Hey folks,
Another month, another rollercoaster of queer joy, despair and just getting on with it.
Let's start with the joy. Huge congrats to former Brisbane Lions player Leigh Ryswyk on becoming the first AFL player to come out as gay. He and fellow former AFL player Mitch Brown, who last year came out as bi, are doing heavy lifting to help make the AFL a more inclusive place for queer men. Let’s hope their leadership, combined with firm penalties for use of homophobic slurs, helps stamp out homophobic attitudes.
Over on the world stage, the International Olympic Committee has effectively banned trans women from competing in women’s events, and now requires anyone wanting to complete in the female category to undergo a compulsory sex test to determine their eligibility. The new regs have been met with much pushback, including from the scientist who discovered the gene test the IOC is now relying on.
Did you know only one openly transgender woman has ever competed in the Olympics? That's New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, who finished lucky last in her super-heavy weight category in 2021. It's a relief knowing that we'll now test every single woman and girl hoping to represent her country forevermore to ensure this NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN!!!
Closer to home, the ABC has decided against renewing its membership of three external diversity and inclusion programs, including ACON Health’s Pride in Diversity – a national not for profit program supporting LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion. Everyone's asking why.
But wait, there’s more!
Read on for the latest LGBTQIA+ news and views from across the ABC.
Yours in queerness,
Mon
