Sexy Galexy

2 March 2023

Sexy Galexy began her career performing in drag shows and events around her home city of Perth during the 90’s golden age of lesbian and drag king culture before following the bright lights to Sydney to appear in her weekly shows alongside DJ Sveti at Kingki Kingdom.

Sexy Galexy has performed in drag shows and pride festivals in Europe and North Americas and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and featured as a TV host to cover the Mardi Gras Parade for QueerTV

Sexy Galexy stared in “Manliness: The Angle of My Dangle” and “Manliness Mansion”, which was performed at festivals including Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Perth Fringe World and continue to fly the flag for aspiring drag kings around the world.  

Don’t forget to checkout Behind the Zip , Pride Amplified (FOXY) & Chuffed all part of Sydney world pride 2023.

Ben Graetz AKA Miss Ellaneous

2 March 2023

Ben Graetz AKA Miss Ellaneous is a descendant of the Iwaidja and Malak Malak clans in the Northern Territory and of Badu Island in the Torres Strait, with over 20 years of creative practice spanning both First Nations and LGBTIQA+ identities. Recent career highlights include Artistic Direction of the Arafura Games ceremonies, Creative Producing independently and for companies including ILBIJERRI Theatre and founding with collaborator Marzi Panne PARTY PASSPORT: a LGBTIQA+ and First Nations event production house with diversity and inclusion, fun and fabulousness at its heart. 

Ben has a strong knowledge of the arts in Australia and networks extending across oceans to First Nations practitioners in Aoteara (New Zealand), Turtle Island (North America) and Taiwan. He is the founder of Darwin’s First Nations festival GARRMALANG and has been instrumental in the organisation and profile raising of Darwin Pride. The first four shows that are a part of Marri Madung Butbut (Many Brave Hearts) The First Nations Gathering Space for Sydney WoldPride 2023 are on sale now.

 

 

 

Kate Wickett

6 February 2023

Kate studied law and began her career in various legal roles including a one year appointment as Associate to Supreme Court Justice Steven Bailey (NT), and legal positions at Maddocks, Buchanan Group, and Port of Melbourne Corp.

While completing a Master in Business Administration, Kate lectured at University of Melbourne and was a director of mid summa Festival for just over three years. From there, her career pivoted into corporate leadership and she held a NSW Government position as project director for its Future Transport project. This was followed by roles as Partner for Aurecon (NSW and Victoria) and then Head of Change and Communications, Better Risk Outcomes Program with Commonwealth Bank.

Kate was co-chair of the SGLMG board before stepping down to head up Sydney WorldPride. Her devotion to the LGBTIQ community is equalled only by the value she brings to it. Kate has been volunteering for LGBTIQ+ organisations for over 20 years. An outstanding leader, creative thinker, tireless worker, and compassionate human being.

Harry Cook

6 February 2023

Harry Cook is a British-Australian actor and author, best known for his roles in Accidents Happen alongside Geena Davis & the Australian thriller Caught Inside to name a few.It was his role in Drown that earned him a Best Supporting Actor Award at the FilmOut San Diego Film Festival in 2015.

In September 2018, Cook’s debut memoir Pink Ink Pink Ink was released, followed by his worldwide debut young adult novel, Fin Rye Fireflies, In 2021, Harry released his highly anticipated second novel, Felix Silver Teaspoons Witches. follow harry@ instagram 

 

Ken Felts

17 December 2022

Ken Felts My Handful of Stars” chronicles the life of a ninety-year-old gay man who had never come to terms with his gift of homosexuality. Born in 1930 during the great depression, he grew up first in a small Western Kansas town and was indoctrinated into a somewhat, fundamental Christian church. After his first male-to-male sexual experience, the influence of the church teachings to which he had been exposed forced him to internalize his homosexuality, and most of his life was spent as a straight-acting, closeted homosexual. He eventually “outed” himself to his daughter and then the world.

After coming out, author Kenneth Felts has appeared on many national and international T.V. shows telling the story of his life, including his four years as a Navy Personnel man on a minesweeper during the Korean War. He also talks about the difficulty of straight-acting in a non-accepting and dangerous world. The period of change resulting from the Stonewall Riots as well as the Vietnam protester movement created an atmosphere that eventually made it safe to come out of the closet. The Book My Handful of Stars” chronicles now available at Amazon 

Danica Lani

15 August 2023

Danica now describes herself as Bi gender and discovered her sexuality whilst growing up in a remote town with a population of less than 400 people. Her first same sex relationship blossomed during her senior year of school but she was shortly outed and experiencing regular panic attacks. Together the pair escaped to Melbourne but as time goes by Danica felt terrified and bedridden, without a roof over her head, until a beginner course in yoga changed her life. Being able to practise and later teach yoga for twenty years improved Danica’s wellbeing and empowered others to feel good through through movement, tantra and dance. @ youtube @ LGBTI Yoga danicalani.com & Instagram & Facebook

 

Danica went on to create Kings of Joy, a performance group to support first time Drag Kings and has helped shape a bi-monthly event to celebrate the Trans and gender-diverse community. @ kings-of-joy

The story of how Lucretia – a transgender refugee living in Kakuma refugee camp Block 13 – found Queers of Joy on the internet and connected with them. Now Queers of Joy is running regular events to raise money to help the members of Block 13 fight for their freedom and to help them find asylum in a safe country.
@ instagram

Tucker Shaw

15 August 2023

Tucker Shaw is an author and editor who first found his own gay tribe in New York City’s East Village during the 1990’s.

 In 2018 Tucker overheard a young man on his way home from work talking about the AIDS crisis. The nearby voice proposed how that era “galvanized the gay community” and “had spurred change”. He added that it had “paved the way to make things better, in the long run”. Tucker published his thoughts in a Twitter thread that went on to get over 80,000 retweets. 

Tucker Shaw’s most recent novel, When You Call My Name is a heartfelt story about two gay teens coming of age in New York City at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It was named “this summer’s most powerful LGBTQ+ novel” by GAY TIMES.

When You Call My Name is available now at 

Tucker Shaw.com

Darlinghurst BookShop AU

Gay’s The Word UK

Glenda Jackson

15 August 2023

Our next guest coming of age story began in the late 1960’s in the steel city of Newcastle NSW, where Glenda Jackson first walked on stage in drag.

Glenda has worked alongside other drag legends over time like Bubbles Le Gay and Carlotta to name just a few.

Who would have guessed that a city that was built on coal and steel would have such a thriving drag scene, the queens of today would have been envious of all that was going what was happening decades ago.

Glenda, now in her 70’s has not slowdown with age, just like a good bottle of wine that just keep getting better with age, she still can be seen hosting BIG BALLS bingo at her local Carrington Bowling Club every week.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/glenda.jackson

 

 

Hugh Nini & Neal Treadwell

15 August 2023

Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell’s journey began in an antiques shop in Dallas when they discovered a photograph of two men, unmistakably in love.

Nini and Treadwell saw themselves in the two men in the photograph and were filled with so many questions about who they were. Neither of them expected that this photograph would become the first of a 2,800-image collection and that they would publish their own book, “Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850-1950″

Nini and Treadwell would come to refer to this book as their “accidental collection.” Each year, as they travelled Europe, Canada and the United States, they combed through boxes of photos at flea markets and in antiques shops to find more photos of men in love. In the beginning, the collection was composed only of found photographs that they felt spoke to them. Eventually, they began to pursue them actively online, in estate sales and in family archives.   

Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850-1950 now available @ Darlinghurst bookshop in Australia. https://www.thebookshop.com.au/books/general-lgbtiq/art-and-photography/loving-a-photographic-history-of-men-in-love/

Also available in the USA @ Domus  https://www.domusnewyork.com/product/loving-a-photographic-history-of-men-in-love-1850s-1950s/

instagram https://www.instagram.com/lovingbynealandhugh/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjahmin James AKA Carla Bankstown

15 August 2023


We all know Carla from Bankstown as the sassy Queen of social media, TikTok influencer, have garnered over 250,000 views of her hilarious videos.

star of Celebrity Apprentice and the comedic personal assistant of NSW Premiere Gladys Berejiklian, but now meet the very talented man behind the character, Benjahmin James who is also equally as fasinating.

 After a rough time in high school where he was subject to relentless bullying, Carla from Bankstown was the outlet that embodies the strength and resilience he wishes he had at the time. He hopes to inspire others that have been through similar experiences to embrace their authentic self.

He is a sweet, talented guy who wears his heart on his sleeve and values loyalty.

While Carla’s most popular sketch is being a secretary to Gladys Berejiklian, her sketches see her in multiple roles. She’s been a shopping channel host, flight attendant and hospital worker; Carla believes she’s very multifaceted and talented.

She has multiple celebrities on speed dial who she can call on during Celebrity Apprentice including Alex Perry, Julia Morris, Anthony Callea, and Abbie Chatfield. Carla is a team player but if anyone throws her under the bus – she’ll unveil her ‘sass hole’ side.

Ben is also support Twenty10, a Sydney based service working across New South Wales to provide a broad range of specialised services for young people 12-25 including housing, mental health, counselling and social support. They also offer inclusivity training and consulting for organisations and service providers across most sectors. 

instagram https://www.instagram.com/carlafrombankstown/

youtube  https://www.youtube.com/carlafrombankstown

tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/search?q=carla%20from%20bankstown&t=1660460994977