Reformed Mormon missionary Brad Harker speaks his truth about his religious upbringing, the struggle to come out at 42, fighting for marriage equality and finding love and acceptance within the community.  

Tobias Madden is an author and editor from Sydney, Australia. His debut young adult fiction novel, ANYTHING BUT FINE, is out now in Australia at https://www.thebookshop.com.au/new-forthcoming/new-releases/anything-but-fine/

New Zealand at https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/anything-but-fine-9781761042027

 USA  at https://www.amazon.com

His second novel, TAKE A BOW, NOAH MITCHELL, is coming to Aus/NZ 30 August 2022 and the US in 2023.​

Originally from Ballarat, Tobias worked for ten years as a performer, touring Australia and New Zealand with musicals such as Mary Poppins, CATS, Singin' in the Rain, and Guys and Dolls. In 2019, he edited and published UNDERDOG, the first #LoveOzYA short story anthology for previously unpublished Aussie young adult fiction writers. Also in 2019, he wrote the cabaret show Siblingship, which played to sold out audiences in Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra. Tobias is a passionate member of the #LoveOzYA and LGBTQ+ communities.

Andrew Mercado has been named one of TV’s most significant commentators while The Sunday Telegraph describes him as a walking TV encyclopedia.

Andrew Mercado developed a love of TV and movies early on in his youth while spending every Saturday night hanging out with the projectionist at his local suburban picture theatre. His first job in television was a Village Roadshow Movie World Studios as Location Manager for the series Paradise Beach. Following this, he became the Unit Publicist for such TV shows as The New Adventures of Flipper and Pacific Drive. Shortly after becoming the publicist at Foxtel music station Channel [V], he was moved into an on-air role.

Andrew Mercado is now fondly remembered by a generation of music fans as Super Mercado after becoming Channel [V]’s inaugural entertainment reporter in 1998. Later, he became the first VJ on sister channel Music Max. Whilst he would work simultaneously on both stations, eventually he crossed over to Max full time to create, produce and host the panel show The Know.

Over the years he has interviewed such A-listers as Robbie Williams, but he also has loved meeting Aussie TV legends through his work as a TV Historian for the National Film and Sound Archive. Andrew also released a top selling  book call Super Aussie Soaps: Behind the Scenes of Australia's Best Loved TV Shows, available now from Booktopia https://www.booktopia.com.au/super-aussie-soaps-behind-the-scenes-of-australia-s-best-loved-tv-shows-andrew-mercado/book/9781864031911.html Andrew newest passion project he is working on call outrageous, a documentary taking a walk back in  time when Australian TV once led the world with diversity and queer representation on screen. Fine out more at https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/outrageous-the-history-of-aussie-queer-tv/

Lee – Ann  is a proud Awabakal woman who grew up in Newcastle and has had extensive experiences in the LGBTQIA+ community, beginning as a Committee member of Rainbow Visions Inc committee from 2004 – 2010.
Lee was involved in a number of significant community projects, amongst many, creating “Mixed fruits in suits” and the annual Winter Ball held at the Newcastle City Hall. Lee passionately believes in equality for all and that Pride groups, safe spaces, festivals and events are vital in regional and rural areas for all LGBTQIA+ people and for the future of our youth.

In March 2018 it became clear to Lee there was a lack of venues, safe spaces and events in the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter for the LGBTQIA+ community, leaving people feeling socially isolated and unsupported.
Lee felt it was the right time to launch Newcastle Pride, https://newcastlepride.com.au/

 to provide our community with a sense of belonging and safe inclusive spaces to celebrate equality, diversity and our fabulous culture.

Newcastle Pride welcomes everyone who has a genuine interest in ensuring that everyone is treated with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status and their own individuality. https://newcastlepride.com.au/newcastle-pride-festival-2022/

THE NEWCASTLE PRIDE COMMUNITY

HUB PROPOSAL

The Community Hub would be a place that brings people together as a connector and would act as a point of reference for people within the area. The Hub would be a fun, safe and inclusive space for gender and sexuality diverse people of all ages and backgrounds. A place where everyone can express themselves without fear or judgement. It would be a space where health and wellbeing services would be readily available. Queer-friendly support workers and education resources would be within reach and would offer support services in a confidential, welcoming, encouraging and supportive space. The Community Hub would also provide the Newcastle and wider Hunter LGBTIQA+ community with a new level of accessibility to Newcastle Pride as an organisation. The Hub would also allow Newcastle Pride the room to continue to grow, connect and collaborate with relevant partners and community organisations (like ACON Hunter and Headspace Newcastle), with increased visibility in the local community.

St Kilda. Melbourne is the location of the Victorian Pride Centre link blow.

https://pridecentre.org.au/

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

The Awabakal and Worimi peoples are acknowledged by LGBTI conversations as the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters situated within the Newcastle local government area, including wetlands, rivers creeks and coastal environments. It is known that their heritage and cultural ties to Newcastle date back tens of thousands of years.

As Sydney’s only Lebanese, lesbian, ex-Jehovah’s Witness, comedian, Naomi Mourra grew up as a door-knocking Jehovah’s Witness and closeted lesbian to Lebanese parents in the 1980s in Cabramatta, Sydney, Australia.

 Naomi is your gateway woman to chicks, chickpeas, cults and culture.

 Her solo shows, An Open Book, debuted in 2018.

An Open Book, Naomi explores her own anecdotes as well as some of the Biblical stories you may (or may not) know and what lessons our modern world can learn from them. Like why you shouldn’t turn around, why seeds must never be spilled and why it’s really important to be articulate in a registry office.

She’s been around the block a few times and knows that when opportunity comes knocking, sometimes it’s best to pretend you’re not home and that for every door that closes another also closes.

“Laughed out loud! It was like someone holding up a mirror - which they so rarely do!” - God

Naomi who has performed in London and Sydney. She is the co-founder and co-producer of What She Said, the only weekly all women's comedy night in Sydney. She is also in the improv troupe Shut Up Darryl, and has performed at The Factory Theatre and the Belvoir. She has trained at LMA and Second City Chicago.

Naomi NEXT show Work Hacks From The Holy Book is at the Factory Theatre, Marrickville part of the Sydney Fringe Comedy Festival 2022.

Dates are Wednesday 14 and Friday 16 September 2022 @7pm

Buy tickets from https://aucentury.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/76531

https://www.instagram.com/naomimourra/

Shannon Molloy is an award-winning journalist and author with more than a decade of experience working for major media outlets spanning print, digital and publishing. Shannon is the 2020 recipient of Journalist of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.

His debut book Fourteen, a memoir about growing up gay in regional Queensland, is a critically acclaimed bestseller that is now being adapted for the screen. Fourteen is this generation’s Holding the Man – a moving coming-of-age story.

Shannon also contributes to various charity organisations, including as convenor of the annual Clare Atkinson Memorial Scholarship for journalism at The University of Queensland.

Fourteen is showing at QPAC Brisbane.  Grab tickets now - they’re selling fast! https://qpac.com.au/event/bf_shake_stir_fourteen_22/

Fourteen the book now available @ Darlinghurst bookshop 15% off limited time.

httphttps://www.thebookshop.com.au/books/gay-men/life-stories/memoirs/fourteen/

Shannon Molloy @ http://www.shannonmolloy.com/

If this story has raise any questions for you, please remember help is available 24/7 anonymous and free peer support service for people wanting to talk about sexuality, gender, bodies and all sorts of queer stuff.   www.qlife.org.au

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”