Welcome to FUSE14. Winter, June 2010.
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You know, I’m not good in the cold, so it’s often a challenge for me to keep my spirits up in the winter months. I try to think of all the things I like about it: snow, snuggling and our slow combustion fireplace that sits in the living room — mmmmm... fireplace.

Over the next few months you’ll probably find me shivering somewhere close to the nearest heater, with fourteen layers of clothes and a beanie. I’m going to do my very best not to whinge too much this winter though (much to Christopher’s delight). I also thought I’d take Brendan’s advice and keep warm by eating lots of healthy soups and by spending time at the gym — it’s one of the only places you can still hang around in a singlet and shorts without freezing to death. p38.

This is FUSE’s second winter — it never ceases to amaze me how time flies. Last June in FUSE02, we had blues and roots singer/songwriter Kim Churchill on the cover and a year later we feature another up and coming young talent: Lucas Kane Hall, a gay boy from Bendigo. He has taken a bag of dreams and his favourite guitar to New York where he hopes to find fame and fortune. We talked to him recently and he told us all about life in the music biz and what he thinks of the New York scene. He’s a great guy, talented and pretty easy on the eyes as well. p16.

We welcome back Hilary Caldwell our resident sexuality expert. She writes how choosing to be single is ok and how ‘going solo’ doesn’t mean you’re incomplete. Often we desperately seek out relationships — or continue dysfunctional ones — just because it’s seen as a social requirement to be “normal”. Being healthy means truly knowing what’s best for you. Warning, this is not a Pope approved article. p36.

Talking about the Pope (I love a cheesy segue), he would love the fact that another feature film with central gay characters has been shelved. Hollywood big wigs are uncomfortable with the subject matter… Oh please, it’s 2010 FGS! But it goes deeper than that — read all about silent queerphobia in the entertainment industry. p08.

Apparently there’s no queerphobia on the Roller Derby ring, just a bunch of ‘rough and tumble’ girls having truckloads of fun on skates. Hot pants are go! p44. Plus don’t miss our article on the Gay and Lesbian Qwire, who are performing their new pop repertoire at The Street Theatre on Sunday 20 June. Just regular pants, sorry! p10.

Lastly I’d just like to say thanks to the Everyman Theatre Company who put on The Laramie Project last month at the Canberra Theatre, it was… well… bloody fantastic. We attended opening night with FUSE contributors, VIPs and our ticket winners.  It was a great night and of course we enjoyed the free wine. p24. Make sure you catch their next production Kiss of the Spider Woman which opens 30 September.

Enjoy, Alex.