Emil Canita, an artist and advocate from Living Positive Victoria, joins Jack and Jake to discuss the intersection of creativity and health.

Many queer people living with HIV carry the weight of historical trauma, yet Australia’s epidemic has seen remarkably low mortality rates compared to global contexts.

The exhibition You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) at Collingwood Yards seeks to bridge the gap between art history and HIV advocacy, celebrating the resilience of the community while addressing the unique barriers faced by migrants and people of colour.

But how can we use art to reclaim the narrative around disclosure, challenge outdated criminalization laws, and honor the elders we lost during the AIDS crisis?

We speak about the “emotional scaffolding” needed for HIV disclosure, the shift in the epidemic toward overseas-born communities, and why being told someone’s HIV status is a gift.

You’ll also hear about the Let Them Know guide, the HIV Still Matters campaign, and Emil’s upcoming work exploring sex work and HIV.

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 wellwellwell@joy.org.au

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org and samesh.org.au

Equinox Clinic’s practice manager Ellis Nardella joins us in light of the clinic passes ten years of delivering Trans healthcare in Melbourne.

They speak with Jack and Joel about the informed consent model that improved accessibility of gender affirming therapy replacement, the barriers that exist in accessing gender affirming healthcare, and Thorne Harbour Health’s work in building capacity for other GPs.

We also deep dive into Queensland’s decision to pause public access to puberty blockers until 2031 and the real-world consequences for families seeking gender affirming care.

Produced and hosted by Jack Crnjanin and Joel Parker.
Audio editing assistance by Lewis (Yongmin) Liu.

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 wellwellwell@joy.org.au

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org and samesh.org.au

As part of this live panel discussion recorded Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV), we discuss how to tangibly support trans and gender diverse communities without falling into tokenism.

Our panel consists of:

• Hank Paul (they/them) from Transgender Victoria (TGV)
• Mill O’Sullivan (they/them) from Zoe Belle Gender Collective
• Jake Blessing (he/him) from Thorne Harbour Health’s Equinox Clinic
• Jesse (they/them), teacher and Doctor of Education Graduate Researcher

Cal Hawk moderates the discussion which highlights the importance of listening to trans voices and sharing the burden of advocacy work.

We also explore the eight core pledges of TGV’s TDOV campaign designed to support trans and gender diverse communities across Victoria.

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 wellwellwell@joy.org.au

Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org and samesh.org.au