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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Produced by: Jack Crnjanin, Joel Parker