The Tertangala: Gender & Sexuality Issue

THE TERTANGALA THE GEN D E R A N D S EXUA L I T Y I SSUE

I SSUE 05 VOLUM E 52

S E X UA L I T Y I N H O L L Y WO O D F IL M S Tilly Kidd breaks down The Motion Picture Production Code and looks at the censorship of sexuality in the history of film.

WO M E N I N J O UR N A L I S M D E GR E E S Jamie Reynolds reports on whether future female-identifying journalists will experience gender discrimination.

T H E R E G UL A R S News and Opinion, Arts and Culture, a Gig Guide, A Gender and Sexuality Glossary, The Liberated Sex-tion, and much more.

SO WHAT’S THIS MAGAZINE ALL ABOUT, ANYWAY? Over the last couple of years, the Tertangala has functioned with the philosophy that anyone who wants to learn or improve their skills should be welcomed to join the team. We’re not aiming to be the best magazine out there; we’re aiming to help one another grow as writers, artists and designers while making some great pals along the way.

One of last year’s editors, Chloe Higgins, has even modelled an entire writer’s festival on the magazine’s ideology, which has now expanded in its second year.

We do our best to maintain a good relationship with our volunteers, while studying full-time. And at the end of a year of editing, the current editors will hand the magazine down to a new editor(s), throwing them in the deep end.

This magazine is all about providing a voice for students, not just for those in journalism or creative writing, but for anyone who has a story to tell. We want to provide a space for those who feel alienated from the university to have somewhere to share their concerns.

We do not work for the university, we do not work for a brand or a corporation: we work for the students.

CO-EDITORS Belinda Quinn

Brittany Carter

DESIGNER

Jake Goetz

FICTION EDITOR

Brett Randall

Jesse Wakenshaw

Andy Zakel

ZK Photo

Jamie Reynolds

Phoebe Carse

Leah Jean

Jasmin Cox

Jess Nesbitt

ADVERTISING

SUB-EDITORS Patrick Andersson

Brittany Carter

Gemma Mollenhauer

Jasmin Cox

Heather Wortes

Jamie Reynolds

Kelsey McIntosh Jessie Hunt Kevin Loo

Brittany Carter Dillon Weightman Jasmin Wilcox Jayden Perry

Gemma Mollenhauer Elodie Gooden

Alexandra Smith

Isabelle Chesher

Alex Napier

Luke Dorahay

Sparrow Holmes

GUEST EDITOR

John Glenn-Doyle

Christopher Frape

ILLUSTRATIONS

Chloe Higgins

Belinda Quinn

Andrea Hogan Belinda Quinn

POETRY EDITORS

Isabelle Chesher Laura Polson

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jess Nesbitt Joel Ephraims

CONTRIBUTORS

COVER ART

Jessie Wakenshaw

Belinda Quinn

PRINTER

Nicole Langridge

Print & Mail

Ben Kohler Tilly Kidd

Josef Ferraro

Adrienne Corradini Alexandra Smith Tayne Ephraim Nick Chlopicki

Llewellyn Horgan Paul Chicharo Nicola Selvey

Alex Georgiou

The Salamander

23-25 Meeks Road, Marrickville

NSW 2204 PH: (02) 9519 8268

thetert@gmail.com

twitter.com/Tertangala

facebook.com/Tertangala

CONTENTS ED I TO R I AL S Editor’s Notes

4

N E W S AN D O P I N I ON Transgender Speechwriter At UOW

6

Academic Raises BDS Awareness

7

Molan Quits Kyle And Jackie O Show

8

Threats To Restructure The ABC

9

Same-Sex Couple Propose To Abbott

10

Pyne: Women Study Teaching Not Law

11

Will Work For Experience

12

Your Opinion

14

The Debate

16

TH E GE N D E R & S E XUA L I T Y I S SUE

#womenagainstfeminism Movement

26

The Bachelor: Sexist Or Just Ridiculous?

28

A Helping Hand To The Women Of India

30

LGBTIQ Rights In Cuba

32

Disrobing The Erotic Female

34

Gender And Sexuality Manifesto

36

Appearances In Journalism

40

Sexuality In Hollywood Films

42

Gender And Sexuality On Twitter

44

Hello, I’m Simply Sexual

46

The Liberation Sex-tion

47

ART S AND C ULT URE Artist Profile: Jesse Wakenshaw

60

Creative Writing

62

Band Interview: The Pinheads

68

Band Interview: Palmar Grasp

70

Queer Collective Report

18

Film Review: Guardians Of The Galaxy

73

Gender, Sexuality And Geek Culture

20

Poems

74

On The Horizon

24

Gig Guide

78

DISCLOSURE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

DISCLAIMER

The content of this publication is made for and by the

Tertangala and WUSA acknowledge the traditional custodians

Responsibility for Tertangala is taken by the WUSA council.

are of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect

Dharawal people, and pay respect to their elders past, present

students of the University of Wollongong. Views expressed those of WUSA or the publisher.

of the land upon which we meet and work, that of the and future, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes for Indigenous Australia.

The University of Wollongong accepts no responsibility for this publication.

EDITOR’S NOTES

The Gender and Sexuality is a special edition of the Tertangala, which reoccurs every year. Usually launched in Gender and Sexuality Week (Week 7 of Spring session), the issue has historically provided people with diverse gender and sexual identities the chance to tell their stories. We collaborated with the enthusiastic and welcoming Allsorts Queer Collective, and had 2014’s UOW Queer Representative, Jasmin Wilcox, come on board as our guest editor.

This issue aims to inform and educate students about topics that have been misrepresented as taboo throughout our history, and are therefore hidden from the limelight and spoken about far less often than they should be.

This Gender and Sexuality issue is our thickest mag yet. You can brush up on gender and sexuality terms in the glossary, read anonymous sex stories in the sealed section, and catch up on the Allsorts Collective’s progress this year.

Inside TERT News, you’ll get the low down on the privatisation of the ABC, Erin Molan’s uncomfortable experience, and what’s happening at the annual Student-4-Students Leadership conference at UOW this September. Kelsey McIntosh demonstrates why it’s so important to complete work experience while studying, and Heather Wortes tells us what she really thinks of Christopher Pyne’s gender-based knowledge when it comes to education.

The most interesting debate we’ve featured this year sees a cameo experience from the talented Kevin Loo (Future Perfect fans eat your heart out), as he and Jessie Hunt nut out whether marriage is a problematic institution.

4

EDITORIALS

It’s here that you’ll find out whether The Bachelor is sexist or just plain ridiculous; whether we should really worry about the film industry’s obsession with barely dressed female-identifying heroines, and why geek culture is so unique.

We learn about @TWkLGBTQ, a Twitter account sharing the experiences of the LGBTQ community; discuss whether social media has damaged the process of dating and why Australia should think about taking a leaf out of Cuba’s LBGTIQ book. Jamie Spresser gets the student perspective on whether journalism degrees will even matter if you haven’t got the looks, and Gemma Mollenhauer interrogates the widely controversial #WomenAgainstFeminism campaign.

As always, you’ll find a Gig Guide, poems and some creative writing in the Arts and Culture section, as well as an insight into the artistic mind of the bold and daring, Jesse Wakenshaw.

If anything, we hope you learn as much about Gender and Sexuality reading this as we did writing it. Gender and Sexuality is only an awkward topic to discuss if you let it be. This week is about celebrating all of our diverse sexual and gender identities; preach it!

We’d like to thank Allsorts for all the help they gave us during the making of this issue; they care deeply about the representation of a community that is often stigmatised or ignored by the media, and without them, we’d have been a mess.

Enjoy, BELINDA QUINN & BRITTANY CARTER, CO-EDITORS

THE QUEER ALLIANCE IS BACK! Queer Alliance, UOW’s only queer-straight alliance, became formally re-affiliated with CSE earlier this semester. Queer Alliance aims to provide a safe space, network and support system for queer UOW students and their straight allies, through a range of social activities and the promotion of queer issues on campus.

Unlike UOW’s Queer Collective, membership to Queer Alliance is open to non-queer identifying students, who may actively participate in Queer Alliance’s executive and activities. The only requirement for membership is a commitment to the fundamental principles of equality, dignity and respect.

Under the current executive stewardship of President Luke Dorahy, Vice-President James Goddard, Secretary Nikky Pianegonda, and

Treasurer Dillion Weightman; the Queer Alliance plans to assist students with a range of activities throughout the year, including Gender & Sexuality Week. This will allow queer students and their straight allies to make new connections and friendships, as well as provide them with information and resources about issues that queer students face both on and outside campus.

The Queer Alliance is passionate about increasing its membership and allies. You can stay informed with our activities and events through our Facebook page UOW Queer Alliance, or by emailing uow.queer@ gmail.com. Otherwise you can simply turn up to one of our events. All correspondence sent to Queer Alliance through private channels is held in the strictest confidence.

COMMUNITY ADVERTISEMENT

5

TERT NEWS

TRANSGENDER SPEECHWRITER CATE MCGREGOR TO SPEAK AT UOW

BY LAURA POLSON @laura_polson

Transgender Lieutenant Colonel Cate McGregor, will speak at the University of Wollongong at the 2014 Students 4 Students Leadership Conference. The annual conference held from September 27 to 28, this year, is themed on challenges in leadership. McGregor works the highest ranked position out of six other transgender people in the Australian Defence Force.

She’s also the speechwriter for Chief of Army Lieutenant, Colonel David Morrison. McGregor penned one of the most important of Morrison’s speeches to date, in regards to shocking revelations on an army email sex ring. In 2014,

McGregor’s life was featured on her own edition of Australian Story ‘Call Me Cate’.

Josie Stuart, one of the S4S speaker organisers believes McGregor’s speaking appearance at the conference aligns perfectly with the challenge theme. Stuart notes McGregor’s career as a speechwriter alone “has surely come with its challenges”.

She believes the lieutenant wouldn’t even need to mention her personal experience to fit the theme, but notes “her experience with gender will be really meaningful to a lot of students”.

When the speechwriter tried to resign at the time of coming out, the Australian

Defence Force would not accept her resignation. They would not let go of her impressive talent, showing what Stuart states as “a step in a positive direction for the defence force”. Stuart is hopeful this is a reflection of increasing acceptance of transgender people Australian wide.

S4S is an entirely run student leadership conference by ASLA (Australian Student Leadership Association). The conference will showcase other great speakers such as Ian Olver, the CEO of the Cancer Council.

Tickets are available now from UOW’s UniShop or online at studentleaders.org.

The event is open to university students Australian wide.

T R A N S G E N D E R L I E U T E N A N T C O L O N E L C AT E M C G R E G O R

6

NEWS

TERT NEWS

ACADEMIC RAISES BDS AWARENESS ON FOOT

BY BRITTANY CARTER @_BrittanyCarter

University of Wollongong Politics Lecturer, Marcelo Svirsky, is walking to raise awareness of a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.

Established by the Palestinian Civil Society in 2005, the BDS campaign insists Israel give equal rights to the Palestinian people and accept the return of the refugees it exiled many years ago.

“The Palestinian Civil Society adopted this non-violent action to press on Israel to change its ways,” Svirsky said.

Israel continues to retain control over Gaza, a Palestinian exclave region, monitoring its airspace, territorial waters and borders; except the southern border, which is controlled by Egypt.

amongst our businesses and organisations.

We can cut through government silence from below.”

Frustrated with the campaign’s progress, which has been slow mostly due to lack of awareness, Svirsky has decided to take matters into his own hands.

In late September, he plans to walk 30km a day, for 10 days, from Sydney Opera House to Canberra. Friends may join the avid walker for sections of the journey, but majority of the time he will be alone.

Dr Svirsky will talk with communities along the way, educating locals about the Palestinian struggle and gathering

signatures for a petition that requests the Australian government endorse the BDS. On arrival in Canberra, he will present the signatures to parliament.

“I just had this idea that I could use my passion for [walking] in a political manner,” Svirsky said.

He hopes his actions will further educate Australian’s about the prejudice Palestinian people face day-to-day, and that they may consider participating in the boycott.

For more information on the BDS in Australia, visit www.australiansforbds.wordpress.com.

Israel has enforced strict restrictions on people and goods entering and leaving the Gaza strip, leading to revolt by military groups and Islamist Palestinian organisation, Hamas, who say the confinements are insufferable.

Jennine Abdul Khalik, Co-editor of ArabAustralian website Sajjing, is bothered by the Liberal government’s reluctance to discuss issues occurring in the Middle Eastern country.

“Aside from a short statement by foreign minister Julie Bishop disparaging Hamas and praising Israel on how it handled a ceasefire negotiation, our government has offered no condemnation of Israel’s clear breaches of international law,” she says.

Abdul Khalik says the BDS movement is one of the most important things Australians can join to challenge Israel’s actions.

“Since the Australian government cannot bring itself to humanise Palestinians and take a principled and just stance when it comes to Palestine and Palestinians, it is in the hands of Australian civil society to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity,” she says. “It begins in our streets, in our universities, and

P H O T O : A N DY Z A K E L

NEWS

7

TERT NEWS

MOLAN QUITS KYLE AND JACKIE O SHOW IN LIGHT OF INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS

BY BRITTANY CARTER @_BrittanyCarter

Popular sports journalist Erin Molan, recently quit KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O Show, after working just five weeks for the program.

The Channel Nine reporter had originally agreed to participate in a sports segment called ‘Let’s Get to Know Erin’ once a week, but was offended by the producer’s decisions on August 1, to air a caller’s inappropriate questions regarding her physique and dating life.

Molan was further insulted by remarks radio host Kyle Sandilands made about her siblings.

She addressed her decision on The NRL Footy Show, on Thursday 21, explaining the difficulty she had faced as her family had become involved.

“You determine your worth and if you feel you’re ever in a situation where you are not being treated with respect or the way you are being treated is not acceptable to you,

8

NEWS

then you have every right to walk away and every right to stand up for yourself,” Molan said.

Such a complaint, where guests have been asked inappropriate questions or put in uncomfortable situations for ratings, is common of the controversial show, including its history prior to 2014, on 2DAYFM. In 2009, the radio duo were heavily criticised, after Sandilands asked a 14-yearold rape victim about her sex life and requested she take a lie detector test.

In 2011, Sandilands came under fire for calling a female journalist a “fat slag” among other comments, after she criticised his appearance on TV. The show has since apologised to Molan.

However, Sandilands has not.

Many media professionals have shown support for the reporter’s actions, raising questions as to whether a male journalist

would be subjected to the same treatment.

Siobhan McHugh, UOW Journalism lecturer and freelance documentary-maker for ABC’s Radio National, said KIIS FM and Sandilands’ behaviour was deplorable.

“A quick-witted producer is able to intervene with a ‘delay’ function that stops a live utterance from going to air,” she says.

“Why was this not used? The unpleasant truth seems to be that Kyle gets away with being objectionable because his listeners like it.”

McHugh showed support for Molan’s decision to leave the show.

“She showed dignity in not losing her cool and assertiveness in walking away from the spot,” she said.

Fans and media professionals continue to reach out to Molan on social media, commending her on her approach towards such a difficult situation.

TERT NEWS

THREATS TO RESTRUCTURE THE ABC COULD DISADVANTAGE ITS WOLLONGONG AUDIENCE

BY ISABELLE CHESHER @isabellechesher

Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s managing director, Mark Scott, has made comments about the need to restructure the corporation, due to recent government cuts to their funding.

In his address at the Queensland University of Technology this month, Scott stressed the need to find “costeffective” solutions for the ABC’s budget challenges.

“We need to re-examine our production, our processes, [and] our infrastructure,” he said.

Scott acknowledged the need to broadcast to all Australians, but also said that as audience numbers drop for traditional media, “the unprofitable get left behind.”

The ABC is primarily governmentfunded and is not driven by profit as much as some of its competitors. Yet, Scott believes the ABC is “not immune to the cost pressures that have squeezed the rest of the industry.”

Crickey’s political editor, Bernard Keane, believes that restructuring efforts, like outsourcing more programming to the private sector, would be a mistake.

He says regional stations in particular, including ABC Illawarra NSW, will be disadvantaged.

“The ABC has over 50 regional local radio stations,” Keane wrote for Crickey earlier this year. “These areas would not be provided for by the private sector.”

In the article, he explains that private companies are run with the primary goal of making profit, and catering to the interests of minority audiences, like Wollongong, is not as lucrative as focusing on the listeners in major cities.

Keane says that if plans to privatise the

corporation are successful, more of its services and regional stations will suffer, putting the broadcaster in violation of its Charter.

According to the ABC Act (1983), the corporation must provide “innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services,” to both “national, commercial and community sectors”.

FUNDING CUTS ARE AN IDEOLOGICAL ATTACK, SAYS UOW ACADEMIC KATE BOWLES

According to UOW academic Dr Kate Bowles, the cuts are part of an ideological campaign driven by the government. She told the w, that there is no evidence to support Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s claims about an economic crisis in Australia.

“Look at the ABC in the context of other budget cuts, to foreign aid, Medicare or higher education,” she said. “Australia is retreating within itself, which is fairly consistent with our policies for things like border protection.”

In particular, Dr Bowles believes that cuts to the ABC and to universities are because of the potential threat they pose to the government.

“Public sector broadcasting and public higher education both have a mandate to engage in critical analysis,” she said.

“Their job is essentially to find stuff out, and that can be very uncomfortable for the government.”

$120 million, with more cuts likely to follow.

So far, there have been 80 involuntary redundancies at the ABC, most of which came from positions in Melbourne.

Senator Mitch Fifield, the government’s communications spokesman, told ABC journalists Latika Bourke and James Bennett that the review may not mean a loss of more programming or services.

AUSTRALIA RETREATING FROM THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

The budget cuts will also see the cancellation of the Australia Network next month, which is the ABC’s largest free-to-air international television service.

The network currently reaches 46 Asia Pacific Countries and 167 million overseas households.

The change will make it harder for the ABC to fulfil its Charter obligation to broadcast internationally.

In June, Scott told Australia Network that he now has to fulfil that obligation with “more than half our money [for international broadcasting] gone.”

Before the 2013 federal election, Mr Abbott said “there will be no cuts to the ABC or SBS”. Controversially, the government reneged on this election promise to the Australian public.

MORE CUTS LIKELY TO COME

Instead, the ABC’s international reach has shrunk, and many of its journalists have been made redundant.

The ABC will lose one per cent of their funding according to government figures. This will amount to $43.5 million over the next four years.

However, in a staff memo in May, Scott said that the real figure will be closer to

The ABC recently underwent an efficiency review, commissioned by Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The results will soon be released, and heavy job losses are expected to follow.

NEWS

9

TERT NEWS

SAME-SEX COUPLE PROPOSE TO ABBOTT: GIVE US THE RIGHT TO MARRY

BY BRITTANY CARTER @_BrittanyCarter

A young couple have presented Tony Abbott with a petition that requests a conscience vote for same-sex marriage, and its legalisation in Australia.

Partners of two years, Daniel Moller and Justin Gibbons, brought an engagement ring, champagne and a petition with 17,000 signatures, to the Prime Minister’s electorate office on August 13. It was there that they proposed members of the coalition conduct an apolitical vote.

Current laws only permit the men to commemorate their love through a Civil Union.

“I personally feel legalising same-sex marriage would be beneficial to all Australians,” Daniel Moller, Arts graduate of the University of Wollongong, says.

10

NEWS

“I think the prospect of two people entering into a life-long partnership is not only beneficial for the couple themselves, but also for their families, the wider community, and also the country.”

Moller and Gibbons were approached by a member of political movement GetUp, who were looking for a local same-sex couple to take part in the event.

The movement made up of twentyfive people, met in Manly, before they marched down to Mr Abbott’s electorate office to submit the petition.

Moller was hooked up to a 2UE and Nine News microphone, as the GetUp team waited downstairs, hoping the proposal would publicise the need for the Liberal party to review their opinions on

equal marriage.

“Looking back to my time as a teenager, struggling to come to terms with my sexuality, I think if same-sex marriage was legal during those years, I would have felt secure, protected, and reassured,” Moller said.

“For a government to say ‘It’s okay’ in the face of bullying, discrimination, and the struggles we face when coming to terms with our sexuality, that would have meant a lot.”

Moller says the couple intend to stay politically active with the GetUp Team.

“I’ve been telling people to watch this space,” he said.

For more information on GetUp and their same-sex marriage campaign, head to www.getup.org.au.

TERT OPINION

PYNE: WOMEN STUDY TEACHING NOT LAW

BY HEATHER WORTES @HWortes

If you were the Minister for Education you’d hope that you had a decent enough understanding of the tertiary education sector to accurately answer questions about it.

If you didn’t you might let slip a big, fat lie. A lie that would put you in breach of your responsibilities under Standard 5.1 of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Statement of Ministerial Standards to “be honest in the conduct of public office and take all reasonable steps to ensure that... [you] do not mislead the public or the Parliament”.

Unfortunately for our country, if you were Christopher Pyne you wouldn’t care.

Pyne recently told ABC’s Sarah Ferguson that the proposed increase to the interest rate on HECS debts will not disproportionately affect women. Why? Because according to Pyne, women study teaching and nursing of course.

Not expensive degrees like law and dentistry.

debt will continue to rise under Pyne’s proposed higher interest rate, pushing them into even further debt.

In her 1993 conference paper for the Australian Institute of Criminology Women in The Legal Profession:Theory and Research, Sharyn Roach Anleu discussed the enormous growth in the number of female law school graduates at the time.

“In the decade 1978-1987 the proportion of women graduates grew to almost one half at some law schools,” she said.

The figures used to reach this conclusion, included that in 1987, women represented 48% of law graduates at the University of Adelaide. So, just quietly, women have been killing it at law for over 25 years now! We’ll have to forgive

Pyne though, at 20 he was probably too busy being a student at Adelaide Uni himself to be worrying over silly statistics.

But you think he’d have his facts straight by now.

The debts of teachers and nurses may be lower than the debts of lawyers and dentists under your reforms Mr Pyne, but there’s a bit of a problem with your logic. There are more woman than men studying the degrees you say ViceChancellors are going to charge higher fees for.

So we can be pretty sure that your reforms are going to impact heavily on women. Unless we all just stop having babies.

“Now, women are well-represented amongst the teaching and nursing students. They will not be able to earn the high incomes that say dentists or lawyers will earn, and Vice-Chancellors in framing their fees, their fee structure, will take that into account,” he said in an interview with Ferguson on ABC’s 7:30 Report. “Therefore the debts of teachers and nurses will be lower than the debts, for example, of lawyers and dentists.”

Graduate Careers Australia’s 2013 Grad Jobs and Dollars survey, reported that 61% of law graduates and 58% of dentistry graduates in Australia are women. These are women who may take time off to have kids later in life.

If they do leave work their HECS

OPINIONW

11

TERT INVESTIGATION

WILL WORK FOR EXPERIENCE

BY KELSEY MCINTOSH @kmcintosh21

According to a recent study conducted by job seeking network One Shift, almost half of all Australian university graduates don’t believe their tertiary degree adequately prepares them for the workforce. This was a common thought particularly among those studying degrees without a tangible placement, such as an industry based internships or organised work experience.

Founder and CEO of One Shift Gen George, explains how 80% of participants surveyed believed that when it came down to it, work experience is more highly valued by employers than a degree. George elaborates how work experience does not necessarily mean experience strictly in the field that the student wishes to be pursue, as skills valued by employers range from communication and networking abilities, to simply understanding how a professional workplace functions.

“Any kind of work experience, whether it’s volunteering, working casually over a summer holiday, part-time a few days a week or full-time, is going to be valued by employers,” he says. “Companies crave energy, positive attitude and motivation in their workers.”

Certain university degrees, particularly those in health and science fields, require a number of practical work experience hours that have to be logged

12

I N V E S T I G AT I O N

in order to obtain a qualification. This is often regulated by national accreditation boards and combined with theory classes at the university.

Taryn Billing, a fourth-year Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics student at UOW, is required to complete a minimum 18 weeks of practical experience in a variety of clinical environments, as part of her degree. Upon graduation, she will be accredited by the Dieticians Association of Australia. “Uni provided me the basis of my knowledge - I’d say about 30%,” she says. “Placement has made up the rest.”

Similarly Karl Maere, a second-year Engineering UOW student, is required to complete frequent practical work experience throughout his four-year degree. “Considering that you arguably learn more in the work force, I think it’s in UOW’s interest to push hard for industry relationships,” he says.

“Students would learn more, and UOW would become more desirable to both future students and employers.”

However, many of the degrees, such as Commerce, Communications or Public Health courses offered at UOW, do not require this tangible experience in order to graduate. Instead they need a completed transcript. Statistics suggest that there is an oversaturation of graduates entering the workforce,

exemplified as approximately 12,000 law graduates enter an Australian job market comprised of 60, 000 solicitors.

George explains the necessity of solid references, and a wide range of experience to get ahead. In addition to education, the focus should be on developing professional skills that are now seen as vital to the workplace.

In light of employer’s preference, today’s highly competitive workforce and the fact that university students are in their highest numbers, the debate is raised as to whether the responsibility of providing workplace experience should lie with the university, universal to all degrees. Or, in institutes of higher and self-directed learning, should the responsibility lie on students to seek out these extra opportunities?

Scott Butler is the founder, managing director and principal consultant of Butler HR, local recruitment agency who deal first-hand with bright eyed, job seeking graduates. Butler explains from his professional position that “the university environment and a degree in no way prepares graduates for the workforce. It gives an education, a qualification. In my opinion, it should be up to the individual. It’s a different sort of education looking for a job and working. Unlike a degree, there are no guarantees,” he says.

TERT INVESTIGATION

Fourth and final year Bachelor of Law student Charlie Cox from the University of Wollongong, says the skills and independence gained in finding work placement and other employability outcomes are invaluable in seeking job opportunities. Students need to be innovative in preparing themselves for the workplace and “demonstrate their own flare to distinguish themselves from the masses of graduates,” he says.

Fellow Law and Commerce classmate Andrew Giffin agrees that it is the student’s responsibility to differentiate themselves, however he emphasises that the onus should be on Universities in Australia to do a lot more regarding the provision of these additional skills, qualities and characteristics.

“Not only are many of our degrees merely a ‘ticket to the show’” he says, “but students, tutors, employers and directors are well aware of the dwindling emphasis students place on their studies for this reason,” he says.

“Why are Law students not spending more time in firms, and engineers [students] on work sites? Why are we not organising more social events for employers and graduates alike? Why are we not teaching students life skills that some people aren’t fortunate enough to receive from their home lives?”

Giffin makes the suggestion that the

theory component of the standard Australian degree should be compressed; halved and on-the-job training should be included - an idea that is shared among many looming in on graduation day.

Studies carried out by Graduate Careers Australia in 2013, suggest a deterioration in short-term employment prospects of graduates in comparison to previous years. The statistics state that one in four graduates with bachelor degrees had not found full-time employment within four months of graduation.

Notably, it is graduates from areas such as the Visual/Performing Arts, Social Sciences, Psychology, Humanities and Languages who are high amongst those struggling to find industry employment post-graduation. Fifty-three per cent of Creative Arts graduates remained unemployed four months after being presented with the much anticipated diploma.

It must be noted, that those still struggling to gain employment are those graduating with degrees that do not require a component of practical work experience to graduate. Graduate Careers Australia acknowledges that degrees such as Medicine with 96.9% full-time employment post-graduation, and Pharmacy with 97.9% full-time employment post-graduation, have such

figures simply because of the supervised practical periods required in clinical settings throughout their degree.

Third-year Media and Communications student Madeline Mann, whose degree requires no practical industry experience to graduate, emphasises “An internship that had targeted learning goals would be of more use than 75% of the things I’m learning at uni.”

In a day and age where simply attending university can cause financial pressures, students are searching for industry relationships to make the transition between study and full-time employment much easier.

Perhaps a combination of student initiative to seek external experience and universities taking the responsibility for making sure students have a round set of skills which may include assisting them in finding other opportunities or work, would be beneficial.

George summarises from the recent graduate study;“Universities and tertiary institutions are of outstanding quality in Australia, but the more opportunities to expose students to the workplace, the better.”

What do you think? Send us your comments via The Tertangala on Facebook or Twitter!

I N V E S T I G AT I O N

13

VOX POPS

HAS SOCIAL MEDIA HAD A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EFFECT ON DATING? JAMIE SPRESSER @reyn0lds_559 BELINDA QUINN @BelindaQuinn10

“I’d say negative. I think it disconnects us from each other, we think we’re interacting, but we’re both just sitting at computers, not in a social sort of way.”

James Russell - History Major

“I think it’s been good to find people with like-minded interests, especially people who aren’t good socially, like talking to people and getting to know them. For example, LGBTQ identifying people. Because I’m gay it’s easier to find people like that, rather than to randomly walk up to people and ask them.”

Georgia Laker - Bachelor of Mathematics and Engineering.

14

YOUR OPINION

“Positive, because it gives people an opportunity to meet more people, and break down the normal barriers that would be there.”

Justin Middleton - Bachelor of Science/Nutrition

VOX POPS

“I think it’s been good, my exboyfriend and I were a random Myspace add. We ended up meeting in person and recognising each other and dating for two years. That was all from social media.

I’m obsessed with Tinder – It’s my life, you can quote me on that.

It’s just a good way to get to meet people you obviously wouldn’t know from certain social circles, although I also think it makes people rely on social media a bit too much. But it’s a really good tool to get you out there, especially if you’re someone who isn’t very confident, like myself. Chatting to someone on Tinder gives you a bit more confidence and a bit more practice at flirting, which is such an awkward thing sometimes.”

“I think it’s had a different effect, we live in a different world to the ones our parents grew up in, and as much as they like to bitch and moan like “you never see your friends, nobody’s out on the streets” they’ve raised us like that because of their paranoia. I don’t think it’s really had effect on dating to be honest, it’s just a slightly different method of going about it, the same sort of stuff still happens. Instead of gossiping around the barn with people, and finding out information that way, you just look up their profile and do it yourself.”

“Yeah it’s good, because it helps break down barriers. People on the other side of the world are able to get in contact with people on this side of the world, which wasn’t as possible before.”

Harry Vella - Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts

Mackenzie Cheadle - Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of International Studies

Talissa Bazzaz - Bachelor of Journalism

YOUR OPINION

15

THE DEBATE

MARRIAGE IS A PROBLEMATIC INSTITUTION

BY JESSIE HUNT @marxonpills

IS MARRIAGE A PROBLEMATIC INSITUTION? YES!

“That marriage is a failure none but the very stupid will deny” -Emma Goldman, Anarchism and Other Essays, 1910.

In 1963, writer Betty Friedan called it “the problem that has no name”. Friedan wrote of the depression, isolation and despair of many American housewives in the post-war period, wondered how it was that the home became a “virtual concentration camp” for American housewives, and why women who worked inside the home received so little remuneration for their labour. This was “the problem that had no name”. It was insidious, it was unquestioned, and it continues today.

The “problem that has no name” is marriage. The institution of marriage turns the very real work involved in cooking, cleaning and caring for loved ones into merely duty; it renders work inside the home un-political, and pushes it away from the domain of civil society.

For this reason, it is difficult to imagine a union of homemakers, or a mass strike. We have not been allowed—we have never been allowed—to consider the work done inside the home as having the same implications, or importance, as work outside the home. It is this de-politicisation that makes it possible for violence committed inside the home to remain unspoken, whilst violence in the streets elicits moral panic.

Today, we spend a lot of time talking about same-sex marriage. In what we might call ‘the straight community’, same sex marriage has become a kind of litmus test, a way of demonstrating a person or political party’s leftist, forwardthinking or ‘modern’ credentials. We have come to think that any sane and rational person would accept the premise of ‘marriage equality’, because equality is good and nice and wholesome. Kevin Rudd believes in marriage equality; so too does Kyle Sandilands.

The thing you might never hear from Kevin Rudd or Kyle Sandilands is that same sex marriage’s strongest side-effect is assimilation. It makes relationships that were once marked by difference into relationships that are instead marked by sameness. But if marriage is, after all, a problematic institution, why is it that we want to be the same?

In the queer community, we talk a bit about same-sex marriage as well (maybe not quite as much). However, over

16

T H E D E B AT E

here, the conversation is a little more complicated. It’s not quite as simple as left versus right, modern versus traditional, or Tony Abbott versus Everyone Else. The queer community is diverse and complex and complicated and wonderful—and all this complexity doesn’t sit entirely comfortably within the dogmatic binaries that public debate in Australia, whether the House of Parliament or The Sun Herald, likes to draw.

These binaries force us to discount all of the ways in which marriage is oppressive, in which it is exploitative, in which it creates dependencies and perpetuates sexism; it forces us to ignore the ways in which marriage—and the heteronormative or homonormative monogamous unit, isolate us from building broader social relationships.

It might seem surprising to you that the queer community do not wholeheartedly support same-sex marriage; we aren’t all out there at Mardi Gras, holding pictures of Penny Wong’s face and cheering. Despite this, same-sex marriage has somehow become the most prominent queer item on the mainstream political agenda.

Social life is intersectional—queer people have their social experience intersected by race and class and gender and disability. Some queer people are privileged beyond the scope of the imagination, and it is these queer people -generally wealthy, generally white, generally male queer people living in the Global North- who get to set the agenda. Coincidentally, it is also these queer people who can afford to do things that are expensive - like, say, get married, or buy a house in the suburbs, or have children, or all three.

Marriage has become the central focus of mainstream queer rights discourse not because it is something all queer people want, or even that most queer people want, but because it is something that is palatable to the people who control the discourse. Despite the rhetoric around same sex marriage and equality and social justice, it’s important to note that many of us who oppose same-sex marriage are standing up for all of those things- our problem is with the ‘marriage’ part of ‘marriage equality’.

This is, perhaps, the only way to solve Betty Friedan’s “problem that has no name”: to keep the discourse open, to resist the ways in which particular political agendas seek to assimilate and erase us. Marriage is not the answer to the problem—it is, in itself, a problem. As French philosopher Ranciere once wrote, “No institution will ever emancipate a single person.”

THE DEBATE

MARRIAGE: AN INSANE PROPOSAL

BY KEVIN LOO @itskloo

IS MARRIAGE A PROBLEMATIC INSITUTION?

field of intellectual rhetoric or discourse.

NO!

Love is more than a romantic feeling. It is a fundamental aspiration and desire of our hearts to be accepted for who we are by another individual, as broken and as messy as we are. Love makes us do foolish, grand things. And as it happens, marriage might be one of those foolish, grand things.

The notion of a lifelong union based on vows made in the presence of some higher authority, has been accepted as part of our life narrative since time immemorial. It wasn’t so long ago that women were deemed worthless without a doting husband, and men seen as having wasted, unfulfilled potential without a wife.

Nowadays, the once seemingly immutable definition of marriage has been thrust in the spotlight. And as with most emotive debates, the discussion of marriage is taking part on the tug-of-war battlefield between the ‘conservatives’ and the ‘progressives’; a phenomenon that goes back further than you might think.

19th Century English writer, philosopher and theologian G.K. Chesterton, went so far as to say the whole modern world is polarised as such. He voices criticism on both ends of the spectrum: “The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected… Thus we have two great types – the advanced person who rushes us into ruin, and the retrospective person who admires the ruins”.

Not to say that the discussion on marriage is necessarily leading us to ruin, but it does force us to pause and examine why some are challenging its very existence.

To its critics, marriage is a symbol of patriarchal oppression that demands to be dismantled; an obsolete relic that has no relevance in today’s post-modern age. But on the other side of the debate, marriage is seen as a fundamental human desire in need of protecting. It forms the basic building block of our society (2.5 kids, white picket fence), whilst fulfilling some deep spiritual yearning uncorrupted by the world.

Sometimes it seems that as a post-everything millennial generation, we are possessed by a need to dismantle the traditions and ideas of past generations, in the name of modernity and progress.This has borne some positive results in the field of marriage, such as changing attitudes on interracial marriage, but it has created some negative ones as well, such as the ease of seeking no-fault divorce when faced with “irreconcilable differences”.

But when addressing the nature of marriage as a problematic institution, we often neglect something that goes to the very core of human experience. Something that perhaps escapes any

Because after all, what is more foolish and grand than deciding that you want to commit to another person for the rest of your natural lives? Comedian Aziz Ansari jokes about the ritual of marriage as an absurd and “insane proposal”, where we enjoy hanging out with someone so much, we essentially go over the edge of sanity by exclaiming, “I want to do that…until we’re both dead”. He isn’t far from the truth.

It’s that very insanity that seizes us all, conservative and progressive, that is worthy of attention. Arguably, the highest expression of love we have is to commit exclusively to someone else: ‘til death do us part’. While Ansari puts it in a cynical negative spin, every married couple knows that it is this very ‘insanity’ that is worth fighting for. Is there anything more beautiful or purer than agreeing to commit to something for the rest of your mortal life?

The act of marriage is the ultimate combination of head and heart. With our hearts we love, but with our minds we decide to make that pledge.

And therein lies the challenge and value of marriage - to forsake all others, and fight for this commitment every day for the rest of your lives. It is a beautiful picture of sacrifice and selflessness that goes deeper and further than mere biology and psychology ever could.

As a physical and literal manifestation of this ‘insanity’, we may even decide to give our word in front of the highest form of authority we can recognise. For some, this may be our nation’s government, and for others this means in front of God. Have we devalued a person’s word so much? Is our generation so attention-deficit and non-committal, that we’ve simply lost the art of keeping a promise?

These ideals of love, commitment and the value of our word are universal and worth aspiring towards. Like any cultural institution, marriage may have its flaws, but to do away with it completely would be a grave mistake. For now, it’s just a matter of getting our heads above the ruins we are living in, or the ruins we perpetuate, to get a clearer view of where exactly we are progressing towards.

T H E D E B AT E

17

THE GENDER & SEXUALITY ISSUE

SO WHAT HAS THE QUEER COLLECTIVE BEEN DOING LATELY?

BY JASMIN WILCOX

The Allsorts Queer Collective is a group on campus for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, questioning and all other students who don’t identify as both cisgender and heterosexual.

Our aims are to provide a safe space on campus for queer identifying students, to raise awareness about queer issues and to further the interests of the queer community both on campus and within the wider community.

Many exciting things have been happening with the Queer Collective this year. To start off the year a combination of 30 current collective members, past members and friends gathered in Sydney to participate in the Mardi Gras parade. We marched in the parade under a candy themed entry titled ‘Allsorts of Love’.

After much hard work promoting the collective at O-Week and Clubs Day the Collective more than doubled in size during first session.

Early first session a few collective members participated in focus groups to provide ideas to a committee of people who were attempting to start up support networks for queer identifying students in local high schools.

Our first session Fair Day went well with a barbecue, fairy floss, a drag performance and lube tasting. We made little packs of condoms and lube along with queer definitions and distributed them to passing students in order to promote

20

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

greater understanding of queer identities within the university’s straight community. A representative of Headspace Wollongong attended and set up a stall.

We had a successful International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia event. A representative of ACON (the Aids Council of New South Wales) attended. We ran a barbecue and one person brought rainbow cupcakes. We had an interactive queer flags guessing game in order to engage students to think about the diversity within the queer community.

To commemorate the end of first session we held a crossdressing party on campus at the URAC sports lounge.

During the winter break nine collective members travelled to Melbourne to attend Queer Collaborations (QC). QC is an Australian national Queer Conference which takes place once a year in July. It is primarily a student conference however being a student is not a requirement for attendance. The week was filled with networking, interesting workshops, cool social events and many opportunities to become more educated about queer issues.

At the beginning of this session we succeeded in re-establishing the Queer Alliance (a CSE affiliated queer/straight alliance).

It is our hope that this club will result in greater collaboration between queer students and straight allies on campus.

OPERATION QUEER SPACE: 10 YEARS ON

BY DILLON WEIGHTMAN

At 3pm on August 26, 2004, 16 members and friends of the University of Wollongong Queer Students Collective (Allsorts) barricaded themselves within the Belmore room, which was once located in what is now the UniCentre. The occupation was a form of response to a spate of homophobic incidents including one that led to the life of a Queer collective member being threatened. The Queer Space had been located off campus, in an area that was secluded and unmonitored by campus security and didn’t have a phone or another way to contact security or the police.

It had been this way since 2000, when the group were removed from their previous space to make way for the construction of what is now the Unibar. Not only was the Queer Space located in an unsafe area, but the space itself was also incredibly dangerous for multiple reasons, including its prone to flooding and that its power points were in the area most affected by the flooding. This however, meant very little to the University. It was all of this and more that led the protestors to take control of the room, with their primary demand to be given a new space on campus.

Once the occupation started, the group quickly learnt what it would take if they wanted to wait out the University, when one of the occupiers attempted to use the bathroom and was quickly escorted away by security. After the first three hours, six of the

original 16 had left. By the end of the three days, only three would remain.

By August 28, the University had invited police on campus in the morning and at midday. The police and then acting Vice-Principal Chris Grange, where in talks with the occupiers, although it was one-sided, with the police doing nothing other than demanding they come down. It was also during this time that the then Vice-Chancellor Gerard Sutton, refused to come to the Belmore room or to compromise and talk with the representatives outside. This option was raised multiple times by members of the group.

At 2:30pm, after over a total of 45 hours, more than a dozen police (mostly riot squad) broke down the door and stormed into the room to arrest the last three occupiers. All three were charged; with one later having their charges dropped, another receiving a fine, and the last member given a six-month good behaviour bond. Even after all of this, the University did very little to help the collective. It wasn’t until almost exactly one year later on August 4, in 2005, that the collective was given a space. Even then, it was not given to the collective by the University itself, but by the Faculty of Arts when they had some free area within Building 19 open up. Ten years on, it is because of the actions of these collective members that the Allsorts Collective is now able to be safe and active on campus.

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

21

22

I L L U S T R AT I O N : S PA R R O W H O L M E S

GENDER, SEXUALITY AND GEEK CULTURE

BY JAYDEN PERRY @JaydenKun

It’s fair to say I’m a bit of a geek.

I spend my free time playing games or catching up on anime, I have a sizeable collection of comic books, and I have an irrational love for Studio Ghibli films.

I’ve even been known to dress up once in a while.

For me, as a straight, male consumer of media, life in this geek culture is not a hard one. Whether I know exactly what happened in the original run of the Avengers comics from 1963, or simply wear a shirt that references a superhero team, I feel my place in this world is pretty much accepted from the get go by the wider geek community.

While it’s fantastic to see the niche aspects of a culture I identify with expanding to a larger audience, there are also some major issues that arise from it. Through the growth of social media platforms and advances in special effects, geek culture is more visible than ever before, as are its fans. From newcomers to hardened veterans, people of all genders and backgrounds have come to embrace the geekier side of life more visibly.

Herein lies the heart of one of geek culture’s sadder realities.

Where lots of us see this explosion of diversity as necessary and exciting, there are also those who treat new mainstream audiences as an invasive force that challenges their personal definition as a geek.

Traditionally, geeks have been stereotyped by the media as white, heterosexual males, and social outcasts because of their interests, looks or actions. This definition has altered drastically with the changing times, but some people still cling to the idea that membership to geek clubs is something to be earnt, not chosen.

Often, this means that newcomers are questioned about what’s

considered ‘required knowledge’. Of course this test could be applied to anyone who brands themselves, even indirectly, as a geek. But, quite unfairly, the ones who usually find themselves looking down the barrel are women.

I asked one of my friends, Claudia Blanche, about her experiences in geek culture, specifically about her participation in the world of cosplay (an abbreviation of ‘costume play’). She said that even from outside of geek culture, she faces scrutiny from a friend. “I have trouble convincing her that the reasons I cosplay are because it’s a way of expressing my fandom,” she says. “It’s a great creative outlet, a really cool way to meet people with similar interests and it’s really fun! She’s not interested in hearing these reasons and has convinced herself that the reason I do it is just to get attention from guys.”

Sadly, while attention seems to be one of the first reasons people jump to when accusing people of faking an interest in the culture, it’s not the real issue.

The fact that sexism is still so prevalent in society leads me to draw a connection here, because it’s an easy and common avenue for criticism. A lot of the time, members of geek culture are characterised by a loss of power, whether that be through social alienation or personal insecurities. By challenging those who can be easily targeted, they find this is an easy way to regain some sense of control. This perceived superiority over newer fans, based on experience and knowledge, can be quite dangerous to the larger community’s reputation.

I feel that the valid cry for all genders and sexual groups to be represented in society is seen as a threat to the future of geek culture, something we’ve grown an unfounded sense of ownership over. After all, it can be quite hard to accept that something we love might not be all it seems.

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

23

G E E K B O M B AT U O W G A M E F E S T 2 0 1 4

Carolyn Petit, a transgender video game reviewer for a major website called Gamespot, is my go-to example for this scenario.

In 2013, Gamespot published a review for Grand Theft Auto V, a highly anticipated title written by Carolyn. The review praised the game but suggested that it was “profoundly misogynistic”.

Because of that (among other more technical factors) it was given a 9/10 rating instead of a perfect score.

This sparked a lot of controversy, with many people suggesting her views were biased and extreme, instead of accurately addressing a representational issue.Very soon after the angry, violent and sexist comments flowed in, angry game fans petitioned for Gamespot to sack Carolyn for giving her personal opinion in the review.

Not only did Gamespot not fire Carolyn, they released a statement saying they fully supported what was said. Supporters of her views within the wider community responded with an opposing petition NOT to fire Carolyn.

It’s issues like this that really raise awareness for the need to change the way we interact with each other in geek culture, as well as how we represent the varied groups that are a part of it.

To put it simply, people have no responsibility to prove themselves or their love of something. We have no right to challenge someone else on this basis either. Geek culture is one built around the idea of acceptance of those who have ever felt different, outcast or misrepresented. For members to then alienate others who identify with this idea is pure hypocrisy.

I’m really hopeful for a future where geek culture flourishes, helping people to learn, interact and have fun together. After all, we’re all here because at heart we love the geekier side of life.

Geek Bomb is a pop culture website that covers every aspect of Geek Culture, from cosplay to table top games. I had a chat with Co-Creator and Producer Tara Stuart and Contributor Tegan Jones, and asked them about their views on gender and sexuality in Geek culture.

24

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

FIRSTLY, AS A WHOLE, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE STATE OF GENDER AND SEXUALITY WITHIN MODERN GEEK CULTURE?

Tara: Over the last few years the representations of gender and sexuality within the majority of geek subcultures has improved dramatically. We’re now seeing more strong female and LGBT characters in all forms of digital media, particularly and most prominently within what we consider geek television shows.

This is having a positive influence on the culture as a whole, however on a percentage scale these representations make up a very small minority of the characters we interact with.

Video games unfortunately lag quite significantly; we’re very rarely given the option of playing a female character, let alone one that identifies within a gender-queer category. We’re definitely moving forward in a positive direction as these issues are becoming more prominent, particularly in gaming/geek journalism; however there’s still a long way to go before we reach any kind of equality.

HAVE YOU EVER FACED DOUBT, QUESTIONING OR DISCRIMINATION DUE TO YOUR GENDER AS A PART OF GEEK CULTURE, ESPECIALLY AS A JOURNALIST COVERING THE FIELD?

Tara: I’ve been very lucky that I’ve never faced any direct or personal discrimination for the two years I’ve worked in the gaming journalism industry. Although Geek Bomb as a whole has received several comments on YouTube and Twitter that target our company for being majority female. As a percentage of the total comments we receive this is relatively low and we’re very lucky that the vast majority of our audience not only respects us as members of the geek community but also respects the positive influence we’re trying to have on the industry.

Tegan: I’ve managed to come out relatively unscathed, but I’ve definitely been questioned and discriminated against online, particularly is MMORPGS (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up with some really awesome guy friends who just saw me as a fellow gamer and geek culture aficionado. I also haven’t experienced

THE GEEK BOMB GIRLS

much criticism or discrimination as a journalist in the field, but then I also make a point of not reading reader comments, because that’s a dark rabbit hole I don’t like to go down.

HOW DO YOU YOURSELF FEEL YOU IDENTIFY AS A GEEK? WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL OR IMPORTANT TO YOU?

Tara: I personally don’t identify under any specific subculture of the overall ‘geeky’ umbrella, I’ve been a fan of geeky television, movies and video games for as long as I can remember. They offer the unparalleled opportunity to immerse yourself in a new and exciting world and I’m constantly inspired to create my own content. The online and real life communities surrounding these forms of entertainment have given me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful and supportive people who share the same interests as I do and as a result have spawned some of the most important friendships in my life. If it weren’t for the ‘geek’ culture I wouldn’t be where I am now, in a kickass job, with a brilliant group of friends and surrounded by a community of people who feel an incredible sense of belonging despite all of our differences.

Tegan: Being a geek is important to me because it’s who I am.

I’ve never had any qualms in declaring loudly that I am one, even before it hit the mainstream. That being said, if people are finding it easier to identify as a geek now that it’s more socially acceptable, good for them. As a group that began as societal rejects, we should be welcoming and all-encompassing.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE CHANGE IN GEEK CULTURE TO MAKE IT AS ACCEPTING AND WELCOMING AS IT CAN BE?

Tara: In an ideal world the geek community would be open and inviting to every person despite differences in culture, gender and sexuality. It’s hard to pin-point any specific changes that could be made, it’s up to the individuals within the community to move away from discriminating against minorities. The best way to move forward with this is to continue introducing characters that represent the many different minorities, and reward the content creators that do.

I’d particularly love to see a higher representation of transgender characters in digital media to encourage open-mindedness from the audience, as the trans community is currently highly underrepresented.

Tegan: I would like to see a bridge in the divide between male and female gamers. A personal pet peeve of mine is being called a ‘gamer girl’ because I don’t think I should be singled out due to my gender. I’m a 28-year-old woman, not a little girl.

It also disturbs me just how fetishised that term can be. If we could be seen as fellow gamers, as opposed to ‘perfect women’, ‘future wives’ or simply ‘hot’ for enjoying games, I think that the industry could be a great deal more equal and welcoming.

ARE THERE ANY PEOPLE FROM FICTION OR REAL LIFE THAT ARE REALLY POSITIVE ADVOCATES FOR THIS CHANGE, OR POSITIVE ROLE MODELS?

Tara: Anyone who takes a positive stance against discrimination within the geek community is enough to make a difference. In particular people like Maude Garrett, Stephanie Bendixsen and Felicia Day are positive female role models within the gaming industry and are giving young woman a positive representation of female gamers in particular.

In terms of fictional representations, shows like Orphan Black are paving the way with strong female driven narratives and characters, as well as representing realistic and positive transgender and other LBGTIQ minorities.

Tegan: There are definitely some fantastic role models out there for young women who want to get into the industry. Again, I have to mention Felicia Day. She has accomplished so much in her career and has contributed so much to the geek world. As for game characters, I think this is still a huge issue that needs to be changed, but there are still some great ones out there. Some of my personal favourites are Samus, FemShep and Jade from Beyond Good and Evil.

For more from the team at Geek Bomb, make sure to check out their website at www.geekbomb.net. Alternatively you can follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

25

26

I L L U S T R AT I O N : S PA R R O W H O L M E S

#WOMENAGAINSTFEMINISM MOVEMENT REALLY MISSES THE POINT

BY GEMMA MOLLENHAUER @GemmaMolle017

Let’s set the record straight: feminism has never, ever been a movement against or to the detriment of men. Shock! Horror!

Reinforcing stereotypes of man-hating, bra-burning, hairylegged women rallying together against men, all under the umbrella of equality, is not only severely misinformed, it has also resulted in a recent pitch for ‘anti-feminism’ campaigns such as the Women Against Feminism (#WAF) hashtag.

The #WAF campaign presents a forum where young women and girls take to social media stating reasons why they don’t need feminism, usually via a selfie and handwritten placecard.

Their common cause: to fight against the presumed belittling of men and victimization of women. Sounds familiar right? In campaigning against feminism, it seems the true definition and the point of the movement itself has become askew.

The Oxford Dictionary states: feminism (n) [fem-uh-niz-uh m] 1. the doctorine advocating social, political, and all other rights equal to those of men. feminist (adj) [fem-uh-nist] 1. advocating social, political, legal and economic rights for women, equal to those of men.

While anti-feminism campaigns have been around since the beginning of the 19th century women’s movement, it’s most recent form asks some interesting questions regarding 21st century modern-day activism. In the history of criticising feminism, Marabel Morgan’s 1970s best selling manifesto The Total Woman sought to defended the woman’s “traditional” role, a sentiment often taken by modern anti-feminists.Various #WAF place cards defend the ‘right’ for women to love and remain loyal to their man, agreeing that modern feminism demeans stay-at-home mothers and housewives. Many other #WAF members declare that they reject feminism ironically because they support equality and female empowerment. These are just a few examples: “I don’t need feminism because I believe in equality, not entitlements and supremacy.”

“I don’t need feminism because it reinforces the men as agents/ women as victims dichotomy.”

Or, the all too common: “I don’t need feminism, because egalitarianism is better.”

With egalitarianism (equality for all) being the whole point behind feminism, the #WAF movement is ironic and misinformed, to say the least.Yes, a rethinking of what modern day feminism entails, is necessary to remain current, but this doesn’t mean feminism in 2014 is annulled. From costly and often stigmatised birth control, to an unequal wage gap, and rape culture with the idea that women are “asking for it”, gender equality issues are still very much a worldwide concern.

In Australia alone, statistics from the Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency report state that “the average man working full-time earns 18.3% or $283.20 more than the average full-time working woman”. The Centers Against Sexual Assault also reports that “One in five women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15 years” according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Personal Safety Survey, 2006.

It seems the #WAF movement has donned armor and prepared for battle, long before doing their research on achievements of feminism. That’s what makes the #WAF movement so baffling: it’s only through feminism that women have the right to publicly voice their personal views.

The very fact that women now have a choice to work or become stay-at-home mothers or housewives, the choice to control their own finances and the choice to control their fertility is directly due to feminism. Essentially shooting themselves in the foot, the #WAF movement is really missing the point of what feminism is and has done for modern generations.

For a very serious case study, look no further than the 276 Nigerian schoolgirls recently kidnapped by terrorist organization Boko Haram to see just how much feminism and equality is needed today. Sex trafficking, forced marriages, genital mutilation, rape and honor killings, highlight a level of gender inequality that is often forgotten by Western societies.

It’s easy to look at Western society today and take for granted how many opportunities we have. However it’s clearly naïve to make assumptions without proper research. In the stereotypical ‘battle’ between the modern feminist movement and the #WAF movement, people tend to lose sight of what exactly they are fighting for. In the words of The Guardian reporter, Tess Vigeland “There are enough forces pushing against women who want to rise. We don’t need to push ourselves down too”.

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

27

THE BACHELOR: SEXIST OR JUST RIDICULOUS?

BY ELODIE GOODEN @elodiemay

Australia’s version of world-renowned dating show The Bachelor is currently airing its second season on our televisions.

The dating program’s 12-year-old format is interesting because it plays with the ideas of wealth, desirability, and women in competition.

As a feminist, I belong to that ‘pesky’ group of women who remain unconvinced by the institution of marriage and the facetiousness of dating. But personally, I quite enjoy watching The Bachelor, if only to laugh and sigh at its lame puns and outdated tropes. It’s like those Mills and Boon books Seduced by the Greek Billionaire and Sold to the Playboy. It shows symptoms of a capitalist culture in which women’s desire is sold to us as a greed for wealth, attention, and protection. All this is provided by rich unattainable men who offer them totally new and superior experiences, and sweep them off their feet.

The Bachelor’s website claims to show viewers “the trials and tribulations of modern dating”, yet in fact, the show is anything but normal. It is a situation in which one man dates between 24 and two women at a time – by definition either practicing polyamory or cheating – and then ends up marrying one of them, thereby conforming to a veneer of heteronormative respectability.

The televised dates are luxurious and expensive, and the women are often wooed by the sense of grandeur, which was neither planned nor paid for by their Bachelor. The series also struggles to maintain any sense of intimacy, as we are aware that there is a camera crew filming each romantic encounter from multiple angles.

Aside from the ridicule, which I enjoy wholeheartedly, there is a significant amount of critics who find the whole exercise to be repellent and sexist. And I’ve found, on the whole, it’s actually

28

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

men who feel this way. My father gets too angry at the show to watch it with me. “Do they have no self-esteem?” He exclaims of the female contestants. “They’re debasing themselves for this man!”

Many people are concerned about the imbalance of power in the show’s premise: 24 women are brought in to compete for the affections of one man, who reserves the power to eliminate women and choose his favourite. The show is marketed to a female audience, and produced by the predominately male production team at Shine Australia.

A new ABC program Reality Check, hosted by Tom Ballard, informed us that – apart from the footy – every one of the top twenty ratings shows on Australian television subscribe to the reality genre. Ballard asked Marion Farrelly, a Media Director who has worked on The Farmer Wants A Wife, how romantic reality shows are cast. She says “you want to have some funny people, some loud people, some argumentative people…. and they’ve got to be smoking hot.” Her idea is that the superficial nature of the contestants is more important than whatever backstory they may have to offer.

The Bachelor’s contestants play out different versions of femininity, and we identify more with some rather than others.

There’s the party girl, the beach girl, the clever one, the bogan, the sporty one, the model, the stalker, and so on and so forth.

What is strange is that much of the time these women spend with the Bachelor, they are being made to prove their level of toughness – who can eat this exotic dish? Who can hike and camp in the wilderness? Who can take various high-speed forms of transportation: like a formula 1 car, aerobatic plane, and a mechanical bull? It’s almost as if these women also have to perform masculinity, and they are happy to label other women as a ‘princess’ if she cannot prove her mettle.

It is interesting that while these women spend more time together in The Bachelor mansion than with the Bachelor himself, we know that the women are there to fall in love with him and not with each other. It is a dating show where group dates do happen, but we have no expectations of queerness or group sex. Secondly, we aren’t shown a lot of the candid experiences or friendships the girls have within the house. It makes it hard to believe they’re actually living there, because every time we see them they’ve clearly been styled for television, and made to congregate in matching outfits.

My biggest issue with The Bachelor is the forced competition.

And yeah, you might say, that’s pretty much the whole show, but the issue with this is that women are forced into constant competition anyway; in societal expectations of beauty, in the task of winning the right man, in motherhood, and in having cash to burn on the latest fashion or feminine hobbies (think Sex and The City). The Bachelor’s contestants are constantly trying to live up to a feminine ideal, but often distance themselves from their fellow women by claiming to be “not like those other girls”. Women have learnt this notion from brands that use feminine competition as a motive to buy the latest trends. Similarly, cat-fights are often used in entertainment to create a laughable conflict.

Television New Zealand’s Andrew Shaw, believes the manufacturing of conflict is essential. He says that dating shows “are soap operas.You have to make sure that you guide [your] cast members.” On the typecasting of ‘evil’ girls, he says producers want a divided audience. “You [need to] want to kiss them or kill them.”

It’s Freud’s Madonna-Whore complex served to us as ‘natural’ and authentic, even though the scenes are heavily edited to create this dichotomy.

Can we say that they mean well? Blake Garvey, our current Bachelor, is constantly making affirming statements about his respect for women, and his genuine desire to find love. However, in the US version of the show, only two couples who’ve emerged from its 18 seasons are currently married.

So is it all doom and gloom then? Well, no. The women on The Bachelor aren’t completely powerless. Last season in the US, contestant Andi decided to walk off the show due to the self-absorbed behaviour of Bachelor Juan Pablo. In Andi’s own term on spin-off The Bachelorette, she was made to defend her decision to use the “Fantasy Suite” (Bachelor-speak for sex) with two contestants, to a scorned suitor who attempted to slutshame her on international television.

Even in a recent Bachelor episode in Australia, the girls raised their hands to say they didn’t want to go on a date with Blake, because it meant a one-on-one competition with another girl from the house. And when the girls ganged up on ‘evil girl’ Laurina, contestant Lisa went to comfort her because “you never let a girl stand alone.” Thanks to feminism, women are realising they don’t have to participate in girl-on-girl hate, and hopefully more women on the Bachelor will put their foot down if the producers go too far.

As an appropriate epithet, noted feminist scholar Naomi Wolf has this to say about loving yourself and other women: “A consequence of female self-love is that the woman grows convinced of social worth… If a woman loves her own body, she doesn’t grudge what other women do with theirs; if she loves femaleness, she champions its rights.”

Elodie Gooden blogs weekly recaps of The Bachelor Australia on intersectionalisms.wordpress.com

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

29

PICTURED HERE WITH ROKA EMPLOYEE RANI IS K A R T H I K W H O I S R E S P O N S I B L E F O R M A I N TA I N I N G A ST E A DY P R O D U C T I O N L I NE O F R O K A J E W E L L E R Y

RANI, A ROKA JEWELRY MAKER

A HELPING HAND TO THE WOMEN OF INDIA

BY GEMMA MOLLENHAUER @GemmaMolle017

Using weathered hands and basic tools; men, women and children work all hours of light, six days a week, performing the backbreaking task of mining massive granite quarries for as little as AU$2.03 a day. Work begins at sunrise for the workers of Marenahalli Bande, located about 40 minutes outside of Bangalore in Southern India, and the laborers soon settle into the familiar rhythm of detonating, breaking and carrying rock.

Many people, unable to find any other employment, are forced to move from neighboring cities and states to work illegally mining slabs of rock. A challenge, only made worse by a strong patriarchal society, where women are considered socially inferior. From being refused education and jobs on the basis of gender, to being forced to work in the quarries for 50% less than what a male earns, a glass ceiling is still very much in place for Indian women.

However, from the other side of the world, women’s advocate Kimberly Abbott is seeking to break through this ceiling, one jewellery piece at a time. In July 2012, Abbott took part in the month long 40k Globe Program, and through this she became passionate about finding a practical and alternative source of income specifically to assist the women living in these quarries.

“I noticed the by-product of the granite cutting process, that being a fine grey powder. It was swept away and dumped into a nearby river as refuse” Kimberly states, reflecting on how she originally invented the unique mixture, now molded into a product known as Roka Jewellery. By mixing the granite powder with various ingredients, a malleable, quick drying paste was formed. And thus, Roka Jewellery was born.

Now a passionate young team of five, Roka Jewellery functions as a social business, tirelessly working to develop unique and elegant jewellery as well as train and educate disadvantaged quarry families. Currently, Roka Jewellery employs six committed women from the Marrenahelli Bande community.

Offering opportunities to supplement or fully replace their quarry wages by hand making Roka Jewellery, these women can gain a pay rise of up to 300%.

With such an attractive and now attainable goal, the team at Roka Jewellery is well on their way to achieving one of their main mission statements: “to empower women through education and by enabling them the means to provide for themselves and their family”. Each jewellery piece takes approximately two hours to complete and the women are paid per piece. Through employing these women, the business guarantee’s any excess income will be spent on the health and education of their families. “When you empower a woman, you are empowering an entire village”, Kimberly states With the recent launch of its new website, Roka Jewellery is now almost ready for public debut. Director of Media and Communication, Laura Melhuish states, “We have refined both the look and production of our original design, The Rani Necklace, and over the past month, we have begun production on a corporate line of jewellery - specifically pendants and cufflinks. Roka is almost ready to take the world by storm”.

Online sales will soon be available to the public, as well as an opportunity to become part of the Roka family.To find out more, check out www.rokajewellery.org

THE ENVIRONMENT ISSUE

31

LGBTIQ RIGHTS IN CUBA AND LESSONS FOR AUSTRALIA

BY BEN KOHLER @FakeBenKohler

Cuba is likely to be the most lied about country in the world.

Almost all media coverage of Cuban affairs in the media horribly distorts the reality of events in the small country.

One of the many areas in which this happens is with regards to LGBTIQ people; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, intersex and queer-identifying people that is. However, there is much in Cuba that Australia should learn from, and LGBTIQ rights are no exception.

Among the many accusations against Cuba is that for LGBTIQ people, it is a very hostile place. A 1999 report by the US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services for instance, states that freedom for gay Cubans is “limited” and that there is “fear” of “being identified as openly gay either at home or in the workplace”.

These claims are however, wrong. In the early years of the Cuban Revolution, which triumphed in 1959, nothing was done to challenge the deeply entrenched homophobia in Cuban society and so Cuba continued to be as discriminative as the rest of Latin America. Fidel Castro, the leader of the Revolution, said a few years ago that this was a “great injustice” and that he should take the blame for not taking the initiative to combat homophobia.

During the 1970’s however, there were a small wave of positive changes made, followed by a larger wave in the 1990’s. Today Cuba is one of the least homophobic places in the world.

There are still three main issues with the country’s LGBTIQ rights. One is police harassment, which is not frequent but does

32

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

happen. Another is restrictions the military has on being openly gay.

The third involves marriage equality, which has not yet been achieved, although it does not appear to be too far off. Its passage in the National Assembly is perhaps only a couple of years away. This is due primarily to Cuba’s current preoccupation with economic and other social reforms. In Australia however, well over 60% of the population supports equal marriage rights but it is still not permitted. While one of our major parties is firmly against it and the other supports it, its MPs won’t be made to support it in Parliament.

Although there is still room for improvement, Cuba today is a great place for LGBTIQ people. Homophobia and transphobia is much less present amongst the general population than it is in Australia. For example, there have been no reports of hate crimes committed against LGBTIQ people in Cuba, in Australia however, they are fairly common. Between 1985 and 1999, Sydney was caught up in a wave of them resulting in thousands of beatings of gay men with hundreds being hospitalised and many murdered.

Anti-homophobia in Cuba is strong enough that Mariela Castro Espin, the foremost advocate of LGBTIQ rights in Cuba, has become one of the countries most loved public figures. The director of CENESEX, the National Sexual Education Centre of Cuba, she is also the daughter of current President, Raul Castro, and the late Vilma Espin, one of the Revolution’s leading feminists and head of the Federation of Cuban Women for 47 years. On top of all of this she is also the niece of Fidel Castro.

Cuba’s main advantage over the rest world is that it’s a socialist country. While greed, individualism and competition between people are basic facts of life here, these are all memories of a dark past in Cuba. In spite of this, there is still much that countries like Australia could take and use from Cuba to successfully advance the rights of LGBTIQ people.

should be more like a human sexuality course. As well as syphilis and condoms, the topics of discussion should be about the nature of sexuality, sexuality and culture, the politics of sexuality and other such topics. Sex education in high school should be something that engages students with serious issues and helps to develop their understanding of themselves and others.

Heavy state involvement would help substantially in combating homophobia and transphobia, by running regular ads on TV for instance. CENESEX, a state organisation, shows ads on Cuban TV depicting happy same-sex couples with the message “diversity is natural”.

Lastly, Australia should learn from Cuban marches and events.

Mardi Gras is great, but in the past few years it has become rather corporatised and turned into more of a party than an action that is supposed to spread awareness of LGBTIQ issues.

In Cuba parades always retain their political character, and are still great cultural events. May sees Havana, Cuba’s capital, awash in LGBTIQ and CENESEX events, particularly on the International Day Against Homophobia, now a key day on the Cuban calendar.

Mariela Castro has stated that “The Communist Party has specifically expressed the intention to involve the media in the effort against homophobia,” a similar focus on media use here would not be too difficult to organise, and depending on geography, would be effective in raising greater awareness.

Something that would be more difficult but much more valuable would be to establish an organisation in Australia similar to CENESEX. A well-funded state organisation that is actively involved in advancing LGBTIQ rights, plays a real part in LGBTIQ life and is also an important part in sex education in schools. CENESEX has been the key initiator of advocacy in Cuba, and it’s operated by activists, not by bureaucrats or people just doing the job they’re paid to do.

Better sex education is another thing we should be looking at taking from Cuban examples. Sex education in Australia is almost exclusively about STIs and contraception. Sex education

Incorporating LGBTIQ people into non-LGBTIQ related events is something Australia would benefit greatly from.

It sends a message to the public that LGBTIQ issues are not something we have to allocate a special time for. This incorporation often happens in Cuba, most notably perhaps in the 1996 May Day march, which was led by drag queens.

Cuba is in no way a perfect place, but it has for decades been a little country in a big, mostly hostile world preaching and practicing justice. There is still much to be done for LGBTIQ rights, but it is far better than almost everywhere else. Australia, and the rest of the world, should pay serious attention to Cuba and try to adopt their approaches and ways of thinking.

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

33

C AT H E R I N E O P I E ’ S M I K E A N D S K Y E 19 9 3

A MANIFESTO AGAINST CATEGORISING MY GENDER AND SEXUALITY ANONYMOUS

“Trapped in a box of tremendous size, it distorts my vision; it closes my eyes… No room for thought, use the box as my guide… Oh trapped in a box, I’m not alone, I know of others with a box as their home. Light only enters from a crack or a hole, this is not enough for a human to grow.”—‘Trapped in a Box’, No Doubt Placing my sexuality and gender into a neat, defined category has always felt like a waste of time and energy. When someone asks me what gender or sexuality I identify as, I’ll just throw a word out there so I don’t have to awkwardly stare at them with a blank expression.

“Oh, I’m queer. Uh, pans. Um, bisexual. Bicurious?”

To be honest, I don’t know and I definitely wouldn’t say I’m ‘confused’—I just don’t really want (or need) to think about it.

I’m busy, ya know?

There’s this really good quote: “your sex is what’s between your legs and your gender is what’s between your ears”. Some people with vaginas feel like boys and some people with penises feel like girls, and some people like me, don’t feel like they have a gender at all.

Imagine if we took all these cultural stereotypes of what it means to be masculine or feminine and completely fucked them up? Or even disregarded them all together so rather than seeing a gender binary, we simply saw a person?

American, social documentary photographer, Catherine Opie explores gender and sexual identity as a fluid, reforming aspect of identity performance. An example of this is a photograph of

Justin Bond, taken by Opie in 1993.

“Bond takes us through the performative reality of deconstructing gender: Is Justin a woman? Is that a corset she is wearing or a straight-laced dress? Is she a good girl or naughtily [posing] as one, hoarding a kinky surprise? And ultimately, does it matter? Bond does not believe in binary genders and ultimately wishes the viewer will join him to ‘blend gender’ and see him for who he is: ‘a person’,” says Opie.

Judith Bulter’s feminist writing, which is famous for arguing against confusing gender as a biological aspect of the body, and rather as something that is influenced by our culture, has influenced the ideas behind Opie’s work.

Imagine if there were no prejudices about how you performed gender? One of the reasons I don’t like telling people I identify within a label, is because there is still so much prejudice surrounding any sexuality that isn’t straight, or any gender that isn’t cisgendered (identifying as the gender that traditionally matches your sex).

Telling people you’re bisexual usually leads them to oversimplify your identify, because they see you as being 50% gay and 50% straight, rather than having a fluid and changing sexual identity. Either that, or you’re over-sexualised.Years ago when I identified as bisexual, I’d watched my male date’s faces light up when I told them. One even responded with “that’s hot!”, as if the possibility a threesome was suddenly awaiting him. And don’t get me wrong, threesomes are probably great, but I’m not an ‘investment’ for that whole experience.

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

35

“

My sexual identity is as fluid as any other part of my identity. I’m not going to have an existential crisis every five minutes because sometimes I want to be intimate with a girl instead of a guy.

“

Not to mention the fact that bisexuality is often stigmatised by both the straight and gay community. Some gay girls have spoken out about not wanting to get with bi girls because they ‘might go back to the D’. I’ve also been told things like “bisexuals need to just pick a side” and the more blatant comment, “bisexuality doesn’t exist”. This idea that you must be one or the other is pretty insensitive, and there’s nothing worse than someone telling you that a part of you simply doesn’t exist.

This discomfort however, is a result of other people’s behaviour, and does not consider the idea of categorising gender or sexuality in itself. My problem here is with the restrictive nature of semantics ability to explain a sexual and gender identity with true cohesion, as well as the need to place a person’s sexual or gender identity in a box. People seem to desire having a reliable way of predicting your sexual behaviour and the gender of your future romantic relationships, which is really is no one’s business but my future partners or mine.

My sex is female. I enjoy playing femininity sometimes with make-up or whatever, but that’s me practising my agency, almost like enjoying playing dress ups. Like our cover artist demonstrates, a face and a body can act as a blank canvas, waiting to be reshaped and reformed. As Judith Butler says in Gender Trouble, “that gender is a choice... a role, or a construction that one puts on, as one puts on clothes in the morning. That there is a ‘one’ who is prior to this gender, a one who goes to the wardrobe of gender and decides with deliberation which gender it will be today.”

36

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

My sexual identity is as fluid as any other part of my identity.

I’m not going to have an existential crisis every five minutes because sometimes I want to be intimate with a girl instead of a guy.

I don’t want to be limited by definition or semantics or prejudice or ignorance. I simply want to live my life in peace, without judgement or control over which umbrella term I’m supposed to fall under, or how these definitions claim I should behaving. Why should we be trapped within our words?

That said, I can understand the pride and ownership that comes from claiming a term as your own and a sense of belonging to a group that has similar experiences as you do. And I don’t want my words to contribute to any more prejudice or misrepresentation of the LGBTQI community.

So I guess if you take anything away from this, it’s to realise that gender and sexuality definitions don’t apply to everyone and by enforcing gender stereotypes onto someone based on their looks or current actions, you might be making them feel like they have to conform towards behaviour or an appearance that make them feel uncomfortable.

I am not a gender, nor am I any sexuality. French, surrealist photographer, Claude Cahun said, “Masculine? Feminine? But it depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me”. These are just small, free flowing aspects of my identity. I am simply and complexly, human.

C AT H E R I N E O P I E ’ S J U S T I N B O N D 19 9 3

ARTIST PROFILE: JESSE WAKENSHAW

BY BRITTANY CARTER @_BrittanyCarter

“Hints of Warhol, Subtle notes of glamour, A tad of neon lights, And a handful of glitter...”

Jesse Wakenshaw describes his work poignantly.

The twenty-three-year-old artist is known for his bold, oneoff, avant-garde portraits. Recently featured in Melbourne based mag, Six Years Later, Wakenshaw’s bright and sometimes confronting work, constantly challenges conventional notions of beauty.

Wollongong based, his latest photographs feature handmade fashion pieces, paired with strong hair and makeup styling.

Working in a small, isolated home studio in Thirroul, the South Coast is a place where Jesse can focus and develop his creative ideas without interference.

In the past he has experimented with live art, using models dressed in white as canvases, before cutting, manipulating and graffiting their clothing. Jesse says these multicoloured and outthere looks portray “a real marriage between beauty and ugly”.

Aiming to evoke a little mystery within viewers, he portrays his subjects in slapstick and fantasy fashions. “There is something about the idea of a person morphing into any character. I’m obsessed with makeup and hair in the way it can transform the same person limitless times,” he says.

He sources inspiration, sketches ideas, and collects and makes the accessories, wigs and makeup, all in the lead up to each shoot. However, Jesse admits this self-taught recipe doesn’t always turn out right, and tells me of a tough period he recently went through, where personal issues began to interrupt his creative process. “I felt like I was toasted... [it made] me doubt my whole entire art practice,” he says. However, “my greatest growth has come from these failures.”

Heavily influenced by music, Wakenshaw’s works draw on pop culture, fashion, and Any Warhol’s oeuvre. A self-described, “big kid at heart,” he admits “there is still something quite childish

38

ARTIST PROFILE

about my work. From a young age I grew up creating a lot of things. I remember spending my time cutting, sewing and even painting old daggy curtains and turning them into, what I thought were extraordinary costumes.” It’s easy to understand how he draws such child-like comparisons, with bunny ears, cartoon, and doodle-like lines and shapes prevalent in his photographs.

The unearthed artist hopes to engage viewers, incorporating imagery and colour in order to connect with the audience’s dreams and imagination. “The viewer must interrogate the piece and absorb all [its] components,” he says. “It’s the connection that they have that will spark a subconscious thought, which will in return inspire and evoke the imagination.”

But when it comes to thinking about the audience, this is where he draws the line. “I definitely do not think about what is going to sell and what isn’t. I am not about that as an artist; most of my riches come from the process of creation.”

Jesse believes his portfolio of work portrays overall freedom, and that his practice knows no boundaries when it comes to gender and sexuality. “[Contemporary] artists are expressing themselves in ways with no limits and no boundaries, using strong forms of gender, sexuality and gender in their work,” he says. “This is what art is all about, confronting and challenging the viewer.”

With four large-scale panels of his art currently on display in the city as part of the Wollongong City Council’s Public Art project, and having recently featured in creative business Okyo’s Creatives in Print publication, it’s clear that Wakenshaw is an integral part to the Illawarra art community.

“It would be great to see a lot more opportunities for fresh work in the city to enrich Wollongong’s art culture,” he says.

“There are so many unique young emerging artists down this way.”

Channelling New York and London aspirations, Wakenshaw has big plans to exhibit overseas in brave and loud ways, guaranteeing they’ll be “a real Jesse experience”.

To keep up to date with Jesse’s work, and for more of his photography, head to jessewakenshaw.com, the Facebook page ‘Artist Jesse Wakenshaw’ or @jessewakenshaw on Instagram.

‘ G I B B E R I S H ’ BY J E S S E W A K E N S H A W FAC E BO OK : A R T I ST J E S S E W A K E N S H AW

42

I L L U S T R AT I O N : S PA R R O W H O L M E S

DISROBING THE EROTIC FEMALE: CLOTHING AS POWER

BY NICOLE LANGRIDGE

You settle down in the cinema as the lights begin to dim, popcorn and drink in hand. It’s time to see that new film everyone has been raving about; you’ve heard it’s got a line up of ass-kicking young ladies and you think, “Finally! Some quality, badass female representation.” But as the movie starts and you get your first look at these women on screen. Something feels a little off. Wait a second… they may be wielding some threatening looking weapons, but all of these women are scantily dressed! It’s a parade of fishnet stockings, mini skirts and low cut tops! But before you find yourself caught up in an internal struggle of sexual politics, let me tell you a few of the things I’ve learned recently about eroticised female characters.

Sexually alluring clothing doesn’t always mean a lack of power!

There’s an understandable cringe from the audience when a female character is reduced to being a passive object in the background. She’s there simply to be looked at and enjoyed. In most cases, this is done through suggestive clothing. But does that mean that women can’t look absolutely sexy whilst kicking ass? Of course not! It just requires some careful writing and the character’s awareness of their actions and choices. Take Zachary Snyder’s 2012 film Sucker Punch for example. This film seems to have a mixed reception with half of moviegoers crying out at its use of cheap, skimpy costumes; and the other half praising its success of female empowerment. Where do you stand on the matter?

Of course, there are always two sides to every argument.

One side provides a model of how fashion can undermine a female. Rather than revealing her independence, it instead offers her as prey to male desires. Perhaps you’ve heard of a rather revolutionary book called The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir? Her writing focused a lot on the gender binaries of male/active and female/passive. Beauvoir argued that the sexual

image merely affirmed the male power structure. But there is a second model that moviegoers should consider before passing their judgement on their next female-centric film. Is there some other purpose to the suggestive clothing? If used right, clothing can play an important role in helping the female navigate patriarchal situations. In this case, the female’s active possession of her appearance is more important that the clothing itself. If female characters are shown to hold an awareness of the effect their physicality and attire has, they will have the capability to take control of their own representation.

Now there’s one more element to throw into the mix before the power of clothing can be successful! It’s the notion of ‘womanliness as masquerade’. Psychoanalyst Joan Riviere believes the powerful woman is one who uses a masquerade of feminine sexuality to gain the upper hand, rather than masculine strength. The performative power of clothing is integral to maintaining this masquerade. Along with the costume’s ability to interfere, the character is then able to manipulate her femininity and pull one over on the men.

Of course, not every movie that features seductively dressed ladies can be said to have represented them within this model.

Just to name a few are the Transformers films, The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle; even the recent reboots of Star Trek have questionable scenes. In far too many films, the clothing is for the benefit of the to-be-pleased male audience member.

But next time you find yourself in a darkened cinema and questioning the costume choices on screen, ask yourself a few questions: is there any purpose to the clothing other than for the pleasure in looking? Or are the women perhaps able to utilise this sexualised femininity and actively manipulate situations in order to exercise independence and self-determination?

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

43

DO OUR JOURNALISM DEGREES EVEN MATTER IF WE DON’T LOOK PRETTY?

BY JAMIE REYNOLDS @reyn0lds_559

In a perfect world, media personalities throughout all platforms would be judged and appointed credibility on their own merit, not based on their gender. Unfortunately gender bias is still at large in the industry, some in more obvious forms than others.

The Women’s Media Center reported that last year, women were more likely to cover health and lifestyle news; and least likely to cover crime, justice and world politics, with women producing 49 per cent of health coverage and commentary.

To gain perspective on this issue among the up-and-coming generation of journalists, I interview five media students about their personal thoughts, feelings and opinions on the matter.

Belinda Quinn, Co-editor of UOW’s student magazine the Tertangala, and Communications and Media student, says this familiarity has led her to feel disadvantaged by her gender.

“From my perspective I think there may be inequalities that I will encounter, that my male colleagues will not,” she says. “So far in my experience of studying journalism, I’ve encountered broadcasters telling me to remember to wear make-up. I’d rather it if people just focus on my brain and what I have to say, rather than what I look like”.

Belinda refers to a quote from retired journalist Geoffrey Barker. “‘Talentless, pert-breasted reporters don’t know the world, let alone journalism’… I don’t know what my boobs will have to do with reporting in the future, but I’d really rather that they weren’t brought into my ability to do my job,” she says.

Ellena Gerwargis, who is currently studying her first year of a Bachelor of Journalism/Creative Writing double degree, agrees

44

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

with these statements, and adds that women are expected to participate in certain roles according to stereotypes. “There’s this idea that women seem to commonly do ‘soft’ news, which are things like food, and fashion, that‘s unimportant to major newspapers, compared to things like politics and economics which are dominantly male,” she says.

While admitting that some women are interested in such areas, she reflects the notion may be a result of gender conditioning.

“The stereotypes forced upon us at a young age - we just accept because we’re children, and then it becomes internalized,” Ellena says. “Later in life, women specifically say that they’re uninterested in these things, but [they’re] bloody important, and that’s not pushed enough. Society’s taught women to tune it out, saying it’s men’s business and that’s still prevalent today.”

“I absolutely think that being a women will affect my chances of being taken seriously, ” says Michelle Silaen, second-year Bachelor of Journalism student. “We’re constantly being judged, especially in the work force.”

Michelle agrees that women are definitely represented a certain way in the media, and adds “The public has this idea of women as emotional and weak which is shown by the types of news they present”.

Maneesha Todd, first-year Arts/Communications and Media student, concurs that the biggest challenges women in the industry face are stereotypes and gender-roles. “There are men at the top who are determined that society remains exactly as is – patriarchal and oppressive”.

She explains how women are branded as sympathetic and compassionate, as well as “Pretty, bubbly, nice, accepting, compliant and submissive. If not, then we’re [seen as] a masculine bitch”. With strong opinions on the subject, she says that although some women may fit the above description, some do not, and denying them opportunities simply because there is a precedent that politics is a “boys-only club” is “indisputably sexist and wrong”.

“We automatically must prove ourselves as worthy in ways that men don’t, because there is this automatic prejudice and assumption that we just shouldn’t be here. Every mistake we make is attributed to our vagina,” Maneesha says.

Jayden Perry, first-year Communications and Media student, gives a male perspective on the issue. He states that while there is definitely gender bias in the field of journalism, there are positive steps being taken to correct this, and that independent outlets are currently the ones doing this best.

“The problem is that a lot of the more prevalent and prestigious outlets were formed in a very different context to journalism teams created today,” he says. “While they are making positive steps, until that older order and ownership is changed there probably won’t be as dramatic a change in the established bias.”

Jayden feels, as a male going into the journalist industry, he has a slight advantage due to these “antiquated biases”. “I feel less like that when I see the students around me and in the publications I aim to work in,” he says. “Between the competition from female and male students around me who are doing amazing work and the hiring ethics of newer publications, I feel the

playing ground is much more even.”

Lastly, Jayden acknowledges there are “serious obstacles to overcome for women in achieving respect in this industry”, observing that men tend to be judged on their work and personality much more than women, who tend to get criticised for their looks. “[It] is very much a product of the unfortunate way society is. It’s a real shame when we take a person at face value and assess their worth through the way in which they look physically; it doesn’t help anyone and it’s something that really needs to change by moving forward,” he says.

Using YouTube and citizen journalism as examples of how we’re already seeing such changes through social media, Jayden wraps up by stating how these changes show people that no matter the race, looks or gender you have, “you miss out on a lot of truth, opinions and quality by imposing the lens of ‘appearance’ on people”.

Each of these five interviewees collectively agreed that inequality is still quite pronounced in the media today, primarily in broadcasting and television, with the focus being on the importance of appearance and traditional gender roles and stereotypes.

Although there are in fact many important changes being implemented to help break the barriers and push the growth in the portrayal of women in the media, these students are evidently left worrying about the future of their careers, and whether or not the way in which they were born, will affect their professional qualifications and that of their classmates.

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

45

G R A N G E R , F A R L E Y S T R A N G E RS O N A T R A I N

MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION CODE

FROZEN

IS HOLLYWOOD CONTROLLING THE WAY WE THINK ABOUT SEXUALITY?

BY TILLY KIDD

The Motion Picture production code, commonly known as the Hays Code, was created in 1930. It was believed that film, if censored correctly, could become a powerful force to improve humankind and therefore affect lives for the better. The MPPC put rules into place to ensure that films viewed by the public assisted moral progress and “correct standards of living”. However, these rules were based on the moral principles of religion, and so homosexuality - implied in the code under the category of ‘sex perversions’- was forbidden.

The MPPC sought to uphold patriarchal, orthodox values and negatively denounce any sexual relation that was not procreative. It artificially imposed heterosexuality and censored sexual freedom by displaying films that upheld marriage, the conservative family and the status quo. Sexual relations outside of marriage were forbidden from being portrayed as attractive or presented in a way that aroused passion or made it seem acceptable. All criminal acts had to be punished and no crime could encourage sympathy from the audience.

The harsh rules of the MPPC meant that the subject of homosexuality was too risky to overtly demonstrate. Those wanting to look into it had to remain discreet to be approved for release. This was achieved through a coding system that produces ambiguities and uncertainties about what an audience is actually seeing.

An example of this is in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 film, Strangers on a Train. Bruno Anthony is marked as a social deviant from the opening scene, in which his flashy footwear is contrasted to the ordinary shoes of social-climbing tennis star, Guy Haines. Bruno’s oedipal relationship with his mother, his hatred of his father and boyish behavior are all stereotypical hints that imply he is gay without overtly stating it. Film critic, Robin Wood, summarises this ambiguous portrayal of Bruno well. He says, “It seems generally accepted that Bruno Anthony in Strangers on a Train is supposed to be gay, ‘Supposed to be’ strikes me as the appropriate way of putting it, because once again the attribution seems to rest more on heterosexual myths about gay men, rather than on any actual evidence the film (caught in the constraints of censorship) can provide”.

Bruno’s sexuality seems symbolically represented through his capability to commit a criminal act considered un-American. His coincidental meeting with Guy seems more like a pick up as he reveals knowledge of Guys private life- his restlessness in marriage, fondness of the senator’s daughter, and inability to get a divorce.

They dine together in a private carriage, discussing the prospect of a murder-swap so that each would have an alibi. In this scene, Bruno’s desire to pursue Guy crosses over with his desire to subvert his patriarchal order, by killing his father.

Hitchcock also appears to highlight the pressure that gay men face to remain hidden and avoid public condemnation. Guy refuses to admit his similarities with Bruno out of fear of public prosecution.

His main objection to the murder-swap is that it is against the law. He continually calls Bruno a ‘maniac’ or ‘lunatic’ in instances where he feels they are too closely aligned, such as when Anne, the senators daughter, asks Guy how Bruno persuaded him to murder Mirriam, his wife. Through this subtext of Bruno and Guy’s relationship, Hitchcock contrasts the patriarchal to the subversive.

Yet the audience is left in a guessing game that assumes the gay man is an outcast, a criminal and a mentally unstable person. This way of ambiguously representing homosexuality has become the basis for generic Hollywood plotlines we still see time and time again.

Disney’s recent production of Frozen has circulated a fear campaign around it that warns conservative parents to keep the film hidden from their kids. Kevin Swanson, host of a right wing Christian themed radio show, called Frozen the work of the devil, stating that it indoctrinates young women to be lesbians and convinces people that homosexuality and beastiality are acceptable in society. While the films positive portrayal of sisterly love and acceptance just makes Kevin Swanson seem way too extreme, his obscene reaction to it proves how conservative Hollywood film producers must still be if they want their film released to wider audiences.

Let’s look into where the gay metaphor can be read in Frozen. Elsa is the first Disney princess who doesn’t have a male love interest.

While her parents do seem to love her, and tell the trolls that she was “born that way” they are pretty hard on her with their policies of ‘conceal’ and ‘don’t feel’. They keep her locked up in a room where she must train to hide who she is and when her magic powers are revealed, she is publically condemned and viewed as a freak.

These characteristics do fit Elsa neatly into the coding system of homosexuality, but again, there isn’t any actual evidence in the film.

Her feelings of isolation are something that anybody can relate to growing up, and more important than trying to categorize Elsa’s sexuality is the coda of the film. Elsa’s sister expresses that she loves her no matter what and when she returns home people learn to accept her for who she is. The main point of the film is to learn acceptance and embrace the fact that everybody is indefinable and unique. This is a positive lesson for all kids that I think the right wing campaigners may have missed.

Sexuality is so dynamic and cannot be defined through any specific codes or categories. It is something that is unique for each individual. Eve Sedgewick, a pioneer in Queer theory, unravels how our binary discourse of sexuality (homosexual/heterosexual) is insufficient to describe the individual experiences of all people. Even though classification guidelines have changed dramatically since the MPPC, there is still an odd criterion that audiences tick off to determine what they are seeing - a criterion that was created under a patriarchal lens. Whether Elsa is straight, gay, bisexual, all or none of the above, hopefully one day Kevin Swanson, along with other critics, will stop trying to restrict her sexual freedom, and take her direction to Let it Go!

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

47

GENDER AND SEXUALITY ON TWITTER

BY ALEX NAPIER @AlexNapier93

The age of Twitter is upon us. Though not all of us are active tweeters, few would be unaware of the popular social networking site and its enormous popularity. During the recent FIFA World Cup for example, 672 million tweets of 140 characters or less were published.

But how can a platform such as this play a role in the lives of those of us living with different gender or sexual identities to the majority of the world? There is one account that was created with this very issue in mind, @TWkLGBTQ. For those not familiar with it, @TWkLGBTQ (Tweet Week Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) is an account for non-heterosexual and non-transgender people. Every week a new person is given control of the account to tweet about their lives, experiences and other topics they wish to discuss. After that person’s week is up, the account is passed over to the next person and so on.

Since it was founded in April 2012, @TWkLGBTQ has had 76 tweeters take control and curate the account for a week, sharing their lives to over 1700 followers from around the globe. I had the privilege of curating the account in 2013, and now find myself as one of the administrators.

So what does it have to offer? As with all accounts with rotating curators, it allows each curator and their followers to meet and interact with new people, whom they might not have otherwise come across. But for the queer community, one which in many places still faces terrible intimidation, oppression and persecution, it goes far deeper.

Allowing a person coming to terms with, or reluctant to talk about their sexuality or identity, to speak with others who have been in that situation can be extremely useful for them in finding acceptance and liberation. Andrew Murphy (@ ImACultHero) former curator and co-administrator, says the account helped him a great deal that respect.

“Faced with 1500 plus people that I knew would accept me... my first day I spent blurting out so much stuff I had been keeping buried,” he said. “It was emotional, but it was freeing, that whole week I spent feeling so much happier in myself, just knowing I had this little corner of the internet that accepted me.”

Following an account like this is also useful for people who are heterosexual or non-transgender. They may not personally know anyone who identifies with a different sexuality or gender, but

by following the account they can get to know people who do. By welcoming everyone as followers, we aim to promote increased acceptance of queer communities, showing that we are normal, if there is such a thing, like you.

It’s also a good tool for helping curators feel more confident talking about issues relating to their gender or sexuality on their personal accounts and in their personal lives. Andrew can relate to this.

“Constantly watching what I said or behaved had been a massive drain on me in many ways, and the freedom from that kind of knocked me for six,” he said. “I took some of that freedom back to my own account on twitter, and more importantly my real life. I’m much less guarded than I was, and much happier for it.”

Thomas Smith (@smudgethomas) also spoke of the general improvement in attitude he experienced, after many positive and respectful discussions during his time on the account.

“I realised as I marched around my hometown...just how interested I am in the world around me and how much good there is in it,” he says.

Though it would be foolish to assume this account, no matter how well intentioned, can fix all problems the queer community faces, it can still be a positive influence. Even something as simple as allowing people to make new friends and form relationships can be invaluable to people’s lives.

During my time as both a follower and curator of the account, I have met a number of new people and made many new Twitter friends, which I’m thankful for.

Outside of this account I specifically know one couple, Jonathan Brown (@JB_AU) and Kevin Newman (@KevieD), who first met through Twitter. Jonathan says, “We flirted on Twitter for months, he invited me to go for a walk with Cynder [Kevin’s dog] and the rest is history”. They are now happily engaged, which just goes to show one of the many others ways Twitter can shape people’s lives for the better.

The point I wish to end with though is I think the most simple and important one. Whether it’s with the @TWkLGBTQ account specifically or Twitter in general, social media outlets are excellent tools to bring people together and show that nobody is alone in whom they are and what they do. That, I believe, is the most important way gender and sexuality can be a part of Twitter.

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

49

ON THE HORIZON

BY LAURA POLSON @laura_polson

Emmy-winning actors, LA Web Series awards, international fan base: what exactly is The Horizon? Laura Polson talks to Boaz Stark, writer and director of the Australian gay web series.

New York is pretty great.

I’ve never actually been there, but I’ve seen it through my computer screen. Not just in the form of photos of skyscraper silhouettes, but a different New York. A New York where trendy guys meet on the subway, have dates in bar after bar and eventually… get it on.

This is gay New York, the inspiration and setting for some of the most watched web series on the Internet.You can’t blame filmmakers for choosing this as the setting for their shows; New York is one of the most wondrous cities in the world. But with the abundance of exciting gay web series emanating from the United States metropolis, it’s easy to forget that interesting and exciting gay communities exist elsewhere, sometimes on our own doorstep.

Enter The Horizon, the world’s most watched gay web series.

Filmed in Sydney, the series takes a look at a gay scene that most people wouldn’t know much about. Long-time synonymous with the annual Mardi Gras celebrations, the everyday reality of one of the world’s most exciting gay communities has evaded the mainstream media’s attention afforded to it’s American or European sisters.

Boaz Stark, writer and director of the The Horizon, agrees with this assertion. Stark believes his series caters to an

50

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

audience “starved” of images of themselves on screen. By providing relatable characters and emotional hooks, the show has developed an international audience. Perhaps surprisingly, some of the show’s largest audiences can be found in countries like Saudi Arabia and Ghana. Stark believes this is due to the growing gay populations in these countries looking for images of a liberated gay community, despite their governments’ oppressive stance towards homosexuality. The series therefore serves an important purpose, exporting an uncensored snapshot of the “...expressive nature of western gay culture”.

The freedom to explore challenging themes and issues is largely due to the web series format itself. As someone who has thirty years of experience writing in the television industry, and for shows such as Home & Away, Packed at the Rafters, Neighbours and more, Stark can attest to the restrictions inherent in writing for television.

When a friend approached him to write a web series based on Sydney’s gay scene, he didn’t really think much of it. He simply turned his friend’s original, complicated story into a simpler one, driven by memorable and relatable characters. He then went overseas and, in his words “didn’t pay much attention” to The Horizon at all. Upon his return he found the show was cast and ready to go. They had even received one thousand dollars in funding from the AIDS Council of New South Wales (ACON).

THE CAST OF THE HORIZON

The first season begins with country boy Jake moving to Sydney to meet AJ, a guy he met on an online dating site. Jake, who is new to the gay scene, almost needs a gay spirit guide to navigate this strange new environment. This comes in the form of Wilma, a hilarious drag queen, who takes Jake under her sequined wing. More characters are introduced in later seasons, adding new storylines and fresh perspectives to the show.

Comparing the first episodes of The Horizon to the version of the show, you see the current season throws up a number of massive changes. The show was re-cast twice between seasons, and new sources of funding have allowed for much higher production values. Today Stark believes they have found their dream cast and that production levels will continue to increase with the help of sponsors and audience’s optional contribution.

Despite low funds to begin with, the eighth episode went viral.

Stark never thought things would get that big for the show, considering he really only wrote it as a favour. Reaching a million views he thought “this really could go somewhere”.

He began investing more time and effort in to the show, commandeering it through his experience and connections.

This paid off with a string of impressive and relevant sponsors coming on board, such as GLYDE, General Pants Co. and most importantly ACON, the leading health promotion organisation specialising in HIV and LGBTI health. When asked if the sponsors influenced Stark’s writing for the show, he says it was easy to naturally incorporate them into the story due to their relevance to its target audience. For instance, a recent HIV storyline worked well in providing ACON’s educational message in a subtle way.

Apart from sponsorship, other achievements of the series include winning three LA Web Series awards - one for Stark’s writing, and two for actors in the series. Most recently they were also able to fly out Emmy Award winning Queer Eye for the Straight Guy actor Jai Rodriguez to film the latest season, showing just how far the show has come from its early days.

Stark now finds writing the web series is liberating in itself.

Perhaps because it’s a chance to express himself through his own and the personal stories of others. The authenticity in his writing has proved popular, resulting in a cult-level following, as viewers truly feel connected to the characters shown on screen. The web series format allows Stark to instantly gauge the reaction of its fans through comments and feedback. These responses have, on several occasions, actually driven the show’s direction, with a recent decision made to not break a couple up, due to their popularity with fans.

As we near the end of our phone call, you can hear the passion and thanks Stark feels towards the fans of the show, the affectionately-named ‘Horizontals’. He finds the response he receives humbling and gratifying. “I feel very connected to our Horizontals and love that they have an outlet for their opinions and feelings about the series,” he says. He ends the call saying everyone working on The Horizon is really proud of the messages they are delivering, and hope that the show will continue to grow bigger and better still.

I still love to watch the buzz and excitement of New York through my computer screen. But maybe it’s cooler to know that I can hop on a train and visit Oxford Street with a new perspective on a vibrant and dynamic community, living not too far over the horizon.

T H E G E N D E R & S E X UA L I T Y I S S U E

51

HELLO, I’M SIMPLY SEXUAL ANONYMOUS

I am a girl. I love men. I love it when they have a pretty face. I love it when they have an amazing body. I will check them out and let them know how attractive I think they are. And if they go for it, I will love kissing them as well.

I love women. I love it when they have a pretty face. I love it when they have an amazing body. I will check them out and let them know how attractive I think they are. And if they go for it, I will love kissing them as well. I look at and objectify both men and women in the same way.

Reading this, you have probably already made the assumption that I am bisexual, but I’m not. Why? Because I only have the desire to sleep with males. I’ve always known that I only want to have sex with males. I’ve also always known that I’m attracted to females. But how can I be attracted to the same sex whilst not desiring them in that way? This used to be a major source of confusion for me. I used to get mad if people suggested that I was anything other than straight. But mainly because I had no idea what the hell I was according to the labels of sexuality I was surrounded with.

I slept with a girl once.Yes, it was enjoyable.Yes, it was satisfying.

But it was only those things for the moment I was caught up in them. It was only those things because sex itself is enjoyable and satisfying. This experience served the purpose of re-invigorating the fact that I knew I had no desire to sleep with females. I could now define myself as straight, and I was happy with that. I thought that I would no longer be attracted to women, because I knew for sure that I didn’t want to sleep with them.

But this was only short-lived. I was still attracted to girls even though I knew I didn’t want to sleep with them. I still got pleasure from looking at girls I found attractive. I still wanted the pleasure I got from passionately kissing them. I may have

52

I L L U S T R AT I O N : P H O E B E C A RS E , P H O E B E C A RS E . T U M B L R . C O M

been less confused because I knew for sure I didn’t want to sleep with girls, but I was still confused as to whether or not I was straight.

I then met someone I’ll call MJ* who I started to hang out with every day. MJ was great because they made me reflect on myself in ways I hadn’t thought about before. They made me realise who I was. MJ made me realise that I was neither straight, bisexual, gay, bi curious or any of those other labels. I finally realised that I am just a girl who is attracted to both males and females, and only feels the desire to sleep with men.

I find it extremely depressing that I only came to this conclusion with the help of MJ. I shouldn’t have ever had to doubt my sexuality. I should’ve always been comfortable knowing that I’m attracted to both sexes.

People of all orientations would look down at me for not deciding whether I leant towards one sex or both, for not deciding whether I was straight or bisexual. I am definitely not straight, and I don’t believe I’m bisexual. I don’t believe I am some number between straight and bisexual on a scale of sexual preference. I am sexually attracted to both men and women equally, just in a different way.

Sexuality really is a completely fluid and complex thing that is impossible to label. Some people may be satisfied with using labels of sexuality whether it’s gay or straight or any other, but I’m not. I believe people should stop trying to explain sexuality as either this or that, when really it is just the sexual feelings you have the capacity to feel towards different people. I still say to people that I’m first and foremost attracted to men, seeing as they don’t have an hour to listen to how I may rationalise my sexuality. But I am finally comfortable with my sexuality and the fact I can’t completely define it.

THE SEALED SECTION T HE

LIBERAT ED SEX-T ION!

CONTENTS Peeing Standing Up: A Short Instructional Guide For Penis-less Folk Queer Sex Tips Lesbian Sex Tips Head-Iquette 101: A Guide To Oral Sex Mythbusters oes…STI’s!

It happened to me: I lost my virginity twice.

Stories To Tell The Grandkids

Lets talk to the sex-perts. It’s time to sex-ercise! Let us enlighten you with our sex-periences and sexpertise. Okay, we’ll stop. We know our readers are all adults, who are mature enough to like, read about sex. Sexy sex. Awkward sex. Gross sex. Dank sex. Whatever, sex! So we’ve provided a couple of things for those of you who have ever had to Google something along the lines of ‘How do I sex good?’ or for those of you who still think that all lesbians do in bed is scissor *shudders at the ignorance*.

We hope this opens up a discussion about how important communication is in the bedroom (or where ever you like to do the

deed, really) because everyone has different comfort zones, tastes and preferences. So when it comes to maintaining healthy relationships— whether those sexual relationships are casual, monogamous or polygamous—communication is key.

And come on, you’ve got to admit, this is the stuff you’d rather be reading.

A clever bird has also graced our liberation sex-tion with her talented illustrations. Sparrow Holmes is a 20 year old artist based in Sydney. To see more of her work go to cargocollective/bysparrow or contact her at sparrowh@hotmail. com.

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

53

PEEING STANDING UP: A SHORT INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE FOR PENIS-LESS FOLK. I’m sure we can all appreciate that the distance between body and urethral opening can dictate how easy it is to produce a neat, mess-free flow of urine. It is not, however, impossible to orchestrate a functional flow, even if your distance is very short. Sure, it may be a challenge, but the ability to stand to pee is an infinitely useful skill and, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need certain anatomical traits to make it possible.

not for the discerning standingurinater. It very important that the stream is expelled suddenly and with force and discontinued just as suddenly. The pelvic floor muscles come into play here. This is but one of the reasons why strong pelvic floor muscles are an asset. If these muscles are strong

The following are a few quick tips to have you peeing like a pro in no time: 1. Learn your anatomy and don’t be afraid to explore.

To have decent aim, you absolutely need to know what you are working with. Investigate where your urethral opening is relative to the rest of your anatomy. Ascertain what parts might impede your pee stream and figure out how to manoeuvre these out of the way. You may also need to work out the relationship between the angle at which you hold your pee hole and where you are aiming the stream.

(Try this is the shower – it saves a lot of mess).

2. Muscular control: dominate your bladder!

Due to the effects of gravity and the unpleasantness of piss soaked clothing, half hearted dribbles are

enough to stop mid-stream, you’re set. If not, keep strengthening them until you’re at that stage. Do some kegel exercises. If you need extra practise in this area, there are several products out there that help to strengthen these muscles

(Luna beads for example).

3. Practise, practise, practise!

To summarise the preceding points, both the angle and the propulsive force behind the stream is really important to the ultimate aim. Practise at home until you’re confident. Somewhere where a bit of mess is not a huge problem, like the shower, bath or garden are good options. I also find it a lot easier to start with a very full bladder. Focus on a specific point on the ground and try to hit that point by altering the angle and force you use.

4. Finally, there are always stand to pee (STP) devices which are an easier option.

These are essentially plastic funnels fitted to the shape of your body which can direct the flow of urine. They come in many different varieties are often marketed as camping or hiking essentials. For those on a budget, there is always the DIY option. I have a friend who crafted an STP device from a plastic bottle and a piece of garden hose.

Personally, I don’t bother with them as I try not to tote about urine moistened funnels if I can avoid it.

So go on, get out there and experience the excitement and practicality of the standing pee today!

PEEING STANDING UP: A SHORT INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE FOR PENIS-WEILDING FOLK. 1.Unzip.

2. Piss.

54

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

QUEER SEX TIPS FOR LADIES BASED ON MY OWN (ADMITTEDLY NARROW) EXPERIENCES 1. Don’t fall in love with all of the straight girls that make out with you in high school. Sure, making out is amazing, especially when you are a newly-out bisexual with raging hormones, but sustaining relationships through secret make outs can be mildly exhausting.

2. Do unintentionally come out to your mother by having her overhear your imaginary conversation with Queen Bey herself, in which you agree to run away together. I’m not sure what the other options are for coming out in your mid-teens but this one worked out quite well for me.

3. Do fall in lust with the woman in charge of your internship- whilst you are supposed to be the girlfriend of a boy back home. Break up with him in the most awkward way possible (via phone, from Luna Park).

4. Don’t have sex with said woman for the first time in a swimming pool in a hotel. Chlorine and nervousness will really dry out your vagina.

5. Don’t get too heartbroken when said woman has a bit of a monogamy problem. And a drug problem. It’s okay; you will love other people.

6. Do meet incredible queer women through activist work.

7.

Do fall completely, unquestioningly in love with one particular woman over the course of a single conversation (totally hot, totally courageous queer woman of colour from Brooklyn who RAPS IN HER FREE TIME) 8. Do make out in the back room, and take the hour-and-a-half train home to your parents’ house together (caveat: only if your parents are on holiday at the time) 9. Don’t forget to shut the blinds when she goes down on you.

10. Don’t have the most intense orgasm of your life (up until that point) whilst listening to your religious-zealot-next-doorneighbour leaving a voicemail on your parents’ phone, telling them

that you are going to burn in hell for your Sapphic ways. That kind of shit can really screw you up.

19. Do plan a non-date date, have it quickly become a date, have feelings, etc, etc

11. Do invite this woman to basically live with you and your parents after uni finishes and she finalises her flights home.

20. Do accidentally forget to mention being queer until he is about to put his penis inside you.

12. Don’t be too upset when your entire extended family refuses to acknowledge your relationship, instead continuing to refer to your partner as your “American friend”.

Especially do not threaten to punch an older male cousin “in the dick” if he doesn’t shut up.

13. Do cry embarrassing, snotty, red-face tears at the airport when you farewell the person you are pretty sure is the love of your young life. Releasing emotions is important.

14. Don’t resolve to be celibate forever and never leave the house unless you can have said partner back. Isolation makes you crazy.

15. Don’t have low-investment, ill-managed non-penetrative sex with boys that make you cry for no reason. Although it can be useful to remind oneself that one can “feel again”, feeling like shit is not necessarily the best method.

16. Do resolve celibacy again, if only because resolving celibacy is commonly recognised as the best way to meet a person and have sex (I’m not saying it’s scientific, but I swear it’s true).

17. Do meet totally wonderful, totally cynical, totally feminist bearded guy at Live Music Policy Forum (this year’s answer to OKCupid, apparently).

18. Do insist to yourself that you are not particularly interested in said person. First, the longer you avoid the whole “I don’t know who I am anymore” hetero/queer gamut, the better, and second, surprise nervous butterflies when you see someone can be kind of nice (I thought I was dead inside, remember?)

21.

Do intentionally avoid mentioning that you have never had a penis made of human flesh inside you. There is no good time to mention that. The last minute works as well as any.

22. Do allude vaguely to your complex virginity status by saying simply, “I haven’t done this before”.

23. Don’t snort derisively when, as he goes down on you, he asks “Is it the first time for this, too?” This is mean because (a) he doesn’t know you are queer, (b) he can’t help being a hetero dude brought up in a heterosexist culture and (c) derisive snorts do not count as foreplay, and you really like this guy.

24. Do examine your hetero privilege from every angle as you fall into a relationship with this guy. Be aware of how differently this relationship is treated by those around you. Continue to fall in love, sure, but continue to ask questions, to get comfortable with this new part of your life.

25. Do fall steadily and completely in love, uninterrupted by visas or breaking up or cheating or prescription drug abuse. Gather up a vocabulary for dealing with people who assume you are straight, who assume your “gay thing” was a phase. It can be maddening, infuriating, souldestroying-- but don’t let it eat you up. Be sustained by all the incredible, diverse queer people you know, by your love for your partner-- whoever they are, and by the fact that no-one, no-one, except you, can define your sexuality or your sexual experiences.

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

55

LESBIAN SEX TIPS How do lesbians have sex? What is the main lesbian sex act?

Where do lesbians draw the line between foreplay and sex? Most out same sex attracted women find themselves being asked these sorts questions on a regular basis.

However it’s not just straight people who get confused. Many times I have heard a woman who is just beginning to explore her same sex attraction express that she’s unsure whether she is actually having sex. She knows that she has been engaging in sexual activities but she wonders if maybe they only counted as foreplay. Both the inexperienced lesbian and our straight friends and relatives want a simple answer. They wish to be given a list of which acts count as lesbian sex and which do not. It’s clearly sex if you’re using a strapon right? Is oral considered the main lesbian sex act? How about scissoring? Isn’t it just foreplay if you’re only using your fingers?

There is no simple answer to what constitutes lesbian sex. There is no main lesbian sex act. Lesbian sex is very individual. I personally consider something to be sex if there is more than one person involved, genitals are being touched and there isn’t a layer of clothing between the genitals and whatever is being used to stimulate them.

However there are some lesbians who would consider activities I call sex to only be foreplay. There are some lesbians who would think of activities I consider to be foreplay as sex. Essentially a lesbian is having sex if the activities she is engaging in fit into her personal definition of sex.

TIPS Disclaimer: some of these tips are not applicable to all lesbians as not all lesbians are female bodied.

56

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

1. Different woman have different preferences. Just because you like something doesn’t mean your partner will. Communicate!

2. It you try following Cosmo’s lesbian sex tips it probably won’t go well for you.

3. Be open with your partners. The more you talk to your partner(s) about your expectations, fantasies and limitations, the more fulfilling your sex will be.

4. Get to know your own body! If need to know what you like in order to communicate your preference to your partner.

5. Clitoral stimulation is great!

There are many female bodied people who cannot reach orgasm without it. However all clitorises are different. Some require fairly vigorous stimulation while others are so sensitive that direct stimulation can cause discomfort.

If you have yet to learn about your partner’s body and feel asking them could kill the mood start out soft and slow. Pay attention to their reactions and increase pressure and speed as necessary.

6. The simultaneous stimulation of the anus, vagina and clitoris can be highly enjoyable. Definitely worth a try! However make sure you and your partner have discussed whether either of you have limits on where you are open to being touched first.

7. The amount of time it takes to reach orgasm varies from person to person. If it takes longer for one of you than the other(s) it’s ok. Don’t assume it to be personal failure on the part of anyone involved.

8. Many women enjoy G-Spot stimulation either with a hand or with a toy.

9. Sometimes during orgasm fluid will be released from a woman’s urethra. This is called female ejaculation. Some people panic over this as they think the ejaculate is urine. Female ejaculation is perfectly normal. If it happens to you it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If it happens to your partner please don’t freak out on them.

10. Want to have sex during menstruation but don’t want to mess up your sheets? Try having sex in the shower.

11. If you’re performing oral sex on a female-bodied partner, try teasing them with your breath.

12. Practice Safe Sex! Some people claim that lesbians can’t contract STIs this is simply untrue. If you are unaware of your partner’s sexual health status use dental dams during oral sex and put condoms on any insertable toys that are going to be used by more than one person.

13. If in doubt, use lube.

14. Keep your nails trimmed.

If you are touching a vagina or anus with your fingers long nails can do a lot of damage. Not to mention bacteria tends to gather under long nails which can lead to infection.

15. There is feminist porn

good out

queer, there!

If you are new to lesbian sex and feel like you have no idea what you’re doing don’t stress about it. We’ve all been there at some point. Experiment and explore, the learning process should be a fun experience.

HEAD-EQUITTE 101: A GUIDE TO ORAL SEX I remember years ago when my big brother told me about his New Years Eve party in the city.

Apparently a girl named Claudia had given someone a blowjob on the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the fireworks. I was shocked, but he thought it was awesome.

But anyway, being responsible about sexual consent means honestly discussing your preferences, and this is something people cant

Why is it that men see getting head as a very casual sexual act, but giving a girl a run down with their tongue is intimate? I’m sure if we tallied up the amount of guys who got head at parties vs. the girls, men would have a clear winning streak.

First of all, let your partner know well in advance if you don’t want to perform that sex act. Unfortunately, some people think that giving head makes receiving it mandatory. Wrong. No sex act is mandatory, but respect for other people’s comfort zones is.

My sources tell me that they are “aware that girls are uncomfortable and selfconscious… Which is why it’s not something that just happens straight away.”

Make sure the other person can breathe, and don’t ever force them to go deeper or harder than they want.

I’m looking at anyone who pushes their partner’s head down. I know it’s tempting, but really, it SUCKS to choke.

When it comes to head, girls worry about the taste, the smell, and how our bodies look from down there. We basically worry that men just don’t want to do it. But seriously guys, do you hate it or are you just scared you won’t find the elusive clitoris?

Girls find it difficult, or even taboo, to discuss receiving head. Why is this? I mean, it’s been proven that women have the best orgasms from clitoral stimulation, and there’s nothing more stimulating than a warm wet tongue down there, am I right ladies? I guess we’re not used to owning our sense of female pleasure, and that’s something Beyoncé is all about, so I recommend listening to her latest album next time you get off.

even in some pornos, the only conversation that occurs is heavy breathing and a couple of moans.

But unless you both have a tried and true sexual routine, maybe you should discuss what you want, and what you don’t want to happen.

Here are a few ideas:

One of the biggest reasons talking is so important during sex is that your partner needs to be alerted if you’re about to ejaculate.

And it would help a lot if you gave them time to decide what they want to do with your sticky stuff, rather than it ending up some place unwanted, like our hair. Or eyeballs. Just sayin’.

seem to wrap their heads around, especially with one-night stands. I mean, in all our favourite romantic movies and their sex scenes, or

Last of all recognise that giving head is a generous act, and that it is not easy. As Samantha from Sex and the City famously said, “Honey, they don’t call it a job for nothing.”

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

57

MYTHBUSTERS DOES… STIS!

BY ISABELLE CHESHER @isabellechesher “Most of us found it excruciating enough to be in year 7. So discussing STIs for the first time in class brought our awkwardness to new levels.

My classmates either gawaffed loudly at the textbook’s diagrams and descriptions, or they blushed in silence. When it came to putting condoms on bananas, we could only giggle or fling rubber at each other to mask our discomfort. Everyone – probably the teacher included – was a bit desperate to move on.”

Many people can relate to stories like this. Even though Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are common and are a basic part of understanding sexual health, we still treat the subject as taboo.

But chlamydia cases have recently spiked in the Illawarra, and Australian HIV rates are the highest they’ve been in 20 years. For those who don’t always use a condom during sex – which is 39% of young Australians according to the Department of Health – the risk of getting an STI is high.

So now’s a good time to know your stuff. By avoiding the topic, and relying on the rumour mill or “Doctor Google” for STI information, a lot of fiction gets thrown in with the facts.

NOT-SO-FUN FACTS • You can have an STI without knowing it. In many cases, you won’t feel or see any symptoms. It can even stay in your body for years without causing any symptoms.

• If untreated, an STI can cause infertility or lifelong health struggles.

For instance, bacterial STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis can cause chronic abdominal pain, heart damage and brain damage. Viral infections like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) can weaken the immune system, making people more vulnerable to nasty infections like tuberculosis and

58

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

meningitis.

• Same-sex attracted Australians are about five times more likely to catch an STI than heterosexual Australians.

• You can get STIs from unprotected oral sex. The risk is lower than in penetrative sex (vaginal or anal), but not low enough to make it safe.

• Often, men are only “carriers” of HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). So, if a man has unprotected sex with a woman and doesn’t know he’s a “carrier”, his partner will experience symptoms.

• Women are more likely to get an STI than men. This is because the lining of the vagina is thinner than the lining of the penis.

• Same-sex attracted Australians are more likely to catch HIV. People who have male-to-male sex are also 17 times more likely to develop anal cancer from HPV than heterosexual men.

• For homosexual men, it’s recommended to put condoms on sex toys that are being inserted if it’s used by more than one person. After using these toys, wash them with bleach and water.

• Same-sex attracted people – particularly men – are advised to wear gloves when penetrating or touching their partner, reducing the risk of passing on an STI. It’s important to use a different glove for their partner than they do on themselves.

• When women have STIs like gonorrhoea or chlamydia, symptoms can disappear even though the infection is still in their bodies.

• Pregnant women can pass STIs on to their babies.

• Genital warts, HIV and herpes can be treated, but not cured: the infection will always be in a person’s body.

• STIs have been steadily rising since 2001 in Australia. For instance, by

2008, rates of STI cases were six times higher than in 1998.

• Using a lubricant during sex makes the condom or diaphragm less likely to break.

GETTING TESTED Getting tested for STIs is simple.

You’ll have a urine test to check for chlamydia, and a blood test to check for infections like HIV, HPI, genital herpes and syphilis.

The first step is to make an appointment with a GP. They’ll ask whether you’ve had unprotected sex in the past 6 months, as well as a few other straightforward questions.

The GP will also ask whether any of your sexual partners have been “high risk”. A person is high risk if they take drugs, have multiple sexual partners, or even if they have tattoos (since some STIs like HIV can spread through needles).

Next, the GP will give you a referral to take to a pathology lab, where the actual testing takes place. After a couple of days, your blood test results will be ready, but it can take up to a week for chlamydia to show up from your urine sample.

You don’t need to collect your results in person. Just call the doctor’s surgery and they’ll tell you over the phone.

If the results are all clear, it’s still a good idea to do a follow-up in about three months time. This is because if you’ve only just contracted an STI, it mightn’t show up on your results yet.

TYPES OF STIS:

Young Australians are most likely to contract chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and HPV, followed by HIV, herpes and syphilis. According to Womenshealth.gov and Australia’s Department of Health, the table on the next page is what you need to know about these types of STIs:

TYPE

Chlamydia

Gonorrhoea

POSSIBLE SYMPTOMS • • • • • • •

Abnormal genital discharge Burning when urinating Bleeding between periods Abdominal pain and low back pain Nausea Fever Pain during sex

Antibiotics. Avoid sex until you’ve finished your last round of pills.

• •

Pain or burning when urinating Abnormal genital discharge (sometimes with blood) Bleeding between periods Pain during sex Heavy bleeding during periods

As above

• • • •

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Genital Herpes

TREATMENT

•

Visible genital warts (these can be raised or flat, alone or in groups, small or large) Often invisible growths on the cervix and the vagina

• • • • • • • • •

Fevers and night sweats Extreme tiredness Rapid weight loss Headaches Diarrhoea and vomiting Mouth and genital sores Rashes or flaky skin Short-term memory loss Vaginal infections (including other STIs) and menstrual cycle changes

•

Small red bumps, blisters, or sores on the penis, vagina, or mouth (they heal after 2 to 4 weeks but often come back).

Genital discharge.

Fever Headache and muscle aches Pain when urinating Itching, burning, or swollen glands in the genital area

• • • • • •

A cream will get rid of most warts, but you may need to freeze some. You might need treatment again in the future – there’s no cure for HPV. Some of you will already be vaccinated for HPV. If you aren’t, see your GP. There are several treatment options. HIV antiretroviral therapy is constantly improving and eases symptoms.

However, it is a permanent infection that requires lifelong treatment.

Prevention: PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) helps to stop the virus from becoming established in the body. It involves taking antiretroviral drugs for 28 days.

Through PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis), an uninfected person takes ARV drugs during and after incidents where they risk getting HIV.

There is no cure for Herpes. Treatment can help you manage the severity of symptoms, but generally won’t make them disappear.

A single, painless sore in the genital area, mouth, or on other body parts

The sore goes away on its own, but the infection still needs treating, or it may cause: Syphilis

• • • • • • •

Rashes on the hands and feet Fever Sore throat and swollen glands Patchy hair loss Headaches and muscle aches Weight loss Tiredness

Penicillin. Avoid sex until the symptoms have gone.

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

59

IT HAPPENED TO ME: I LOST MY VIRGINITY TWICE #1 I had sex with Katy* for the first time in a hotel pool. It was after midnight, I was an intern in a magazine in a foreign city, and I was pretty sure that if I didn’t get to touch Katy’s vagina, I would regret it until the day I died. Potentially, the ravenous lady boner I’d nursed for Cat over the past few weeks wasn’t as subtle I thought, because at some point during the magazine launch we were both working at, Cat whispered in my ear “Let’s get out of here.” Then she bit my earlobe. I hadn’t decided whether to (a) adopt a sexy persona or (b) have a nervous vomit before Cat grabbed my hand.

I was quiet as we walked to our hotel. I was still pretty sure I was going to shit myself, which didn’t seem like appropriate lesbian comeon. I really, really didn’t want to mess this up, but simultaneously, I felt as though I had no script, no prompts, for how this was going to work.

In hetero situations, there are games to play, rules to follow, and a number of days to wait before calling. I’ve seen all the movies.

Read the books. But aside from lesbian porn aimed at heterosexual men, and movies made in the 1980s in which all the gay characters die, I had no media assembled to guide me through the process of making my sexual debut with a woman I really, really liked.

The hotel swimming pool had been left unlocked. We stripped to our underwear. Under the water, it was cool and quiet, my head pounded less, and things seemed slightly less complicated. It was less complicated to let my fingers graze over Katy’s slender legs. It was less complicated to let her run her fingers along the crests of my hips, under my underwear. It was much less terrifying to back her up against the wall of the swimming pool. To kiss her, gently, as I ran my fingers over her black lace bra. I felt her fingers shift inside me. I wrapped

60

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

my leg around her waist, my kisses became urgent, my touches more certain: I wanted to envelop her. I came three successive times before a hotel employee came to kick us out of the pool. #2 I was nervous. For all my deep breaths and care in holding myself together, I couldn’t help but be completely aware of my youth, my youngness. Henri* was a little older, and, I thought, much cooler. He was also the first male-bodied person I’d ever considered having penetrative sex with, and as much as I tried to convince himself he was nothing more than a flesh dildo, I couldn’t help but remain unconvinced by my own faulty reasoning.

Henri was the most articulate male feminist I had (and have) ever met.

He was also adept at listening. Henri listened to me in a way that I’d never been listened to before, as though my opinions were the wisest and most considered he’d ever heard.

The way he listened to me made me feel more certain about myself, but I still felt somehow awkward and gangly and adolescent around him and his older friends: I felt, on that night, cripplingly aware of my virginity.

We sat on the end of his bed, kissing. I lay back. I knew this was unequivocally what I wanted, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t revoltingly nervous. The gamut of revolting hetero possibilities ran before me: what if it hurt? What if I bled? What if he hated my pubic hair? What if he never spoke to me again?

“I, um, I have something to tell you,” I whispered, “I haven’t done this before.” It might seem as though whisper might have been sexy-- actually, I was so nervous that I was worried about the pitch and cadence of my speech if i spoke normally. Or throwing up.

“That’s okay,” he said, stroking my cropped hair. “Do you, I mean, are you sure you want to do it now? We

don’t have to do anything,” he said.

It struck me again that this person was acting in ways that defied his entire gender role socialisation. It turned me on even more. I actually didn’t even consider not having sex with him; I had made up my mind.

I shook my head slyly, and kissed him slowly, winding my hands into his hair.

All in all, the whole event was not an embarrassment. Henri went down on me and it felt gentle and dreamy and floaty and insistent all at once; I came twice (pretty vociferously) before he looked up and, with a caring smile on his face, asked if “this was the first time for this, too”. I couldn’t help snorting slightly when I realised what he was asking: the assumption that a person who has never had a fleshand-blood dildo inside them has also never gotten head seemed like such an absurdly hetero thing to ask. He took my derisive laughter in his stride. I came again.

The sex itself hurt more than I expected to, given my “flesh dildo” rationalisation. It felt as though my vaginal muscles were stretching in a way they were unused to, or something. But it also felt incredible and wonderful and significant and, over a year later, we’re still doing it, and it gets a little better each time-- something I still can’t believe is possible sometimes.

I lost my virginity twice. Neither experience, in my grand life narrative, was more or less important than the other one. I don’t necessarily think I was “a virgin”, whatever that means, when I slept with Henri for the first time, but the experience was definitely a debut of sorts. Likewise, I definitely think my sex life changed distinctly the first time Cat and I had sex, that I started having sex that night, but I also don’t think that night was the end of my first times. Who knows? Maybe I’m still not through with first-times *names have been changed

STORIES TO TELL THE GRANDKIDS… OR MAYBE NOT. When I was like 14 I started exploring kink on sites like PornHub and RedTube. Anyway my friends parents were going out one night so I invited this boy over that I met on MySpace (who brought his friend) and the 4 of us shared 2 UDLs and then separated and partnered off to do some pretty heaving making out/petting. I didn’t have much experience at the time so I spent a lot of time kissing his neck and chest and then had the genius idea that it would be really hot if I (a chubby, braces clad, Supre wearing teen) slapped him (an older stranger) across the face and said something to the effect of “you’ve been a very naughty boy”. The next day he informed me that he had to call in sick to work because he had hickies all over his neck and a bruise from where I had punched him in the jaw. Needless to say, we never spoke again. UDLs man.

- UDL-Induced Lover I was having sex with a friend on kitchen tiles, in a room that happened to have a really high ceiling, which caused some echoing.

They lifted my legs over their shoulders while they were on top of me. I’m sure many female-bodied readers know that this position often has an unfortunate backlash that involves air being pushed into the cervix. So yeah, I did the biggest queef ever. And due to the reverberation in the room, it echoed at least three times. I had to relive the monster queef three times. And the worst part is, he didn’t even laugh at it. Just a protip to everyone out there: you have to laugh at queefs. Because when you don’t, it’s just so awkward.

- Queen LaQueefer One night I was at a small house party with a group of friends. Four of us were lesbians and there was

also one guy in attendance. At some point in the night one of the other women and I started making out. That went on for a fairly long time and eventually led to sex. We realised that while we had been having sex on the living room floor the rest of the party had moved into the bedroom. We mused that perhaps it should have been the other way round but continued having sex. Our friends actually dragged a mattress out into the living room for us. The other two women started making out in the bedroom and for a /little while the poor guy left was just sitting in the hallway all by himself.

- Anonymous

I had been seeing an actor from one of my favourite films at the time, so I was trying to impress him. He took me home and I didn’t have time to prepare for sex as it was all very sudden. He went to go down on me but suddenly freaked out and was like “is it ‘that time’ of the month??” I was like, ‘no’? When I looked down and then was a chunk of toilet paper lingering on my vag (which he thought was a tampon string poking out). Mortifying.

- Anonymous

I was getting a brazillian at a place I’d been before. I was lying down on the table when the beautician lifted the towel and looked at my vagina she was like “Oooo, I’ve waxed you before!!” suggesting she recognised my vag but not my face. We were chatting and laughing and after she’d finished she gave me a double thumbs up and said “Suits you!

Looks very nice!” it was super weird.

- Anonymous One night I was at an event at a bar in Sydney. Through the course of the night three other women and I ended up in a cubical in the bathroom. Two of us were having sex I’m not 100% sure what the other two were doing, I think they were just making out but I wasn’t paying super close attention to them so I could be wrong. Then suddenly a very angry member of the bars staff was banging on the door ordering us to get out. As we filed out of the cubical she yelled at us being all like “what the hell were four of you doing in the one cubical!”

After we were escorted out of the bathroom we were confronted by a rather heteronormative male security guard who seemed to think the only thing four women could possibly be doing in the one bathroom cubical was taking drugs so we got a bit of a lecture on that.

The majority of the bars patrons seemed to have a fairly good idea of what we had been doing though.

Most of them were cheering for us as we were escorted out of the bar.

- Anonymous Once I was at a lesbian event in a club. Throughout the night I made out with several people and eventually I ended up having sex with one of my friends on a couch in the middle of the bar. The male security guard was watching us looking a bit annoyed but seemed

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

61

“

We had a bath together and he tried to sexily pour champagne on me but he poured it in my eye and I cried for like 10 minutes.

My ex boyfriend and I had my house to ourselves. We decided to make it romantic, and put candles all over my bathroom surrounding the spa bath. Once we started to get into it my hair caught on fire and he instantly shoved my head underwater. Needless to say it kinda killed the mood.

- Anonymous

“

uncomfortable with the idea of actually coming over to break us up. He eventually did have to come over at the end of the night because we hadn’t noticed that the event had ended. He tapped me on the shoulder and told me that it was time to leave. The woman I was having sex with wasn’t really paying attention so I told her everyone was leaving she responded “Really? Were people really that bothered by us?”

- Anonymous

but we were alone in the room and I hadn’t had sex for a while so I decided to just go with it. Shortly after we started having sex she paused and asked “Do you ever shave your vagina?” I responded that I had tried it once in high school, found it terribly uncomfortable and decided to never do it again. She looked at me for a moment and was like “Fair enough, I suppose that’s your decision to make… but… it’s just that… well… I can’t even find anything down here!”

While at the time I was a bit too shocked to say very much as I reflected on it afterwards I thought ‘Well that’s more of a reflection on you than it is on me, hun’.

- Anonymous

My current boyfriend and I were having a romantic date in a hotel room. We had a bath together and he tried to sexily pour champagne on me but he poured it in my eye and I cried for like 10 minutes. I don’t understand how movie couple baths always look romantic and sensual.

- Anonymous There’s a shelf above my bed, which is a bit of a hassle at the best of times but I was once riding a guy and got too into it and whacked my head on the shelf. I had a bruise on my forehead for a week.

- Anonymous Once I was at a conference and a woman followed me back to my room. I was kind of tired and had been hoping to get some sleep,

62

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

I was giving a guy head and he didn’t give me any warning he was coming so I got a real shock and jerked my head back, meaning I got the vast majority of his ‘load’ up my nose. It seriously burns. —Anonymous I was having a one-night stand with a guy who had a thing for feet. He didn’t tell me and just started licking

my toes. I have very ticklish feet.

So I may have accidentally kicked him in the head. Real mood kill.

- Anonymous My ex-boyfriend’s mum walked in on us completely naked and him going down on me, she was in so much shock she just stood there at the door staring until he told her to get out. She was so paranoid that I hated her that she repeatedly tried to invite me over for dinner for weeks but I was too embarrassed, so avoided her for ages.

- Anonymous One time I tried to give a guy a spontaneous sexy strip-tease. I was sitting on the bed and wearing skinny jeans. I couldn’t get the jeans off so threw my legs up in the air to try pull them off and give the guy a nice view of my vajajay but instead threw myself backwards off the bed and ended up rolling across the floor, boobs swinging to and fro, bum in the air and a pair of skinny jeans flailing from my ankles. Yep. - Anonymous After I finished having sex with this one guy, we were cuddling and he went to roll out of bed to get his phone so we could order some food, but he misjudged how much space he had, fell out of bed and knocked his head on the bedside table.

- Anonymous Was with a previous boyfriend and we were going to the theatre that night with his grandparents. They weren’t supposed to be over for two hours so we thought we’d have some time to ourselves.

“

So I may have accidentally kicked him in the head. Real mood kill.

We sat in the dining room talking with his grandparents when his dog trots out with something in his mouth and drops it In front of his grandma.

She picked it up and it was my underwear I’d been in too much of a rush to put back on.

Everyone knew what had happened but he proceeded to try and convince his grandparents the lacy wet black underwear belonged to his little sister... Ah summer days.

- Anonymous

My on and off girlfriend of my high school days and I were having some post-swimming fun in the bedroom of my ‘empty’ house, when my

“

They knocked on the door half way through, so we stopped and rushed our stuff together and got out in time.

sister walked in holding the phone to tell me that my mum wanted to talk to me. We were both lying there, bikini tops off in the middle of my bed totally stunned. My sister said nothing. She slowly backed out of the room and closed the door and waited for me to come out of my room (in a towel) and take the phone from her. She never mentioned this incident and I feel that it was so horrifying that she has eternally repressed it.

- Nope Train My ex was rather *sizeable* and really wanted to have anal sex and I was so in love and easily manipulated so I agreed, but I really had zero idea what I was doing or how to... prepare. We needed basically like a tub full of lube and it was all over my sheets so afterwards we went downstairs to shower to clean it all off. I was boarding at a family’s house so wanted to be quick before they came home but when we got out of the shower THE DOOR WAS STUCK and we couldn’t get out!!

Then my worst nightmares came true... I could feel some weird things happening inside of me so I sat down on a towel on the floor whilst yelling at my boyfriend to open the door. Finally he did and I screamed at him to go upstairs and I ran to the toilet, and holy shit, there was an explosion. He was only halfway upstairs so he probably heard... but also, it was his penis’ fault.

- Anonymous My boyfriend invited me to stay over his house for the first time because his parents were going to be out. I felt awful staying over behind their backs. Late in

the evening we decided to sleep together for the first time, which

as it happened, was not meant to be. He couldn’t keep it up for more than thirty seconds because he was so nervous. We resigned to just kissing naked, sprawled out on his bed for hours listening to Taking Back Sunday. Just as I was cuddled up to his side, his mother burst into the bedroom roaringly drunk and had a conversation with my boyfriend for a good two minutes until she realised the state he was in and the fact that he was not alone. In shock, she introduced herself and told me she was so glad to see me. She then drunkenly left the room and a significant portion of me died inside. I freaked out to my boyfriend, so embarrassed that that would be her first impression of me, when he responded “Don’t worry, she already met you, you just don’t remember”. He was referring to the evening of my high school formal during the after party, at which I was in the process of passing out drunk in the gutter.

- Furious Lover

L I B E R AT I O N S E X - T I O N

63

64

PA L M A R G R A S P , P H O T O G R A P H Y BY Z K P H O T O

ARTS & CULTURE

PALMAR GRASP

BY JESSIE HUNT

The first time I ever saw Palmar Grasp play, I felt relaxed. This might sound slightly odd, because the music Palmar Grasp make is, in their own words, “suburban feminist emo noise”.

They are angry, loud, fast and furious—not exactly key features of easy listening.

I spent much of my adolescence in a male-dominated, highly masculine music scene, where my queerness and my femaleness was never spoken about. Despite this, I still felt a keen sense of difference from the people around me.

I started to wonder why I never saw any women or queer people on stage. I started to wonder why none of the songs my friends wrote seemed to cover my experiences: there were no songs about being confused about your sexuality, about being queer bashed, about feminism, about politics. I started to wonder why my friend found the ‘queercore’ sticker on his guitar so funny. I started to realise that just because nobody talked about difference in my insular scene, didn’t mean it wasn’t there.

So, the first time I saw Palmar Grasp play, I felt relaxed. The first time I saw Palmar Grasp was also one of the first times I saw an all-female band play. It was the first time I heard a band speak openly about sexism, racism and injustice. It was the first time I felt that people I knew were making music that accommodated for my experiences. The first time I saw Palmar Grasp was the first time I didn’t feel on the defensive whilst watching music: I didn’t have to hope that nobody would notice I was a woman, or that I was queer, or that I was different.

66

BAND INTERVIEW

P H O T O S BY Z K P H O T O / W W W . Z K P H O T O . O R G

I recently spoke with Stono Caves, Palmar Grasp’s vocalist, about music, politics and difference.

CONTEMPORARY POPULAR MUSIC IS OFTEN QUITE DEPOLITICISED, BUT PALMAR GRASP’S POLITICS ARE REALLY EXPLICIT- FROM YOUR BAND CAMP TO YOUR LYRICS. WHAT’S IT LIKE, BEING A BAND WITH EXPLICIT POLITICS IN A SCENE WHICH CAN BE SO DEPOLITICISED?

It’s tough most days because people just don’t hear you.You can be as overt and as loud as you like but your politics can get lost in an environment where people are tense, intoxicated, socially anxious and crowded. The lack of enthusiasm to listen and learn, I think, comes from the fact that the DIY music community does not exist outside of the hegemony yet it’s easy to think that we are not part of the capitalistic patriarchal white world because those are our aspirations. We have a long way to go if we can’t even confront the ways in which we oppress each other. But our very presence as an all-girl band with queer and brown members is challenging enough to demand attention. Whether or not our friends and acquaintances fully understand the scope of the political issues we try and acknowledge, the scene remains supportive and praiseful of our music. There will always be off days though there will always be days when someone yells “Hot chicks!” at you while you’re playing or days when fellow musicians who are cisgendered men refer to you as “the ladies”, or nights when your gear fucks up prompting a sea of men to come running to the front to try and rescue you. But you fight on and make people cry and make yourself cry because punk is

known to be vaguely/aimlessly angry and we wanna make sure that specific experiences of oppression are heard.

DESPITE THE MACKLEMORE-ESQUE REDUCTIONISM THAT OFTEN GOES ON IN NEOLIBERAL POPULAR CULTURE, PALMAR GRASP MANAGES TO CONVEY REALLY COMPLEX, ANTI-CAPITALIST, ANTI-RACIST FEMINIST POLITICS, WHICH IS PRETTY FUCKING AMAZING. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT?

Thank you! We manage to do so because we write from experience and try real hard to use accessible, un-academic language that can come across as both poetic and assertive.

As the person who writes most of the words in the band, I’m inspired by bell hooks’ style of literature in the sense that she flawlessly entwines hardline anti-capo, anti-racist feminist politics with radical personal experiences and practices. We are a band of four very different women with shared experiences of alienation so our subject matter will always be quite complex yet at the very least, earnest.

I ALWAYS THINK OF THAT FEMINIST EXPRESSION, ‘THE PERSONAL IS POLITICAL’, WHEN I LISTEN TO PALMAR GRASP. HOW DO YOU GUYS MANAGE TO NAVIGATE PERSONAL AND POLITICAL THINKING IN YOUR MUSIC?

We all chat, as mates, about oppressive interactions with patriarchal men, general gross dudes at shows, mental health, ideas of home and heritage and sexual freedom/health. We talk about this shit all the time so it’s kind of inevitable that it permeates our music. We started the band to be personally

political and politically personal because we all knew that we needed an outlet that would let us express such sentiments. We also write lyrics together sometimes so we’re always combining deeply personal emotions with overarching feminist views and ideas.

WHAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP DO YOU SEE PALMAR GRASP HAVING TO, LIKE, A LINEAGE OF FEMINIST OR FEMALE-DOMINATED MUSIC?

Man, we are so far down a long line of epic feminist/women/ queer bands in Sydney and across Australia. I personally have been immensely empowered by bands like Schifosi, Scum System Kill, Crux, The Thaw and Bare Arms, and probably wouldn’t have such a broad understanding of injustices within music and the DIY [do it yourself] community if it wasn’t for them. Currently, I think it has been great that Palmar Grasp has played with a range of bands spanning across many different genres that have all had women and queer folks in them. It’s a value we uphold dearly and work hard to achieve. It could be really great if there was some kind of unified sisterhood but I think that is in the works by a variety of people in our community – One Brick Today, Sydney Grrrls Club, LISTEN, DEQY, FemSoc - so we will absolutely 100% get there. We just have to make inclusiveness and discourses of feminism in music a priority to men too - that has been the hardest part thus far.

Palmar Grasp is Angharad Yeo, Blossom McKenzie-King, KellyDawn Hellmrich, and Stono Caves.You can download their EP for free on Bandcamp or keep up to date via their Facebook page.

BAND INTERVIEW

67

THE PINHEADS

BY ALEXANDRA SMITH P H O T O BY C H R I S F R A P E / F A C E B O O K : C H R I S F R A P E P H O T O

The Pinheads are a collective group of wild-minded folk from the Northern Suburbs. With a musical approach reminiscent of the surf/punk rock movement of the 90s, the old idiom of the wild bull in the china store combined and the sonic horrors of a bad LSD trip, they hail from an array of different schools along the South Coast.

It only takes a few moments at a one of their live shows to feel like you’ve been thrown into an endless enclosure of bottomless energy, noise, madness and music. Thrashing about the stage, they convey in their sound that great sense of intangible human angst that has informed all great punk rock acts, combined with a youthful autonomy that spills infectiously into the psyche of the audience and takes them along for the ride with no quarter ever given.

I was invited one night to join them at their weekly haunt - the Bellambi Bowling Alley - to ask them a few questions and prove myself as a ten-pin bowler.

1. A LOT OF NEW BANDS SEEM WARY OF PUTTING THEIR PERSONALITIES OUT THERE. WOULD YOU SAY YOU GUYS ARE THE ‘REAL DEAL’ OR IS IT A BIT OF A SHOW?

Jez (aka Merlin): Nah definitely not a show, when we first started, we didn’t have any idea of what we were going to do...

And then it turns out we were just complete maniacs on stage.

68

called ‘borecore’ for all those bands who aren’t wanting to put on a good show. What people take in from a show is 50% visual, so yeah, that’s kind of what’s important to us.

2. WOULD YOU SAY THERE’S A LEADER OF THE BAND?

Jez: Nah not really hey, although I remember when we first got together Al, having had the experience from shining bird, helped with a few tips on how to get us going.

3. DO YOU GUYS SEE A LOT OF EACH OTHER OUTSIDE OF BAND DUTIES?

Al: Well as you can see we’re currently at the bowling alley!

Luke: Haha, yeah we’re always together.

Zank: I kind of feel as though my relationship status should be ‘in a relationship with the pinheads’.

4. YOUR SONGS ARE QUITE ENERGETIC. IS IT TOUGH TO GET INTO THAT HEADSPACE NIGHT AFTER NIGHT?

James: If we did it every single night it would take its toll, but no it’s pretty easy.

Zank: A lot of our shows are hard to improvise so performing each time for us is quite entertaining.

5. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN A SONG IS FINISHED?

Luke: Yeah, everyone kind of just feeds off each other in the band so if one person is going crazy then we all kind of catch on.

Jez: (laughs), Haha we don’t. Sometimes we kind of lose our minds and go on for too long, especially if people watching us are going crazy we just keep jamming with that particular song.

James : I’ve got my own catch phrase for bands right now, it’s

Al: And with the help of technology you can put a zillion layers on a song so it’s hard to limit yourself.

BAND INTERVIEW

P H O T O BY B R E T T R A N D A L L / W W W . B R E T T R A N D A L L . N E T

6. HOW MANY SONGS HAVE YOU PRODUCED?

Al: Oh secret files…Nah we’ve written a lot of tunes, we do it all the time.

way on stage perhaps use it as a tool for marketing. I see it more with pop musicians, like Miley Cyrus.

James: Sex sells.

Luke: Yeah we’ve made albums but we haven’t released all the songs yet, I think we have for seven though.

10. DOES LISTENING TO MUSIC CHANGE OR SHAPE YOUR PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF GENDER?

7. HAVE YOU EVER FELT THE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY YOUR MUSIC SOUNDS?

Tex: I don’t think about gender when I listen to music, it doesn’t cross my mind.

Al: There isn’t really a particular sound we’re going for, we kind of dive into heaps of different genres. The other night for instance, we were playing funk songs but we’re not going to go calling ourselves a funk band now.

Jez: Maybe for bands like the Pussy Riot who are quite radical feminists?

8. IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WORST FORMS OF OPPRESSION IN TODAY’S SOCIETY?

Jez: Woah big question. Well there’s a lot of racial oppression, especially through jokes. I feel like some Australians are quite racist with their humour, I try to clench my teeth with some stuff I hear.

Zank: Plus there’s a lot a gender stereotypes, although I haven’t really experienced sexism in the music scene we’re in.

Jez: On another note, I wish there were more girl bands; there a few around but it’s weird there aren’t more…

(Whole band agrees) 9. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE IDEA OF WOMEN FEMALE ARTISTS BEING SEXUALISED?

Luke: I feel as though the artists who perform in a provocative

Zank: I reckon a lot of pop music might sub-consciously change your perception without even knowing.

Jez: I like androgynous musicians, great to challenge the general stereotype.

Luke: Its people like Prince who’ve have changed my perception of gender, how he can be so masculine whilst wearing a dress.

Al: Same goes with Mick Jagger, who tried breaking that typical male image. Those musicians are big influences, we’re big on that stuff too… We have been known to wear ‘ladies clothes’ and lipstick on stage.

Jez: Yeah a few people at a show once thought Luke was a girl, then when they found out he was male they were taken back by him wearing a dress.

For more info and to find out where you can watch The Pinheads next head to their Facebook page ‘The Pin Headz’.

BAND INTERVIEW

69

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

BY JOSEF FERRARO @JHF1993

RATING: 8.2/10

Guardians of the Galaxy, the tenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, proves to be the most refined and entertaining first installment of a Marvel comic film. This spacefaring crew of misfits prove that you don’t need big name heroes in order to deliver on the big-screen. This is Marvel’s second attempt at a superhero team, off the back of the success of The Avengers.

This time they’ve delivered an equal if not better product.

We follow the story of cocky yet lovable Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), a half human/half alien thief born on Earth who manages to steal a sought-after orb. This orb becomes the centre of the film and leads to the unwilling coalition of a group of extraterrestrial beings, later known as the Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Guardians of the Galaxy are brought together by their own individual motives. Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), bounty hunter and weapons master, and his affable tree-creature sidekick Groot (Vin Diesel) are after riches and reward. Gamora (Zoe Saldana), an orphan adopted by super villain Thanos and raised to be an assassin, is on a redemption mission to free herself from her adopted father. The final member of the team is Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a man driven by retribution for his slain family.

After realising the power and intended use for the orb, the Guardians of the Galaxy reconcile their differences and stand together in an attempt to protect it from the clutches of Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), and therefore save the planet Xandar from extinction.

The reinvigoration of Marvel films can largely be attributed to their humorous qualities. Guardians of the Galaxy could

easily be mistaken for a comedy at times, providing many laugh-out-loud moments. Such moments derive from the great characterisation of Quill, Rocket and especially Drax, whose literal interpretation of everything is memorable. However, humour could also be seen as a weakness by viewers who feel that it overshadows other elements of the film.

The film does maintain its superhero genre feel though, via the remarkable costumes, make-up and special effects. The variety of different extraterrestrial beings is a visual delight, and the special effects are striking, and yet not overused. A good balance of solid action scenes, some emotional and touching moments, and a good running time are also strong points.

Going into this film, I doubted the casting. The lack of a bankable star to steer the ship and a few other questionable choices was a risk which ultimately payed off. Chris Pratt channelled his comedic abilities to his advantage and didn’t overplay his character, allowing him the opportunity to take his career to the next level as the face of a Marvel franchise.

Part-time actor Dave Bautista embodied Drax extremely well and shows his capabilities as an actor. Also, in his first voice role, Bradley Cooper did an outstanding job and could definitely have a future in voice acting.

Finally, the highpoint of the film is its soundtrack, which is heavily weaved into the storyline. The emphasis on music throughout the film is a rare and unique experience and comes via a plethora of classic 1970’s hits; a real treat.

Guardians of the Galaxy will be one of the films of 2014. A brilliantly funny, entertaining, and visual spectacle, it doesn’t overplay its hand in special effects or overacting. An origin film so polished can only promise great things in the future.

FILM REVIEW

71

THE PIZZA GIRL

BY BELINDA QUINN @BelindaQuinn10

72

I L L U S T R AT I O N S BY L E A H J E A N

For Ash

As Sam flicks her hair behind her shoulder, the cigarette wedged loosely between her fingers narrowly misses igniting her dusky curls. I’ve seen Sam do this a thousand times and each time sparks worry in me. Someday her wild hair is going to burst into flames.

‘The Tav was alright tonight,’ she says. The Shepherds Tavern was always ‘alright’. We sit in the gutter out front of Dominos, waiting for the alcohol to wear its way out of our skin. Our eyes feel dry and light purple bags appear underneath them. We wait for our names to be called so that we can devourer the greasy slices of pizza we’re desperate for.

‘Did you see who was making our pizza this time? Is it jeans-and-joggers guy or that pizza girl that always looks heaps pissed off?’

‘I can’t even think about this right now dude,’ she replies, flicking her butt into the gutter. ‘I’m that hungry.’

We hear our names called out from the small lot behind us.

Sam jumps up, pulling me with her and holds the door open for me as I walk into the shop. As I walk past her I notice the tip of a butt crease is hanging out of her black leather jeans and that her eyeliner is now smudged across her cheek.

The pizza girl is there. She staunches Sam, staring her up and down without bothering to hide her disgust. Pizza girl’s perfectly manicured nails contrast with Sam’s bitten down, purple ones. She’s neat. Tidy. Not a single hair strays from her perfectly secure bun.

Sam sees her pizza in pizza girls hand and the store seems to dissolve around her as she shouts, ‘Fuck yes! I am going to destroy you,’ at the cardboard box.

As she reaches the counter and grips the box, Sam and the pizza girl’s eyes lock. All of a sudden they’re two cats circling each other in an alleyway, preparing to strike. I notice the pizza girl let

go and turn to jeans-and-joggers guy; she whispers something and they snigger. Turning to Sam, she eyes her curves and leopard-print bra popping out of the bottom of her crop-top. ‘Yeah, like you need another pizza.’

Oh no. Oh no no no.

Sam freezes, going black in the eyes for a full second. She looks at pizza girl and back to the box in her hand. I see her do this several times before I realise what’s about to happen. Slowly, I begin shuffling my feet backwards towards the door, sweat dripping down my neck. I know there’s nothing I can do. All I have to do is outrun Sam, and I’m fitter, so I know I have a chance.

Pizza girl leaves her remark hanging in the air, and turns back around to jeans-and-joggers guy. There’s a saying that you shouldn’t turn your back on the ocean because you never know when a wave will strike. Well, let’s just say that if Sam had a spirit animal, it wouldn’t actually be an animal at all: it would be the entire fucking ocean.

Then it happens. I’m halfway out the door and out of the corner of my eye I see a wave of pizza fly through the air and land on top of pizza girl’s head, hot blobs of cheese dripping down her back.

There’s a scream: ‘What the fuuck?’

By the time I hear it, I’m already sprinting halfway down the street and I can hear a roaring, mischievous cackle trailing behind me. It’s Sam. She is losing her shit so much that she can barely manage to run: she’s bent over, clutching her stomach, stumbling and crying all at once.

We manage to pull up together behind Dominoes near the skip. We stand still for a minute, hunched over, catching breath. One tear falls from the corner of my eye. Sam looks pissed, ‘Why are you crying? I was the one who was just called fat.’

‘I’m so hungry.’

C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G

73

WE’RE UNDONE BY EACH OTHER. AND IF WE’RE NOT. . .

BY ADRIENNE CORRADINI @corradrienne

“Let’s face it. We’re undone by each other. And if we’re not, we’re missing something. If this seems so clearly the case with grief, it is only because it was already the case with desire. One does not always stay intact. It may be that one wants to, or does, but it may also be that despite one’s best efforts, one is undone, in the face of the other, by the touch, by the scent, by the feel, by the prospect of the touch, by the memory of the feel.”

- Judith Butler, Undoing Gender I told myself that while I was up there I wouldn’t visit Cyndi. At first it was an intellectual decision: going back to Alice Springs, her territory, to reclaim it as mine. To play polo. To insist on enjoying something.

Somewhere near the Queensland border, I stopped on the side of the road. I stepped out and opened the back door to dig around for a water bottle, sifting through the ropes and t-shirts and receipts and knives on the floor. Behind me, in the horse float, Lionel’s ears pricked forwards, curious.

I leaned against the float, drinking warm water and assessing the landscape. I spoke softly to Lionel, whose legs I’d already stretched ten minutes ago and who seemed content to doze.

Summer heat shuddered across the desert and into the geography of our bodies. Sweat sang into remote spaces under my arms, slippery behind my knees. All my hair curled. Outside, everything felt still in a way that wasn’t stagnant, that wasn’t eerie. I realised how deeply it would unsettle me to see Cyndi, how it would unlock and dislodge something I’d finally put to rest in myself.

I got near Alice and pulled into a truck stop to let Lionel out and fill up the tank. I felt around the seats and bags for my wallet, checked the glove box. It hit me that in rifling through the backseat for my drink bottle, I’d put the wallet on the top of the car. It had flown off, of course. Long gone. I had no money, no licence, no Medicare card.

I called Linda, a casual teacher I’d gone through uni with and spent time in various political collectives with along the way. She was expecting me later in the day, but she had someone else cover her classes and drove out to rescue me.

She came laughing across the dirt, arms open. Her tanned and freckly skin, familiar to me once again, glistened. We embraced along the length of our bodies, like the good dykes we are. I sighed.

She laughed. When she pulled away from me, her face was flushed with mirth, my own with adrenaline.

“I’ll pay for your petrol, you goose.You can follow me back to the showground.” She put her hands on my shoulders and turned grave. “Are you going to call Cyndi?”

“Absolutely not.”

We went to a bar that night with her partner, came home after three.

I had to get up for training at six. Linda had a remote job that day, had to travel down out of Alice. I would be on my own.

At the showground, I was schooling Lionel in rollbacks when he spooked at the scruffy mulga trees along the edge of the field.

I wasn’t ready for it, had braced for an altogether different turn. He lunged sideways and I toppled over his shoulder. My foot was caught in the stirrup. He ran, of course, dragging me on my stomach out into the parking lot, across five metres of gravel. When Lionel turned in a different direction, my foot dislodged itself.

I fall off all the time but this one left me dazed.You forget how hard the ground is. How its immobility winds you after the flighty impulsion of horse gaits. For a second I was unable to move.

I wondered if I’d broken my neck and was paralysed. I was suddenly dehydrated, exhausted, weepy. I didn’t know these polo girls. I was in a different place, which I associated with a woman who made me angry and wretched, who made me forget myself, and who I irrationally blamed for this moment.

Lionel had trotted off in the direction of a mare at the

other end of the lot, oblivious and relentlessly hormonal. A couple of the girls grabbed him, two helped me up. I had a slash the size of half a five-dollar note along my hipbone, from where it had jutted out and scraped along the gravel, and a bloody tear the shape of New Zealand along my elbow.

“It’s alright,” I said, humiliated.

“You better go wash that,” a girl advised.

“You okay?” another asked, assuming I was.

They were younger than me, less sensitive than me. I shook it off, “I’ll be right.”

I found I couldn’t walk properly; my knee had hit the ground hard. I hobbled with Lionel back into his yard, feeling the skin pull around the wounds as I walked. I untacked him, waited for him to eat his lucerne, forgave him. They were probably just scratches, I decided.

When I got into the car, I confirmed they weren’t. The one on my hip was almost down to the bone. The inside of my flesh was a bloody pulp of dust and grit. I had no Medicare card and Linda was out of town.

I cried.

But Cyndi was a nurse.

When I stopped at the end of her long drive way and pulled myself out of the car, there was a film of moisture on the bow of my back and in the crook under my breasts where my t-shirt draped loose – but it wasn’t from the heat.

The house was silent, static. I limped up the steps, crossed the deck where she’d once made love to me three or four times in one night as we lay in the hammock from sunset to midnight.

I knocked and saw her through the screen before she saw me, walking to the door barefoot with her eyes on the book she was holding. I felt that thing, whatever it was, crack in my chest, in my skull. The unsettlement. It rippled through my body, simmered into

C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G

75

my legs, flustering my resolve. Lucky I had already cried.

“I only have self-stitches,” she confessed.

Those square hands, the bitten-down fingernails, the largeknuckled grip. The soft butch stillness. Her belly pressing against the cotton of her t-shirt. I imagined her as I’d known her best, my version of her: the self-conscious smirks when I’d looked up from between her legs, all her long-held opinions that kept us arguing on opposite sides of her oak table. I’d forgotten how much I respected her as a person, how much I liked who she was. How much of wanting to see her had been to do with just wanting to be around her, to feel the joy of being lost in liking someone.

“That’s fine.”

“It probably needs more than that.”

I shook my head, “I’ll sort it out later.”

“You’ll need x-rays on your knee.”

She looked up and our eyes met through the screen. For a moment there was confusion in her face: a frown, a bit of panic. Then a one-sided smile, a gentle narrowing of her eyes. She started to say my name but couldn’t get it out. I was exhilarated to see my effect on her. That was what I’d relished, seeing how I undid her careful, studied resolve. I forgot about the gravel rash and felt something close to relief, amusement and, still, hunger.

“Alright,” I assured her. I never did it: to this day the cold makes something in my kneecap click in and out of place with every stride. I asked, “How have you been?”

In the kitchen she told me to take off my pants. It was acceptable under the circumstances, she couldn’t get to the wound without it, but it was a loaded remark and in her raspy voice it was even weightier.

She was testing me with an excuse she could hide behind.

She looked away as I stepped out of my breeches and their bloody waistline and stood in my polo shirt and frayed black underwear. I would have had no problem with her looking at me but I used the opportunity to glance around: there were several dishes in the sink, recycling on the windowsill.

Cyndi gestured for me to sit on the table. She put her medical kit next to my thigh. Any twinge in my muscles seemed to ripple, to extend out beyond my body and reach hers. I tried to keep perfectly still, to stem the run of my energy. Memory ached in the house, in the linoleum floor, in the cheap wooden cupboards that I’d mined for tea and bread and 2-minute noodles months before.

Cyndi met my eyes to check if it was okay to move in on the scratches. I smiled and she bent over my hip, saying, “This one will probably hurt the least. It’s the elbow that will be tough.You’ve scarred it too many times.”

She did some things with the medical kit. I didn’t notice.

I was looking at her salt and pepper hair, the way her shirt fell away from her breasts when she bowed forwards. I was taking in the smell of her, which was of her body and nothing else.

She looked up at me as if waiting for a response.

“Hmm?” I asked.

“I said you’ve scarred your elbow too many times. If you do it again it won’t heal.”

I watched as she squeezed water and then iodine from a cotton swab over the wound. It trickled down the inside of my thigh.

I noticed Cyndi observing it, weighing up whether or not to dab it dry. There was a hair curling out of my underwear. She swallowed and swiped the runny iodine with the back of her wrist.

It took several antiseptic washes just to get the dirt and grit out of the hip wound. Her touch was gentle but deliberate.

76

C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G

I nodded and glanced at it; a grey-blue bruise had already draped over my kneecap.

“Make sure you get them,” she warned, still focusing on the wound. “There could be soft tissue damage in there.”

She tilted her head from side to side, “So, so. My mum’s not well again.”

“Oh Cyndi.”

She shrugged and said without looking at me, “Age.”

I’d forgotten how charmed I was by her briefness.

Whenever I thought about it in abstract, I couldn’t understand it.

Surely I wasn’t attracted to this when all I craved was her warmth. But here she was, proving yet again that my feelings were as messy as they were lavish.

“Do you think you’ll play the match tomorrow?”

“To be honest, I think I’ll just go home.”

“Oh,” she nodded.

She rolled Silverzine cream across the gash and covered it with a dressing, pressing her hand down so that the ball of her palm lay against my hipbone and her fingers rested in the hollow between my hips – the way she would if she were holding me from behind in bed, against the angle of her legs.

At the screen door again, I turned to face her one more time.

“I’m sorry about this,” I said. “I know it’s a bit awkward, a bit intimate.”

“Not at all,” she said. “You can take care of me if I ever get injured in Sydney. But make sure you get the x-rays.You’re strange about medical things.”

“I know,” I admitted, knowing she liked me best when I was honest.

Cyndi met my eyes, relaxed her square jaw. “Don’t worry.

It’s refreshing. I like that about you. I like that you know your limits. I don’t think you should always be pushing them, but it’s good that you know them.”

I studied her face, the damp sweat along the crew neck of her t-shirt and her broad shoulder extending out to hold the doorframe. Her body was open, receptive. Her smile was one-sided, the way it was when it came easy and instinctive.

“I don’t,” I said. “Every time I think I know my limits, they expand a bit.”

I L L U S T R AT I O N S BY L E A H J E A N

77

MY HEART BEATS IN ITS NICHOLAS CAGE

BY LLEWELLYN HORGAN dig your fingernails into your wrists strum your blood peer out from under damp eyelashes as I smoosh to your mush your tears flirt and your smile remains edible in the next room a vague and tired banging

GETTING READY FOR SUNDAY BREKKIE

BY NICK CHLOPICKI for Maria

AUTUMN

BY ALEX GEORGIOU

The necessity of my escaping is becoming very real.

My heart is yearning to feel something, anything.

If it could feel salty whispering winds or damp mysteries of an enchanted forest or crisp air found in excess atop a mountain.

If it could have a taste of something magical if it could breathe anywhere but inside its cell I may be able to survive.

My crying heart needs something to survive its rambling thoughts – something other than my soul.

For my heart and soul constantly chip away at each other forcing themselves to be without shine: without specialties.

I can feel the dullness inside of me.

I can feel the loss of myself.

78

POEMS

Goin out for bread on a Saturday night we find palinka and beer instead smokin a little dancin a little and start to feel real guuuud lips smash easy like swans’ necks in earthquakes my boho goddess must have felt like O’Hara or Ginsberg kissing a woman we all descended from poets anyway

BLACKTOOTH

BY TAYNE EPHRAIM life can be exciting when run with the wolves in Hermaphrodite’s garden until youth runs you down there is a girl i know: i want to pull her hair punch me in the face for my driver’s license photograph i want to feel it retrograde moto race on the red river round the blacktooth church sores on face & arms sockets that scratch burn me into ashes when i die bury me in a lemon tree plant me near the ocean sometimes when

LIVING WITH OTHERS AND JUST A SMALL FRIDGE

BY NICK CHLOPICKI

160 CHARACTER ROBOT HAIKU

BY PAUL CHICHARO Girl being phone interviewed on footpath stems nerves with pacing & bullshit. Distant ride-on lawn mower donuts in slow motion.

(Cricket chirps 7% battery life.)

asshole drug fun bought from young nurse with Centrelink money at last minute of closing time to living room rave and blue solitary couch time with subs facing to the face even past new sun rising day and me sleeping on green found couch with racing car blanket and on Audrey Hepburn smile pillow surrounded by dirty bowl empty bottle bliss of beer wine port oblivious to late night sneaky cheek kisses of fun

POEMS

79

BEGINS HERE SUBJECTIVE ACCOUNT FUNCTIONING ME

BY NICOLA SELVEY begins here subjective account functioning me.

day: Sabbath day. rest day. home family

consume side pork day. operate machine

conform flora: lawnmower, leaf blower,

whipper snipper, hedge-trimmer day. home

family attend gathering dome roof-head down

read sacred announcements: dead,

barbequed fete, gendered infant-fruitcake,

Arnott’s assorted creams, urn tea. firewood

plant collection day. pitch in day. mop ochre

tiles, trim side walk, skinks. dog walk day.

kneaded yeast and wheat day. blackberry

finger stained day. rake leaf blanket day.

school night day.

fill car under rear mirror vision, fill tank last stop. leaving day. unpack today.

POEMS

BY THE SALAMANDER The Salamander is a poet, painter and cold-blooded reptile from Central America. In his former life he was a pet at a nuclear testing facility. During a strange, freak accident (or experiment?) he fell into a vat of toxic waste along with numerous poetry books. These books included ‘Howl’ by Allen Ginsberg, ‘Sometimes Gladness’ by Bruce Dawe and ‘Selected Poems’ by W.H Auden. Since then he has been gifted with the ability to create fine art and has moved to Australia. He currently resides in Surry Hills enjoying the weather and eating the local flora and fauna.

ODE TO THE WAXWORM

DEAR GIG RYAN

In a dozy suburb under a clumsy vegetable patch.

There are waxworms.

Beneath the fresh air soil and when your nails become dirt-filled.

There are waxworms.

On the path back to the laundry, on the hot spring stones and when your hands hold a defeated icy-pop stick and you look closely at the ground.

There are waxworms.

Gig Ryan!

Your words were a gun, aimed at my gills.

Trigger pulled.

Pop. Embarrassment splattered across the wharf.

Go ahead, pick up the pieces.

Taxidermy my broken heart. Place it on your family bookshelf.

In a sexy frangipani tree, near a shadow and a broken beer bottle.

There are waxworms.

When you’re lying on your Pooh Bear mattress and the sun is being lazy and that swell boy hasn’t texted back yet, look to your windowsill.

There are waxworms.

Turn on your television! See that celebrity?

It’s George Clooney.

See how perfect his hair is?

There are waxworms.

In the high streets of Paris, under my sweater, in the Valley of Death, There are waxworms.

When you are in love, indifferent, inside pale dreams.

There are waxworms.

When you’re on a bicycle, talking to a stranger, going to church, or feeling so very empty.

There are waxworms.

Waxworms.

There are waxworms.

For all occasions.

They are everywhere.

They are free.

They are yellow.

They are not very hard to find.

They are very delicious.

They are high in calcium.

You should try eating one.

Gig Ryan.

If reptiles aren’t your type, don’t zoo me along.

You knew I was into you.

Six stanzas into our first conversation I was bomb-shelling bad metaphors.

You school-girl smiled.

You complimented my tail.

It felt right.

If this was never going to work, you should have told me.

Don’t waste my time.

I’m a busy lizard.

I have break-up poetry to write.

Gig Ryan.

I’m sick of being used.

Art girls only Talk to me to score cheap culture points.

They want to nuzzle up to the almost-famous.

They want to be topless on the Overland cover. They think I’m a freak.

Do you think I’m a freak?

Did you see me for a story?

If so, screw you.

I thought you were a class act.

You’re the poetry editor for The Age, for Christ’s sake. I have no idea why you were seeing me…

Gig Ryan.

I’m a mess.

It’s 3am.

I’ve drunk two bottles of red wine.

I ate a whole web of spiders.

All your emails are printed, scattered on the floor.

I cry salamander tears.

Some days it is hard not being human.

I wish you were here.

Gig, we really could have been perfect together.

GIG GUIDE THANKS TO ALEXANDRA SMITH

SEPTEMPER

OCTOBER

Friday 12th

Sunday 28th

FR I E N D S TERS

SUPPORT S T B A

D I C K D I VE R // D A Y R A V I E S // T H E Anitas Theatre, Tickets Presale: $12+bf, Door:

Anitas Theatre, Tickets Presale: $20+bf, Door:

$17

$25

Friday 12th

Tuesday 30th

C L I E N T L I A I SON // A N D R A S F OX // TE E S

RAD, Tickets Presale: $12 +bf, Door: $18 Saturday 13th

C ABA R E S QUE - D E ST I N A T I ON S H O W GI R L

Anitas Theatre, Tickets: $30+bf Saturday 13th

D I E ! D I E ! DI E ! ( N Z ) // SUP P OR T S T BA RAD, Tickets Presale: $12 +bf, Door: $15 Sunday 14th

C Y N D I L AUP E R WIN Entertainment Centre, Tickets TBA Wednesday 17th

M E S A C O S A // B L T // H OON // T H E N UC L E AR F A MI L Y RAD, Tickets $5 Friday 19th

S TE VE S M YT H Howlin’ Wolf, Tickets TBA

T OM ORROW’ S T ULIP’ S (USA) / / B AB E RAINB OW

Anitas Theatre, Tickets Presale: $20+bf, Door: $25 Saturday 4th

YOURS & OWLS 4T H B IRT HDAY PART Y Stuart Park, North Wollongong Tickets SOLD OUT Saturday 4th

T HE OWLS - OWN T HE ST REET S EP T OUR

UniBar, Tickets TBA Thursday 9th

M ISSY HIG G INS / / DUST IN T EB B UT / / JHEREK B ISC HOF F

Anitas Theatre, Tickets Presale: $60+bf Thursday 16th

T HE B EAUT IF UL G IRLS UniBar, Tickers: $27 Friday 17th

Friday 26th

B LUEJUIC E - RET ROSPEC T AB LE: T HE

S UP P O R TS T B A

Waves, Tickets TBA

J A Y W H AL L E Y ( F R E N Z A L R H OMB ) // RAD, Tickets Presale: $12+bf, Door: $15

F AREWELL T OUR

Friday 24th

Saturday 27th

T HE G RAHAM S / / B IG ERLE / / M ARC US

S UP P O R TS T B A

RAD, Tickets Presale: $10+bf, Door: $15

TI J UA N A C A R T E L - A L B UM T OUR // Anitas Theatre, Tickets Presale: $20+bf, Door: $25

82

JUANA M OLINA (ARG ERT INA) / /

GIG GUIDE

B LAC K E