Queerstories

Rosie doesn't have great luck with showing vulnerability in the world of romance. Here are but a few embarrassing calamities from a life well (read: poorly) lived. Rosie Piper  is Australia’s premier transgender lesbian comedian*. “A long-running favourite of Sydney’s comedy scene, you might’ve seen Rosie perform her stand-up at the  Sydney Opera House, Enmore Theatre,  on  Ton...

Frances shares a story of migration, Mills and Boon, and a daughter finally recognising her mother. By day, Frances Lockie is a public servant turned corporate sellout clinging desperately to the vestiges of her soul by working on human services projects. By night, she is a mouthy dork who has strong opinions about pro wrestling, One Direction, and sex playlists. Her first crush was Joey McIntyre...

Imogen reflects on bodies, history, gender and connection, remembering her mother, an ex-partner and her childhood. Imogen Kelly is a performance artist, writer, director and producer. Hailing from the queer underground, Imogen is renowned as Australia’s Queen of Burlesque and was officially crowned World Queen of Burlesque in 2012 (Burlesque Hall of Fame, Las Vegas).
 A La Clique/ La Soiree veter...

Dan shares a story about his relationship to smoking, and its connection to family, community and his sense of self. Dan Murphy is a DJ and filmmaker, and is not to be confused with the liquor shop, although they both are full of cheap booze. He's been the opening DJ for Cher, Kylie and Dannii Minogue, created community videos for marriage equality, GetUp! and Mardi Gras, and was a regular columni...

After a stark realisation that childhood dreams aren't always the best realities, Trent decides to move to Meanjin. Trent Wallace lives on Gadigal country and is a First Nations Advisor and Pro Bono Lawyer in a global law firm - the first and only Aboriginal person to hold this position. Prior to this, Trent was the first Aboriginal lawyer on the Disability Royal Commission and was with Australian...

Evie tells a tale about learning how to ride through transition. Evie Ryder is a Skateboarder, Trans Female, pansexual, Film maker, Community activist .She has 20 years social work experience working with LGBTIQAP+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy people and communities. Evie has a history of working in AOD, mental health, sexual health, group work and training. Evie is passionate about vi...

Yen-Rong attempts to let go of a decade-long grudge over a missing atlas. Yen-Rong Wong is a writer of of non-fiction based in Meanjin (Brisbane), on unceded Jaggera and Turrbal land. Her work has appeared in many print and online publications, including The Guardian, Meanjin, and Griffith Review, and she is currently working on her first full length manuscript, Things Left Unsaid.  Queerstor...

Fletcher's obsession with a particular piece of rainbow paraphernalia drives this radiographer round the bend. Fletcher Quilty was found face-down in a lovely bog when grunge was on the rise. He writes short-stories, poetry, and theatre. His words can be found in Jacaranda Journal, The Tundish Review, Sugarcane, PASTEL Magazine, and occasionally on a stage. By day (and also by night—it's shift wor...

Roj tells a story about going out, and about the sacred wonder of a queer bar. Roj Amedi is a writer, strategist and human rights campaigner. She is currently the Engagement and Communications Manager at Justice Connect, where she leads a team on advocacy, communications and fundraising. She also serves as a Director of the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival and Overland Journal. Previously, Roj...

Michael has a chat with his foster son on one of their regular visits to the dog park. Michael James is a teacher, writer, producer and the current entertainment editor for Qnews magazine. In 2011 Michael and his husband came to prominence as part of the “RipnRoll” campaign that gained international attention and spurred his involvement in queer activism. He has served on the Brisbane Pride Festiv...

Mads joins the Model UN, changing her life's course and shifting her relationship to expressing her emotions. Madhuraa Prakash, also known as Mads, is an activist, formerly working with PLAN International Australia, and a drag king who performs under the name 'Manish Interest'. Born in Sri Lanka and raised in Australia, she has spoken of her experiences as a queer brown woman on panels for organis...

David ponders maps, memory and a sense of place, while sharing a story of his time in the Sydney University Catholic Society, David Moutou has worked in local government in Western Sydney for the last ten years. Prior to this, he worked for Twenty10, and was a Director and Chairperson of The Aurora Group, a LGBTIQ philanthropic foundation. In the years before YouTube and Smart Phones, David perfor...

Mark, Doonside's resident hopeless romantic, is yet to find his Mr Right. Is he just down on his luck? Or have rom-coms set an astronomically high standard that this chubby gaysian just cannot seem to shake? Mark Mariano is an Australian-born Filipino editor, writer, model, and social media whiz from Doonside on Darug land. Mark works at SBS in an editorial role and is also an active member of SBS...

An unexpected encounter in the hospital cafeteria awakens Jane, then a young nurse, to a career as a lesbian and an activist. Jane Marsden is a learning and development professional and project manager. She commenced her career in LGBTI+ community organizing and activism in the early eighties. In the early nineties she was appointed to the Board of Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras on which she...

Miranda lays out their thesis for why everyone should skate. Miranda Aguilar is a proud, queer, Filipinx writer, creative producer and community arts worker. They're passionate about working with young people and providing inclusive, accessible pathways for people to tell their own stories. They write scripts and stories for soft-spoken brown weirdoes, spicy gay nerds and hopeful pessimi...

Naomi finds that growing up a Jehovah's Witness prepared her for 2020 in unexpected ways. As Sydney’s only Lebanese, lesbian, ex-Jehovah’s Witness comedian, Naomi Mourra is your gateway woman to chicks, chickpeas, cults and culture. Her solo show, An Open Book, debuted in 2018 and she has since had sold out runs at the Sydney Fringe Comedy Festival and the Sydney Comedy Festival. She co-founded an...

Belinda explores the impact of trauma on the body, and considers what is possible for them if they change the way they connect to others, change the way they experience pleasure.   Belinda Quinn writes, listens, plays and rests on the lands of the Yuin and Dharawal language groups. They have worked in street press, commercial magazines, in sound and in venues, and have volunteered for communi...

From humble beginnings in Yass, Neisha didn’t expect to end up a circus entertainer traveling the world. She looks back on her childhood and the moments that indicated who she might become.   Neisha Murphy is a vibrant variety entertainer and director who blends a mix of physical skill and characterisation with juggling, slack rope, hosting, comedy and a range of dare devil stunts. Neisha has...

A teenage encounter by the water, Schnapps, and memory – Joshua shares his own gentle take on the well-worn coming of age.   Joshua Lobb teaches Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong. His stories have appeared in The Bridport Prize Anthology, Best Australian Stories, Animal Studies Journal, Griffith Review, Text, Southerly and  Island . His ‘novel in stories’ about g...

After an encounter at their 30th birthday, Ellen considers friendship, connection and the colonial construct of gender. Ellen van Neerven is an award-winning writer, editor and educator of Mununjali Yugambeh and Dutch heritage with strong ancestral ties to South East Queensland. They write fiction, poetry and non-fiction, and play football on unceded Turrbal and Yuggera land. van Neerven’s books,...

Being a young queer baby is practically the equivalent of having to be an undercover private investigator to your own sexuality. Pierce tries to find out the basics of gay sex, with hilarious results.   Pierce Eldridge is a sensitive gender non-conforming curator and writer based on the Gold Coast; with lavender bulbs blooming for brains. They have a distinct interest in poetry and photograph...

Performing for 600 people at the Opera House on their 25th birthday, a birthday they never expected to reach, Liv looks back through the years and tells themselves a few things.   A dynamic and versatile actor, Liv Hewson is continuing to hone their craft with each new role. They starred in Netflix's hit comedy series, SANTA CLARITA DIET opposite Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, perf...

Award-winning poet Omar Sakr shares some of his work, inviting the audience into his process and passions. Omar Sakr is an award-winning poet born and raised in Western Sydney to Lebanese and Turkish Muslim migrants. He is the author of These Wild Houses (Cordite Books, 2017), which was shortlisted for the Judith Wright Calanthe Award and the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, as well as The Lost A...

Growing up in Mudgee in rural NSW, a young Cadance learns a brutal lesson while out driving with her father. Cadance Bell is an emerging writer, producer and director. She is the CEO and co-founder of production company Wayflair Studios, where she unmakes prejudice through entertainment. Cady was the writer/director of The Rainbow Passage – commissioned by Screen Australia and Network Ten and the...

Nadine reflects on an epic love that lasted years but never quite happened. Nadine Chemali is a writer, researcher and social worker. She is dedicated to creating and nurturing communities, facilitating discussions on identity, sexuality, displacement and representation, discourse she feels was missing from her own migrant upbringing in Australia. She has written for publications like SBS Voices,...