What I've Learned About Love

Have you ever felt like you weren't "queer enough"? Whether that be in how you look, dress, live your life, or how you do relationships... we might sometimes feel as though we're not visibly or overtly queer enough. Queer Gomeroi person and Sex Educator Shania Eddy joined me to speak on their experience coming out and finding language to authentically describe themselves, both in gender and sexual...

In a world that tells us that one of the most meaningful things we can do with our lives is to have kids, what happens when we choose to be child-free? Well, we find meaning elsewhere and, shock horror, there's plenty of places to find it. Alex and Jay O'Neill-King joined me on the show to talk about their journey deciding not to have kids, biological or otherwise. They've been together 11 years,...

Whether it's in marriage or the workplace, Sheilla Njoto-Thomson researches how women are discriminated against based on gender. Her recent PhD research looked into how hiring software and algorithms favour resumes that use "masculine" language (over "feminine"), therefore privileging male applicants over female. In this episode, Sheilla not only talks about her research findings of workplace gend...

What does it mean to be sex positive? In this solo episode I define what sex positivity is at its core, while also challenging the ways in which it can be taken out of context. Why have I called it "the sex positivity paradox"? Well… I've noticed that, sometimes, people can unknowingly use the term in ways that defeat the whole purpose of what the sex positive movement set out to achieve. I talk a...

"Coming in" is a concept that came about as an alternative to coming out. Registered Psychologist and Narrative Therapist, Sekneh Hammoud-Beckett came up with the idea alongside her queer brother over a decade ago. In this episode we talk more about coming in, how Sekneh integrates narrative therapy with psychology, where "coming out" falls short for LGBTQ+ people, and what it looks like to challe...

For an experience that happens to so many people, miscarriage is something that's hardly spoken about. Many suffer in silence. Not Jacqui Maloney, as she's come to learn. After having 2 miscarriages, part of Jacqui's healing has involved sharing her experience with loved ones and the people around her. We talk about processing grief, anger, blame and trauma. Jacqui reflects on the relationships sh...

When Kosta Lucas underwent gastric sleeve surgery in 2015, it dramatically altered the way he understood himself and the way people perceived him. In this episode, we chat about his multi-layered experience of masculinity, body image, fatphobia, privilege, dating, and his work - which, at its core, looks into humanity's need for belonging, meaning and connection. Kosta is a researcher and writer i...

Natasha Lama (or Lama for short) started her Instagram @browngirl.sexology shortly after being diagnosed with genital herpes (HSV-1) several years ago. Her goal: to add to the conversation of destigmatising STIs. Having grown up in Malaysia with a South Asian background, Lama uses her Instagram to celebrate South Asian and South-East Asian young adults being open, informed, and curious about their...

Being single can often be treated as the "in between" phase, not the destination. Within the last year, I made the choice to be consciously celibate, meaning I not only happen to be single, but I've intentionally kept it that way. In this solo episode I share my reasoning behind this decision and why I'm absolutely loving it. Whether you've just gone through a break up, have been single for a long...

IVF is a mystery to many. Where do you start? Who do you trust? If you're a same-sex couple, where do you go for queer-inclusive support? Through IVF, Rosie Thomas and her partner Stella welcomed their daughter Joey into the world just over a year ago. After dedicating the last 2 decades to her "first baby", PROJECT ROCKIT (the business she co-founded with her sister Lucy), Rosie is now leaning in...

In Australia, there is a strong mining industry. FIFO refers to “fly in, fly out”. Companies fly their staff to rural sites to work days, often weeks, at a time, then return home before repeating the whole cycle again. This can look like “4 days on, 3 days off” or “2 weeks on, 1 week off”, for example. It’s the kind of work that can take a real toll on relationships and families. Dr Jacinta di Pri...

Seth Malacari (he/they) came out as non-binary transmasculine in 2021 one and a half years into his relationship with Claire Thomas (she/her). In this episode, the couple share their experiences of gender transitioning while in a relationship, which for Seth included changing his name, starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and undergoing top surgery. Seth and Claire live together with their 7...

Before releasing weekly interviews with a variety of guests this season, here are some important things to know about the podcast host Mim Kempson, her values, and what to expect from the show. 3:45 Swearing3:52 This podcast is not therapy4:20 I am not a psychologist4:37 See this podcast as a metaphor for relationships5:33 I'm not here to please everyone6:22 Relationships are a subjective topic6:4...

In the lead up to the podcast's launch, here are some snippets of the voices you'll be hearing this season. Featured in order: Alex O'Neill-King, Kosta Lucas, Sheilla Njoto-Thompson, Dr Jacinta di Prinzio. Head to www.mimkempson.com or @theconnectioncoach_ on Instagram to grab tickets to the launch event in Perth (WA) on Monday evening the 18th of September 2023. Photography by Heilam LuiArtwork b...