Midsumma Media Wall

GROUSE PARTY welcomes the beginning of Spring, cross-pollinating a blissfully sweet line-up for Friday 7 September at The Bendigo Hotel. Local band New War play a very special guest DJ set to open, hot off the buzz of their debut album release. As the party kicks into the witching hours, nerdsome party-duo Rad Bromance willhashtag the bangers out, followed by Rosefacekillah, lovingly killing your face and your legs on the dancefloor til late. Come early for beergarden hangs and to avoid the queues. $10 on the door from 9pm til late. Details at http://www.grouseparty.com.

Daniel Witthaus has a mission to eliminate homophobia in Australia. Join us to hear about Daniels’ experiences travelling around rural Australia over 36 weeks with his Beyond that’s so gay anti-homophobia training which he took to schools, organisations and individuals. Daniel will share with us strategies to challenge homophobia.

When: Wed 21 November, 6pm to 7.30pm
Where: Williamstown Library, 104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown
Bookings: via library website or phone 1300 HOB LIB / 1300 462 542

Interested in joining a Rainbow (GLBTIQ) Book Club? Come along and chat with Daniel Taylor, writer and editor, about setting up a Rainbow Book Club in the west. Hares and Hyenas bookshop will also bring along a selection of queer resources for you to browse and select to add to the Libraries GLBTIQ collection. All genders, all sexualities, all ages welcome.

When: Wed 26 September 6.30pm to 8pm
Where: Williamstown Library, 104 Ferguson Street, Williamstown
Bookings: via library website or phone 1300 HOB LIB / 1300 462 542

The Gay & Lesbian Switchboard is holding a film fundraiser night at 7.15pm on Tuesday 28 August at Cinema Nova in Carlton. “The Sapphires” received a 10 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. You only have to travel as far as Carlton to see it and you can help G&L Switchboard at the same time!

Info: www.switchboard.org.au
Tickets: $20 full or $15 concession
Bookings: co-presidents@switchboard.org.au

The boys have had their Men-on-Men fun, now it’s the girls’ turn to show how its done!

Midsumma launches Gender Studies this September at The Owl and Pussycat in Richmond.

Gender Studies is a Visual Arts competition for the femme / butch / power-dyke / ladette / princess in all of us.
Artworks must reflect your experience as a female and/or lesbian and can be in any form, from painting to stencil, street art, etching, drawing to photography, digital and mixed media.

To submit your entry, simply complete the form below by 26 August and pay the entry fee of $10.
Midsumma will contact you by 28 August with your bump-in time.
Applications open: from 1 August to Sunday 26 August at 8pm
Bump-in: over the 1 September 2012.
Launch and public voting: Sunday 2 September 2012
Artworks exhibited: One day only! Sunday 2 September 2012 form 2pm - 10pm.

FIRST PRIZE
Guest judges Cathy Anderson (LOTL), Ginni Hettihewa (Her Society) and Rat Simpson (Midsumma Visual Arts Convenor) will decide the winning artist, who will receive an amazing publicity package:

The Owl and Pussycat: exhibition of your artwork, promoted by Midsumma and registered within the 2013 Midsumma Festival for FREE. The dates of the winners exhibition will be the 22-29 January 2013. Midsumma will assist with the launch and marketing of your exhibition.
Star Observer: cover story and an interview with editorial staff
LOTL: a feature story in LOTL
Midsumma Website: a feature on the Midsumma website of your bio and past work
JOY 94.9: an interview on JOY 94.9 FM’s Her Society
Midsumma Assistance: with costs and production of the winner’s 2013 Midsumma Festival launch night as well as provision of experienced artists to assist with hanging the exhibition and any curatorial issues.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Public voting will be open for a People’s Choice Award on the 2 September launch night, so be sure to get along and support your girl! Winner receives $100 cash, awarded to the work that receives the highest number of votes on Launch Night.

FRIDAY 10 AUGUST

@ THE BENDIGO HOTEL

125 Johnston Street, Collingwood

$10 on the door, 9pm – 3am

with guest DJs:

MELODEE MAKER

JESS McGUIRE (RRR)

RAMBEAU

Back in its old Collingwood haunt, GROUSE PARTY celebrates the end of winter nearing by heating things up on Friday 10 August at The Bendigo Hotel. Semi-regular resident DJ Melodee Maker will be serving Mai Tai strength rumpshakers, at the tail end of the night, before she relocates to Hawaii. She’s joined by Jess McGuire (RRR), coaching the swim team on a sardine-packed dancefloor, and Rambeau, blowing you away with his oozing uzi sex.Don’t be left out in the cold queuing up – come early! $10 on the door from 9pm til late. Details at http://www.grouseparty.com

Saturday the 11th of August marks eight years since the introduction of the ban on same sex marriage. Eight years of homophobic discrimination maintained by the Liberal and Labor parties. Eight years of state-sanctioned prejudice.

Equal Love will be marking the occasion with a protest rally and march followed by a mass illegal wedding ceremony in defiance of the government’s law. With two bills for marriage equality currently making their way through parliament, now is a more important time than ever to show your support for this important cause.

So please bring friends, family, pets and anyone else you can muster to: 

Equal Love Rally and March

1pm, Saturday 11 August @ State Library, Melbourne

Speakers include: Kate Morris (Principal, Northcote High), Ryan Hsu (NTEU), Sally Goldner (Transgender Vic) and Ali Hogg (Equal Love) with more to be announced closer to date.

Prizes will also be awarded for best dressed couple and most original placard- so get creative!

For more info, or to volunteer to take part in the mass wedding, go to www.equallove.info and join our facebook event here.

The award-winning film will have its Australian premiere in Melbourne, at The Melbourne International Film Festival, screening Wednesday August 8th and Sunday August 12th, at The Greater Union Cinema.

CALL ME KUCHU is a compelling and intimate portrait of an ordinary man with extraordinary courage and conviction. The film also provides rare insight into a lesser examined sexual and gender rights movement, and sheds light on the shocking role of American evangelicals in fueling state-sanctioned homophobia in Uganda. It goes on to illustrate the ways in which grassroots human rights activists are working through international bodies such as the UN to change the situation in their countries.

Click here to see the trailer

Twenty guests. Ten pairs. With five minutes each to pitch your creative ideas. Arts Club is professional arts networking with a speed dating twist. An initiative of Arts Hub Australia, Arts Club invites you to Increase your visibility and invigorate your local and international arts potential. Come along to promote and discuss your own initiatives in your chosen creative discipline.

Arts Club starts at City Library, in the gallery space, 1st floor, on Thursday 16 August, 6pm 

Book by emailing artsclub@artshub.com.auand tell them the library sent you!

Team Melbourne Launch
7pm-8:30pm, Friday 17th August
GH Hotel (front bar)
1 Brighton Rd, St Kilda
Free entry, all welcome

Please join the queer sporting community as we celebrate the launch of Team Melbourne and begin the 12 month countdown to the 2013 Antwerp World Outgames.  There will be special announcements, unveiling of the new logo and more.

Meals are available from the fabulous GH kitchen and you can stay on to groove the night away.

We hope to see you there.