LOTL Media - Queer Conversation

Send us Fan Mail LOTL Lounge - Episode 1 Episode Summary In the debut episode of LOTL Lounge, host Silke Bader relaunches LOTL’s audio home for lesbian and queer women’s stories - blending culture, lived experience, comedy, sport, and music into a vibrant hour of community storytelling.  We begin with Nash , a leading voice in the drag king community, who joins Silke to introduce Drag King Corner...

Send us Fan Mail Loretta Smith, bestselling author of A Spanner in the Works, returns with Corpus in Extremis—a deeply personal memoir tracing a life shaped by physical challenges, creative ambition, and extraordinary resilience.  Known for her acclaimed biography of Alice Anderson, Smith now turns the lens on her own story, reflecting on how chronic pain and a lifelong bone condition have influen...

Send us Fan Mail Barbara Baird discusses Personal Politics, a landmark work tracing the evolution of feminism, sexuality, and queer activism in Australia from the 1970s to today.  This conversation explores the book’s nine‑year development, the movements that shaped it, and the ongoing fight for equality across LGBTQIA+ communities Socials: @LOTLMedia Support the show Check out more content on www...

Send us Fan Mail Hannah Malarski joins Queer Conversation to talk about BIG DYKE ENERGY — her riotous, unapologetically queer comedy show.  After sold‑out seasons at the 2023 Melbourne Fringe and the 2024 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Hannah returns with sharp wit, bold storytelling and a whole lot of pride. Socials: @LOTLMedia Support the show Check out more content on www.lotl.com

Send us Fan Mail Pauline Menczer’s journey is an Aussie underdog story like no other — think Rocky meets Puberty Blues. From battling sexism, homophobia, and rheumatoid arthritis to becoming World Surfing Champion, her life is a testament to grit, resilience, and refusing to be defined by adversity. In this Queer Conversation, we explore Pauline’s rise from the fringes of competitive surfing to gl...

Send us Fan Mail Dr Kerryn Phelps AM reflects on her landmark memoir Power of Balance, tracing the experiences that have shaped her work across medicine, media, and public life.  In this conversation, she discusses key moments from her career, including her early years in clinical practice, her visibility in the Australian media, and her involvement in national discussions on health and community...

Send us Fan Mail Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir returns with one of its biggest performances yet: Back to the 80s, a high‑energy jukebox concert celebrating the iconic hits of the decade.  Taking place at the Seymour Centre on Saturday, 8 June, this special long‑weekend event brings together nostalgia, queer joy, and the powerful harmonies the choir is known for. In this Queer Conversation, LOTL s...

Send us Fan Mail Sydney’s vibrant art scene is set to embrace the innovative work of Jane Cavanough, a distinguished artist whose practice blends Landscape Architecture with Visual Arts to create pieces that are both conceptually rich and visually arresting.  Her work explores the intersection of place, memory, and design, transforming natural forms into sculptural expressions that invite reflecti...

Send us Fan Mail The Exhibition: Lesbians On The Loose traces a visual and editorial timeline of lesbian representation through the long‑running, lesbian‑owned publication Lesbians on the Loose — now known as LOTL. This exhibition highlights decades of community reporting, activism, and storytelling that shaped lesbian visibility in Australia. Featured are interviews with Sylvia Kinder, Gail Hewis...

Send us Fan Mail Grammy Award–winning rock icon and activist Melissa Etheridge returns to the stage in 2024 with her I’m Not Broken Tour, bringing her unmistakable voice, raw storytelling, and powerful catalogue back to audiences worldwide. In this exclusive LOTL Conversation, Melissa Etheridge reflects on the themes behind the tour, her creative process, and the resilience that continues to shape...

Send us Fan Mail Polarized is a British‑Canadian queer drama that premiered at BFI Flare 2023, telling the story of Lisa, a young farm girl from rural Manitoba, and Dalia, a manager at an urban farm.  Despite their differences in race, religion, and sexuality, the two women form an unexpected connection that challenges the prejudices of their small‑town community. In this Queer Conversation, filmm...

Send us Fan Mail Western Australian filmmaker, actress, and multidisciplinary artist Tina Fielding steps boldly into new territory with Out of Here — a vibrant, chaotic, deeply human web series that expands the world first introduced in her acclaimed 2021 short film Sparkles. LOTL sits down with Tina and director Jacqueline Pelczar to talk about queer storytelling, disability representation, and b...

Send us Fan Mail Send For Nellie is a thrilling new cabaret work that brings to life the extraordinary, long‑overlooked story of Nellie Small, the West‑Indian Australian singer who lit up Sydney’s Oxford Street in 1931.  With her signature top hat and tails, Nellie became a groundbreaking figure in Australian vaudeville and cabaret — bold, charismatic, and defiantly non‑conformist at a time when f...

Send us Fan Mail Qtopia Sydney is an independent not‑for‑profit organisation committed to empowerment, inclusivity, celebration, challenge, and education. As Australia’s first dedicated queer museum, Qtopia is shaping a new era of LGBTQIA+ visibility by preserving stories, honouring community history, and creating a space where queer culture can be explored and celebrated. In this Queer Conversati...

Send us Fan Mail Poet and artist Jazz Money, of Wiradjuri and Irish heritage and based on Gadigal Country, brings her luminous multidisciplinary practice to the 2024 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art. Centred on poetics, Jazz’s work spans visual art, film, performance, audio and print — each medium offering a different way of holding story, memory and Country. In this Queer Conversation, Jazz sp...

Send us Fan Mail Irish‑born, Berlin‑based artist Wallis Bird returns to Australia in January 2024 for her fourth national tour, bringing her explosive energy, raw musicianship, and unmistakable voice back to local audiences. In this LOTL Conversation, Wallis Bird opens up about the creative journey behind the tour, the challenges of life on the road, and her cheeky plans for a possible “naked tour...

Send us Fan Mail Australian actor Kate Box steps into one of her most intriguing roles yet in Erotic Stories, SBS’s deliciously provocative new drama exploring sex, intimacy, and the hidden lives of everyday people. Featuring a star‑studded cast in ways audiences have never seen before, the series blends humour, vulnerability, and bold storytelling to examine desire from fresh, character‑driven pe...

Send us Fan Mail There’s a fizz in the air with the SBS Original series While The Men Are Away — a playful, warm‑hearted revisionist history that blends truth, humour, and a cast of characters you can’t help but fall in love with. Set during World War II, the series reimagines the home‑front experience with a queer, clever twist that feels both fresh and deeply entertaining. LOTL speaks with co‑pr...

Send us Fan Mail The Lesbian Action Group (LAG) has applied to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) for a temporary exemption from anti‑discrimination laws — a move that has sparked significant discussion about rights, inclusion, and the future of lesbian‑centred organising in Australia. In this Queer Conversation, LOTL speaks with Nicole Mowbray about the exemption request, why it has ge...

Send us Fan Mail SMART Recovery Australia is expanding its addiction‑support services to better meet the needs of LGBTQIA+ communities, recognising that queer people often face unique challenges that require tailored, culturally safe approaches. In this Queer Conversation, LOTL speaks with April Long, CEO of SMART Recovery Australia, about why inclusive addiction‑recovery programs matter, how stig...

Send us Fan Mail CUSP, directed by Erika Felton, screens as part of the Pride Without Prejudice program at the St Kilda Film Festival, held at the Victorian Pride Centre. The short film reflects Felton’s passion for stories that centre everyday queer characters in familiar worlds — moments that feel small, intimate, and deeply human. In this Queer Conversation, LOTL speaks with Erika Felton about...

Send us Fan Mail Unboxed Pride has launched Australia’s first dedicated LGBTQIA+ online mental‑health platform, offering qualified, in‑context psychological support tailored to the needs of queer communities nationwide. In this Queer Conversation, LOTL speaks with Laura Rizzuto, a clinical psychologist specialising in anger management, gender identity, and supporting people through the coming‑out...

Send us Fan Mail For more than a century, Rotary operated under rules that explicitly restricted membership to “adult male persons of good character and good business or professional reputation.” Women were only officially welcomed after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the late 1980s — and while LGBTQ+ people were never formally excluded, many were made to feel unwelcome in practice. In th...

Send us Fan Mail Lesbia Harford and Katie Lush were two remarkable women whose relationship and creative lives shaped early 1900s queer history in Australia. In this History Snap, Danielle Scrimshaw—author of She and Her Pretty Friend—highlights their story and the broader hidden history of Australian women who loved women. Discover how their lives intersected with activism, art, and community at...

Send us Fan Mail New research is shedding light on the unique experiences of LGBTQIA+ people living with eating disorders — a community often overlooked in mainstream studies. In this Queer Conversation, LOTL speaks with Shannon Calvert, a lived‑experience educator and advocate, about the urgent need for inclusive research, the gaps that still exist, and how stigma and discrimination shape the rea...