Jack speaks with Julai Diesel ahead of the THH Vogue Night event running during Midsumma and discuss what the ballroom scene looks like in Melbourne, where it serves as a survival‑focused, queer‑affirming community built around competition, performance, and chosen family.

They speak about the House of Diesel’s origins, its partnership with Thorne Harbour Health, and the ways Australian houses stay connected to the historic U.S. scene.

Nick Henderson from the Australian Queer Archives (AQuA) also talks about the archive’s eclectic collections of traditional documents, punk gear, erotic artifacts, and even hair‑clipping albums, highlighting its role in preserving queer histories.

With the St Kilda Queer History Walking Tour just around the corner, Nick discusses some of the tour’s stops at iconic venues like the Greyhound and the Prince of Wales, illustrating how physical spaces and community memory intersect to keep queer culture alive and visible.

Get tickets for the St Kilda Queer History Walking Tour and the THH Vogue Night on the Midsumma website.

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.

Wise Words returns this Midsumma to feature a line-up of some of Australia’s most prominent and talented LGBTIQ+ women (trans and non-binary inclusive) for an evening of intergenerational storytelling.

Candy Bowers will MC this year’s edition and we hear about her background in acting, production, writing, and more.

Grab tickets to Wise Words on the Midsumma website: https://www.midsumma.org.au/whats-on/events/wise-words-a-night-of-intergenerational-storytelling/

Scott Walsberger from ACON also joins us to discuss cancer screening activations at the 2026 Midsumma Carnival in Alexandra Gardens.

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.

Dylan from the City of Yarra and Tex Mackenzie speak about the Yarra Queer History Walk, a guided tour that traces Melbourne’s queer‑footprints through Fitzroy, Collingwood and Abbotsford.

Jack is also joined by Rachel Cook and Chiron Hooson from Thorne Harbour to discuss the Community Periodic Surveys, our presence at Carnival, and more.

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.