The Manosphere

We speak with a Deakin University research fellow about the manosphere and how its anti-feminist rhetoric spills over into hate and violence against LGBTIQA+ communities. We trace how the term emerged, why incel communities blame feminism for their loneliness, and how friendship, not isolation,  can pull boys deeper into the sphere. We also examine how outrage-driven algorithms and influencer business models monetise misogyny, and why trans people are bearing the brunt of the backlash. Finally, we ask what pathways out of the manosphere look like, and how schools, families and friends can help prevent young people from being drawn in. Chapters 00:00 – Welcome and introducing our guest researcher 02:19 – Defining the manosphere and tracing its origins 08:14 – How boys first stumble into the sphere 13:11 – Understanding incels and the male loneliness epidemic 16:47 – Friendship rather than loneliness drives misogyny 19:47 – Monetising misogyny after the documentary 23:35 – Why teenage boys are most susceptible 27:15 – How algorithms mainstreamed the manosphere 32:03 – From online grievance to violent extremism 36:52 – Why trans people bear the brunt 43:40 – Pathways out, prevention and helping others 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: Jake Neville, Joel Parker

We dive into Emen8’s new Welcome peer navigation service and updated brand identity, designed to build trust with young and newly arrived gay and bi migrant men. Tony and Alex walk us through Welcome’s service on WhatsApp where migrants can chat one-on-one with peers who share their language and lived experience. We explore why peer-to-peer connection cuts through where government-style health messaging can’t, and what questions people ask when they won’t ask a doctor. To close, we compare queer cultures across Brazil, Thailand, and Australia — from sexual health clinics to drag scenes and the words that just don’t translate. Chapters 1:05 – What is emen8? 8:41 – What barriers do migrant men face? 16:44 – What questions do Welcome users ask? 19:53 – Why not just ask an AI chatbot? 23:53 – Which peer navigator stories stand out? 27:16 – What surprised you about Australian clinics? 29:56 – What can Australia learn from home? 37:00 – What’s your message for new arrivals? 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: Jake Neville, Trinity Trinh, Jack Crnjanin

We explore gambling harm through an LGBTIQA+ lens, unpacking how minority stress, isolation and belonging shape the way diverse communities experience it. Matt and Tracey from Relationships Australia SA join us to discuss why certain cohorts within our diverse communities face elevated risks and how online wagering and gaming mechanics have transformed the gambling landscape. Jack also speaks with them about the barriers people face seeking support and what genuine inclusivity looks like in mainstream services. Listeners learn practical strategies for harm reduction and where free, confidential support can be accessed. Chapters 00:21 – What is gambling harm and who does it reach 06:08 – Who is most likely to experience it within LGBTIQA+ communities 07:29 – When does recreation tip into harmful behaviour 09:58 – How does this harm look different today compared to twenty years ago 12:38 – Why is it difficult to measure gambling impact in diverse communities 15:25 – Why is gambling harm hard for people to talk about 18:48 – What does seeking help look like 22:28 – The impacts of minority stress 25:55 – Online spaces and gaming 31:27 – Where to start if you experience gambling harm 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

Jack and Joel discuss the ASHM Conference at Albert Park in Melbourne, where the HIV and sexual health sector gathers each year to compare notes on what’s working. This episode digs into why stigma has lagged behind prevention science, from an on-demand PrEP campaign timed to Mardi Gras to new research showing there’s no shared norm any more about discussing HIV status with casual partners. We also examine who gets imagined as “the community” in ending HIV campaigns, and hear about how turning stigma into a measurable indicator may have detached it from the inequalities that actually produce it. Finally, we sit down with the team behind Australia’s first Bi+ Inclusion Framework to talk erasure, double discrimination, and what genuinely inclusive services look like in practice. Chapters 01:03 – Why hasn’t HIV stigma caught up with prevention? 06:13 – What role does party culture play in health messaging? 09:45 – What has PrEP done to condom use and norms? 13:56 – What does health promotion say with no shared norm? 17:30 – What do you do when U=U knowledge isn’t enough? 21:42 – Is community as technology of government too cynical? 26:35 – How does it feel to have your campaigns studied? 30:12 – Do affirming spaces still exist for young queers? 35:47 – What’s working in the sector and how do we scale it? 40:03 – How does bi+ invisibility make services feel unwelcoming? 44:18 – What feedback have delegates given on the framework? 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

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

Carolyn Gillespie, CEO of Women’s Health in the North and chair of the Victorian Women’s Health Services Network joins us to discuss women’s health during Women’s Health Week. We explore why Victoria’s 35-year-old women’s health infrastructure is among the best in Australia, and why gender equality is the most pressing driver of women’s health outcomes. Jake and Joel also discuss with Carolyn the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into women’s pain, the everyday realities of the gender health gap, and what genuinely inclusive care looks like for queer women and gender diverse people. Finally, we tackle mental health, social connection, and gender based violence as core public health issues, and share one small step listeners can take for their own wellbeing this Women’s Health Week. Chapters 02:20 – Introducing Carolyn and inclusive definitions 06:10 – Most pressing health issues facing women 09:50 – Explaining the gender health gap simply 13:50 – Victorian parliamentary inquiry into women’s pain 17:30 – Socioeconomic and intersectional barriers to care 21:00 – Inclusive care for queer women and gender diverse folk 25:20 – Safety, loneliness and mental health connections 32:00 – Gender based violence as a public health crisis 36:00 – Funding priorities, prevention and Women’s Health Week actions 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