here, perhaps she now rues the day she said no way. The reboot is simply awesome. Anyone who loved the original show will love this. Is it possible it’s even better? Yes. Not only have the characters matured, but the writing has grown up; there are non-white characters for the first time, 24 DNA

there’s a broad spectrum of genders, even some great developments on that front for main players. And yet, the characters are still occasionally silly and vacuous, preoccupied with ridiculously expensive shoes, quick to judge, but, here’s the rub, even quicker to forgive and that’s the whole point. It’s about love and friendship. Willie Garson, as Stanford, is only in the first three eps, having succumbed to cancer mid-shoot. It was a great way to go out, reprising the role of a lifetime in a triumphant return. It’s the quality of the writing, setting up each scene and mining it for depth and comment, that sets this head and shoulders above so many imitators. Let’s hear it for ageing with grace and style and wit. There are a few signs of too much botox here and there but you be the judge. Every bunch of gay guys who’ve clung onto each other as BFFs through thick and thin – and there’s been a lot of thick and thin these last 17 years – will be delighted to see themselves in these girls who’ve stuck by each other and come out looking fabulous! The original six seasons and both movies are also on Binge. (MA 15+, 10 eps)

They’re still quick to judge but even quicker to forgive, and that’s the whole point.

The episode ends as Colton delivers his news to Dad – but we have to wait for the next episode for Dad’s reaction, rather cruelly and cheaply reducing the moment to a very staged cliff-hanger. The rest of the series is more of the same, with dizzying hand-held camera and quick cuts as though the narrative needed beefing up. One would’ve thought the story of a guy raised as a macho sportsman in a religious home plucking up the courage to admit to the world that he likes guys needed no further embellishment. (MA15+, 6 x 30mins eps) SAY I DO (Netflix)

CHARITÉ AT WAR (Netflix) In 1943 Berlin, the huge Charité Hospital is caught up in the Nazi war effort, training doctors for action at the front, with professors, nurses and med students enthusiastically but blindly pursuing their duty to the Fatherland. Their work often involves experimenting on orphans, fraudulent psychiatry, and extreme surgery. We’re presented with seemingly reasonable people who are committed to shockingly unreasonable ideals. Shreds of an awakening conscience among one or two of the healers threaten their own safety, even their lives. Nazi doctrine teaches that homosexual practisers and abusers are equally unnatural and are banned; plus, in this scenario, the SS have begun executing offenders. It’s not a good time or place for interns to discover their samesex attraction. The series opens with one of the esteemed professors teaching alternatives to established methods of amputation; he believes removing just part of the leg of a soldier wounded on the battlefield can allow a skilled surgeon to rebuild the shortened limb by inserting a prosthetic. He demonstrates. Meanwhile, a med student claims the same soldier wounded himself in order to be sent home and she investigates this court-martial offence. Then the soldier falls in love with another man. Boy, is he in strife. This is well-written drama, very well put together, with the real ugliness between the lines, not so much on the screen. Much is drawn from actual historical records. Horrifying medical experiments were carried out on gay men in Nazi concentration Clive Owen as Billcamps. Clinton. (MA15+, 6 x 50mins eps)

COMING OUT COLTON (Netflix)

This is billed as a reality show, however, reality has nothing to do with it. It’s stage-managed, manipulated and milked, but there’s still value in it. While there are still young LGBTQIA+ viewers struggling with their identity and their truth, we need genuine coming-out stories. Colton Underwood was a US pro-footballer made even more famous by a season on The Bachelor. After a meltdown, he took time out to face a few fears, ultimately announcing that he is gay. Like so many, he’d been scarred by religious intolerance. “I just don’t want me being me to be a sin,” he says with anguish. In episode one, he starts coming out to family and friends. He tells his mum he’s known he was attracted to boys since he was 6 or 7. Mum says she regrets he never saw her as a safe harbour. His best mate, out Olympian Gus Kenworthy, notes: “You can pass as straight and there’s privilege that comes with that.” Regrettably, this interesting gem isn’t explored as fully as it should be. His brother takes the news well, simply asking if he’s gone on Grindr yet. Colton comments to camera: “My brother didn’t have to come out as straight or announce that when he marries it’ll be to a woman.”

Sometimes reality shows can work, especially if they’re a bit light-hearted. Here, a bunch of couples of varying genders plan their dream weddings with the help of a team of experts on seemingly unlimited budgets. They’re the sort of events you and I can only dream of, so let’s dream! There are eight eps with eight couples, two of whom are gay: Randy and Will, and Jason and Jonathan. Dive in at episode 6, In Sickness And In Health. Just like Idol, it’s the backstory that makes the episode pop. Jason and Jon became engaged the moment gay marriage was passed but subsequent years of illness for Jason led to piling debts and stage-four cancer. Says Jon: “Everything came crashing down. How many tomorrows did we have left?” Turns out, quite a few. It’s a genuinely happy story as years of meds begins to take effect, a corner is turned, and Jason’s declared cancer-free. “Jon took care of me all through my sickness,” Jason says. “Now he deserves the big wedding he’s always wanted.” Enter interior designer Jeremiah Brent, fashion designer Thai Nguyen, and chef Gabriele Bertaccini with an open chequebook. Yes, it’s wallow TV. So wallow unashamedly. They’ve done sickness and health. They’ve done poorer. It’s time to do richer with others’ help. It’s fabulous to watch the guys in love and weep with joy as they’re both spoiled rotten. Now they can make plans for a future they never thought they’d have. We watch them being interviewed at the adoption agency and learn that gay male couples get chosen quicker by expectant mums over straight couples – even if the program costs $US46,000. Get out the tissues. And there’s still a bunch of stories to go. It’s totally over the top. Let’s say a hearty, “I do!” (PG, 8 x 60 mins eps) DNA 25

THEATRE

WITH MATTHEW MYERS

THE TIMES ARE STILL A-CHANGING The music of Bob Dylan is proving an unlikely musical theatre hit with Girl From The North Country.

The challenge is to make sure my story telling is respectful to the people who lived through those times. For Peter Kowitz, the role of Nick Laine felt like a culmination of other working-class characters he has portrayed in recent years. The case of Laine, in particular, required establishing a unique southern drawl. “I had to research the mid-western accent that my character speaks,” says Kowitz. “It included an online course and a dialect coach to finesse my efforts, and I also did a lot of 26 DNA

Girl From The North Country with Callum Francis and ensemble.

reading on The Depression era in the United States. Mine is the only character who doesn’t sing in the show, so my biggest challenge is keeping my damn mouth shut when our glorious cast are killing it! “I bought the Girl From The North Country album when I was a kid living in the country,” says Kowitz. “I loved that album and when I learned the play was by Conor McPherson, I had to do it. About five years ago I was in a production of his play The Weir for the Melbourne Theatre Company, and it’s one of my fondest memories.” With musical direction from Andrew Ross, the cast includes Christina O’Neill, Greg Stone, Grant Piro, Lisa McCune, Zahra Newman, Terence Crawford, Helen Dallimore, Tony Black and Peter Carroll. Callum Francis, well known to Australian audiences as Lola from Kinky Boots, takes up the role of troubled boxer Joe Scott. “It’s nice to play someone who is completely opposite to yourself,” says Francis. “It always feels like the fit is better because you can leave yourself at the door. I think the challenge with this one is to make sure my story telling is respectful to the people who lived through those times. Though they aren’t based on real people it’s a story from a very real time in history, and the challenge is being mindful of that.” To research his role, Francis watched various boxing documentaries and even took classes to gain an understanding of the sport. “It’s fascinating looking into the lives

and careers of boxers like Joe Louis and heavyweight world champion Jack Johnson,” says Francis. “Johnson made history by winning that title here in Sydney in 1908. But I also did research into what it meant to be a person of colour in those times and how living everyday life was a struggle in itself.” Girl From The North Country has earned critical praise, being labelled “an instant classic” and a masterpiece. “In a time where we haven’t had theatre for so long, I hope people leave feeling a sense of community and connection,” says Francis. “Theatre is wonderful and will always survive because of people’s need to escape for a few hours into someone else’s story, and North Country will do that for you.” Kowitz agrees, drawing a parallel to the show’s themes and our current world situation stemming from the pandemic. “This production speaks of a time of despair,” he says. “Yet it ultimately resonates with hope, and I think audiences will appreciate that parallel with the journey we’ve all made in these last few years. I, for one, hold these precious moments on stage with my fellow cast members more dearly than I ever have before.”

MORE: Girl From The North Country is currently playing at the Theatre Royal Sydney, before heading to Adelaide and Melbourne. For more: northcountry.com.au

PHOTO DANIEL BOUD

t seems the jukebox musical hasn’t quite unplugged yet, with new productions involving the music of Bob Marley (Get Up, Stand Up!), Tom Jones (What’s New Pussycat?) and Britney Spears (Once Upon A One More Time). And while most would consider Bob Dylan the unlikeliest to let his back catalogue get the stage treatment – although David Bowie did give us Lazarus – the resulting Girl From The North Country has, indeed, found success, even earning two prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards. Twenty Dylan songs including Like A Rolling Stone, Hurricane, Lay Lady Lay, Forever Young and the title track are featured in the show. Set during the Great Depression of the 1930s in a rundown Minnesota guest house, the cast of interesting characters includes Nick Laine, the proprietor, and his eclectic family. While Nick is having an affair with widowed resident, Mrs Neilsen the establishment is also shared by the Burke family, still struggling from the Wall Street crash. Add to this the arrival of a bible salesman and a down-on-his-luck boxer and there are enough character dynamics to rival Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

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BOOKS

REVIEWS BY GRAEME AITKEN AND HENDRI YULIUS WIJAYA

THE

BIG BOOKS OF

2022

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Expect new fiction from big names like Edmund White, David Sedaris and Patrick Gale, biographies from Harvey Fierstein, Colton Haynes and Hannah Gadsby, plus sex, fantasy and, of course… murder! A PREVIOUS LIFE Edmund White (Bloomsbury) out February The veteran gay writer and biographer returns with a new novel addressing polyamory, bisexuality and ageing. It follows Sicilian aristocrat and musician, Ruggero and his younger American wife, Constance, who agree to write and share the confessions of their past lives. While Constance reveals her multiple marriages to older men, Ruggero chronicles his relationships with men and women and, most importantly, his passionate affair with White himself. AND THE CATEGORY IS: INSIDE NEW YORK’S VOGUE, HOUSE AND BALLROOM COMMUNITY Ricky Tucker

(Beacon Press) out February Perfect for fans of the TV show Pose, Tucker introduces and historicises the underground subculture of Ballroom founded by LGBTQIA+ African-Americans and Latino men and women of Harlem. Featuring exclusive interviews with prominent LGBTQ/POC Ballroom members such as Lee Soulja and Benjamin Ninja, Tucker shows these marginalised groups’ courage in forming kinships and showcasing fabulousness through art performance. This book also discusses how Ballroom redefines popular culture.

THE CULTURE OF MALE BEAUTY IN BRITAIN: FROM THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPHS TO DAVID BECKHAM Paul R Deslandes

(University Of Chicago Press) out February In this illustrated volume, historian Deslandes traces the history of two centuries of male beauty in British culture, unpacking high and popular culture’s influence on male beauty standards. The book moves across different male figures from disfigured soldiers, physique models, gay men, and celebrities like David Beckham, and explores the connection between beauty, race, youth, empire and degeneration. I WAS BETTER LAST NIGHT: A MEMOIR

Harvey Fierstein (Knopf) out March A witty yet poignant memoir from the four-time Tony Awardwinning actor and playwright (Hairspray, La Cage Aux Folles, Torch Song Trilogy, and Kinky Boots). Here are never-before-told stories of his personal struggles and conflict, of sex and romance, and of his fabled career – tales that even those closest to him have never heard before! His candid recollections provide a rich window into downtown New York City life, gay culture, and the evolution of American theatre. TEN STEPS TO NANETTE: A MEMOIR SITUATION Hannah Gadsby

(Allen & Unwin) out March This memoir has been greatly anticipated as it was previously announced more than two years ago and then postponed. The book traces Gadsby’s journey as a queer person from Tasmania (where homosexuality was illegal until 1997) to her ever-evolving relationship with comedy, to her struggle with late-in-life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and finally to the backbone of her acclaimed stand-up show Nanette – the rejection of misogyny and the moral significance of truth-telling.

SON OF SIN

Omar Sakr (Affirm Press) out March Some readers will know Sakr from his 2019 prize-winning poetry book The Lost Arabs but this is his first novel. It’s the story of an estranged father, an abused and abusive mother, an army of relatives and a tapestry of violence, woven across generations and geographies, from Turkey to Lebanon to Western Sydney. This is the legacy left to Jamal Smith, a young queer Muslim trying to escape his past. MOTHER’S BOY

Patrick Gale (Hachette Australia) March This 17th novel from Gale is his first fully historical one since the acclaimed A Place Called Winter. It’s based around the known facts of the boyhood and youth of the great Cornish poet, Charles Causley and the life of the mother who raised him singlehandedly. Gale has lived in Cornwall since 1988 and the setting often appears in his books. HERE AGAIN NOW

Okechukwu Nzelu (Hachette Australia) March From the Betty Trask shortlisted Nzelu comes a quietly devastating novel about masculinity, love and grief. Achike is an up-and-coming actor on the brink of success. His friend Ekene is lost, moving from one unfulfilling relationship to another, estranged from his family and recently made redundant from his job as a drama teacher. Ekene and Achike have always been more than just friends and now it feels like they are on the cusp of fully admitting that to one another. DNA 29

BOOKS

REVIEWS BY GRAEME AITKEN AND HENDRI YULIUS WIJAYA YOUNG MUNGO Douglas Stuart (Picador) out April Booker Prize-winner Stuart returns with the story of two Glasgow working-class men, Protestant Mungo and Catholic James, who find themselves in love despite their differences. To survive in their hyper-masculine hometown, both need more than just a dream to escape it. Stuart recounts everyday struggles faced by queer individuals with a rich lyricism that brims with hope for a better future for all.

THE PASSION OF GENGOROH TAGAME: MASTER OF GAY EROTIC MANGA VOLUMES 1 AND 2 Gengoroh Tagame

MOON WITCH, SPIDER KING (DARK STAR TRILOGY BOOK #2) Marlon James

(Hamish Hamilton) out March Following on from Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Book 2 is another spectacular, genre-redefining literary fantasy from the Man Booker Prizewinning author. James draws on a rich tradition of African mythology, fantasy and history to imagine an ancient world, a lost child, an extraordinary hunter, and a mystery with many answers.

BOY FALLEN Chris Gill (PRNTD Publishing) out March His debut novel The Nowhere was an indie bestseller and his follow-up book is a change of pace. Set in a remote coastal town in New Zealand’s South Island, locals soon become suspects when the body of wealthy teen, Evan Wiley is found at the foot of a waterfall. Detective Brooke Palmer fears a part of Evan’s life he’d kept secret may have cost the boy his life. 30 DNA

TIME IS A MOTHER Ocean Vuong (Jonathan Cape) out April Vuong returns with a poetry collection that captures the feelings of loss and grief after his mother’s death while also exploring his determination to survive this profound change. With similar themes to his bestselling novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, this poetry collection also deals with what it means to continue living as the product of an American war on race in America itself.

(Fantagraphics) out April Often dubbed the Tom Of Finland of Japan, Tagame is well-known for his visceral, erotic and violent depictions of gay sex. Featuring ten short stories from the late 1990s to the early 2010s, Volume 1 shows the passionate and unbridled exploration of lust, BDSM, romance and gay relationships between bears and hyper-masculine men. While the long-awaited Volume 2 features a treasure trove of long and short stories previously unpublished in English, accompanied by original essays and an exclusive new interview with the renowned manga artist. SEX IS AS SEX DOES: GOVERNING TRANSGENDER IDENTITY Paisley Currah

(New York University Press) out May Transgender scholar and activist, Currah courageously reveals how and why the existing regulations of sex classification fail transgender and non-binary people. By evaluating examples from different states in the US, government bodies and court cases, Currah looks at how the sex category, once recorded in legal documents like in driver’s licenses, influences the modern state’s governance of gender and sexuality.

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BOOKS

REVIEWS BY GRAEME AITKEN AND HENDRI YULIUS WIJAYA

HAPPY-GOLUCKY David

Sedaris (Hachette Australia) June Has the acclaimed comic memoirist run out of colourful stories from his own life? In June he is turning his hand to fiction with his first book of short stories. We cannot wait!

MARLO, 1953 Jay Carmichael (Scribe) out August From the author of Ironbark published back in 2018, comes a new short novel set in conservative 1950s Australia. Christopher, a young gay man, moves the city to escape the repressive atmosphere of his tiny hometown. However, once there, he finds that it is just as censorial and punitive in its own way. Then Christopher meets Morgan, an Indigenous man, and the two fall in love – but the society around them remains rigid and unchanging.

MISS MEMORY LANE: A MEMOIR

Colton Haynes (Simon & Schuster) out July A brutally honest and moving memoir of lust, abuse, addiction, stardom and redemption from the openly gay Arrow and Teen Wolf actor. By 16, Haynes had been signed to the world’s top modelling agency, yet he was still a broke, lonely, confused teenager, surrounded by people telling him he could be a star as long as he kept his sexuality hidden. As his career in television took off, the stress of wearing so many masks and trying to please so many different people turned his use of drugs and alcohol into full-blown addiction. THE QUEST FOR SEXUAL HEALTH: HOW AN ELUSIVE IDEAL HAS TRANSFORMED SCIENCE, POLITICS AND EVERYDAY LIFE

Steven Epstein (University Of Chicago Press) out August Renowned sociology professor, Epstein explores the history and development of the “sexual health” concept, alongside its influence on sexual and social life. What makes sex “healthy”? How has the sexual health concept changed our sexual desires and practices? By addressing these questions, Epstein scrutinises our modern quest for the elusive ideal while remaining attentive to its possibilities to promote social justice. 32 DNA

THE BRINK Holden Sheppard (Text Publishing) out August A highly anticipated new book from the author of the immensely popular Invisible Boys is another gritty upper YA novel with major crossover appeal for adult readers. Set on the West Australian coast, The Brink follows a group of school leavers whose schoolies trip is rocked by a shocking murder, which begins to tear their group apart. This raw coming-of-age story tackles masculinity, sex, homosexuality, mental health and identity without pulling any punches.

VISIBLE MAN Edward Enninful (Bloomsbury) out September From a childhood in Ghana to being discovered by a fashion editor on the London Underground at the age of 16 to taking the helm of Britain’s most influential fashion publication British Vogue, A Visible Man traces an astonishing journey into one of the world’s most exclusive industries. Taking us into the heady, wild and vibrant fashion scene of 1980s London and beyond, Edward also details his experiences as a Black, gay, working-class refugee. THE FIRST TO DIE AT THE END Adam Silvera (Simon & Schuster) out October Silvera recounts the journey of new star-crossed lovers as they receive DeathCast’s fateful calls, seven years ago before the couple in his best-selling novel They Both Die At The End. Set as its prequel, this book will take us again to find the beauty of hope and love in the edge of despair and mortality. ALSO…

Watch for a new book from David Marr on Australia’s colonial past, A Family Business (Black Inc) in November. While Fiona McGregor will have a new historical novel out with Picador in October Iris about Sydney lesbian petty criminal Iris Weber. Little is known about the new memoir from Magda Szubanski except that it will be out in the second half of 2022.

MORE: The Bookshop Darlinghurst specialises in LGBTIQ books. Tel: (02) 9331 1103. Email: info@thebookshop.com.au. Web: thebookshop.com.au. Visit: 207 Oxford Street, Sydney.

L E AT H E R LEGACY LINE USE CODE DNA15 FOR 15% OFF.

www.e-modusvivendi.com DNA 33

FEATURE Andrew Barr is Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory and Australia’s first openly gay state or territory leader. He’s also a husband and a “fairy godfather”, he tells Michael Donnelly.

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ave you seen the cool little capital of Australia lately? New buildings have shot up, and old buildings have come down, making way for carefully cultivated wetland parks. Sexy red trams zip out to the northern suburbs. Young people dress like they’re going on Tinder dates most of the time, and there are chic little wine bars. That bogan thing that’s so prevalent in other Australian cities? It’s not so strong in Canberra. “The Canberra of today is a very different place to what people who came here decades ago on their year six school excursion would have seen,” says the ACT’s Chief Minister, Andrew Barr. And despite the fact he’s been the ACT’s tourism minister for 16 years, this is not industry claptrap. It’s real. Canberra’s come a long way. The happily and openly gay 48-year-old Chief Minister, a bona fide “Ken Behren” since the age of four, is both a product of the city’s cosmopolitan transformation, and now also a symbol of it. Upon reaching the territory’s top job in 2014, he also became the first openly gay leader of any Australian state or territory, a milestone that was unthinkable not so long ago, even to himself. “I didn’t come out until I was 26,” he says. “I was president of Young Labor, rising through the political ranks, but there was this other side of my life that I was not being honest about, to myself and to other people. I was sick of making excuses as to why I wasn’t going to have a second date with [women]. And I liked guys,” he says with an easy laugh. “It became very hard to contain. You can’t sit on that forever. I thought I could either continue to cut all of that out of my life and just be this weird political animal, or actually it might be time to be a bit brave. It was time. My coming out experience was probably as amazing as you could possibly hope for.” That coming out process ran the typical gay gamut – from getting blond highlights to meeting a boyfriend. Barr met Anthony Toms at Canberra’s fabulously modest gay venue, The Meridian Club, in November 1999. Sadly, The Meridian was not to be a stayer, but the couple are: they civilly united ten years to the day after their meeting, and were married ten years to the day after that.

Barr entered the territory’s Legislative Assembly in 2006, but it was not until 2011, when he became Deputy Leader to Katy Gallagher (now a senator for the ACT), that he perceived being openly gay was no barrier to one day becoming leader himself.

Andrew and Anthony on their wedding day.

There was this other side of my life that I was not being honest about… it was time to be a bit brave. That day arrived sooner than expected when Gallagher quit in 2014. “I expected Katy Gallagher to have stayed a little bit longer as Chief Minister, and I was very happy as Deputy and Treasurer. It wasn’t that I forced the issue in any way; it was Katy’s decision to run for the Senate that triggered it,” he says. Since then, Barr has led his Labor team to victory in elections in 2016 and 2020, forming minority government with the support of the Greens. Footage of Barr thanking hubby Anthony during his 2020 victory speech, and kissing him on the lips, was hailed as a significant moment in its own right. That election victory came in the midst of the Covid-19 outbreak, a public health crisis that has comprehensively transformed the job of Chief Minister of the ACT, as it has everything else. For the past two years, Barr has used powers no previous occupant of the role has exercised, he’s also been a member of National Cabinet, and he’s gained a higher profile country-wide than any previous ACT Chief Minister. “This happened in years six and seven of my time as Chief Minister, rather than years one and two… I’ve definitely benefited from having had that leadership experience,” he says. The past two years have been “incredibly draining,” he admits, but it’s also had its satisfactions. “I’ve had the most positive feedback,” he says. “The only other time it has been anything like this, just in terms of unsolicited positive feedback from my community, was the marriage equality week, when the ACT had the strongest Yes vote. There was an outpouring of emotion then, and you sort of felt like you’re surfing a wave of community goodwill. Managing the pandemic has been the equivalent.” Barr and the ACT Legislative Assembly played a critical role in the fight for marriage equality, with the territory enacting the first legislation enabling same-sex marriage in the country. The laws were later struck out by the High Court – “but it was the catalyst for the issue landing

fairly and squarely in the federal parliament,” he says. “There were no more excuses.” The ACT’s pink push has continued since then, although Barr reveals homophobia has been just as constant. “It’s sort of the fallback for anyone who has a grievance; if they can’t sustain the full policy argument, they’ll go the personal,” he says. “I’ve had to deal with it throughout [my career] and in almost every political job, every portfolio, anyone who doesn’t like something you’ve said or done, or a policy direction, will attack through the lens of your sexuality.” While these attacks have diminished over time, he’s attuned to some of the subtler forms of homophobia, including the insinuation that as a gay man he couldn’t possibly understand the financial and social pressures on people who have kids. (For the record, he and Toms have no plans to be gay dads, but he describes himself as a “very proud and doting uncle… and fairy godfather to a number of other kids.”) As a gay MP, Barr is one of a burgeoning cohort across Australia, with politicians from across the sexuality spectrum now taking seats in most of the nation’s parliaments. Federally, a rough scorecard would show the Liberals slightly ahead, with three gay men and one lesbian in the lower house, as well as one gay man in the senate, while Labor has three lesbians in the senate, and a lower house MP (Julian Hill) who acknowledged former partners of both genders in his first speech to parliament. Would Barr himself follow Gallagher into federal parliament if an opportunity arose? “I wouldn’t say it could never happen, but I’m not angling for it,” he says. And the pandemic has revealed a previously under-appreciated truth about Australia’s federal system, he adds: the states and territories have considerable sovereign power, and if you want to affect real change in Australia, the second tier of government is a good place to do it. Barr’s own long-term project has been

boosting Canberra, which has grown from a city of a quarter of a million just 25 years ago to 400,000 now. “Part of this is driven by my own experience,” he says. “Most of the people I went to school or university with here felt compelled to leave because Canberra didn’t offer them the career or social life or whatever. So I’m driven by a desire to attract and retain more young people. Would I kill for a few hundred thousand more people, which would provide a slightly greater economic base to have more diverse entertainment and a few more venues and all those sorts of things that a slightly larger city can sustain? Yes, and that’s a reason to keep on this project for a bit longer. Cities are always evolving and maturing, and Canberra has gone from being the big country town to a pretty vibrant small city.” Next up is making Canberra the most LGBTQIA+ friendly city in the country, Barr says, a goal to be realised not just through law reform but by people’s experiences. “People can feel safe here; it’s not an issue to walk down any street in Canberra holding hands with your partner,” he says. Barr says he likes to think he has helped pave the way for other LGBTQIA+ politicians in his patch, and with four MLAs in the ACT now openly gay or lesbian, he says, “the ACT may get its second gay or lesbian leader before any other state has its first”. But will we ever see an openly gay or lesbian prime minister? Barr believes it’s possible. “If Penny Wong was in the lower house she would be a very credible Labor Party leader,” he says. “And I imagine Tim Wilson would think he could do it on the Liberal side, although whether he would be elected by the Australian people is another matter. But you don’t just land a leaders’ role the day you enter parliament. You need at least a decade in parliament before you’d be considered. “I’d love to see it in my lifetime.” DNA 35

/ ON THE COVER

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/ ON THE COVER

BON VOYAGE! P&O are launching their first-ever Pride Cruises here in Australia, with DNA cover model and gay athlete Simon Dunn onboard as ambassador! Time to go cruising…

Photography CHRISTIAN SCOTT DNA: Simon, you were training with the Australian Bobsleigh Team for the Winter Olympics in Calgary but had to return home injured. What happened? Simon Dunn: I headed over to Calgary in September to further my training with the intention of re-qualifying for the national team in the Olympic season. This gave me the opportunity to race for Australia in both 2man and 4man races in Whistler, Canada. It was in the second race of 4man where we had a crash at roughly 140km per hour. During the crash I had to pull myself back into the sled in an attempt to keep my head off the ice which, unfortunately, ruptured my bicep, tearing it from the bone. Ouch! So, no Olympics for you this year. What does it mean for your bobsleigh aspirations going forward? I’ve been involved in bobsleigh for almost eight years, so it’s a case of never say never with continuing. I’d love the opportunity to get back in the sled and represent my country again, as well as help the sport develop in Australia. But when it comes to trying to make the Olympics in 2026, I’ll be 38 and I’m not sure my body will appreciate it, nor will my bank account. As you recover, how are you spending your time? Are you still personal training? The recovery time for bicep reattachment surgery is, unfortunately, a long one, so I’ve spent a lot of time at the physiotherapist. I’m six weeks out from my operation and I’m not allowed to lift more than a 1kg, so this has ruled out personal training for me for the time being. Now that you’re back in Sydney, have you caught up with your old teammates from the Sydney Convicts? Definitely! There’s been a few social opportunities to catch up with The Convicts. This year is 10 years since I joined the club and the start of my sporting journey, so I have

a lot to thank them for. They also managed (over a few beers) to convince me to have a run this year (once I’ve recovered) and play in the Bingham Cup this August in Canada. You’re involved with The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. Describe what they do and how you’re a part of that. The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation is Australia’s longest running HIV charity. BGF provides support for people living with HIV, which includes practical, emotional and financial support. My role as an ambassador varies greatly and with being an ally for the HIVpositive community there’s an emphasis on breaking down the stigma around HIV. I’ve been able to speak with companies like Woolworths and Lion Nathan for World AIDS Day, working with P&O Cruises Australia on events to raise money for BGF on its Pride Cruises. For me, the most rewarding part of my role with The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation is being able to get out and work directly with their clients, being able to meet first-hand and hear the stories of those that BGF have been able to assist, some of which has been eye-opening but also very educational. It’s invaluable to hear about my community. Since you last spoke to DNA, a lot of professional athletes have come out: A-League soccer player Josh Cavallo in Australia, American football players Colton Underwood and Carl Nassib, and there were over 180 openly gay LGBTIQA+ athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. Are we making progress? It’s great to see more athletes coming out and more importantly athletes being comfortable to do so. As I’ve always said, its at grassroots level where the change really needs to happen. LGBTQIA+ athletes need to feel comfortable to continue in sport. Seeing Josh Cavallo coming out and speaking out against homophobia is great, he could’ve just come out and continued playing but instead has been vocal about change. This will do a lot for sport! The next Gay Games are being hosted by Hong Kong in 2023, covid allowing. But Hong Kong won the games before the crackdown on the democracy movement happened. Do you have an opinion on whether Hong Kong will still be safe for LGBTIQA+ athletes? I feel the organisers have already shown they’re doing what’s needed to ensure the safety of athletes by delaying the games until 2023. With covid, and obviously the civil unrest in Hong Kong, I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to organise an international event during these times. Delaying shows they have the best interests of participants at the forefront.

You’re ambassador for the P&O Pride Cruises that are leaving Sydney in November and Melbourne in December 2022. What can we expect onboard? I’m so excited for the Pride Cruises. There are two cruises scheduled in 2022, one scheduled to depart Sydney in November and another leaving Melbourne in December. These will be weekend, three-night cruises, and in 2023 we will be continuing the fun from Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane. In 2022, I’ll be joined by the lovely Etcetera Etcetera from Drag Race, Coco Jumbo and DJ Victoria Anthony. I’ll be a very busy man onboard with lots planned, from DJing the pool party, hosting events, and also a fundraiser boot camp for The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. As the cruises don’t leave Australian waters, do we need our passports? There’s no need for a passport as we don’t leave Australia (except for the Auckland cruise, obviously) all you need to bring is a government issued ID. Are there going to be nightly themed parties? We need to start thinking about outfits! Yes, and I am helping P&O to plan these! P&O are renowned for hosting some exciting theme night events on all of their cruises, including The White Party and Gatsby. The Pride cruise will be no different. Have you been on an all-queer cruise before? Unfortunately, I have never been on a Pride Cruise. This will be my first cruise ever so notching up five in a row will be fun! How many people will be onboard? Between 2,500 and 3,500 guests on each cruise In a previous interview you told us that despite your bobsleigh training, you don’t actually enjoy being in the cold. You prefer it hot. What are you most looking forward to on the Pride cruises? I can’t wait to share this experience with so many people, make new friends and just enjoy all the cruise has to offer! Some people on cruises like to dress up for dinner. Is that you? It’s rare that I get to dress-up so I take advantage of every opportunity to do it! There will be several events on the cruise that will allow guests to dress-up, including a gala event for The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation. Do you have any tips for packing? Obviously swimwear and partywear… what else? Remember there’s many different events with many different outfit choices. P&O recommend no more than two bags per person so fill those bags with whatever you have to dress to impress!

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I’ll be a very busy man onboard… DJing the pool party, hosting events, a fundraiser boot camp for BGF…

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All About The P&O Pride Cruises P&O Cruises Australia will be flying the rainbow flag in 2022, with the launch of its first Pride Cruise – a celebratory weekend at sea created especially for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, their friends, family and supporters, departing Sydney on November 4th. Joining P&O Cruises on the new sailing will be a raft of community organisations that support the LGBTQIA+ community through health, well-being and social initiatives, such as The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, Harbour City Bears and Queer Screen, which will showcase its first Queer Screen @ Sea Film Festival. Following on the from the success of the launch of the inaugural Sydney cruise, the cruise-line announced four additional Pride Cruises in 2022 and 2023, with a Melbourne Pride Cruise departing on December 9th 2022, and cruises from

Auckland, Sydney and Brisbane in 2023. The home-grown cruise line has also partnered with some of the best names in the Australian entertainment business including talented artists who are champions of equality, such as drag stars Etcetera Etcetera and Coco Jumbo, and DJ Victoria Anthony, who will all perform on the Pride Cruises in 2022. Many more guest performers and entertainment, plus the all-important theme nights, are still to be announced for the 2022 and 2023 cruises! P&O Cruises Partnerships Manager Chris Rich said the sailing would welcome everyone who is a member or supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community. “Guests will be able to celebrate the themes of love, compassion, respect and understanding through lectures, educational and spiritual events, rainbow

family events, and we’ll offer same-sex marriages and renewal of vows. There’ll be something for everyone – as well as the unique blend of love and laughter that makes the LGBTQIA+ spectrum so special.” The Short Break Pride Cruises will host up to 60 onboard activities every day of the two days at sea of each cruise. Pacific Adventure is due to arrive in Australia in 2022, with a range of new restaurants, bars and other exciting features including Byron Beach Club. Guests can challenge their family, friends and new-found friends on Pacific Adventures’ Twin Racer Waterslides.

MORE: For more, go to www.pocruises.com.au/pridecruise

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FEATURE

Bronski Beat: Steve Bronski, Jimmy Somerville and Larry Steinbachek.

ALAMY

THE BIRTH OF

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It may have been the “love that dare not speak its name” but in the 1980s it sang out loud and clear. Marc Andrews looks back at this dynamic, groundbreaking era of gay music.

ontempt in your eyes as I turn to kiss his lips…” This is the first line of the song Why by Bronski Beat, released in mid-1984. It was the UK band’s second single, and the “contempt” refers to a homophobe’s reaction to the sight of two men kissing. Bronski Beat were three proudly gay-andout boys (Jimmy Somerville on vocals, with Steve Bronski and Larry Steinbachek both on keyboards and percussion). They were part of a pop music revolution that firmly planted gay male sexuality on the charts, on the radio, on TV and into the consciousness of people around the world. The mid-’80s produced an alumni of gay music acts (some out, some not) who were also chart toppers including Culture Club, George Michael, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Soft Cell, Dead Or Alive, Marilyn, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys and The Communards.

They were part of a pop music revolution… Why became a top ten hit in Australia, Switzerland, Germany, France, The Netherlands, New Zealand and the UK. It’s an up-tempo, synth-pop track with a catchy, singalong chorus that filled nightclub dancefloors, but the lyrics were angry and overtly political, if you cared to listen: “Broken I lie, all my feelings denied, blood on your fist, can you tell me why?” The song goes on to explain how homophobia brands gays as sinners, or ill, and how it teaches us to feel guilt about our sexuality. But it ends with a defiant refrain, Jimmy Somerville directly addressing his listeners with a call to action: “You and me together, fighting for our love. You and me together, fighting for our love.” Previous to this, any gay references in pop music had either been by subterfuge, submerged or just plain suffocated before making it anywhere near the mainstream. From the earliest days of recorded music there

are numerous examples of songs that were considered too “racy” (ie, openly gay) being “straightwashed”. The lyrics of Little Richard’s 1950s ode to the joys of anal sex, Tutti Frutti, were changed from, “Tutti Frutti, good booty” to “Tutti Frutti, oh rootie”. An additional lyric, “If it don’t fit don’t force it, you can grease it, make it easy,” was cut altogether. Mentions of “other” sexualities during the 1960s and 1970s generally involved transsexuals, The Kinks’ Lola from 1970 and Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side from 1972 being two prime examples. But the birth of the gay liberation as a political movement around this time raised consciousness and created a space for openly queer music. Mainstream artists like David Bowie, Queen’s Freddie Mercury, Elton John, glam rocker Marc Bolan and even The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger flirted with flamboyant stage personas, very much influenced by the style of Little Richard. They deliberately created a kind of questionable sexuality, signalling to their followers that they were hip to the Zeitgeist, though none of these artists came out as gay at the time. In 1976 Rod Stewart had a number one hit about a gay bashing, The Killing Of Georgie (Part I and II), based on a true story about a gay friend of his who was killed. Punk rockers took a different approach. In the late 1970s, The Tom Robinson Band had a hit with their anthem (Sing If You’re) Glad To Be Gay, while Ian Dury not only had an ironic hit with I Want To Be Straight (about staying on the straight and narrow not about being gay), but then wrote There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards about Noël Coward and his “gay divorce”. The rise of disco music at the same time – borne from the gay, black, and gay and black clubs – coincided with a new demographic who demanded music that spoke about their lives and, even better, they could dance to as well, all night long in the safety of now-flourishing gay bars, clubs and parties. The Village People took the gay subculture mainstream with super catchy hits like In The Navy, Macho Man and YMCA that gave more than a knowing wink to their queer roots. Sylvester’s pioneering 1978 electro-disco hit You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) was such a great song it crossed over from the gay clubs, laced with swirling synthesisers played by gay boy wonder Patrick Cowley. Inspired by the Euro disco sounds of Giorgio Moroder and his work with Donna Summer, Cowley started releasing his own records. He also remixed some of Summer’s tracks into massive 15-minute gay dancefloor classics. Cowley’s work was regarded as “underground” – code word for too gay for FM radio – but some of them were just so catchy it didn’t matter, like 1981’s Menergy. In 1982 Cowley wrote and produced another gay dance classic, Do Ya Wanna Funk with Sylvester. Tragically, it was the same year he died from

AIDS, aged 32. Sylvester would carry on recording, even re-recording Menergy in 1984 until he too succumbed to AIDS in 1988. Down Under in Oz there were also rumblings that something big was happening on planet pop. In 1979, Sydney band Jimmy And The Boys (featuring Ignatius Jones on lead vocals, drag keyboardist Joylene Thornbird, and some other blokes) broke through, proving Australia could do twisted, bent, gay pop, too. Their debut single, I’m Not Like Everybody Else brought Oxford Street queerness, a kitsch drag queen, and a new wave sensibility into Australian living rooms via the ABC’s Countdown music program. Meanwhile, in Britain, as the new decade of the 1980s kicked off, there was movement afoot. Disco and punk were old news and people were searching for new sounds. That new sound took the jangly guitars of punk, disco’s beats, the new technology of synthesisers, and the influence of global musical styles, and became the New Romantic movement, New Wave and Post-Punk. Synth duo, Soft Cell capitalised on this with their version of Tainted Love, a fabulous slice of queer pop. In 1981-’82 it became one of the biggest hits worldwide. Effete lead singer, Marc Almond happily appeared on the cover of pop bible Smash Hits but guardedly steered any kind of talk away from his (homo)sexuality. Disco had zipped up its boots and gone back to its gay roots, being reshaped, refashioned and cloned, both in the UK and the US, as “hi-NRG”. Initially it seldom troubled the charts or radio but by the early 1980s it had established itself as the defining sound of gay nightlife whether you were dancing the night away in London, San Francisco or Sydney. When 1984 rolled around it became a watershed year for pop music and gay pop in particular. Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s outrageous Relax topped charts globally. The original video made it very clear that “relax, don’t do it, when you wanna come” was a direct reference to gay sex. Unsurprisingly, the video, set in a wild gay club, was banned from MTV in the US. When the explicit nature of the lyrics finally dawned upon radio programmers in the UK (Relax, don’t do it, when you want to suck, chew it… I’m coming, I’m coming, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah), it was also banned from airplay in that country. But the sound of the gay clubs had arrived and was irresistible to the masses, and unstoppable in the charts. It went to number one in 10 countries and into the top ten everywhere else. Two of the band’s five members, including lead singer Holly Johnson, were openly gay. The time was right for a truly mainstream all-queer pop act. Having only performed a few times, Bronski Beat were signed to a record contract as an openly and politically queer band. Their debut album was called The Age Of Consent and the inside cover listed the age of consent for gay sex around the world. In most cases, that age was higher for gay people >> DNA 43

Divine, Holly Johnson from Frankie Goes To Hollywood and muscle chum.

>> than straight people if, indeed, gay sex was even legal at all. Their debut single, Smalltown Boy, was a top ten hit in 10 countries, and number one in The Netherlands and on the US Dance charts. Poignant and yet danceable, it tells the story of a gay boy leaving home after being rejected by his family and finding love and acceptance with his chosen gay family. The band were so red hot they appeared on the cover of Smash Hits. At the same time, another very gay artist was making a mad dash up the charts with a record that would set the template for the rest of the decade’s pop sound. Divine was not just a drag queen, a man in a dress, or even a character from John Waters’ cult movies. He was all of those things and, impressively, a singer. His vocal style was gruff and rough, not at all camp, but fabulous. His single, You Think You’re A Man broke through to such an extent that he appeared on British TV pop show Top Of The Pops and Australia’s Countdown – both times equally horrifying and delighting different segments of the audience. You Think You’re A Man had its greatest success in Australia, where it soared into the top ten, supported by highrotation plays at gay clubs and bars in the major cities. You Think You’re A Man, which was an out’n’proud gay hi-NRG track, was also notable as the first production for the English songwriting and producing trio of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman who became known as Stock Aitken Waterman or simply SAW. 44 DNA

The track became the musical blueprint the trio used with other acts, giving “gender bender” Pete Burns and his band Dead Or Alive a huge hit with You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) in late 1984-early 1985, Bananarama’s Venus in 1986, Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up in 1987 and the first five years of Kylie Minogue’s musical career. This distinctive SAW sound was the sound of gay pop.

Relax, don’t do it, when you wanna come… was a direct reference to gay sex. Despite their success, Bronski Beat imploded within a year. Their final hit with the original line-up was a version of I Feel Love, which became a gay duet with Soft Cell singer Marc Almond, and they mixed it with another song, Johnny Remember Me just in case you missed the early gay pop music agenda at work here. Jimmy left the band to create a new act called The Communards, who enjoyed further success with ’80s electro-pop versions of ’70s disco hits Don’t Leave Me This Way and Never Can Say Goodbye, along with more avowedly queer

material such as a cover of Lover Man on their first album, and then AIDS ballad For A Friend, which was also a minor hit. Steve and Larry carried on as Bronski Beat with a number of other singers out front (including Eartha Kitt on Cha-Cha Heels), but the magic was gone apart from one more major hit, 1985’s Hit That Perfect Beat. In September 1986, Jimmy and his Communards bandmate Richard Coles (who later became an ordained gay priest) appeared in Smash Hits under the headline: “Gay pop stars have no excuse for not speaking out!” It was hard-hitting stuff, and the pair didn’t mince words when it came to gay pop stars who weren’t out. “I don’t think it’s right to be that selfish,” Jimmy explained passionately. “I’ve not time for that sort of ambiguity now, especially in gay pop stars.” Clearly this was something of an attack on the George Michaels and Boy Georges of the time who were either sexually ambiguous, nonsexual, or talked about how they’d rather have a nice cup of tea than sex. Both Georges eventually came out: Boy George of his own accord after owning up to a nasty heroin addiction, and George Michael after being caught cruising a hot Latino cop in an LA toilet. By the end of the 1980s Jimmy had gone solo, scoring a big hit in 1989 with a cover of Sylvester’s You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real). He again appeared in Smash Hits and talked >>

ALAMY

FEATURE

Gay artists featured on the cover of music bible, Smash Hits magazine during the ’80s.

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Culture Club.

>> about his favourite things, proudly wearing his ACT-UP sweatshirt (to promote the AIDS activist group). Once again, refusing to water things down for the pop audience. He continued releasing records well into his fifties. He turned 60 in June last year and continues performing the Bronski Beat, Communards and his solo hits in live shows. The decade that gave birth to gay pop had, by its end, also been impacted by the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. Patrick Cowley, Sylvester and Freddie Mercury of Queen were taken too soon. Admirably, both Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Andy Bell of Erasure were up-front about becoming HIV-positive at a time when there was still a great deal of stigma attached to a positive diagnosis. The ’80s had seen gay liberation conquer the pop charts only to be undermined by the decimation of the gay community. Elton John revealed he was actually gay, not bisexual after all, and established the Elton John AIDS Foundation 46 DNA

in 1992, which, today, has raised over $US600 million to help prevent the spread of HIV around the world. The ’90s arrived and pop became a dirty word. Grunge and R&B dominated the charts and gay pop retreated back into the clubs, where it morphed into house music thanks to superstar gay DJs like Frankie Knuckles. Gay male representation faded from the mainstream but, by contrast, the 1990s saw the rise of openly lesbian music stars like Melissa Etheridge, kd lang, and 4 Non Blondes’ Linda Perry, who wrote hits for Christina Aguilera and P!nk among others. Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant officially came out in 1994. The decade ended with Stephen Gately from Boyzone being forced out of the closet by the British tabloids in 1999. A decade later, his career was tragically cut short when he died aged just 33. It would take until well into the new millennium before the “rebirth” of openly gay

pop stars began, many of them linked to new reality TV formats. In the UK, Will Young won Pop Idol in 2002, and in the US Adam Lambert won American Idol in 2009. The Scissor Sisters mixed not just sexualities but sexes and genres, *Nsync’s Lance Bass, Westlife’s Mark Feehily, Human Nature’s Toby Allen, Ricky Martin, Mika and REM’s Michael Stipe all came out. Queer artists who have folded their complicated but fascinating lives into their music like Rufus Wainwright, Patrick Wolfe, Frank Ocean, Troye Sivan and more recently Lil Nas X prove we have, indeed, come a long way from the days of Bronski Beat’s 1984 gay kiss. In December 2021, Steve Bronski died at age 61. Too young, but he lived to see the extraordinary cultural and social revolution that he was part of and the generations of out gay pop stars he helped inspired. We can’t wait to see and hear what comes next in this great new era of gay pop. •

ALAMY

Pete Burns of Dead Or Alive.

Pete Burns and Dead Or Alive had a huge hit with You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) in late ’84… DNA 47

FEATURE

12 GAY POP CLASSICS FROM THE ’80s. 1. Homosapien – Pete Shelley (1981) The bisexual lead singer of punk band The Buzzocks toyed with sexual identity on his charttopping debut solo single, declaring “homo superior in my interior”.

5. Relax – Frankie Goes To Hollywood (1983) “Relax, don’t do it, when you want to suck or chew it,” didn’t exactly mince words and the fact it was banned then became a huge hit indicated a thirst for queer new sounds.

2. Tainted Love – Soft Cell (1981) Marc Almond and Dave Ball scored a global megahit with this limp-wristed cover of a Northern Soul classic, but dig out their Sex Dwarf for true gay pop depravity.

6. Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat (1984) The Bronski’s debut single was both wistful and wonderful as it dealt with running away from homophobic parents and finding love with a chosen family. Heady stuff in 1984!

3. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me – Culture Club (1982) The band’s break-through hit is a soulful reggae ballad inspired by the tumultuous relationship between lead singer Boy George and drummer Jon Moss. 4. So Many Men, So Little Time – Miquel Brown (1983) This humungous hi-NRG hit crossed over from gay clubs to the mainstream, sung by the mother of future pop star, Sinitta, and written/ produced by gay music pioneer, Ian Levine.

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7. Why – Bronski Beat (1984) From its opening line, to its no apologies hi-NRG beat, Bronski Beat’s second single is the true apotheosis of gay pop.

8. You Think You’re A Man – Divine (1984) There’s never been anyone like Divine. This clone zone tune was tongue-in-cheek and outrageously camp, becoming a hit in both Oz and the UK. 9. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) – Dead Or Alive (1984) The breakthrough record for genderbender Pete Burns and his band has since become not just a gay classic but the ultimate wedding song to get everyone spinning around. 10. Who Needs Love Like That – Erasure (1985) The debut single for the gay/straight duo was pure gay pop at its finest, but pretty much anything from the pair’s back catalogue could easily slip into this well lubed, er, loved list. 11. Don’t Leave Me This Way – The Communards (1986) Jimmy Somerville’s other band produced politically woke pop at the same time as they revisited disco classics like this one which had already been a hit twice in the 1970s. 12. It’s A Sin – Pet Shop Boys (1987) Although the band’s Neil Tennant didn’t come out until the 1990s there was clearly a gay agenda at work here. For true bombastic camp with a hi-NRG kick, this is sinfully good.

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22 FABULOUS AUSSIE

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Planning a holiday? It’s time to go local and discover the breadth and depth of our LGBTQIA+ community and culture, reports Michael Walters.

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PHOTO ANDY MILLER

1. MIDSUMMA FESTIVAL Melbourne (January) The highlight of the Midsumma Festival is Carnival, a huge fair day, usually held in the Alexandria Gardens. Enjoy a great variety of stalls, food and entertainment followed by the closing night Tea Dance in the park. However, the festival also includes weeks of theatre, art, film and happenings prior to Carnival. While you’re in town: treat yourself to an urban sophisticate weekend, discovering secret bars and cafés in Melbourne’s famous city laneways, shopping at quirky stores, or taking in a show in the East End theatre district.

2. GAYTIMES FESTIVAL Near Gembrook, Victoria (February) Now in its sixth year, an easy hour-and-aquarter drive from Melbourne. Deep in the forest, this boutique three-day multiple-stage music and art festival has a full calendar of activities on offer: speed dating and the annual drag race – a literal foot race – proving most popular. With plenty of workshops, ranging from yoga to dance classes to bondage instruction and how to masturbate better (carrots provided), numbers are capped at 1,000, so best to book early. Those who don’t want to camp can glamp instead, which means you don’t need to bring a thing. While you’re in town: with easy access to the picturesque Yarra Valley, extend your trip with a visit to world-class wineries or, if gin is your thing, visit the nearby Melbourne Gin Company. The campsite is also quite close to the 1,000 steps, a tropical track honouring the soldiers who endured the Kokoda Trail.

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PHOTO JEFFREY FENG

3. SYDNEY GAY AND LESBIAN MARDI GRAS Sydney (February-March) One of the best LGBTQIA+ festivals in the world kicks off with a community based Fair Day and culminates in a massive Parade filled with marching men, glamorous floats, satirical costumes and plenty of community support groups and allies. Did we mention fireworks? Recent celebrity guest performers have included Cher, Sam Smith, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora and Kylie at the kick-ass after party that’s filled with new friends just waiting to be met. Covid restrictions may impact some of the larger events. In 2021, the Parade was staged at The Sydney Cricket Ground rather than on Oxford Street, and the same will apply in 2022. While you’re in town: take a cruise on Sydney Harbour or a ferry to Manly Beach. Be brazen and visit the gays’ favourite nude breaches, Obelisk and Lady Jane on the harbour and Little Congwong Beach at La Perouse. Be brave and do a tandem parachute jump with Skydive Australia over the spectacular coast and harbour.

PHOTO APERTURE CLUB

4. QUEER SCREEN FILM FESTIVAL, Sydney and online (February + September) Run concurrently with Mardi Gras (and again in September in a smaller version) the Queer Screen Film Festival curates up to 130 LGBTQIA+ films. Expect film premieres, international guests, conversations and masterclasses over the 15-day festival as you enjoy the shared experience of watching a queer film in an audience full of, well, queers. Online subscriptions are also available so you don’t have to be in Sydney to enjoy this world-class festival. While you’re in town: check out Boy George’s one-night-only show Fantabulosa featuring Courtney Act, Mo’Ju and Odette that promises a new twist on iconic songs against a backdrop of high-energy theatrics. The show will also play in Melbourne for one-night in early March.

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5. SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL Multiple Cities (February + March) This epic festival visits Darwin, Sydney and Melbourne in February and March this year. Billed as a “summer camp for adults”, organisers promise “a playground of music, art and culture that suspends reality and transcends the boundaries of imagination” across multiple stages are dance spaces. It all kicks off in Darwin on February 26th then bounces along to Sydney in Centennial Parklands on February 27th with the celebration winding up in Melbourne at Reunion Park on March 6th for one hell of a party. Perth was also on the schedule but that state’s current covid lockdown restrictions have made it too difficult. Packed with world-class talent, the event will be headlined by London’s Years And Years (King), also known as actor, singer and man-of-the-moment Olly Alexander. Olly was acclaimed for his performance in the award-winning drama It’s A Sin, and has collaborated with Lady Gaga on her reimagined album, duetted with Kylie Minogue, and performed a showstopping performance with Elton John at the Brit Awards in London. Hailing from New Orleans’ hip-hop and electronic scene, Big Freedia has a slew of music royalty credits to her name. Featuring on tracks with Beyonce, Drake, Lizzo, Kesha and more, and joining the panel on the current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent will shake up the Summer Camp stage. Much loved duo, The Veronicas will devour the stage as only these iconic twin sisters can in their first LGBTQIA+ performance since New York Pride in 2019, leaving no audience member Untouched. Global pop powerhouse Cub Sport have sold-out dates across four continents and will dazzle on the main stage. The prolific Brisbane band released their fourth album early last year and are yet to take it on tour, until now. Also on the bill: ARIA award-winning Ladyhawke (My Delirium), party starters Confidence Man, chart-topping producer Young Franco, festival staple Kinder, up-andcoming New Zealand rapper JessB, alt-pop breakout Sycco, and (Darwin only) The Merindas. They’ll be joined by over 150 DJs, drag queens, dancers and performance artists in each city.

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6. BROOME PRIDE Broom, Western Australia (March) A pride festival in the rainy season? Not even a cyclone is going to stop Broome Pride from happening. This highly inclusive week-long, family friendly festival sees great support from the local community – a true sign of acceptance given there are not many gays in the village. There will be at least two chartered jets flying up from Perth for the event. Expect cabaret nights, dildo races, a Dragged Around Broome tour, bingo, exercises classes and story times (for the kids) all hosted by drag queens, of course! And a Big Splash Pool Party where the rain doesn’t matter. While you’re in Broome: take a scenic flight over the spectacular Bungle Bungle beehive rock formations, a tasting and tour at the Moontide Distillery, makers of the tropical Pride Tide gin, walk out to the Catalina wrecks on a low tide and, of course, take the quintessential camel ride along Cable Beach.

7. CHILL OUT FESTIVAL Daylesford, Victoria (March) Gays go cowboy in this four-day festival that sees idyllic country town Daylesford awash with Melburnians. Bootscoot at the Town Hall bush dance, attempt (with grace) the inflatable obstacle course at the pool party or make new friends at one of two campgrounds – that’s if you haven’t taken part in a house-share. The final day is capped off with a quaint parade that circles the main street twice – just in case you didn’t see it the first time, and a Carnival Day with concerts, a silent disco, and a stiletto tossing competition. While you’re in town: pay a relaxing visit to the neighbouring spa town of Hepburn Springs, visit the nearby gold rush towns of Ballarat and Bendigo, of go for a picnic at spooky Hanging Rock.

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8. FABALICE Alice Springs, Northern Territory (March) Get your Priscilla on and go outback the weekend of fabAlice, held the weekend after Sydney’s Mardi Gras Festival concludes. Enjoy Friday night cabaret as the festival kicks off, followed by a community parade on Saturday before a big dance party that night in an outback quarry with the MacDonnell Ranges as your backdrop. Hot, dry weather makes watering hole hopping oh so sweet. While you’re in town: be sure to check out numerous art galleries featuring the best of Aboriginal art, or pay a visit to the offbeat Desert Park, an outback version of a zoo. Or rent a car to go further afield to stunning Uluru and Kata Juta.

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9. BIG GAY DAY Brisbane, Queensland (May) Big Gay Day is Brisbane’s biggest street festival with over 3,000 people packing Alden Street and The Wickham Hotel in Fortitude Valley for one fun-filled day. The festival supports local LGBTQIA+ charities through fundraising and raising awareness for community groups. Expect live music from local and international acts with fun activities like drag queen dunk tanks, flash mob dances and talent pageants. 2022 will be the first year the event is themed with an out-of-thisworld space vibe, so start thinking about your costume! While you’re in town: consider climbing the Story Bridge for a bird’s eye view of the city or for something truly other-worldly, consider a side trip to nearby World Heritage-listed Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world and famous for its dingo population.

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11. DARK MOFO Hobart, Tasmania (June) An honorary LGBTQIA+ event, Dark Mofo is the Mona Museum’s midwinter festival celebrating the seasonal long dark nights through large scale public art, food, music, fire, light and noise. Each year, Dark Mofo delves into centuries-old rituals to explore the links between ancient and contemporary mythology, humans and nature, religious and secular traditions, darkness and light, and birth, death and renewal. While in town: don’t forget to check out the world class Mona museum itself, the Salamanca Art Markets, experience the food and wine Tasmania is famous for, or delve into the island’s convict past at historic Port Arthur.

PHOTO DARK LAB MEDIA REMI CHAUVIN PHOTO JOSEPH MAYERS

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10. ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL, Adelaide, South Australia (June) Gay fave Tina Arena has taken on the role of Artistic Director for the 2022 festival, so it’s got to be good. The world’s biggest cabaret festival attracts the cream of homegrown and international talent. Visit The Pina Colada Room for a nightly homage to disco or re-live jazz struck Shanghai with the Shanghai Mimi Band and, of course, don’t miss the artistic director herself performing a string of Songs My Mother Taught Me along with other musical guests. While you’re in town: plan a side trip to the many wineries of the stunning Barossa Valley, just over an hour’s drive outside Adelaide.

12. MISS FIRST NATIONS PAGEANT Adelaide, South Australia (June) Now in its sixth year, the Miss First Nations Pageant, a floating festival that travels around the nation, will be held in Adelaide in 2022. Australia’s only Indigenous drag queen pageant, it started from a parade float during Top End Pride and blossomed into a week of events that include best national costume, non-conventional drag talent (think roller-skating, flute playing), and lip-sync superstar, curated by 40 judges. The Saturday night Grand Final Gala is the place to see who wins the crown. While you’re in town: be sure to check out at Tandanya – the national Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander cultural institute.

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14. GAY SKI WEEK Falls Creek, Victoria (September) Step out of your hotel, slap on your skies and you’re on the mountain! That’s the beauty of Fall Creek Ski Resort in the Australian Alps, hosted by Points Of Difference Events. But with more than 50 events offered over the 10-day affair it’s a wonder there’s any time to ski at all! Pack wisely, because there’s a Winter Onesie-land cocktail party, an indoor pool party, comedy night, queer shorts film fest and cabaret to name a few events. The culmination is Pride Day with a Rainbow Run brough to life by those skiing with flags and a blowout party that night. 2022 will see the introduction of “taster” day trip from Melbourne for those snow virgins who just want to dip their toe in the snow. Oh, and be sure to try the homegrown glitter gin, so you’ll sparkle both inside and out! En route to Falls Creek: why not stop at Brown Brothers Winery or the Feathertop Winery for a tasting or to collect extra supplies for the week ahead.

15. TOP END PRIDE Darwin, Northern Territory (September) A smaller LGBTQIA+ community means this event feels a lot more inclusive and features wonderful support from a broad community of straight allies. With gorgeous weather and strong Indigenous content, highlights of the three-day festival include the ever-popular dog show (who doesn’t love a camp dog?), the elegant Dine With Pride, and the love boat tour on Darwin Harbour before wrapping up with a pool party. There’s also community forums featuring black and queer rainbow elders. While you’re in the region: nearby Litchfield National Park with its incredible waterfalls, rock pools and magnetic ant hills is closer than Kakadu. Or further down the road Katherine with its spectacular gorges or Adelaide River with its jumping crocodiles.

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PHOTO AAP IMAGE/CRAIG GOLDING

13. AFL PRIDE MATCH Melbourne or Sydney (August) Break out your rainbow kit and wave your rainbow flag, in this Australian Football League match where pride is celebrated both on and off the field. Seeking to educate through exposure and promote a safe space in a sporting environment, the Sydney Swans play St Kilda in this floating fixture which may be in Sydney or Melbourne in any given year. Want more? Join the clubs official LGBTQIA+ member group, the Rainbow Swans. In 2018, the Sydney Swans became the first professional sporting club to have its own float in Sydney’s Mardi Gras Parade.

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16. BROKEN HEEL FESTIVAL Broken Hill, New South Wales (September) Loved Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert? Then get your cock in a frock and rock on out to Broken Hill via a dedicated train, The Silver City Stiletto. The 10-hour journey features on-board drag entertainers and a welcome party on arrival. Then the fun of this five-day festival starts. Expect an outdoor street party, a Priscilla-inspired costume competition (yes, lots of iconic thong dresses!), a muumuu event, shows in the ghost town of Silverton with its red dirt and wide-open spaces and, of course, an interactive screening of the famous movie itself. Making up for lost lockdown time, in 2022, Broken Heel has added a second festival at the end of March to complement its original September event. While you’re in town: be sure to visit The Palace Hotel featured in the film (you can even stay in the Priscilla Suite), take a step back in time at Bell’s Milk Bar, tour the Pro Hart and Regional Art galleries, or take an Indigenous Mutawintji Heritage tour to learn more about the local culture.

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PHOTO SHAUN STAUNTON

17. CAIRNS PRIDE FESTIVAL Cairns, Queensland (October) Held in collaboration with Black Pride, the three-week Cairns Pride Festival celebrates LGBTQIA+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy folk along with raising the visibility of community. Now in its 15th year, the backbone of the event is an art show (in various mediums) showcasing local Far North Queensland talent. The festival culminates in a Fair Day and a Halloween-themed closing party. While you’re in town: be sure to visit Fitzroy Island for diving and snorkelling access to the Great Barrier Reef or go bush by taking a Skyrail gondola above the forest canopy and onto the Kuranda tourist train.

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18. PRIDEFEST Perth, Western Australia (November) Marking the beginning of Australia’s summer Pride season, Perth’s PrideFEST features a night-time parade on the last Saturday in November that has grown to become Australia’s second largest. The PrideFEST calendar also features the ever-popular Fair Day community event, alongside a host of cultural and sporting events. Finish your evening at iconic Connections nightclub, the longest running LGBTQIA+ club in Australia. While you’re in town: consider a day trip to Perth’s offshore playground, Rottnest Island to snap a selfie with its native quokkas. For those with a few more days to spare, indulge in a trip to the Margaret River wine region.

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19. FEAST FESTIVAL Adelaide, South Australia (November) So named to represent the all-inclusive melting pot of the queer community (it has nothing to do with food) this festival runs the whole month of November. It kicks off with a daytime parade that anyone can jump into and then continues with a Carnival night. The festival boasts over 100 events that range from cabaret and theatre to literature before concluding with Picnic In The Park featuring music and a dog show. While you’re in Adelaide: why not do the Adelaide Oval Roof Climb for unparalleled views of the city, or visit the Adelaide Zoo, both proud supporters of the Feast Festival.

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FEATURE 20. P&O PRIDE CRUISE Departing Sydney and Melbourne (November + December) P&O Cruises Australia are setting sail on two, 3-night weekend cruises designed especially for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, their allies and supporters. The cruises are honouring Pride, the diversity of the community, and the endless variety of talented artists and entertainers in it. P&O’s Pride Cruises will be safe spaces and inclusive for all members of the community – something curated just for us. Cruise ambassador and DNA favourite, Simon Dunn will be onboard along with drag queens and ex-RuPaul’s Drag Race contestants Coco Jumbo and Etc Etc. Plus, gorgeous Sydney DJ Victoria Anthony, with many more artists to be announced soon! Cruises depart from Sydney and Melbourne.

PHOTO RILEY-MCFARLANE PHOTOGRAPHY

21. DNA POOL PARTY Sydney, New South Wales (December) Hosted by DNA, this pre-Christmas event features plenty of scantily clad lads bopping to beats poolside at Sydney’s swish downtown club The Ivy. Whether floating on inflatables or sipping cocktails in the sun this is an afternoon to let your hair down. Pool girl Maxi Shield and swimwear models entertain throughout the day. Don’t forget your gift bag on departure, there’s likely to be a saucy surprise inside!

22. TROPICAL FRUITS Lismore, New South Wales (December) This is the country alternative to a big-city New Year celebration. Held at Lismore’s show grounds, patrons camp, then party the night away in three dance spaces, enjoying a spectacular display of fireworks at midnight. The pool party the next day is a chilled affair, perfect for nursing any lingering hangover. Those with stamina can continue on to the recovery party. Expanded over the years, the five-day event includes a parade, art exhibition, cabaret, drag races and a bubble pit among other attractions! While you’re in town: the nude / gay beach, Byron Bay’s Kings Beach is the hot place to strut or cruise the surrounds for new chums. For something a little different, make the early morning effort to hike Mt Warning to be at its peak (the first place the sun hits in Australia) for a very special sunrise.

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ERIC Brazilian-born, Barcelona-based Eric was one of DNA’s Sexiest Men Alive in 2019… and he still is!

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MODEL ERIC UCHOA UCHOAERIIC

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OUR 12 POINTS GO TO...

ISAIAH FIREBRACE We first encountered gorgeous Isaiah on X-Factor in 2016. Since then, he’s represented Australia at Eurovision in Kyiv in 2017 with Don’t Come Easy. DNA: What made you decide to return to Eurovision? Isaiah Firebrace: C’mon it’s Eurovision! I was like, if I get another chance, one-hundred percent, I’m back! Also, coming out of covid and the entertainment industry opening up again is super exciting. What can you tell us about the new song? The stars aligned with the song that I have for Eurovision, which is a duet. I wrote it and collaborated on it with my [as yet unrevealed] duet partner. When we heard about Eurovision – Australia Decides starting up again, we put it forward and SBS wanted us onboard. If I get to debut this song, with this incredible duet partner, and put it out there on a big stage, that’s awesome as a music artist. If we make it to Italy, then fuck yeah! That’ll be cool. Your duet partner is being kept secret for now; what can you reveal about the song? It’s mid-tempo but it’s got a big chorus. It’s got a ballad feel but it’s also boppy. It’s not easy to sing, and with my duet partner adding their own flair to it, it creates this very cool dynamic. This time I’ve written a song that is Eurovision-worthy. It sounds like you want to just come out with it already… I can’t wait to have this song out. I can forget about keeping it a secret. I think they’re announcing my duet partner on the night of the show… or right before, I don’t know! So, someone with a big profile? I’m leaving all the queries for everyone else to decide. But we’ve already been talking about stage production, what we’re going to do, look like, what we’re going to wear. I’m keen to see how people react to it. It’s a song that I love. 76 DNA

Eurovision is this big, creative, fun time! What fond memories do you have from Kyiv, and of Don’t Come Easy? It’s a blur. I’d just won X-Factor and then I got approached to do Eurovision. That whole whirlwind was crazy, non-stop, and soon enough I was on the plane to the Ukraine, doing all this press… I look back now and wonder how I did all that. I was so young. There are fond memories, though. Being someone from the country, being on a plane, never having been out of Australia, it was cool. The iso version of Don’t Come Easy on your YouTube sounds more mature. For sure. When I first did Eurovision I was only 17. When I look back and listen to some of my X-Factor performances I was like a deer in the headlights! I’ve grown from all of that, vocally and as a person. I can see how much I’ve grown from 17 to now turning 22. So much has happened. What advice would you give your younger self, or young artists being propelled to fame early and quickly? I was this kid who had his life turned on its head. Everyone was telling me how good I was that I’d won this show! I couldn’t even believe that about myself, that I had this “career”, was someone “well-known”. I now have more of a sense of worth and pride, and I’m proud of myself and the things I’ve done. I’ve always loved having a voice and the gift I have. A big part of someone’s self-growth is taking ownership of who you are and what you have. Music has honestly saved me. The songs I listened to and the artists I was inspired by, they were authentic in their songs for their story, and it helped me. If I can do that, I’m going to help other people out there. That’s my big goal for music anyway. What do you see for yourself postEurovision? I want to keep writing my own authentic songs, my stories, and not be so middle-of-the-road. Be deeper, dive into my artistry and make the music I love. Earlier in my career I was influenced to go in a certain direction, pick songs that weren’t necessarily me. Now

I’m focused on my stories, what I want to tell, and I want to stand by that. That’s what music is about: being vulnerable and sharing those things. That’s how you connect with people. Is releasing music when it’s ready reflective of how people consume music now? Streaming is so crazy these days; how easy it is to get a song up on platforms, even for independent artists. Besides your haircut, what will be different about performing live after the pandemic? Eurovision is a pretty big stage and a big audience so I’m gonna be nervous! But I’ll be more confident, more grounded in myself. I look back at my performances in the past and I’m really into it, giving it my all… that will always remain the same. Maybe, with more swagger now! There’re some cheeky shirtless photos on your Instagram. When can we have you over for a DNA photoshoot? Ha! We’ll have to organise that. Maybe. It’s cool to embrace your sexy side. That’s all I’m going to say! [Laughs] What message do you have for DNA readers? I’ve got a lot of fans in the community and I’m such a big supporter. I’m very grateful to have fans from the LGBTQI+… A… I feel rude when I get it wrong! We all want the same thing: love, positivity. We’re all human. I encourage everyone to keep being you, keep being authentic. Shine bright! Shine bright!

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Eurovision – Australia Decides is the nation’s chance to choose who we send to The Eurovision Song Contest, happening this year in Turin, Italy. Cain Cooper caught up with three fabulous contenders…

It’s cool to embrace your sexy side. That’s all I’m going to say!

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I wrote a song about hope that people across the gender and sexuality spectrum can relate to.

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JUDE YORK

DNA: What was your reaction when you found out your song woud be included in Eurovision – Australia Decides? Jude York: My mind was blown. When I got the call and I was just dancing around my bedroom – it was a dream! What’s your new song for Eurovision, I Won’t Need To Dream about? Hope. It’s a very genuine expression of wanting to believe that things will get better. Billy Stonecipher and I wrote the song that we needed to hear that day – a song that reminded us that we shouldn’t give up on these ridiculously big dreams we both have. As clichéd and as Disney as it sounds, they can actually come true. It was the third or fourth song we’d written together. We’re inspired by the old-fashioned songs from the ’30s and ’40s that had simplistic lyrics like Somewhere Over The Rainbow. A few months later the submissions for Eurovision – Australia Decides were open and… here we are! What does your version sound like? It’s a piano ballad with an uplifting twist and it’s genuine to my own experiences. Have you prepared yourself for the prospect of going to Turin? Oh, man… that is “the dream!” It’s on my list of things to do next year, regardless of what happens. I want to go to see Eurovision or just go to Europe, assuming that it will be a possibility, considering covid. Have you always been a Eurovision fan? Yeah. To a lot of Australian kids growing up it was just something that was on TV. With Australia getting accepted into it, it became much more of a tradition in my family to watch it. It’s very surreal that I’m sort of being welcomed into this world. It’s a little intimidating but I’m so excited. I’m a huge fan of Jaguar Jones and Isaiah’s song Don’t Come Easy was one of my favourites. I’ve had that on my Spotify playlist since it came out. I was obsessed with Dami Im’s performance – a song that got me excited about singing ballads. On your YouTube channel, you’ve said that you “embrace your weirdness”. I want to give one-hundred percent to every crazy idea I have. The result has been making songs about very strange scenarios, using unique samples, writing from the perspective of serial killers, and also love interests, and writing from as many different angles as I possibly can. Trying not to tame the creativity. It’s important to embrace your weirdness because that uniqueness helps create different

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Hailing from Toowoomba, west of Brisbane, Jude was in the first wave of artists revealed for Australia Decides. A breath of fresh enthusiasm, he tells DNA about embracing his weirdness and what it means to be a queer artist in 2022.

stories for queer people. For me, the story people will be seeing on Australia Decides is a queer artist who’s written a song about hope that, hopefully, people from across the gender and sexuality spectrum can relate to. Do you see similarities between yourself and other queer artists in 2022? One artist I’ve started following this year is Jake Wesley Rogers. He’s this awesome queer artist with an Elton John influence: piano ballads, but utterly fabulous! I see myself on that wavelength, maybe not as avant garde with the fashion, but I just love his honest approach to song writing. Do you think releasing your music via a reality TV show will hinder or help you find an audience? I think help, surely. Eurovision is about music and the fan base is so loyal. I’m not in a position to complain about a quick rise to stardom, that sounds ideal to me right now! I’ve paid my dues, I’ve done terrible gigs, I’m ready for it!

What message would you have for people that may be looking to you for words of wisdom? Well, I’d be very honoured if anyone was looking to me for words of wisdom. I think one thing that pops into mind is that there’s no one-size-fits-all for queerness, and that even though sometimes it feels like we see a certain type of queerness being represented more than others… you really can be any colour, any size, as any gender, any identity that you want. I’m a skinny musical theatre nerd who got picked on at school. It’s so great that we have a community of people that don’t fit the mould. I celebrate them and I love them. On the night in February, will you be wearing something fabulous? I hope I wear something fabulous, I don’t know though, I’m torn. One part of me wants to rock up like it’s the Met Gala but the other part of me is like, no, keep it relatable, keep it humble, let people see the authentic me. Both sides are authentic. You’ll just have to wait and see. DNA 79

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I feel like I bring Eurovision just by walking into the room.

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SHELDON RILEY Eurovision superfan Sheldon is no stranger to singing contests. He’s X-Factor, The Voice and America’s Got Talent alumni. He describes his brand as “painful lyrics, heavenly sounds and crystal veils” and suggests we “be prepared” for his big moment on the Eurovision – Australia Decides stage. DNA: You’ve made no secret that you love Eurovision. Did SBS ask you to participate or did you bang down their door? Sheldon Riley: There’s been a lot of social climbing. SBS have known how long I’ve wanted to be a part of Australia Decides and ultimately represent the country. What is it about Eurovision that you love so much? It’s… everything. I can’t think of anything I don’t love, even down to waiting for the delay when the hosts link to the country to give the votes. It brings everyone around the world together. I remember watching as a kid – it was camp, it was what everyone knows Eurovision to be, but it’s evolved into something quite cinematic and very fashion-forward. What’s your favourite fashion moment of Eurovision? Was it Conchita when she looked like a champagne glass? Conchita changed my life, but I fell in love with Barbara Pravi from France. Her being invited to the Dior Heritage Archives to choose outfits and design with Dior, that’s fucking amazing. I messaged her on Instagram and when she replied I nearly had a heart attack. Did you like the winning song by Måneskin last year? It’s fun. I saw their success coming a mile away.

They’re all so stunningly beautiful and can perform their arses off. It was exciting to watch a group of no-fucks-given people perform whatever they wanted… and win. When did you become aware of the power of your voice? I’ve always known I can sing. I can’t do much else. I knew I wanted to be in the light, which is crazy for someone who was always introverted but, in the back of my mind, absolutely wanted to be in the light. What can you reveal about your Australia Decides song, Not The Same? I wrote the song myself. It’s dark, orchestral and it has a big moment. Just be prepared. It builds and then visually there’s this massive thing that happens that helps people understand me. I know I’m ready for Eurovision now because I’m ready to be authentic. There’s this “glittery, camp, rainbows” culture in Eurovision, but the artists I love the most are the ones that don’t change themselves or their style to fit Eurovision. I write painful music, I want it to sound beautiful, and I will almost always have some sort of veil over my face. That’s the authentic version of myself. Who’ve been your LGBTQIA+ role models or mentors? Adam Lambert’s one of my greatest inspirations. I love his music and he paved the way for people to go, “Okay, it will work in the industry.” I’m inspired by fashion – Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, the designers who create “wow” moments. When I’m making something to wear, the music is in mind or being written. This Eurovision song coming is inspired by Billie Eilish and the James Bond vibe. The Met Gala is my big fashion dream and Eurovision is my big music dream.

What does it mean to have queer representation in 2022? I don’t want to sit here and preach the rainbow flag, but you’ve got people everywhere in the world who are, even a tiny bit afraid of who they were born to be. Before I decided that I was safe and comfortable doing what I do – I mean, I dress up every day – I was unable to achieve anything. Queer representation in music, media, sport, anything is important. What about your coming out experience? It was hard. I come from a religious family. I felt very uncomfortable watching Conchita on TV, and I remember watching that and wanting to tell everyone about it. My mum and dad were good. It took a while but I came out very early, and decided to go on X-Factor and say, “I’m gay!” They couldn’t say anything about it because it was on TV so they had to be supportive. I’m glad I came out early. I’m 22 now, and that feels like decades ago. And now, romance! There’s a red-hot ginger boyfriend in your Instagram posts. He’s beautiful. I met [Zachery] at the end of The Voice in 2018 and we’ve been together ever since. I’m so deeply in love with him. I’m not someone who goes out and looks for love, this kinda happened and I’m very grateful. He’s a very beautiful looking human, and a very beautiful soul, too. What’s something that might surprise people about you? I grew up in public housing. I didn’t have much money. The way I dress, people probably assume I’ve got a fuck ton of money, but I work very hard. I’ve got some backing now, but I’ve worked my arse off to get here. Aside from the crystal/jewellery masks, a lot of the clothes I make myself. But I’m working with a designer for Australia Decides. The outfit is fucking everything! Eurovision aside, what are your future plans? As soon as we get the green light, after covid, it’ll be “bang-bang, let’s get it done!” There are so many places to perform, there’s such an audience, such a vibe. I’m excited to finally meet the European market and show them what I can do. What’s your 30-second message for the voting public? I would be so honoured to represent Australia. It would mean the world to me. I feel like I bring Eurovision just by walking into the room. People could go, “Remember 2022 when Sheldon did that crazy thing, with that amazing song?” I’m inspired by what Dami’s done, Kate Miller-Heidke, and so many Eurovision artists. I’d love to be a part of that. If you love what I do, vote for me in February.

MORE: Eurovision – Australia Decides 2022 airs live on SBS and SBS On Demand on Saturday 26 February. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketek.

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ANTHONY HUGHES The 29-year-old Londoner is bringing sexy back to 2022. Yes, please!

Interview by MARC ANDREWS DNA: We love your track Don’t Try, and the video has a very sexy vibe. Anthony: Thank you. Don’t Try is all about empowerment. I wrote it to show my determination and confidence as an artist and a person. I wanted to incorporate my own style and fashion into the video. The use of sexy lighting and a sexy model obviously helped. You seem comfortable showing off your body. Oh, gosh, I’m not sure I agree! [Laughs] Since having covid I’ve found it a lot harder to work out and gained a few extra puppy pounds! A few years ago, I was obsessed with trying to be bigger and more muscular, whereas as I get older, maintaining fitness and a healthier look is more important. I spend a lot of time working on my mental health, too. It’s just as important as your body. What have you been working on for 2022? 2022 has too many things going on! I’ve been in the studio finishing off a lot of new collaborations and tracks to go towards my debut album. Do you have a career game plan going ahead? I do, yes. I want to write the next biggest dance track! I want to garner interest from producers and labels. I also made a promise to myself to be a yes man and try and say yes to every gig, open mic night and collaboration I can. It’s difficult to manage yourself, brand yourself, find new artistic collaborations, write and perform. It’s a great time to be an openly queer music artist, would you agree? I agree. It’s a great time to be able to be able to express yourself freely in the music industry. That said, it’s not perfect. We live in a world full of judgement and opinion and there are still a lot of people who can’t come to terms with other people being themselves. The LGBTQIA+ community are definitely more celebrated and accepted now, which is how it should be, and I love the fact I can be unapologetically me. What do you consider your best feature? My chest or my eyes. My chest is something I’ve been complimented on, and every time I have a love interest the first thing they notice, apparently, is my eyes. Are you romantically attached? Yes, but I won’t say too much about my partner because of his career. I have a very happy and steady relationship with him, although I don’t know how he puts up with me. [Laughs] One of your songs is called My Thing. What are the things you love to do? Music has always influenced my life. I worked as a professional dancer for six years until covid struck. I saw a lot of the world and it helped me realise how much I wanted to be in the spotlight. I danced for

a lot of artists and the only thing on my mind during the gig was that I wanted to be the one singing my own music. How was your coming out? My mum asked me when I was 17 if I was gay and I eventually found the courage to tell her. I was bullied at school and had a difficult time accepting myself, which made the idea of coming out even harder, however, I’ve always had the most supportive family who have accepted me. Was there ever any question of you not coming as a gay artist? As an artist, I’ve never liked to completely identify myself through my sexuality. I’m very proud of who I am as a person and I’m very proud of my sexuality, but my sexuality does not define my music. What cause is closest to your heart? Equal rights. Everybody should be respected and we shouldn’t allow history to dictate what’s wrong and right.

MORE: Find info on Anthony’s upcoming releases and gigs on Spotify, YouTube and Instagram (anthonyhughesuk)

I had a difficult time accepting myself, which made the idea of coming out even harder…

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Pride Cruise

DEPARTING SYDNEY 3 NIGHTS | 04 NOV 2022 | V248 4 NIGHTS | 14 SEP 2023 | V341

DEPARTING AUCKLAND 4 NIGHTS | 8 SEP 2023 | X338

DEPARTING MELBOURNE 3 NIGHTS | 09 DEC 2022 | X250

DEPARTING BRISBANE 3 NIGHTS | 02 DEC 2023 | I365

PICTON

TANGALOOMA - MORETON ISLAND

Deposit

PP# BOOK BY

1ST MARCH 2022^

BOOK NOW AT POCRUISES.COM.AU/PRIDECRUISE | CALL 1300 367 512 CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL AGENT |

| SCAN TO BOOK

#^ Terms, conditions and exclusions apply, see https://www.pocruises.com.au/campaigns/take-me-away-sale for details. Offer ends 1 Mar 2022. Sailings departing on or before 30 June 2022 and booked prior to 1 Mar 2022 are eligible for P&O Assurance [http://pocruises.com.au/assurance]. To be read in conjunction with the P&O Cruises Australia Booking and Passage Conditions available at [https://www.pocruises.com.au/plan/how-to-book/ book-travel-conditions], which passengers will be bound by. Carnival plc trading as P&O Cruises Australia. ABN 23 107 998 443

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LEO PHOTOGRAPHY STAS VOKMAN STAS_VOKMAN

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KYLAND

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DNA Magazine # 265

Articles inside

THE BIRTH OF GAY POP

EUROVISION – AUSTRALIA DECIDES

SIMON DUNN: BON VOYAGE

22 FABULOUS AUSSIE GAY-CATIONS

THE LAST WORD: Anthony Hughes

FROM THE EDITOR

BOOKS: The Big Books Of 2022

MONTH IN A MINUTE

HEALTH: The cure for hep C

YES, CHIEF MINISTER

MUSIC: Paul Mac, Kyle Bielfield, more

STREAMING: Just Like That, Coming Out Colton

THEATRE: Girl From The North Country