western australia
HIV self-tests are coming to Australian pharmacies
Australians will soon be able to test themselves for HIV at home with self-test kits soon to go on sale at pharmacies. The test kits will cost $25 each. From mid-December they’ll be available, initially at Serafim’s pharmacy in Sydney’s Taylor Square and Western Australia’s 777 pharmacy network. More pharmacies around the country will also …
Trans teen has win in WA custody case against ‘abusive’ parents
The Western Australian parents of a transgender teenage boy have lost a legal appeal to regain custody of him after a court found they’d “verbally and emotionally” abused him over his gender identity. The transgender male, given the pseudonym TM by the courts, first came to the Western Australian Department of Communities’ attention in 2019. …
Pride WA is taking a stand against corporate ‘queerwashing’
Pride WA has said they won’t allow Western Australian businesses that fail to support their LGBTIQ employees to sponsor their Pride events, in a new policy tackling “queerwashing”. The group’s leaders made the “bold and risky” declaration this week in an open letter to businesses ahead of their upcoming November festival. They write, “The war …
Perth trans teenager given two funerals after parents argue over gender
A 15-year-old transgender boy who died by suicide has been mourned at two separate funerals after his parents argued over his gender identity in court and split his ashes. The 15-year-old boy from Perth, who can’t be identified, died in hospital on March 4, days after attempting to take his life, the West Australian reported. …
Queer venues issue apologies after drag queen blackface scandal
Two LGBTIQ venues in Western Australia have apologised after photos of drag queen Scarlet Adams and others wearing racist blackface on their stages resurfaced. Perth drag queen Scarlet Adams is among the queens competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. However Indigenous performer Felicia Foxx called out Adams and others in a viral Instagram post …
Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas slammed for transgender comments
Perth’s newly elected Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas has apologised after LGBTIQ advocates slammed “misinformed and demeaning” comments he made about the transgender community. Zempilas declared on his 6PR radio show on Wednesday genitals determined a person’s gender identity and it was “wrong” for someone to identify differently. “If you’ve got a penis mate, you’re a …
Outrage as Perth gay couple kicked out by Ola driver
Rideshare company Ola has suspended one of its Perth drivers, after a viral video shows him kicking a gay couple out of his car. Anthony Price (pictured left), who performs in WA as drag queen Scarlet Adams, posted footage of the incident to his Facebook page. He claimed the driver kicked he partner Jordan Hitch …
Australian bookstore refuses to stock JK Rowling’s books
An Australian bookstore has said it will remove JK Rowling’s books from shelves as a show of support for the transgender community. The Harry Potter author has faced backlash for much of the year over her transphobic Twitter commentary on gender and trans people’s access to identification and healthcare. This week, Rowling faced more criticism …
Perth man jailed after lying about HIV status to sex partners
A Perth man living with HIV has been jailed after failing to disclose his HIV status to four men and having “reckless” unprotected sex. The 30-year-old, who can’t be named to protect the victims, told the men that he didn’t have the virus despite testing positive some years earlier. All four subsequently tested positive, The …
President: God purifies our air! Now he’s dead from COVID-19
President Pierre Nkurunziza promised the citizens of Burundi recently that he negotiated divine protection from the pandemic for the country. Nkurunziza was both murderous despot and born-again Christian. His wife is an ordained minister. She visited Australia last year for the opening of a consulate at Margaret Court’s church. Now, his wife is recovering, and …