Well Well Well

In this episode we’re talking about Before We Begin, a naughty, interactive comedy that mashes up the playful spirit of Taskmaster with the educational heart of Sex Education. Created by theatremaker and performer Hamish Annan, the live show invites audiences to explore consent and queer intimacy through a series of escalating, real-time invitations. It’s a vulnerable, hilarious, and safe space to practice “sexy decision-making” with strangers, proving that doing intimacy better is a team effort. Jack and Joel ask Hamish about creating safe containers for vulnerability, the gaps in queer sex education, and how comedy can be a powerful tool for consent. Chapters 1:00 – What “Before We Begin” is and how much is scripted vs improv 6:25 – How to handle consent from audience participants 10:15 – Other creative inspirations 14:16 – Queer relationships and sex education 17:10 – A non-consensual experience 23:50 – The impact of the show on audiences 28:11 – How to handle someone saying no 35:20 – Balancing education and entertainment 38:10 – How the show has evolved and future plans All chapter timecodes are approximate. Want more Well Well Well? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected] Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org. Produced by: Jack Crnjanin, Joel Parker

Luke Miller, Lead Organiser of Melbourne Queer Games Festival joins us to unpack how video games function as both therapeutic escape and powerful tools for identity exploration. Jack and Jake chat with him about the festival’s decade-long journey from a simple “gayest games” list to an internationally recognised showcase of over 1000 submissions from queer creators worldwide. We discuss the unique healing potential of meditative indie games and how digital spaces can serve vulnerable community members who lack physical access to queer venues. Chapters 02:13 – Introducing Luke Miller and Melbourne Queer Games Festival 03:35 – Festival origins from gay game lists to event 04:36 – Standout games that have featured in past festivals 09:01 – The judging and assessment process 11:45 – Current festival format online and in person details 14:51 – Defining what qualifies as a queer game 16:08 – Robert Yang and experimental queer game mechanics 19:44 – Balancing diverse identities and community needs 25:43 – Decline in mainstream discourse around queer games 30:12 – Personal games that shaped coming out experience 32:50 – Feedback from players about game representation impact 40:01 – Getting involved in the festival All chapter timecodes are approximate. Want more Well Well Well? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected] Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org. Produced by: Jack Crnjanin, Jake Neville

Cal dives into the intersection of kink, fetish, and health promotion within Melbourne’s queer community through The Laird Hotel’s long-standing Northside Bizarre event. Laird Hotel owner Brett and community legend Tex discuss the evolution of safe sex messaging from early AIDS council campaigns to modern peer-based outreach methods. We also get into the nitty gritty about how venues like pubs and clubs have historically functioned as informal health education spaces beyond traditional medical settings. This year’s Northside Bizarre is set to be bigger and better than ever. Learn more and get involved here: https://www.thorneharbour.org/get-involved/events/northside-bizarre-oct-2026 Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Northside Bizarre returning after six year hiatus 02:30 – Early HIV prevention posters in queer venues and saunas 05:30 – The Protection campaign using porn industry images for education 10:00 – Taking over The Laird Hotel 15:00 – Peer outreach volunteers distributing safe sex packs at venues 19:00 – Kink and fetish scene health education and venue partnerships 23:30 – Northside Bizarre auction house and memorable moments 28:00 – Leather and Treasure – second hand gear sale origin story 35:30 – Initiative celebrating female bartenders at The Laird 40:30 – Final year auctioneer announcement All chapter timecodes are approximate. Want more Well Well Well? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected] Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org. Produced by: Caleb Hawk, Jack Crnjanin

We’re joined by Rose, Marc, and Jesse, three Thorne Harbour Health volunteers to hear about the volunteer moments that have stuck with them, from welcoming people newly diagnosed at the Positive Living Centre to running red ribbon stalls and corporate workshops. We unpack why volunteering at an event can be more rewarding than simply attending one, and how a regular shift can become a fixture you can really miss. Jack also speaks with them about how the organisation’s history shapes its work today, from its founding as the Victorian AIDS Council to its evolution in a PrEP-era landscape. If you’re curious about becoming a vollie but unsure how to fit it around work, study, or life, we pull practical advice from their combined decades of experience. Chapters 00:00 – Intro 03:30 – Meet the volunteers and their origin stories 07:30 – Roles at the Positive Living Centre and Hoddle Street 12:00 – Event volunteering versus attending as a guest 17:30 – From the Victorian AIDS Council to today 22:30 – How motivations change over time 27:00 – An antidote to disempowerment 31:30 – Corporate volunteers and red ribbon workshops 35:00 – Memorable moments on the volunteer floor 39:00 – Advice for first-time volunteers All chapter timecodes are approximate. Want more Well Well Well? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected] Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org. Produced by: Jack Crnjanin

In this episode of Well Well Well we’re talking about peptides. If you’ve heard the word whispered around the gym, the group chat, or your “For You” page lately, you’re not alone. We’re joined by Renae Fomiatti and Gemma Nourse from the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University. To be clear, they are sociologists, not medical doctors. So this conversation should not be taken as medical advice, and we’re not here to sell you on them or scare you off them. This is a conversation about what peptides are, and why everyone’s suddenly talking about them. We get into: what a peptide actually is, the gap between what’s prescription and what’s not, who’s using them and how they’re getting them, and what the risks are when products come with no quality control. We’ll also dig into something bigger: why appearance has quietly folded into “health optimisation,” and what that means for our communities’ relationship with our bodies. And to be upfront, we’re not talking about the exact legal status of possession, anything on dosing, and clinical specifics, since we simply don’t have a medical expert in the room for that. If today’s conversation raises questions for you, raise them with your GP. That’s exactly what they’re for. For more on Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs (PIEDs), head to thejuice.org.au. Chapters 00:00 – Welcome and introducing our guests 04:00 – What actually is a peptide 06:30 – Prescription versus illicit access and retatrutide 10:30 – Body image and desirability in queer communities 14:30 – When appearance becomes health optimisation 18:00 – Wellness influencers and pop psychology crossover 22:30 – New digital health infrastructures beyond doctors 26:00 – Cheating accusations and shame around weight loss 30:00 – Unregulated products and online purchasing risks 34:00 – Harm reduction, GPs and trusted resources All chapter timecodes are approximate. Want more Well Well Well? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at [email protected] Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org. Produced by: Joel Parker, Jake Neville, Jack Crnjanin, Trinity Trinh