Opinion Archives - Star Observer

OPINION: Trans Visibility Isn’t Just Important, It’s A Gift

Jasmine Nightingale — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:48:08 +0000

Like many transgender people, I knew who I was at a very young age. In 1983 I started school, and I met the girls who I saw myself reflected in. ...

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Anger Won’t Free Us: Why I Chose Joy, Empathy And Open Arms As My Revolution

Dylan Rackley — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 03:41:00 +0000

I have spent over two decades doing LGBTIQA+ community work. In that time I have seen a lot of anger. I have felt a lot of it too. The anger ...

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The Divide Between Masc And Butch: Why Lesbians Are Choosing One Label Over The Other

Amelie Mcintosh — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 01:36:32 +0000

Are you a self-described ‘pretty girl in boy’s clothes’? Or maybe you’ve been burnt by one too many ‘hey mamas lesbians’? Open TikTok and you’ll be bombarded with a series ...

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If You Stream HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ Adaptation, You Are Dead To Me

Lydia Jupp — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 05:23:17 +0000

By the time the first episode of HBO’s Harry Potter adaptation lands, we’re sure to have more to add to the list of JK Rowling’s surprisingly brief, but highly influential ...

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OPINION: Why Did Bridgerton Have To Invent Homophobia?

Patrick Lenton — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:05:03 +0000

Good news! Queer people officially exist in the sparkly, jewel-toned Bridgerton universe, and they’re going to fall in love with each other while wearing very stiff clothes. But along with ...

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OPINION: Living As A Trans Person In SA Feels Like Rolling The Dice

Kansas Bird — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 03:12:38 +0000

Leading up to a state election, every morning can feel like a roll of the dice for transgender South Australians. As the countdown to the South Australian election ticks closer ...

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Parties, Politics & Protests: Who Is Actually Running The Show At Sydney Mardi Gras?

Luc Velez — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 06:23:01 +0000

The 2026 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade is over. For most of the [straight] audience, it probably looked like a fun, glitter-filled celebration. Ecastica! But under the shiny ...

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OPINION: Heated Rivalry Fans Have A Serious Homophobia Problem

Patrick Lenton — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 05:47:48 +0000

The Heated Rivalry fandom is back in the news, thanks to the stars of the show being forced to put statements out on their social media forcefully telling off their ...

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GIVE IT TO ME BI: Rejecting Labels Is Valid, But What If It’s Costing You?

Give It To Me Bi - Chad Barnier & Steve Spencer — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 03:22:16 +0000

You’re at the doctor, a form asks about your sexuality, and you pause. You know you’re attracted to more than one gender. You’ve known for years. But none of the ...

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Marks Park Ceremony: Erasing The Voices It Claims To Honour

William Gartner — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:53:48 +0000

The sky is dark, the breeze cool. Crossing the grass of Marks Park, I find myself slipping into a familiar alertness – the kind that wakes in the body before ...

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OPINION – Hey, Corporations Pulling Out of Pride Events: You’re All Cowards

Chloe Sargeant — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:04:35 +0000

For years, multinational brands have treated Pride events like a shiny seasonal campaign. Rainbow logos and CEOs in branded tees talking about “inclusivity”, acting like they personally threw bricks at ...

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What Have We Lost With 2026’s Mardi Gras Parade After Party Cancellation?

Leigh Boucher — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 01:32:40 +0000

I only ever see Jonathan on a dance floor, usually at one of the parties maligned as ‘commercial’ or ‘mainstream’ by those who like to draw rigid boundaries around our ...

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GIVE IT TO ME BI: Keep Showing Up: The Inconvenient, Essential Work Of Community

Give It To Me Bi - Chad Barnier & Steve Spencer — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:16:30 +0000

Right now, there’s grief, powerlessness, and an identity crisis playing out across our communities. But the biggest factor in resilience isn’t some abstract concept – it’s our connection to community. ...

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GREY MATTERS: All Sizzle No Shade

Peter Benn — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 06:10:17 +0000

Surfing the internet recently, I discovered Gay Sausage Sizzle in New Zealand – billed as Gisborne‘s “premier gay nightclub, where dance, music, and inclusivity come together.” No actual sausages, though! ...

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An Ode To The Bookshop Darlinghurst

Chloe Sargeant — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 05:28:50 +0000

Long before gay hockey romance dramas were the world’s most popular shows on major streaming services, before queer books were stocked on mainstream shelves, there was The Bookshop Darlinghurst — ...

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Why The Hell Wouldn’t LGBTQ+ People Be Included In The New Hate Speech Laws?

Chloe Sargeant — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 04:20:19 +0000

As the federal government moves to overhaul Australia’s hate speech laws, LGBTQIA+ Australians have once again been excluded from protections designed to curb vilification and violence. It’s a decision that ...

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OPINION: Hate Of All Types Is On The Rise – We Need A Royal Commission To Address It All

Mark Baxter — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 04:32:50 +0000

I learnt a long time ago that people like me were fair game. I have been bashed because I am gay, more than once, in full view of a city ...

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GREY MATTERS: At The End of 2025, Here’s Our Quarter Century Gay Report Card

Peter Benn — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 05:45:22 +0000

Now that we’ve reached the end of the first quarter of this century, how does the gay report card look? In 2000, just three years had passed since Tasmania decriminalised ...

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GIVE IT TO ME BI – Bisexuals, Get Ready: The Mummy 4 Is Coming

Give It To Me Bi - Chad Barnier & Steve Spencer — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 04:20:35 +0000

‘Bisexuals, Get Ready: The Mummy 4 Is Coming’ is the December edition of our monthly bisexuality column, Give It To Me Bi. We don’t mean to alarm you, but you’re going ...

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IDPWD 2025: On Queer Disabled Visibility & Being Proud To Call Myself Disabled

Chloe Sargeant — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 01:50:24 +0000

Every year, International Day of People with Disability lands with a small thud on the LGBTQIA+ calendar — a day we absolutely should be shouting about, but often don’t. We ...

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