They have outlasted Elon Musk and Grimes, and even Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, as this week - Sphen and Magic - the famous same-sex penguin couple from SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium are celebrating their third anniversary! The two Gentoo Penguins became the symbol of the Australian gay rights movement back in 2018 when their romance and role as devoted, adoptive dads became headlines around the world.

Same-sex sexual behaviour may seem to present a Darwinian paradox. It provides no obvious reproductive or survival benefit, and yet same-sex sexual behaviour is fairly common — around 2-10% of individuals in diverse human societies — and is clearly influenced by genes.

Loneliness is an awful emotion to experience. The thoughts, feelings and beliefs we have about loneliness makes us feel like a failed human. Even reading an article in a magazine about loneliness can have us wrestling with some uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.

If that’s you: thank you for starting to read this article. I’m proud of you. Simply reading this has taken some courage. Even if you’re ‘lonely curious’, I want to say hi and thank you for reading these words.

For some queer people, lockdown and time at home has meant time away from communities and friends that recognise and support their gender and sexual identities. Trying to keep safe in a world marked by risk and uncertainty.

When subcultures get co-opted by capital and become a moneymaking bonanza.

When coronavirus restrictions threatened the famous American White Party, an annual circuit party held in Palm Springs, California, the organizer, Jeffrey Sanger, decided to move the festivities to Jalisco, Mexico. Gay partygoers from around the world descended on the small coastal state for the New Year’s Eve bash. Stars from Ru Paul’s Drag race made appearances, and even some doctors and nurses, fresh off their first COVID-19 vaccine doses, got in on the action.

LGBTQ+ people impacted by sexual, domestic and family violence (SDFV) from across Australia will now have access to relevant, culturally appropriate and state-specific information and resources with the national rollout of the digital support hub, Say It Out Loud.

Produced by ACON, Australia’s largest sexuality and gender diverse health organisation, Say It Out Loud is an online platform on sexual, domestic and family violence designed specifically for LGBTQ+ people. First launched as a NSW specific site in 2017, the resource received funding from the Department of Social Services in 2019 to be expanded nationwide. 

This Women’s Safety Summit brought together many voices calling for the government to take substantive action to address violence against women. This is happening ahead of the finalising of the next National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children in 2022. However, the national safety summit failed to adequately include a significant part of our population: LGBTQ+ communities.

Is your mental health deteriorating during the coronavirus pandemic? Here's what to look out for. Before the pandemic, one in five Australians experienced mental ill-health every year.

But the uncertainty and instability around coronavirus has the potential to exacerbate existing anxiety and depression and contribute to the onset of new mental health problems.

So what are some of the signs your mental health might be declining during the pandemic? And what can you do about it?

IN THIS ISSUE: Cover: Dylan Mooney, Reflections Of A Young Indigenous Artist. The Rise Of The Queer Superhero. Australian Cold Case Reveals A Wave Of Antigay Violence. Cancel Culture Is Here. 2020 Covid-19 + U. NSW Eases Gay Blood Donor Restrictions. Birth Certificates Break From Gender Binary Norms. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and more.

Homosexuality may have evolved for social, not sexual reasons.

The argument is this: gay sex alone can’t produce children, and for traits to evolve, they have to be passed onto children, who get some form of competitive advantage from them.

These are common refrains that we hear everyday — from others, from the media, from ourselves. “Life is stressful”. Yes, life is full of challenges and stressors — deadlines, traffic jams caused by the new light rail building works, arguments with a spouse, work pressures, social anxieties, too many competing priorities, new relationships, navigating school or study — all are potential causes of stress in some degree or other.

Are you an LGBTIQ+ Artist? Belconnen Arts are hosting an open exhibition 'Kaleidoscope' celebrating LGBTQI+ pride.