Redthread by TasCAHRD

ISSUE 31 AUTUMN 2019

Queer art in a small town

Also in this issue:

The art of consent

It’s not me... it’s you!

#andmetoo

+ Event based PReP + Canon and fandom: LGBTI representation in mythology

From the Editor

Autumn edition

AUTUMN IS WITH US FOLKS. IT’S TIME TO COOL OFF, WIND DOWN AND LET GO. We had a problematic summer with extreme heat and bush fires, and there will be many people who are welcoming the relief that Lube: Autumn brings. We always look forward to the One litre water lube welcome the $17 warmth of summer, butbased we also Four Seasons water based lube 75 ml $4 breath of fresh air and change of scenery that $10 Four Seasons water based lube 500 ml autumn brings.

All change requires that we adapt. Whether the change is planned, or A change of season is the break we need to unexpected, we nearly always must reinvigorateTasCAHRD our lives. We often need this 319 Liverpool Street, HOBART learn to identify ourselves in new break from ourselves, from our jobs, from our OPEN 9am - 5pm ways. We need to start relating with relationships. We are attached to the things that are important to us, but we also recognise people differently. This publication is an initiative of the Editor:

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the value of moving on from the past.

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Health Promotion Program at the Matt Anning One litre water based lube $17 Tasmanian Councilwater on AIDS, Four Seasons basedHepatitis lube 75 ml Contributors: $4 Change can come to us without our consent. Resisting change rarely ends well as we Four Seasons water based lube 500 ml $10 Senesi and Related Diseases, (TasCAHRD). Matteo A bushfire burns through our neighbourhood Sarah become neurotically tied toLenehan the past and the Views expressed in Man2Man are Grant Blake and we can’t go home. We lose a loved one, those of the authors andwere. do not The saying way things goes that only TasCAHRD Matt Newell necessarily reflect the views of are long before it should have happened. Our lover taxes and death certain in life. I’d like to 319 Liverpool Street, HOBART Tracey Wing TasCAHRD. leaves us for someone else. These changes hit OPEN 9am -a5pm propose change to that adage. at TasCAHRD Our colleagues us hard and throw our lives into a chaos thatPhone: 03 6234 1242 Design & Layout: This publication is an initiative of the Email: projects@tascahrd.org.au we must work our way through. Ede Magnussen Health Promotion Program at the Post: GPO Box 595 Hobart Tasmanian Council on Printing courtesy of:AIDS, Hepatitis Tasmania 7001 and Related Diseases, (TasCAHRD). PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY Xerox Hobart Web: tascahrd.org.au

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Changes come to us with new Facebook: Man2ManTas awareness, when we realise that our TasCAHRD receives funding from the Crown, through Department of Health ideas and actions are not healthy for and Human Services, to provide these ourselves and those we engage with. services.

Views expressed in Man2Man are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of TasCAHRD. Phone: 03 6234 1242 Email: projects@tascahrd.org.au Post: GPO Box 595 Hobart Tasmania 7001 Web: tascahrd.org.au Facebook: Man2ManTas

Editor: Matt Anning Contributors: Matteo Senes Sarah Lenehan Grant Blake Matt Newell Tracey Wing Our colleague Design & Layo Ede Magnusse Printing court Xerox Hobart

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and Human Services, to provide these services.

some of the content of this magazine may be offensive to some readers

A Health & Lifestyle Resource for Men in2 Men

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

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some of the content of this magazine may be offensive to som

CONTENTS

CONTRIBUTORS: Anonymous

Finnian Danger Leigh Grant

The Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council Tasmania

Shanae Aziz

The art of consent

It’s not you... it’s me

Event based PReP Losing my right wings Canon and fandom: LGBTI representation in mythology

#andmetoo

Pill testing saves lives

Queer art in a small town

Service directory

Hannah Jane Randos Korobacz Richelle Menzies

Did you know you can buy beppy sponges, condoms and lube at the TasCAHRD office? TasCAHRD 319 Liverpool Street Hobart Open 9.00 am – 5.00 pm

WARNING: some of the content of this magazine may be offensive to some readers. TasCAHRD receives funding from the Crown, through the Department of Health and Human Services, to provide these services. Views expressed in Red thread are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of TasCAHRD. This publication is an initiative of the Health Promotion Program at the Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases (TasCAHRD).

Would you like to see your business or service advertised in this mag? Contact TasCAHRD for rates – projects@tascahrd.org.au

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Email: health@tascahrd.org.au or Phone: 03 6234 1242 Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

By Randos Korobacz

The art of consent

SEXUAL CONSENT IS SO MUCH MORE THEN “YES MEANS YES” AND “NO MEANS NO” THE IDEA OF CONSENT DOESN’T JUST EXIST IN THE BEDROOM, CLUB, OR ALLEYWAY. WE WALK WITH CONSENT EVERY DAY IN WHAT WE DO, WHO WE ASSOCIATE WITH, HOW WE TREAT OTHERS AND HOW WE ARE WILLING TO BE TREATED.

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

We all understand consent to a greater or lesser degree because all of us make hundreds of decisions every day. These decisions are acts of consent and they determine whether we live harmoniously with one another or not. However, the consent of daily life involves the pressure of social hierarchies, pushing boundaries, making compromises and doing things we don’t want to do. Make no mistake about it, we make compromises to get along with others for the sake of harmony. So, it’s no wonder that when we attempt to translate that model of consent into sex, people are taken advantage of, end up doing things they don’t won’t to do, or end up being raped. Clearly, we can’t live like this. And who wants to live in a society where this happens?

So how do we become happy, healthy sexual citizens? We must commit to the idea that sex is a healthy activity that is reinforced by five pillars of consent. Sexual consent must be explicit and freely given. There are two responsibilities here: to give consent and to get consent. Consenting is a choice we make without pressure or manipulation and is never implied by your past behavior or what you wear. Sexual consent is always clearly communicated. Otherwise we cannot assume consent is given.

You have the right to change your mind. You or your sexual partner can decide at any time to stop even if you’ve spent hours sexting, flirting, kissing and touching. Respect your partners request to stop having sex; it is easier to deal with frustration than emotions borne of violation and empty regret.

Be informed and check in with each other. The great thing about sex is there are so many ways of doing it, so take time to be on the same page. You can only consent to something if you have the full story. If someone says they’ll use a condom and then they don’t, that isn’t consent.

If they seem tense or uncomfortable, pause and ask them how they’re feeling - be kind and understanding. Don’t rely on your partner to read your body language - speak up and tell them how you’re feeling. It’s fine to slow things down or stop. There’s no rush to have sex if you’re not feeling it. Remember you can ask to slow down, take a break or stop at any time. Consent requires enthusiasm from start to finish.

Drugs and Alcohol affect consent. If either you or your partner is really drunk or high, you can’t give consent. Drugs and Alcohol impact a person’s ability to make informed decisions. If a person doesn’t know what’s going on, they can’t give informed consent, and therefore it is equivalent to rape.

When seeking sexual pleasure, respect and honesty for yourself and others is of high importance. To be human is to experience all that we are, and our sexuality is ours to explore and to cherish. We should protect what is ours and help build a society that values sexual pleasure and personal boundaries. Randos Korobacz Sex positivist and member of the Ally Network at the University of Tasmania

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

By Richelle Menzies

It’s not me... it’s you RELATIONSHIPS END FOR MANY REASONS. WHATEVER THE REASON, SOMETIMES THE PROCESS IS DRAWN OUT AND IS DIFFICULT FOR ALL CONCERNED. THE PERSON LEAVING HAS MULLED OVER THE IDEA FOR A WHILE. THEY HAVE CLEARLY COMMUNICATED THEIR DISSATISFACTION TO THEIR PARTNER. THEY HAVE SELFREFLECTED AND GRIEVED. FOR THIS PERSON, THE RELATIONSHIP HAS OFTEN ENDED LONG BEFORE A BREAK UP OCCURS. Their partner, however, has been in denial, hoping that things would get better. The end came as a big surprise and was devastating. There is a great deal to process, and depending on how strong the bonds had been, dealing with being left can evoke responses of betrayal and rage. When someone leaves us, we often feel betrayed, and it becomes easy to act in ways that are uncharacteristic - being mean and nasty; saying things we don’t really 6

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

mean; behaving badly. Hurt and anger take over. Feelings of betrayal do not excuse the behaviour, but they can explain it. We have a choice: act on those thoughts and feelings or remain loving and respectful. How do we remain loving and respectful when we feel like our heart has been torn from our chest and stomped all over; when our hopes and dreams for the future are now laying crumbling into dust; when we feel cheated on, lied to or disrespected? It can be tough. It won’t be easy. It can help to remember the reasons we loved them; accept that people and feelings can change and that we cannot make someone love us or want to be with us.

Respectful endings can and do happen. Treat people with respect; be honest; don’t lay blame and accept personal responsibility for your role in the relationship.

By Leigh Grant

Event based PrEP

FIRST, WHAT IS PREP? PREP IS A MEDICATION THAT CAN STOP THE TRANSMISSION OF HIV. ACCORDING TO THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF AIDS ORGANISATIONS (AFAO): ...PREP IS 99 PER CENT EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING HIV TRANSMISSION AMONG GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN. IT’S AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK OF HIV AT A COST OF $39.50 PER MONTH, (GENERAL PATIENTS) WITH USERS RECEIVING A THREE-MONTH PRESCRIPTION AND A SEXUAL HEALTH CHECK EACH TIME THEY VISIT THEIR GP. Incidentally, the cost is even less if you’ve got a pension or a concession card. PrEP has now been on the PBS-pharmaceutical benefits scheme since the 1st of April 2018 and can be prescribed by your doctor.

Why should we use PrEP? Have you a plan for the dirty weekend on the horizon? Maybe a weekend off the island for a trip to the mainland. A fact-finding tour of the saunas and sex on site venues of Sydney or Melbourne? Or maybe you have that hook up from Launceston who is going to be down

here in two weekends time. When you don’t know the HIV status of the other person and you don’t want to ask the question, there is an alternative. With the correct dosage, PrEP will prevent an HIV transmission.

What is event-based PrEP? Event based PrEP is a new way for you to take active control of your HIV status. Like regular PrEP, it gives you control of potential consequences from unprotected sex. It won’t protect against other STIs, but it can and does prevent HIV. The difference with event-based PrEP is that you don’t need to take it every day for ever. Rather you only take a few doses around the time of a risk event.

Get informed! If you think event-based PrEP is a good option for you, then talk to so someone at a sexual health clinic today. Mis-dosing has dire consequences, and there could be implications for other treatments, for example, Hepatitis B. It is important to inform yourself and get properly prepped for your adventures! Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

By Finnian Danger

Losing my right wings I DISCOVERED 4CHAN WHEN I WAS THIRTEEN YEARS OLD. IT WAS SUMMER, AND I’D STUMBLED UPON THE WEBSITE WHILE LOOKING FOR ANIME WALLPAPERS FOR MY LAPTOP (IT MAY SOUND STRANGE TO THE UNINITIATED, BUT THEY HAVE A WHOLE BOARD DEDICATED TO THAT AND NOTHING ELSE). SOMETHING SO HARMLESS ULTIMATELY CHANGED MY LIFE IN TREMENDOUS WAYS; WAYS THAT I’M STILL ADAPTING TO. I WAS AN ACTIVE USER OF 4CHAN FROM THIRTEEN THROUGH TO TWENTY-ISH. WHEN I STOPPED GOING TO SCHOOL AT FIFTEEN, I BEGAN TO SPEND MOST OF MY WAKING HOURS BROWSING THE WEBSITE. I BECAME DESENSITISED TO PEOPLE HAVING THEIR SKULLS CRUSHED UNDER TRUCKS. I BECAME INDIFFERENT TO SLURS AND REGULARLY USED THEM.

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

Moreover, the struggles of others became my main source of humour. I started to hate women, finding them irritating and unbearable. I hated gays and trans people. I despised immigration, Muslims, and thought white people were the ultimate race. I’d often lament that it was a shame that they were slowly being bred out of existence. I say they, because I’m not... actually white... it takes a bit of mental acrobatics at first, but you’d be surprised how common it is to have feelings like that. Homophobic people who are just in the closet, people of colour who use racism to survive, and so on. Since I didn’t have any friends in real life for many, many years, 4chan became a substitute for human interaction. The only people I did really see were my family, who were the typical casual racist Australians that we’re all quite used to. That is to say, whenever I voiced any of these thoughts, they weren’t shut down by anyone around me. I grew up from a very young age

thinking that this was the norm. When I turned nineteen, I began to make friends outside of the internet, but they were all very similar to me as well; exposed to the vile side of the web far too young. They were all avidly racist and homophobic. My train of thought was, once again, affirmed as a normal and positive thing. On weekends, we’d even get together and cyberstalk people we didn’t like and mess with them. We were angry, violent, and we actively took that out on others. Hate was literally all we knew; we’d all spent ludicrous amounts of time on the alt-right side of the internet. By the time I was twenty-two, I didn’t go on 4chan much anymore, but I still agreed with the vast majority of the things I had learned there. This became an issue when I began to have horrible feelings of gender dysphoria and self-hatred surrounding that. I mean, if I was just a mentally ill tranny, was I meant to kill myself now? That was what I’d always been told. These opinions that had never in my life until this point been challenged by anyone were now being challenged by me. It was absolutely suffocating to try and reconcile how I felt. It took a little while, but I decided to engage with local LGBTI organisations to hopefully meet people like myself. Suffice to say, no one else was like me.

As time went on, it slowly began to click in my head that the vast majority of the disdain I had for others was unfounded. As I actually came to meet people in the minority groups I hated, I realised I had absolutely no reason to. I tried to talk to as many people as I could, though somewhat regret that now, as most didn’t appreciate my flippant use of slurs. Oops. Still, I was getting used to this strange new world where people felt things other than negativity. I was expressing myself in so many new ways. I was learning so many new stories and perspectives.

It wasn’t long before I found myself as a prominent voice in the LGBTI community. I took on a managerial role with a youth group for gay and trans kids to feel safe and connect with each other. Suddenly, hundreds of kids were looking up to me as a role model. Terrifying, huh? I tried to bite my tongue as much as I could, but I know for sure that I said some shitty things. I spent months learning about genders and sexualities, reading up on queer history and all the things that were now relevant to me. I developed an appreciation for education over assumption.

I believe it is important to share stories like this because it is so easy for young people to end up this way. You want to know why so many young people seem to be falling into the alt-right mentality? Because it’s just so easy to do so. One day, you’re looking for anime wallpapers; the next, you’re doxxing some stupid feminist bitch. It takes all but a moment to offer a disenfranchised, miserable young person an idea - the idea that all of your issues are because of gays, terrorists, and women - and bam! Now they’ve got something to strive towards. They get to dream of eliminating the things they believe make their life difficult. I’m sure you’re dying to know at this point: do I still think this stuff? I mean, a little ... it’s a learning process. I’m far more tolerant of things. I believe everyone should be free and equal. I have no particular issues with any minority group. I have negative thoughts all the time, but I just brush them aside. If anything, rather than being spiteful and angry for zero reason, I’m mostly indifferent. What is my life after Neo-Nazism? Well... it’s a lot of things. I’m much more content with my day to day existence. I’m an openly gender confused, bisexual, mentally ill, physically disabled person of colour. Honestly, I spend most of my free time watching TV or cooking. I play video games and have pets. I’m just like you, with a short detour to get there. Weird. If you’d like to read the full version of this article, or read more of Finn’s work, you can find it on his Wix blog: www.jerkofalltrades.wixsite.com/home Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

By Hannah Jane

Canon and fandom: LGBTI representation in mythology FAIRY TALES AND FOLK LEGENDS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING RETOLD THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIUMS AND WITH DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO TOPICS AND THEMES. MORE AND MORE MYTHS AND LEGENDS BEYOND THE GREEK PANTHEON ARE BECOMING STAPLE TALES TO OUR CULTURAL MAKEUP. ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EASY TO TWIST FAIRY TALES AND FLESH THEM OUT BEYOND BASIC TROPES TO BE INCLUSIVE OF THE DIVERSE HUMAN EXPERIENCE. IN MY OPINION, MYTHS ARE TEACHING STORIES.

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

Like fairy tales, the canonical material in mythology can be twisted or changed at will by the author. For example, some tales can be vague on certain details or leave out time periods. Additionally, multiple versions of the one story can leave a lot of creative flexibility to bring representation in through retellings.

So, what about the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus? Zeus and Ganymede? Apollo and…. There are a few instances of samesex relationships, transgenderism, androgyny, and intersex individuals. However, there is also the difference between our perception of these things and the time the stories were recorded. Regarding same-sex relationships in Ancient Greece, sexual relationships between men included strict active and passive roles based on age difference. This was also a part of social status and hierarchy. The romance between Achilles and Patroclus is also the first recorded instance of a deep emotional bond between two adult men in ancient Greek culture. Then there’s Sappho’s poetry that documents romantic and erotic relationships between women. What does this mean for the modern creative? From an academic standpoint, it is worth learning about the historic approaches to what we know as LGBTI+ experiences. Transgenderism as we know it today is not represented in Greek mythology. The transformation from one sex to another is done for various reasons across the mythology: as punishment, as a reward, and usually either of these in response to a deity from the pantheon.

shapeshift to creatures or either sex, the god Freyr potentially being a patron of homosexual men, and Odin’s practice of Seidr magic despite it being shameful for men to perform and mainly practiced by women.

The Greek mythology is widely known and well recognised, but not all cultures have such explicit references to LGBTI+ experiences. For example, in the mythologies of the Celtic and Norse cultures, LGBTI+ references are merely alluded to. In the case of Celtic mythology, the relationship between Cuchulainn and Ferdiadh have been interpreted as sexual - akin to Greek “warrior-lovers” like Achilles and Patrocles. Indirect examples that can be drawn from Norse mythology can include Loki’s ability to

Where do we go from here? Representation is important. The stories, and by extension the tropes they have created, are well loved, despite the cultural consensus of these mythologies. There is merit in appreciating texts in their original form, but it is also worth remodelling these stories into something fit for the modern audience as a lens for thoughtful discussion and pure entertainment. Stories through whatever medium are important for people to feel heard and seen in our world. Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

By Anoymous

#andmetoo HEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THE STORY OF HOW #METOO FELT MORE ISOLATING FOR ME AS A VICTIM OF SEXUAL ABUSE THAN EMPOWERING. I WANT TO PREFACE THIS ARTICLE BY SAYING THAT I AM NOT AGAINST THE #METOO MOVEMENT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO SPEAK UP ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HOW OUR CULTURE NEEDS TO PROTECT VICTIMS: NOT PERPETRATORS. IT CAN BE TERRIFYING TO REPORT SEXUAL ASSAULT. FOR MANY PEOPLE, #METOO IS A MOVEMENT OF TOGETHERNESS.

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

Let’s go back to my first relationship. I was 15, lovestruck and navigating the world as someone in an open lesbian relationship. From the outside we seemed infatuated with each other. We went everywhere together, enjoyed the same things, and fought side by side as people tried to tell us our relationship was wrong. To many of my friends, we were the ideal couple. Behind closed doors, there was a story that makes me sick to even think about.

Unhealthy obsessions and one-sided sexual adventures quickly became manipulation tactics. My girlfriend was controlling, completely sexobsessed, and unfortunately clever. I refuse to dive into details - even writing this out is making me shake and feel queasy - but what you need to take away from this is that our relationship was toxic, and during the relationship I was repeatedly sexually abused. Like so many other sexual abuse victims, once I broke free from the person abusing me I was terrified. Adults downplayed the nature of the abuse, and some even encouraged it to continue. My friends, when I gained the courage to talk to them, didn’t seem to comprehend that I hadn’t just been in a bad relationship.

Worst of all for me, was the fact that nobody ever seemed to consider that one girl could sexually abuse another. They hardly acknowledged the fact that men could be abusive in a sexual nature. I felt alone, I felt like I was overreacting, and in the end I decided that the safest option was to bottle the whole experience up.

When #metoo began to creep its way into my newsfeed, I was genuinely happy for all the women standing up and telling their stories. They talked about the experience being freeing, and about the solidarity they felt with other women when a new story came up.

The main focus became believing victims, supporting others, and letting them know they weren’t alone. Hell, even men like Terry Crews were sharing stories, and supporting the movement to give courage to other survivors. Really, I feel ungrateful for not feeling empowered by #metoo. It genuinely was, and still is a long overdue and powerful movement. The thing is though, with every story coming out, I saw a trend: women being assaulted by men and men being assaulted by men. If anything came up about a woman being the perpetrator, she was assaulting a man. As a woman who has suffered sexual abuse at the hands of another woman, I felt more alone than ever. It seemed like nobody wanted to admit that a woman was capable of sexual abuse at all. My experience feels like an outlier, and one that means I don’t quite belong with the women finding comfort in telling their stories.

I suppose me writing this is my way of finally joining in. I’m desperately hoping that someone will see this and will understand my feeling of isolation as a woman abused by another woman. I know that logically I’m supposed to feel empowered by #metoo, but until we start to admit that being queer, and being a woman, doesn’t stop or excuse abusive behavior, I’ll be left in the forgotten corner of the #metoo movement.

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

By The Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council Tasmania

Pill testing saves lives PILL TESTING FIRST EMERGED IN THE EARLY 1990S IN THE NETHERLANDS AND IS NOW COMMON PLACE AT MUSIC FESTIVALS ACROSS EUROPE. SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF PILL TESTING, PORTUGAL HAS HAD ZERO DEATHS AT MUSIC FESTIVALS, AND RESEARCH FROM AUSTRIA FOUND THAT 50 PER CENT OF THOSE WHO USED TESTING SERVICES BELIEVED THE RESULTS INFLUENCED THEIR DRUG TAKING BEHAVIOUR. TWO THIRDS DECIDED NOT TO CONSUME THE DRUGS THAT WERE SHOWN TO HAVE IMPURITIES, AND OTHERS CONSUMED LESS THAN PLANNED AND SAID THEY WOULD WARN THEIR FRIENDS OF THE INHERENT RISKS.

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

Summer 2018- 2019 will be remembered as one that was plagued by multiple drug related deaths and serious illness at music festivals across Australia, and a moment-in-time when community calls for pill testing was the loudest than any other time in history. This includes Tasmania. There is growing awareness that regardless of moral views or the legality of illicit drug use, the reality is that people - particularly young adults – will continue to take drugs. This is evidenced through the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Data Survey that identified 43 per cent of Australians over 14 years of age reported using an illicit drug in their lifetime. And because recreational drugs, like ecstasy and MDMA are unregulated, the quality and strength are anyone’s guess. This is where pill testing is critical.

A pill test is an analysis of a small sample of the drug (including powders or liquids). Results are usually available within 20 minutes. Pill testing stations aim to prevent people from taking dangerous or contaminated substances. It is also an opportunity for health staff to provide face to face advice to people about the risks of drug taking. The results of Australia’s first pill testing trial, at the Groovin the Moo Festival in Canberra in 2018, proved the merits of pill testing. Of the 128 festival goers who had their drugs tested, five threw their pills in the amnesty bin and 42 per cent said their drug taking behaviour would change because of the testing. If young Australians were dying in high speed car accidents, in workplace accidents or participating in extreme sports at the same rate as they are at music festivals, there would be public outcry for changes to how we mitigate risks associated with such activities. Yet our young people who experiment with drugs are currently not being afforded the same care and protection.

Common reported concerns are that pill testing is merely ‘quality assurance for drug dealers’, or that it encourages drug use. The ATDC strongly opposes this view. Professionals in the industry say that there is no research or evidence to support the view that pill testing increases drug use but say pill testing is about targeting people who already have the intention of consuming illicit substances and helping to mitigate their risk. The Alcohol and Drug Foundation supports this view and states that ‘ drug checking does not promote illicit drug taking, and people who choose to get their substances tested have already purchased them with the intention to use them’.

Arguments for and against pill testing in Tasmania comes down to the issue of whether we continue to only take a zero tolerance/criminal justice approach to drug taking at music festivals and events, or do we adapt and incorporate additional harm reduction approaches. It is the ATDC’s position that the zero tolerance/criminal justice approach cannot continue to be the only approach, and evidence-based harm reduction approaches like pill testing will reduce the potential harm from illicit drug use. The ATDC’s position on pill testing is echoed by the Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine within the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australian Medical Association, Family Drug Support Australia, the Ambulance Union State Council and the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation. At the local level, it is also supported by Tasmanian community organisations including the Youth Network of Tasmania and Community Legal Centres Tasmania. For references and unabridged version, please see the ATDC website.

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

By Shanae Aziz

Queer art in a small town BEING QUEER IN A SMALL CITY COMES WITH ITS OWN SET OF OBSTACLES. IT CAN PROVIDE A SENSE OF ISOLATION AND DIFFICULTY IN FINDING CONNECTIONS.

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

On the opposite end the sense of sparseness can bring people closer. In any case, establishing yourself as an artist in a small town is difficult, whether you are queer or not.

In a smaller community, having a persistent presence may provide a foundation to build on. You will gather a fanbase faster through more connections. But in the world of the ever-growing internet, things feel both endlessly awe-inducing whilst overwhelmingly oversaturated. Navigating one’s identity has become more possible through online forums and social media platforms. Yet it is also endlessly complex and layered.

When doing my traditional art, I focus on my identity, for I am never quite stuck into place onto what my identity means. Does my queerness defy my sense of self? No, but it has undeniably shaped it. Does my mental illness defy my art? No, but it has impacted the ways my energy fluctuates and my thoughts on my skillset. The end note is that being queer, specifically in Tasmania doesn’t defy me; but it sure as hell has contributed to what now presents as ‘me’. I love portraits for I love the people behind them, their ever-changing self and the complexity behind each person. My face will constantly change, like the communities, definitions, and platforms we use to help identify ourselves. My name is Shanae Aziz, I’m currently 20 though that will change. My art account is @azizdraws on Instagram, my personal (occasionally artistic) account is @shanae.jpeg

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

SERVICES ATTITUDE COUNSELLING

WORKING IT OUT

Attitudecounselling.com Ph 0433 184 088 (Launceston)

www.workingitout.org.au

Affordable, confidential

Q-LIFE, NATIONAL www.qlife.org.au Ph 1800 184 527 Counselling 7 days 3.00 pm til midnight

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TASMANIA https://equalopportunity.tas.gov.au Ph 1300 305 062 The office of the anti-discrimination commissioner

GAY & LESBIAN SWITCHBOARD www.switchboard.org.au Ph 1800 184 527 Counselling and referrals

SCARLET ALLIANCE TASMANIAN SEX WORKER OUTREACH PROJECT outreachtas@scarletalliance.org.au Ph 0451 835 897 www.scarletalliance.org.au

SEX WORKER OUTREACH PROJECT (SWOP)

SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICE http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/sexualhealth Toll Free: 1800 675 859 Clinic 60 - 60 Collins St Hobart Ph 03 6166 2672 Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (drop in on Tuesday afternoon and Thursday mornings) Clinic 34 - 34 Howick St Launceston Ph 03 6777 1371 Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 5:00 pm (drop in on Thursday mornings) Devonport - Ph 03 6777 1371 by appointment only Counselling, support, referrals and STI and HIV testing

TASCAHRD - TASMANIAN COUNCIL ON AIDS, HEPATITIS & RELATED DISEASES www.redthread.org.au Ph 1800 005 900

TAS POLICE LGBTIQ LIAISON OFFICERS

Resources for sex workers, including cis male and transgender sex workers

www.police.tas.gov.au Ph 03 6230 2111 (Hobart) Ph 03 6336 7000 (Launceston) Ph 03 6434 5211 (North West)

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SEX INDUSTRY NETWORK

ATDC TAS – THE ALCOHOL, TOBACCO & OTHER DRUGS COUNCIL OF TASMANIA

www.swop.org.au

http://www.sin.org.au/SINmale Outreach, peer education, information, referrals, support, advocacy, working tips, resources and safer sex supplies to all male workers

TASPRIDE www.taspride.com Celebrating and uniting the Tasmanian LGBTIQQ community

Sexuality and gender support and counselling

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019

http://www.atdc.org.au/ Advocating and initiatives

NUFIT GLENORCHY (ANGLICARE NSP) 436 Main Rd Glenorchy Ph 1800 243 232 Mon – Fri 10:00 am – 4:30 pm Sterile equipment, information, education, support and referrals

DIRECTORY SHIELD www.shieldtasmania.org

EAST COAST QUEER LIFE SUPPORT (ECQLS)

Uniting and Supporting LGBTIQ youth based in Northern Tasmania

Email ecqls.tas@gmail.com Ph 0467 000 748 Information and social activities

ANGLICARE NEEDLE & SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

FAMILY PLANNING TASMANIA

111 Elizabeth St Launceston Ph 03 6323 7500 Mon – Fri 8:30 am – 3:00 pm

http://www.fpt.asn.au 421 Main Rd Glenorchy Ph 03 6273 9117 Mon - Fri 9:00 am – 5.00 pm 269 Wellington St Launceston Ph 03 6343 4566 Mon - Fri 9:00 am – 5.00 pm 1 Pine Ave Burnie Ph 03 6431 7692 (Mon, Wed and Thurs)

THE LINK YOUTH HEALTH SERVICE & HEAD SPACE FOR PEOPLE AGED 12-24

Contraception and pregnancy counselling, sexual health checks, pap smears, information and referral

18 Watchorn St, Hobart Ph 1800 243 232 Mon – Fri 12.30 am – 4.30 pm 24 hr vending machine ($2 fee)

SALVATION ARMY NEEDLE & SYRINGE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME

http://www.thelink.org.au 57 Liverpool St Hobart Ph 03 6231 2927 Mon – Fri 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Counselling, outreach, case management, support for mental and sexual health, alcohol and drugs (incl NSP), family planning

HOBART COMMUNITY LEGAL SERVICE www.hobartlegal.org 166 Macquarie Street, Hobart Ph 03 6223 2500 7 Station Lane, Sorell Ph 03 6265 1911 Shop 3, Covehill Fair, Bridgewater Ph 03 6263 4755

FLAMINGOS DANCE BAR www.flamingosbar.com Tasmania’s nightclub committed to providing a tolerant, safe, informative and fun environment for people of alternative sexualities and their friends to be able to enjoy themselves and socialise in a non-threatening environment

GAY FRIENDLY CAFES Basket & Green Cafe Bozzey Criterion Cafe Deloraine Deli DS Coffee House Fitzpatrick’s Inn Fleurty’s Cafe Lotus Eaters Ginger Brown Hamlet Hotel SOHO Jackman & McCross Kusinat Lansdowne Cafe Lebrina Machine Laundry Cafe O’Keefe’s Hotel Pickled Evenings Indian Restaurant Red Velvet Lounge Republic Bar Restaurant Red Restaurant Waterloo Retro Café Stonies Fifties Cafe Straight Up Coffee & Food Tasmania Inn

Red thread Magazine - Autumn 2019