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® AUST $9.95 NZ $10.75 USA $14.99 CANADA $14.99 UK £5.50 dnamagazine.com.au #182 M A D E T H AT W AY RED HOT DOWN UNDER 12 PAGES OF GARETH, OUR SEXIEST GINGER DROWN THE AUSSIE FILM WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR CUTE COUPLES MEET RHYS AND KIRK WILLING AND ABLE LIFE BEYOND PHYSICAL BOUNDS “ MY PARENTS WANT ME DEAD” THE HUNTING OF A GAY SON TROPICAL FRUITS A VERY KOOKY NEW YEAR! ON THE COVER LEO IN BARCELONA BY JP SANTAMARIA

DNA (ISSN 1443-1122) is published monthly in Australia and the UK by DNA Men Nexus Pty Ltd, PO Box 127 Lidcombe, NSW 1825, Australia, and in the USA and Canada under license to DNA Men Nexus Pty Ltd (Aust). DNA and Made That Way are registered trademarks in both Australia and the USA. Trademark pending in the UK. Registered by Australia Post (PP243459/00169). Copyright © DNA Men Nexus. All rights reserved. No part of DNA may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The appearance, mention or likeness of any person or organisation in editorial or advertising in no way suggests sexual or political orientation. Photographs used to illustrate editorial do not depict the real lives, behaviour or sexuality of the models. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers. Unsolicited editorial or photographic material is welcome but will not be returned unless appropriate postage is supplied. Submissions of text, photographs or any other material will be taken as consent to publish said material. DNA will not be held liable for material lost or damaged in transit. DNA is printed by Rotary Offset Press and distributed by Network Services, Level 21 Civic Tower, 66-68 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000 Australia. For newsagency enquiries: 1300 131 169. March 2015 DNAmagazine.com.au /Blog: Daily comment, news, entertainment and hot guys from around the world. /DNAstore: Subscriptions, current and back issues, DVDs, posters, gift packs, swimwear, underwear, jewellery and watches shipped anywhere in the world. /DNAsupport: Online contact for all general enquiries, website problems, delivery enquiries. /forums: Discussion board forums, members’ profiles and member messaging. /galleries: Behind the scenes, paparazzi, model searches, fashion extras, Mardi Gras. /OnlineEditions: Current and back issues online. /OutBack: Regional portal for country guys. /premium: Exclusive members’ area (DNAmen, galleries, premium blog, interviews, fitness.) /subscribers: Subscription renewals and address changes. /travel: Destination guides and travel stories. ® M A D E T H AT WAY GRAEME AITKEN, MARC ANDREWS, RODNEY HINDE, MICHAEL BAMFORD, MAXIM BOON, JEFFREY FENG, ETHAN JAMES, ROBBYNE KAAMIL, THOMAS KNIGHTS, LEE KYNASTON, SAMUEL LEIGHTON-DORE, BRAD MUSTOW, MATTHEW MYERS, ARRON RYAN, JP SANTAMARIA, ROD SPARK AND CHRISTOPHER KLIMOVSKI. CONTRIBUTORS FOUNDING EDITOR FEATURES EDITOR ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE ONLINE COORDINATOR DESIGN FASHION WRITER WEB DIRECTION HUMAN RESOURCES SUBSCRIBER SERVICES ANDREW CREAGH [email protected] JESSE ARCHER [email protected] JARED SIMPSON [email protected] PHILLIP PORTMAN [email protected] CHORUS DESIGN [email protected] MATT YOUNG [email protected] THEO KAPERONIS [email protected] KRISTIE PORTER DNAmagazine.com.au/DNAsupport RAE MILLS DNAmagazine.com.au/DNAsupport MODEL FOR DNA DNAMAGAZINE.COM.AU/MODELS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR FOR PUBLICATION PITCH A STORY WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES TELEPHONE TO SUBSCRIBE, PHONE TOLL FREE FROM AUSTRALIA FROM USA/CANADA OR GO TO [email protected] [email protected] DNAMAGAZINE.COM.AU/WHOLESALE (+61 2) 9764 0200 1300-DNA-MAG 1-888-2-DNA-MAG DNAMAGAZINE.COM.AU/SUBSCRIBE “It’s absolutely stunning. One of your absolute best!” Stephen Fry rosswatson.com MELBOURNE EXHIBITION 23 January - 8 February SYDNEY EXHIBITION 26 February - 7 March

6 DNA Regulars 10 FROM THE EDITOR Dogma attack! 12 BURNTOAST Your say on all things DNA. 14 LOVING Boys, lotion and donuts. 16 MONTH IN A MINUTE All the print that’s fit to news. 30 MUSIC REVIEWS 32 BOYS TOYS Whiz and definately bang! 34 BOOK REVIEWS 36 DEAR DIVA Solve my goddamn problems! 38 NUTTIER… Than a squirrel turd. 40 STRAIGHT MATE Travis Jeffery. 42 COMMON MORTALS New York truths. 96 GROOMING The best hand job. 98 DNA PT Bringing sexy back. 112 THE BACK PASSAGE Condoms: a seminal history. 114 URBAN HOMO #curatinganimage. Samples 18 THE TWO BEARS Open season for straight furries. 20 MADONNA Has she got her groove back? 22 ALEX KING His retro film photography. 26 DIVINE KNIGHTS Outrageous popaganda. 28 DROWN Aussie lifesavers go all the way under. 94 THE DNA POOL PARTY Sydney’s hottest day of summer. Photography 44 MELTING HOT Rhys and Kirk by Rod Spark. 62 RED HOT Gareth Wiecko by Thomas Knights. 76 LEO Leo Rico by JP Santamaria. 102 NICELY DOES IT Carson Nicely by Ethan James. CONTENT # 182 44 28 52 62 90 94 102 76

CONTENT # 182 8 DNA Features 52 WILLING AND ABLE They are some of the most gifted, engaged and engaging gays in the village. They also happen to be living with disabilities. Meet three of the world’s most inspirational. 74 TWINK, TWINK, LITTLE STAR Youth is highly prized on the scene. Like celebrity, it opens A-list doors, brings adulation and advantage – but it can easily be seduced into the web of a waiting spider. 86 “SAVE ME FROM MY FAMILY!” Hakan is young, gay and Turkish. His mother wants Allah to beat the gay out of him; his father wants to kill him. His story is a prescient reminder that gay rights are still a matter of life and death in many parts of the world. 90 FRESH FRUITS! Camping, all-night dancing, parades, cabaret and costumes galore. Welcome to Tropical Fruits, where Mardi Gras meets the State Fair! Leo wears Teamm8 swimwear. Photography JP Santamaria. Story starts page 76.

10 DNA Dogma Attack! THE DAY AFTER ISLAMIC fundamentalists murdered twelve people at the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris, a friend of mine ran into some trouble at a train station in Sydney. It was morning peak hour, and the station entrance was partially blocked by two people, an older man and a young girl, who were talking. As my friend drew closer, he overheard their conversation. The man was a Christian fundamentalist explaining to the girl why gay people were unnatural and would be punished in the afterlife. In the mind of the Christian, he was doing something good – spreading the word of God, as the Bible tells Christians to do. But if you ask me, he was doing a whole lot of bad. Blocking the train station entrance for a start – bad! Preaching hate and intolerance to an impressionable young person – bad! The worst thing, though, was that he was perpetuating the idea that people with religious beliefs have the right to impose them on others. That belief had been expressed in the most extreme way possible just the day before in Paris. The journalists and artists who were killed were judged to be guilty of blasphemy – the act of ridiculing or expressing contempt for God. But if you don’t believe in God, is that even possible? It’s like being told you’ve broken the rules of a game you aren’t playing. If you don’t have religious beliefs, why should religious rules apply to you? This is why I’m constantly annoyed that churches are invited into the debate on gay marriage. If I’m not a member of your church or your belief system, why should you be entitled to an opinion on my life or my marital status? Marriage doesn’t belong to the church. Long before it was hijacked by religion, marriage was an agreement between individuals, families and communities about property – which it still is. It is not a “gift from God”. It is not a “sacred bond”. Yet, in the Western World, churches tell us we can’t “redefine” their version of marriage. Worse, they claim that by not adhering to their rules, we are the oppressors. In the US, church groups are claiming the right to discriminate against gays and lesbians because unless they can refuse service to us in restaurants or hospitals, we are depriving them of their religious freedom. Something similar already exists in Australia, where churches, church schools and universities, and religious organisations are exempt from the Anti-Discrimination Act. Why? Because they want the right to impose their values on people who don’t share those values. It’s moral totalitarianism. Their argument for “freedom of religion” is really an argument for “the freedom to oppress”. And taken to its most extreme, it’s deadly. The Paris massacre, for example. If you’re squeamish don’t look online at the videos of ISIS throwing gay men to their deaths from towers. The massacre of 132 school children in Pakistan last December, the enslaving of women and children in Iraq and Syria by ISIS, the abduction of 300 school girls by Boko Haram in Nigeria – this is not just terrorism, it’s the violent expression of religion. The man at the Sydney train station was not an extremist or a murderer – but he is not harmless. Religious extremists only exist because religious moderates exist first. Like that man, the terrorists in Paris also thought they were doing something good. It would now be hypocritical of me to suggest that religion and spirituality are a personal thing and should be kept private, because I have no business telling anyone how to practice their religion. In return, I ask that religion respects the right of others to live their lives on their own terms. Founding Editor, Andrew Creagh FROM THE EDITOR/ Andrew Creagh Their argument for ‘freedom of religion’ is really an argument for ‘the freedom to oppress’, and taken to its most extreme, it’s deadly. An anti-gay marriage protestor in the US. What next – witch burnings?

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12 DNA DNA #180 COVER MODEL, BRENT WILSON Brent, let me know when you’re in Georgia! – Christopher Jones I’ve admired his clothes but what’s beneath is even better! – Raj Patel Why the beards all of a sudden? All I see on good looking men is beards. – Mark Schuster HELLO MR EDITOR You might not remember, but you helped me with references for my Masters thesis, AFL And The Closet. Given how hard it was to find any academic information on the topic, mine is probably the first academic work on the subject. Anyway, it is now freely available via the Edith Cowan University library digital collection. (Needless to say, various DNA articles are referenced.) Naturally, I noticed an item in The DNA Awards 2014 [DNA #180]. Under the title “Most Likely To Come Out Eventually”, you wrote, “Let’s hope that we soon see an openly gay Australian Football Leaguer.” Well, I suppose it is bound to happen… eventually. However, my research suggests there is a tacit ‘block’ to this, not least of which is media silence. AFL is the only exclusively male, mainstream institution of our society where gays apparently don’t exist. Nearly 15 years ago, a play was produced in Perth on this very topic for the Pride festival. The buzz was, then, that an AFL player was about to come out. It still hasn’t happened. It’s been more than four decades since gay liberation reached this country, however, its effects have yet to reach the AFL. I’d like to think it will by the end of this year, but I don’t think we should hold our breath. Keep up the good work at DNA. – Andrew Douglas AFL: tight shorts, bulging pecs and biceps, full body contact, hugs, kisses and the pats on the bum… It’s hard to imagine that any of them are actually straight. #TEAMHUMANITY Asylum seekers being denied their rights in indefinite off-shore detention is appalling [Australian Horror Story: Asylum, DNA #180] and even more so when I learned how nations like Italy are acting in a legal, humane way despite a much bigger burden of refugees. Our government’s policy shames all Australians. Thanks for taking on this important story. – Brett Alder, Melbourne. If you grab the latest copy of @DNAmagazine, you’ll find an amazingly well written and nuanced article about Australia’s asylum policy. Samuel Walker, @SCGWalker DNA, please help spread the word: www. nogoingback.org.uk is charity that helps LGBT people fleeing persecution and seeking asylum in the UK. @NoGoingBack1 GIMME MORE CROSSFIT CrossFit guys have the hottest bodies! How has Bernardo Velasquez not got more comments? Can you guys post more CrossFit athletes like Khan Porter, Kurt Foggo, Keegan Wolfenden, CJ Walker, Brendan Clarke, Matt Healey and Denis Hamann? Plenty of candidates for Instastuds in that lot! – Sean C, Brisbane. Thanks Sean. We love this kind of homework! burnttoast @ dnamagazine.com.au INSIDE THE MINDS OF DNA READERS! EMAILS, LETTERS, TWEETS, FACEBOOK POSTS, CARRIER PIGEON DISPATCHES AND RAMBLINGS Send your feedback to [email protected] Or post your burnttoast letters on our website. Go to DNAmagazine.com.au. Letters will be edited for length, clarity and hilarity! SWEET TWEETS @JoshThomas87 I don’t drunk tweet. I wouldn’t waste wine on Twitter. @TheTweetOfGod It’s times like this I really wish I existed. @maybemick You know you’re in the gayburbs when a @DNAmagazine poster is on the local newsagent’s window. @thomasward I hate when you’re having a nice night then randomly remember you haven’t fed your Tamigotchi for eighteen years. @nathvalvo If Sam Smith’s new relationship goes balls up does he listen to the Sam Smith album? @Hat_Man_Doo What did the number 3 say when number 4 was acting odd? “I can’t even.” @TTMSonair My next drag name is Amanda. Because I’m a man, duh. @KhrisWarhol I feel like 2015 will be the year Robin Thicke will blur the lines between his music career and working at Taco Bell. @rhysnicholson I was going to start a website called himself.com featuring nude men talking candidly about sex, but I realised that’s Tinder. ® AUST $9.95 NZ $10.75 USA $14.99 CANADA $14.99 UK £5.50 dnamagazine.com.au #180 M A D E T H AT W AY BRENT WILSON MENSWEAR STAR BARES IT ALL! ›› 10 HOTTEST PARTIES IN THE GAY WORLD ASYLUM HORROR HOW AUSTRALIA BETRAYS THE GAYS COUCH SURFERS SEX ON THE SOFA! MYKONOS BACK ON THE MAP PLUS INSIDE DNA 3 WHY WHEY? CLEANSING SECRET GETTING SEXY PECS THE VEGE ALTERNATIVE NUTRIENT Finding a healthier, sexier you! ® THE 69 JOYS OF GAY SEX Would you come out in a YouTube video? READERS’ POLL Only if I got paid to do it That’s how I came out 0% No Yes 47% 26% What's your view on the 30-year age gap between Stephen Fry and Elliot Spencer? READERS’ POLL I’m fine with it It’s too much of an age gap 15% 12% 15% 6% I wouldn’t care if it was more or less, as long as they’re happy It’s none of my business 79% BERNARDO VELASQUEZ BY FELIPE PILOTTO L ATES T PO L L

14 DNA Loving… The stuff we’re “Celebrating gender discombobulation!” 14 DNA Gays in ads Are we so desperate for validation that we celebrate gay characters appearing in advertising campaigns? Or, are we pleased to see international brands acknowledging that we are among their target demographics? Lynx, Nikon, Tiffany and Tide – we salute you. Our Own Budgie Smugglers DNA swimmers (they’re aussieBum with our logo) are very exclusive! We only give them away at parties to certified hotties, like Marty Pappas, shot here by Joel Devereux. Sock Unity Never let one sock lose touch with with its other half, with Barnaby’s new range of socks that button up together. Bless! Barnabyshop.com SEE MORE

DNA 15 Donuts If you’ve seen the “donuts” clip from reality show My Husband’s Not Gay, you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. We love donuts and so do you Mr In-Denial-Not-Gay-Married-Mormon. Aussie Boardies Legendary Aussie swimwear label aussieBum (their spelling, not ours!) made the “budgie smuggler” popular worldwide. Now, radically, they’re having a go at making the “boardie” (Australian for board shorts) sexy – and doing a mighty fine job. Aussiebum.com Daily Male by CR Formulations This luxury skincare range has the highest percentage of proven active ingredients for a fabulous face. It’s the superfood of skincare! Tony The Chew Toy Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has finally become popular with Australians. Australian dogs that is! “He’s our best-selling chew toy,” says the manager at Darlinghurst’s Pup N Pussy pet boutique. Pupnpussy.com.au

» THE US SUPREME Court decides finally to weigh in on the matter of marriage in the nation. The high court announces it will hear freedom to marry cases from four states this year. The decision, expected in June, is likely to have farreaching consequence. » AHEAD OF A NATIONWIDE referendum on same-sex marriage, Ireland’s Health Minister, Leo Varadkar, 36, comes out. “I’m a gay man,” he says. “It’s not a secret, but it’s not something that everyone would necessarily know.” He is the first government minister to come out in the traditionally conservative Catholic country. The referendum, scheduled for May, also has the support of fellow countryman Colin Farrell. The actor, who has a gay brother, says, “I support this vote with every fibre of my being.”   » STAR OF THE UK’S gay drama Cucumber, Freddie Fox, 25, plays the field with his sexuality in an interview with the Daily Telegraph. “I’ve had girlfriends but I wouldn’t wish to say ‘I’m this or that’ because at some point in my life I might fall in love with a man.” » ANDREW BARR becomes Chief Minister of the ACT and the first openly gay head of state in Australia. Barr is openly gay with a long-term partner, Anthony. In a press conference, Barr says, “It is quite ironic that you can be elected Chief Minister but can’t marry your partner of 15 years. It’s time that this discrimination is ended in this country and I will continue to be a loud and passionate voice for that change.” » BILLY CRYSTAL, WHO played one of TV’s first openly gay men (Jodie Dallas, in the 1970s sitcom, Soap) tells the audience at a press event that some TV shows today are pushing gay storylines too far for his taste. “I hope people don’t abuse it and shove it in our face… to the point where it feels like an everyday kind of thing.” » CELIBATE? THE FDA PLANS to ease the ban on gay and bisexual men from donating blood, but only if they abstain from gay sex for at least one year. » IN SYDNEY’S Martin Place, Islamic radical Man Haron Monis enters the Lindt Café and takes 18 people hostage in a 16-hour standoff. In the final moments of the siege, two hostages, barrister Katrina Dawson and café manager Tori Johnson (pictured), are killed. Johnson is hailed a hero as he allegedly lost his life while attempting to wrestle for the gun. Johnson’s partner of 14 years, Thomas Zinn, calls him, “the most positive human being I ever met”. A formal inquest into the siege is underway, while surviving hostages are reportedly earning six figure sums to tell their story to news outlets. / MONTH IN A MINUTE The family is threatened by growing efforts on the part of some to redefine the very institution of marriage. These realities are increasingly under attack from powerful forces which threaten to disfigure God’s plan for creation. – Pope Francis addressing millions in Manila. On Twitter, ISIS celebrate their medieval barbarism by posting images of gay men being tossed to their deaths from a rooftop in Mosul. Two weeks after announcing his engagement to 27-yearold Elliot Spencer, Stephen Fry, 57, announces that the two have married in Dereham, England. His tweet reads, “Gosh. @ElliotGSpencer and I go into a room as two people, sign a book and leave as one. Amazing.” A Virginian ex-gay group puts up a billboard featuring identical twins of different sexualities to make the claim “Nobody is born gay”. The only problem is that the model pictured is not a twin and is an “out and proud” gay! South Africa’s Kyle Roux posed for the stock images nearly a decade ago. 16 DNA

›› ffey’re straight, furry, make music and sometimes get assaulted by lipstick. Marc Andrews tracks down Raf Rundell of UK dance act, ffe 2 Bears. DNA: We’re very intrigued to know more about a band called The 2 Bears! Has the bear community embraced you? Raf Rundell: Not just yet. Despite the name I’m not that plugged into the bear scene. Are you more otter than bear? I guess so, yeah. We were kind of given that name by a friend of ours. Joe [Goddard] and I were hanging out a lot making tracks and we were all amused by the name. Everyone likes bears, as well. It’s also a fairytale. You already won the gay audience over with your name! Yes, that helps [laughs]. Joe is also a full-time member of [electronic band] Hot Chip and an in-demand remixer, so do you just become The 2 Bears whenever you get the chance? Yeah. Making the music we fit in around his schedule and mine. We just get on with it. He is very prolific and a very impressive creative force. So you DJ the rest of the time? I DJ and have some record labels which release soul and house stuff. I am also raising a young family. I’m a bear with a few little cubs at home [laughs]. Your latest album, The Night Is Young, could turn you into bona fide pop stars! I don’t know what that entails, to be honest. We’re not unambitious, but very realistic. Joe has made a lot of albums with Hot Chip and I have worked in the music business since I was 19. We are not cynical or jaded, but you have to allow these things to grow naturally and it’s a creative endeavour as much as anything. Is it fair to call The 2 Bears’ style of music “house”? House is what we became known for initially and it’s a framework for everything we do. On this record we just wanted to try a few different musical hats on for our own sanity in the studio as we are lovers of all types of music. House has a long heritage in gay clubs. As a DJ, I play at a gay night in London called Handsome. I’m always very happy about that because on the flyer when it says who is playing it always calls them handsome. Everyone likes being called handsome. We aspire to play at the Horse Meat Disco. We’re big friends of theirs and we’ll get a gig in there sooner or later. Does this mean we’ll see you in sequins or spandex on stage? Well, we are kind of involved with this transvestite collective called Sink The Pink in London. They are the guys in our video for Not This Time. They are an incredible hot mess of lycra and moustaches. They run a monthly party and it’s fantastic. Everyone gets so dressed up, even us. I don’t have the figure for spandex, though. I usually get assaulted with a feather boa and a bit of lipstick. I get in the spirit. We love you straight guys for that! There’s something about the atmosphere at those parties. It kind of de-sexualises everything because everyone is so dressed up that you can’t tell who’s who, or what’s what. From my perspective as a straight guy it’s like a lot of kids with a dressing up box. And there’s no fights outside the club afterwards either! Exactly. There’s a lot of people getting together and getting off with each other, which is what you want at a party. I’ve been playing at their party a lot and we are involving them a lot in our live show. Even Madonna saw our video. She probably wants to steal all your ideas for her next video! Well, there you go! She was in touch with them and they were obviously beyond delighted with that, so everybody is profiting in some way from this hook-up. Which leads us to ask: speedos or board shorts at the beach? Board shorts, I’m afraid. If I wore budgie smugglers I would be busting a hairy bear nut. Some people like that! Okay, alright. I am a big fan of the cricket and my mate sent me a set of Shane Warne underwear from Target. They are absolutely disgusting. Maybe I could wear them down the beach. Nobody wants to see anyone wearing Shane Warne’s underpants! Send me some speedos then! Sweet. MORE: Visit The2bears.co.uk or find them on Facebook or Twitter. The Night Is Young is out through Liberator Music/Southern Fried 18 DNA / SAMPLES “We are involved with this transvestite collective called Sink The Pink in London.They are an incredible hot mess of lycra and moustaches.” Bust A Hairy Bear Nut! If you go down in the woods today… you might meet Raf Rundell of The 2 Bears. VIDEO

stonemen.com / 02 9337 3112

›› ff e leaking of Madonna’s new album has her screaming “artistic rape”. Marc Andrews braves the Queen Of Pop’s wrath and cocks an ear before her Rebel Heart is offl cially released. JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE last Christmas an unexpected little package showed up online in the form of Madonna’s new album. Cunningly labelled Iconic, it appeared to have been re-gifted to fans by someone on Madonna’s team who had leaked, or indeed stolen, the tracks. Madonna herself, as you can well imagine, was utterly unimpressed. “This is artistic rape!” she declared with outrage on Instagram. “These are early leaked demos, half of which won’t even make it on my album the other half have changed and evolved. This is a form of terrorism. WTF!!!! Why do people want to destroy artistic process??? Why steal? Why not give me the opportunity to finish and give you my very best?” Mads also asked fans to be loyal and not listen to the demos. “Thank you for waiting and if you have heard please know they are unfinished demos stolen long ago and not ready to be presented to the world,” she added, just so everyone knew that this was unfinished business. While she might have been rightfully mad about the leak, Mads also saw a true commercial opportunity. No less than 24 hours later, her team officially released six tracks from her new album, titled Rebel Heart, with the complete shebang due on March 10. So what to make of Iconic then? Is it Madonna’s state-of-the-art dance masterpiece, or something more like a messy piece? Plucking your way through the 13 tracks served up there’s plenty of material that sounds, well, sub-standard and barely deserving of a slot on her album, let alone as an extra track on the Japanese deluxe box set edition. Bitch I’m Madonna is her recycling that old “I’m the greatest, you’re the greatest imposter” vibe with an annoying, cloying electro beat and lyrics along the line of “na na na”. It’s rubbish, in other words, but a finished version with Nicki Minaj appears on the new Rebel Heart album. Hmmm. Things improve when it comes to Living For Love, the official first single. Kicking off with a classic old school house piano and beat, it seems Madonna has been taking some listens to Kiesza’s Hideaway. It’s definitely the catchiest thing on Iconic and, not surprisingly, hit iTunes in a version not too dissimilar to the one that leaked. It’s definitely hit material, if people could be bothered to buy the proper version, that is. Other Iconic tracks, like the acoustic ballad Joan Of Arc (which haters are gonna hate on with the line “I’m not Joan of Arc… not yet!”), or the heavy piano tearjerker Heartbreak City (where she rhymes city with shitty) seem like song sketches that hopefully will either be more fully-rounded by the time the finished version arrives, or else scrapped altogether. Some may herald Illuminati as Madonna heading back into Vogue territory with a rap referencing Beyoncé, Obama and Gaga but it’s truly a pale imitation of her biggest selling single. Borrowed Time is Madonna doing Change The World with a big stomping chorus Calvin Harris would kill for, much like album opener Addicted (The One That Got Away) with Madonna meddling thick and fast in EDM territory. Why she didn’t just call David Guetta and have it done with remains unknown. There’s plenty here to delight Madonna fans and when we get to hear the final versions of these songs on Rebel Heart they may indeed have been worth the wait… and the leaks. What we should not forget is that Madonna has been the victim of early leaks before. Before her last album hit the shelves, 2012’s MDNA, there was a leak of the lead single Give Me All Your Luvin’ some three months before its official release. The only problem was that the leaked version was identical to the finished version, so why would anyone bother buying it when it had been available for three months online for free? It was no surprise that the track, a catchy cheerleader romp you may recall from the hands of Martin Solveig, flopped in the charts and didn’t pave the way for a proper Madonna comeback. Now with Iconic/Rebel Heart leaking all over the net, early demos or not, there are two views on whether this is good or bad for Madonna’s career. The positive brigade gamely believe that all publicity is good publicity and if it means more people will listen to Madonna’s music, 30 years after her prime, then all the better. Perhaps this is the best launchpad that the new official Rebel Heart album could possibly have, “terrorists” or no “terrorists”. The negative view is that people will hear these demos, think Madonna is rubbish and trying to play catch-up with the Rihannas and Katy Perrys and her Queen Of Pop crown will be further tarnished, if not destroyed. Perhaps the final word on Iconic should be left with one of the few women in the world who have more balls than Madonna – RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio. “Madonna’s album was ‘leaked’,” Bianca mocked on her Facebook page. She calls it ‘artistic rape’. I blame Bill Cosby.” Bitch, she’s Madonna! MORE: Rebel Heart is released through Universal Music. For more go to www.madonna.com 20 DNA / SAMPLES BUT IS IT ICONIC? “Kicking off with a classic old school house piano and beat, it seems Madonna has been taking some listens to Kiesza’s Hideaway.” SEE MORE

ADAM LOVE (AUS) AMANDA LOUISE (AUS) ASTRIX LITTLE (AUS) BENT COLLECTIVE – STEVEN REDANT (SPAIN) + DANNY VERDE (ITALY) DAN MURPHY (AUS) DAVID MORALES: A SALUTE TO FRANKIE KNUCKLES (USA) DJ GRIND (USA) JD SAMSON (USA) KATE MONROE (AUS) KITTY GLITTER (AUS) MASON ANDREWS (AUS) META ETCETERA (AUS) PAUL MAC (AUS) + SPECIAL GUESTS SAMMY JO (USA) SVETA (AUS) THE CARRY NATION (USA) WAYNE G (UK) YO! MAFIA (AUS) COURTNEY ACT (MG GLOBAL AMBASSADOR) MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED LINE UP (SO FAR): night of nights - sat 07 mar, 10pm - 8am - playbill venues and entertainment quarter, moore park, sydney, australia WHOEVER YOU ARE, AND WHEREVER YOU COME FROM, THIS IS YOUR SPEND THE NIGHT WITH OVER 15,000 INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL PARTYGOERS AT THE MARDI GRAS PARTY – THE LARGEST GAY AND LESBIAN EVENT IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE. This is the big one. The LGBTQI annual general meeting. Everyone from everywhere. Every passion and every predilection. All welcome. All night. ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH BY ANN-MARIE CALILHANNA

22 DNA / SAMPLES ›› What better way to revive the lost art of 35mm photography than with hot guys in their underwear? LA-based photographer Alex King reveals his retro quest to Maxim Boon. DNA: You have a pretty great job: photographing gorgeous guys in their underwear! You’re a lucky man. Alex King: I’m very lucky, but it’s still a job. I really have to make it a hustle. You have to keep shooting, spending money on printing and developing costs, and it’s a lot of work to find new guys and new faces to photograph. It’s a challenge, but I love it! How did you manage to build this as a career? I’ve been a fan of [photo-sharing site] Tumblr for years; there’s a huge gay population on there and I really wanted to tap into that. About a year ago I started a small fashion project called Tie-Dye Undies. I started off making about 20 pairs of tie-dyed briefs and I thought they looked great, but I needed to see them on somebody. A buddy offered to be my first model, and I took a bunch of pictures and posted them through Tumblr. The reaction was amazing: lots of reblogs and people asking where they could get a pair. Interest really took off, so I was making maybe 30 new pairs every week and shooting them all on different models. Via Tumblr I was able to see which photos and models were popular, but it’s not KILL YOUR SELFIE

as simple as you’d think. I’d shoot friends who had done no modelling before, and people really seemed to dig that. Sometimes you’d shoot a professional model and think, ‘Wow, these pics are amazing’ and they’d go nowhere. Even though you have a big online following you’ve decided to specialise in 35mm film photography. What attracted you to go old school? I’m kind of a retro person. Tiedye is about as retro as you get! I’m a hippy at heart – I’m into vinyl records and vintage cars. Before I used 35mm, I was shooting on digital and I’d take thousands of pics which then needed to be edited down. I thought to myself after one really painful edit, ‘Why am I always overshooting?’ I had this 35mm camera that my grandmother had given me which I hadn’t touched in ten years. The first time I used it was just an experiment, but when I got the pictures back I was like, “Fuck! Why have I been wasting my time on digital?” The colours were all more vibrant, the skin tones were gorgeous. Everything looked just a little bit more authentic. I also love that the model has to trust you just a little bit more to get the right shot. Using 35mm taught me to be decisive and quick. DNA 23

Instead of a shoot taking all day, we’d shoot for an hour tops, and that stops the models from looking bored or strained or clichéd. You haven’t cut all your ties with the digital world, though. Absolutely not. Instagram and Tumblr have been really important in getting my pictures out there. They’re also really good for finding guys to photograph. I do work with a few professional models, but a lot of the guys I’ve shot I’ve connected with via Instagram. When you’re shooting someone who has 80,000 plus followers, you can get a picture out there immediately on a scale which is pretty mind blowing. Also, honestly, Grindr and Tinder are really good ways to connect with potential models, too, especially as I’m really happy for whomever I photograph to use those pictures online if they want. Wouldn’t you rather have a professionally shot picture than just another bathroom mirror pic? I have a secret ambition to kill the selfie, but I somehow don’t think that’s going to happen! If you’re sourcing models on Grindr, are there any shenanigans on shoots? Surprisingly not, and to be honest I really try to keep the environment professional. Having said that, I think having an element of sexual tension with a model, where something might happen, can produce some really exciting magic in a picture. I’m very lucky to have a boyfriend who is pretty cool with me shooting guys in their underwear, especially since Grindr and Tinder are part of the tools of my trade! Isn’t there a fine line between art and pornography? I’ve worked in porn before as a cameraman, but I found that it really wasn’t for me. The reality of it isn’t very sexy. Lots of the guys are straight and just plain not into it, and the second the blue pills come out to “keep them going” it becomes really hard work. It made me realise that what’s important to me is capturing something honest and genuine, like the moment just before something hot happens. I think that’s way sexier. Light Luster, your first bound collection of pictures, features the beautiful landscapes and men of Los Angeles. Now you’ve been travelling around Australia for a new collection. How was your trip? Amazing! There are such beautiful things here, and not just the men. There are amazingly different climates from jungle to desert, and stunning beaches, weird trees and crazy animals. As a photographer the possibilities are endless, but that’s one of the tricky things about shooting on film – you have to choose your shots carefully. Who would be your dream model? Chris Mears, the British diver, would be top of my list. There’s something about his eyebrows! Nick Jonas would also be up there. I love how he flirts with his gay fan base, it really reminds me of Marky Mark’s Calvin Klein ads in the 1990s. One thing that really interests me is how even though a lot of underwear shoots are aimed at the gay market, they connect with a lot of straight guys, too, especially overseas. Andrew Christian’s underwear makes millions in China – it can’t all be gay guys buying it! Why do you think that is? The models are beautiful! Whether you want to be that person, or just fuck them, it’s all about aspiring to something you want. Andrew Christian uses a lot of porn stars to model his stuff because sex really does sell. It’s not my vibe, but I totally respect it and understand why it exists. I did hear a horror story from a friend who had to airbrush a photo of a guy modelling a jock-strap because his butthole was too big! That’s definitely one advantage of digital over film! MORE: visit www.alex-king-35mm.myshopify. com or www.apex35mm.tumblr.com/ 24 DNA / SAMPLES “Fuck! Why have I been wasting my time on digital? Everything looked just a little bit more authentic.”

›› “We’re huge in Ukraine!” So say outrageous electro-pop outffi t Divine Knights. ff e unabashedly gay duo, Gerard Searle and Daniel ‘Beef’ Beck, tell Marc Andrews everything! DNA: When did you form Divine Knights? Gerard Searle: We actually started in London about six years ago. Beef and I had started songwriting in Melbourne and as I was an actor it took me to London. Beef came over and it’s grown since then. We moved back to Australia about five years ago. Daniel ‘Beef’ Beck: We released an album independently in Australia, then we were invited to be part of Australia’s Got Talent. Gerard: They said they really wanted something like Lady Gaga! We thought it could be a terrible idea but they gave us $20,000 worth of production. Beef: They said we could have whatever we wanted and our eyes went – bing! In hindsight, was a reality show the launchpad you needed? Gerard: No. In some ways it was a stupid thing to do, but we did get fans in some weird places. Beef: We have people from Russia and Ukraine watching us who thought we were the shit. Gerard: Most Australians probably looked at us and went, “Oh no, what the fuck was that [laughs]!?” How far did you get on the show? Gerard: We were semi-finalists. Beef: We didn’t disgrace ourselves, but our semi-final performance was so over the top. It was based around The Neverending Story and they had to build these huge sets. We got a bit of exposure out of it, toured and then disappeared for two years. We didn’t capitalise on it in the way most people would. Gerard: Since we started Divine Knights it was all about being creative and performing and that was just another way of doing that. And now finally you have your first EP, Popaganda! Gerard: We were in the studio for a year-anda-half. We wanted it to be perfect and we love it. We loved doing the videos and we have started crystalising what we are about and the storytelling is a lot clearer. It’s more fun and less navel-gazing than what we’ve done before. We hope people embrace it and can relate to it. Is this a full-time occupation for you guys? Beef: You can’t be a musician these days and not work full-time, unfortunately. We do have to work to pay the bills for the recording and the videos. We are self-funding, which is exciting, and we retain the control. Divine Knights also seem unashamedly gay. Gerard: We will always be ourselves. Every time we present ourselves we are going to be openly gay and very much about our work and our creative vision. We are not hiding anything or changing anything. Beef: We always said that it would always be a non-issue for us. We are more than happy to talk about it. We are proud of that and I fucking love being a gay man. Why wouldn’t I want everyone to know that? Gerard: We are pop artists so there is not a lot to read into that except we have the potential to write stories and be people that can change things, or inspire other people, or make young people believe that you can be whatever you want to be. Your single, Hearts On Fire, was inspired by gay activists of the past, right? Gerard: It was inspired by Australia’s fight for marriage equality. Beef: One of the things I like about Sam Smith is that he writes love songs and sings about men just the way a man sings about a woman, or a woman sings about a man. It’s not garish. He’s just singing what is true to him and that’s awesome. It’s pretty inspirational. He’s probably one of the first artists to do that in the mainstream and that’s pretty cool. Do people assume you guys are a couple? Gerard: Yes, they do. We’ve been best friends for over ten years. We are really comfortable with each other, but I am married to a wonderful man and he is in a relationship with a wonderful man. Beef: We haven’t crossed that line [laughs]. Can two gay men really work so closely together and not be attached? Gerard: Anyone who meets us gets it straight away. You can see there is no sexual attraction, but we’re best buddies. Beef: Well, I am attracted to you… but only on Fridays [laughs]. MORE: Go to www.divineknights.com.au/home. The Popaganda EP is released through Oxygen Music Group. 26 DNA / SAMPLES Divine Popaganda “I fucking love being a gay man. Why wouldn’t I want everyone to know that?” Divine Knights: Gerard (left) and “Beef” Beck (right).

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. Belvedere is a quality choice. Drinking responsibly is too. FACEBOOK.COM/BELVEDEREVODKAAUSTRALIA

28 DNA DNA: Congrats on Drown’s world premiere! How did the film come to you and how long have you been working on it?  Dean Francis: Thanks! Its been almost three years to the day since I read Stephen Davis’ play and approached him about turning it into a film. I was drawn by the strong subtext that the violence perpetrated by these “straight” men on a gay guy was driven by repressed homoerotic desire. A lot of homophobic violence we see in society is the result of repressed desire and it felt like something that needed to be said in the context of fighting homophobia. Give us your three sentence plot pitch. An all-Australian surf lifesaving champion is dethroned by a younger, hotter guy and starts to hate him. But his hate turns into something more confusing which threatens to destabilise his sense of self. During a big night out, the drunken lifesavers find themselves in a gay bar – and what happens next is violent, erotic and absolutely confronting.  You didn’t go through the usual system to get it produced, such as through [funding body] Screen Australia. Why not? We wanted to make the film immediately without suffering a long script development process. The play was already well-developed subtextually and I wanted to make it in an unconventional way where I improvised with actors, shot the film myself and filmed over an extended period. So the conventional process of development funding, production funding, doing everything in an industrialised fashion didn’t feel right. Doing the film outside the system on a low budget was a creative choice first and foremost. I wanted the authorship to be direct and I wanted to limit the number of voices chiming in about what would “work” or “sell”. Every film is different and this felt like the best process for the material. How different is your film version from the play? The play is set entirely on the beach at night and is large swathes of dialogue between Len and Meat while Phil is unconscious. My adaptation brought in Australian surf lifesaving culture, Kings Cross nightlife, gay nightlife, memory, backstory and, crucially, the relationship between Tom and Phil. Tom is a very stereotypical gay in the way that Len is a stereotypical straight. Both characters are trapped in an identity which they perform based on how they are expected to behave based on their sexuality. What I wanted to say with this film is that when identity is based on sexuality, it can be limiting and potentially dangerous because so much becomes repressed.  The trailer intimates some serious violence. How far will Len go to hide who he is? He goes virtually all the way. At the risk of spoilers I won’t say too much. But Len needs to purge the feelings of attraction from within himself – it’s his last chance at avoiding oblivion.  What’s your favourite scene? After Len has bashed Phil, he approaches him with a bottle of rum and offers it to him – it’s a test of sorts. Is Phil man enough to drink with Len even after Len pulverised his face? But there’s a deeper subtext: Len is by this stage completely in love with Phil and Matt Levett plays that internal struggle with great subtlety and power. We cut / SAMPLES "During a big night out, the drunk lifesavers find themselves in a gay bar – and what happens next is violent, erotic and absolutely confronting." All The Way Under ›› Aussie Surf Lifesavers ffind their patrol compromised by a champion who will do anything to suppress his gay desires in the gripping drama, Drown. Jesse Archer gets the low down from director Dean Francis ahead of its world premiere at Mardi Gras Film Festival. Phil (Jack Matthews) and Len (Matt Levett) return to the beach VIDEO after a boozy night out.

DNA 29 between this very typically macho exchange between the two men and images of Phil with his boyfriend Tom at Mardi Gras. In some way I think it shows the similarities between Mardi Gras and competitive sports. Both feature hulking guys with sweaty, exposed bodies and the audience celebrates these expressions of masculinity. But despite their similarities these two cultures are often fundamentally opposed, and threatened by each other. Surf lifesaving is about as Aussie as you can get. Did you cast any actual lifesavers? Yes, many of the supporting cast are indeed lifesavers! This was incredibly useful as our leads could get coaching and advice from them. The main cast went through rigorous training, diets and workout regimes to beef them up and make them feel authentic as lifesavers. Some of the lifesavers on the beaches we shot at were also really supportive and gave us tips here and there. Which beaches did you film at? Was it hard to get permission from councils? Beach night is at Maroubra. The council can’t prevent us from filming by law, but there was a bit of tension as our shoot kept extending because it rained constantly. They tried to shut us down a couple of times but we got through it! How about the surf clubs? Most surf clubs were hostile towards us. Once word spread about the kind of film we were making no one wanted anything to do with us. Except for the amazing people at Mona Vale Surf Lifesaving club where we shot all the interiors. They were very supportive, even if we did get the odd homophobic remark from some of the young suburban club members while we were filming.  We hear Surf Lifesaving Australia wasn’t helpful, either. Why not? Was it the content? They were worried that some of their less progressive clubs would be offended by the film and so they refused to offer us assistance. At one point we were told to expect their solicitors at our meeting. We tried to emphasise that our portrayal of a fictional club is actually quite positive. Yes, violence, bullying and homophobia occur but the club in our film tries to take steps to deal with that.  How long was your actual shoot? What other struggles did you have in getting it made on a tight budget? We shot for ages – 48 days and another 13 days of second unit. Because we all had to hold down jobs at the same time we shot two or three days most weeks so it stretched out for months. The cast had to maintain their physical fitness as well as linger in challenging emotional territory for a very long time and we all had to get through the shoot without any wage. I’d have to check the bank balance on my phone between takes to make sure we could afford lunch for the crew. Luckily, some angel investors came on board after the shoot which meant we could finish it, but the low budget meant we did all the picture post-production in-house and embraced cutting edge techniques for grading and online. Even a few years earlier it wouldn’t have been possible to achieve the film on this level with our budget.  What was your actual budget? Around 1.4 million [Australian dollars] including deferrals. Drown has truly incredible cinematography, just from the trailer alone. Thank you. The challenge of being the cinematographer and director is you need to balance your attention between these two equally important aspects, trying not to neglect the cast. But there is a fantastic immediacy to operating the camera and directing. You can grab moments very quickly and respond intuitively to the performance like a dance.  How did you go about filming underwater? We had two incredibly talented underwater cinematographers: Dean Cropp, who worked on the ocean underwater shots, and Jon Shaw who worked on the beaches. It was a pretty simple process of going out on a boat, throwing the cast into the water and Dean would dive down to the ocean floor and shoot. I trusted him to find the shots and he came out with stunning work. Jon was equally fantastic in the shallows of Maroubra beach with a huge swell. It was a great collaboration and I was so lucky they believed in the project and offered their help. Are there any sex scenes? There are indeed sex scenes – and scenes that stretch the definition of sex scenes as well! Did you cast any openly gay actors? When we cast, the only openly gay actor was Jayr Tinaco who is gorgeous as Dan, a gay club regular who preys on Len. Subsequent to filming, Harry Cook [“Meat”] came out as gay and his announcement attracted international media attention. I’m sure the film played a role in his decision and he draws the comparison between his character standing back and watching the violence without doing anything and his own silence about his sexuality. After your World Premiere in Sydney and its film festival run, do you have a distribution deal? Drown has distribution in major world territories including the US, UK, Germany and others. No one in Australia has been brave enough to commit yet and we want to avoid what often happens with Aussie films where they last a week at the cinema and are gone before you know it. So we’re considering using a cinemaon-demand model which has been successful in the US, where a groundswell of interest generates ticket pre-sales for special event screenings which can roll out during the entire year across the whole country. We will see what the reaction is at Mardi Gras. If there is interest from an audience then we’ll absolutely make sure they can see it.  MORE: Drown premieres at the Mardi Gras Film Festival March 4th. It also screens at Melbourne Queer Film Festival March 21st. Visit the film’s website for more, including a short featurette with the cast: www.drownthemovie.com. Phil and Len in the locker room at Parer Vale Surf Lifesaving Club. Above: Dylan Hare, Daniel Needs, Matt Levett and Matt James are lifesavers racing at the annual Parer Vale Surf Lifesaving competition in Drown.

30 DNA CERRONE – BEST OF Although a pioneers of electrodisco in Europe, French artist Cerrone never found the level of fame he deserved outside of Francophile countries. Having had hits since the 1970s he continues to produce music and remain something of a forgotten genius. Now the grey-haired 60-something star is seeing a revival in his fortunes. Beth Ditto is a fan and decided to lend her voice to a new recording of Cerrone’s biggest hit, Supernature. It’s everything you would hope it would be – an absolute disco stormer with Beth in better voice than ever. Dimitri From Paris also contributes a ’70s-licious remix of another early Cerrone classic, Love In C Minor. Pure boogie-down bliss. MARK RONSON – UPTOWN SPECIAL While others have been looking recently to the 1980s for inspiration, producer whiz Mark Ronson (the clever clogs who gave Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen their tickets to fame) has moved on to the ’90s. Growing up in NYC in that decade, Mark soaked up the Big Apple’s hip-hop, funk, soul and R&B and now he’s morphed it all into one big, beautiful album that has “Grammy winner” written all over it. Already the first single, Uptown Funk, featuring Bruno Mars, has been a global charttopper and there’s plenty more where that came from, including three tracks by Australia’s Kevin Parker from Tame Impala. JOHN GRANT – LIVE IN CONCERT Take minimalist electro ice prince John Grant out of his comfort zone into a grander environment and this is just as sweeping, stirring and sumptuous as you would expect. Over 16 tracks he teams up with the BBC’s Philharmonic Orchestra in London to perform songs from his two solo albums. They include Queen Of Denmark, which Sinead O’Connor has covered, and GMF, an ode to one of Berlin’s superclubs (“I am the greatest motherfucker that you’re ever gonna meet”). We also love “I guess I’m just one of those guys who gets better looking as they age” from album opener It Doesn’t Matter To Him. This is gorgeous music by a gay man who deserves as wide an audience as possible. PERFUME GENIUS – TOO BRIGHT Seattle’s Mike Hadreas is now up to his third solo album of moody melancholic pop. You might remember him best from the video for Put Your Back N 2 It, featuring gay porn actor Arpad Miklos and Mike canoodling, for want of a better word. To try and put Too Bright into perspective, imagine a more twangy, ’80s-influenced soft pop sound that creeps up on you, rather than hammers you over the head. Fool sounds like the kind of classic Taylor Swift was aiming for on her 1989 album, but missed. Too Bright might be a tad abstract or dense to ever receive any radio play, but this unsettling, disturbingly beautiful music demands your attention. Music Compiled by Marc Andrews TAKE THAT – III It’s strange to think that while One Direction attempt to reinvent themselves as the new U2 (or is it Coldplay?) the boy band who still really matter are Britain’s Take That. Now down to a trio (Robbie Williams appears to have finally left the building for good while Jason Orange has decided he’s had enough of fame) they just seem to get better with age. Snappy lead single These Days is as good, if not better, than anything they’ve done and that’s saying something when you remember Back For Good is in their back catalogue. Let In The Sun will be huge in the clubs in Ibiza while Get Ready For It matches, if not surpasses, One Direction at their own boy band game. Mike Hadreas, the musical mastermind behind Perfume Genius. VIDEO

GEAR UP GETTING IN THE RING? #loveyourcondom BCG2 LYC0019_DNA_BOX

32 DNA BOYS TOYS/ with Michael "Bam Bam" Bamford DON’T LOOK UNDER THE DOORMAT The modern gay boy always looks for ways to make rent without sacrificing the drinks budget. There’s no better way than AirBnb to boost the cash when there’s more month than money. But with all that fiddling around with getting keys to the overnight guests and whatnot, it’s all a bit of a hassle. Happily, Lockitron has the answer. It’s the perfect way to secure your pad without using your keys. Fit Lockitron over your existing deadbolt, and lock and unlock your front door from its app on your phone. No more keys! Lockitron will allow access to your guest from their phone using your special entry code that you can set to expire. When they’ve finished their stay, Lockitron keeps your place secure and will even text you that they’ve left, letting you know it’s safe to come back from Bali. Perfect! Around $200. http://lockitron.com BACKDOORA THE EXPLORA The modern gay man defines style. It’s all surfaces, sleekness and subtlety. Kitchen, living room and bathroom have all been tailored to impress, but the bedside is a disaster. That nasty silicon rubber pleasure device doesn’t complement your feng shui. Replace it with the No. 13 Ribbed Pleaser from the Backdoor Collection. Artistry, simplicity and functionality meet in these sleek anal stimulators. It uses stunning ergonomic contours and enticing ripples to create maximum enjoyment from every pleasurable probe. This 10-function, powerfully motorised backdoor buddy will prove to be a most vigorous lover. When he’s done with you, your new boyfriend’s aesthetics show off handsomely as an artistic mantlepiece. Suave dinner guests will be most impressed. $110 http://blackdoor.theclosetcollectiontoys. com/ Batteries not included! MEGARAYS KILLED THE PIXEL STAR Cell phones have killed the compact camera, and clunky DSLR cameras aren’t looking particularly healthy, either. But the Lytro Illum is something completely different. All cameras, no matter their capabilities, have always been point, focus and shoot. The Illum reverses that mundane workflow. Use it to point, then shoot, then take your time to focus. You’ll take a most fabulous photo every time. This camera uses megaray technology to capture the direction, colour and brightness of every ray of light and then allows you to focus later using its included touch screen. The results are amazing, pictures that totally come alive and are entirely up to you. Harness the power of Herb Ritts – and send your social media circles spinning! Around $1900. www.lytro.com MORE: Michael Bamford is a computer programmer, tech geek, North Bondi Surf Lifesaver and depraved circuit boy. Find him hunting and tinkering at any dork computer trade show, or at 3am on a dance ffoor. [email protected] WHIZ-BANG! This month, Bam Bam throws away the house keys, refocuses with multiple megarays and suggests a sleek upgrade for your back door! For extra protection, put a high-tech condom on that deadbolt. That’s not a bike tire pump. Your new boyfriend is lucky number #13. Right: The Illum, revolutionising photography for the unfocused. “Stunning ergonomic contours and enticing ripples create maximum enjoyment from every pleasurable probe.”

Books Compiled by Graeme Aitken Beaton raved about Audrey Hepburn: “She is like a portrait by Modigliani where the various distortions are not only interesting in themselves but make a completely satisfying composite.” 34 DNA

DNA 35 THE PAYING GUESTS – Sarah Waters The year is 1922 and the widowed Mrs Wray and her daughter Frances are forced to take in lodgers: a married couple, Lilian and Leonard Barber. Once wealthy but now impoverished, Frances and her mother struggle to adjust to their new houseguests. But cracks are soon apparent in the Barbers’ relationship, and Frances and Lilian are drawn closer together. Sarah Waters’ GLBT readers will be very happy with this new novel which has a lesbian relationship front and centre. Yet equally important as the lesbian romance is the crime narrative that develops halfway through the book – a murder is committed, a suspect arrested, and the narrative builds to the climax of a court case and its outcome. Frances and Lilian are caught up in this case and whether their covert and fledgling relationship can survive the rigours of this trial is the other climactic question. As always with Sarah Waters, the historical background and detail is paramount and here she is exploring a period that she hasn’t examined before – the early 1920s. The pain and loss of the war is still paramount, yet the changed world and the declining circumstances of a once genteel family, add a welcome complexity and depth to the narrative. A LIFE APART – Neel Mukherjee Indian-born British novelist Mukherjee gained a new level of fame when his novel The Lives Of Others was shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize. This sweeping Indian saga set in 1960s Calcutta was widely considered the frontrunner for the prize, yet ultimately lost out to the Australian author Richard Flanagan. However, this new prominence also focused attention back on Mukherjee’s first novel, A Life Apart, which was published back in 2010 but failed to make much impact in Australia. It should have gained attention for the gay reader, at least, as one UK reviewer praised Mukherjee’s frank and exuberant depiction of the main character’s gay life, comparing the novel to Alan Hollinghurst’s groundbreaking The Swimming Pool Library. The main character, Ritwik Ghosh, has been orphaned and having buried both his parents in Calcutta, he arrives in Oxford on a scholarship to study English literature. About 100 pages into the novel his sexuality comes to the fore, as he details compulsively cruising the toilets of Oxford and elaborates on the finer points of “cottaging”. Yet Ritwik also gradually reveals the extreme physical and emotional abuse he suffered at the hands of his tyrannical mother. A Life Apart is structured with dual narratives. Ritwik’s contemporary story is interspersed with a novel he is writing set at the turn of the 20th Century in colonial India. MORE: The Bookshop Darlinghurst specialises in gay and lesbian books. Phone (02) 9331 1103, email [email protected], go to thebookshop.com.au or visit 207 Oxford Street, Sydney. CECIL BEATON: Portraits And Profiles Edited – Hugo Vickers Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) was renowned for having photographed virtually every prominent person in public life during the course of his long career. And while Cecil photographed his subjects, he conversed with them, questioned them, and after they’d left he’d often write down his impressions. So in effect, he recorded portraits with both lens and pen. However, “Malice In Wonderland” (as Jean Cocteau described him), did not feel in the least obliged to flatter these celebrities and could be utterly scathing. This handsome book contains his portraits and associated texts that were either written to accompany the images or were taken from the openly gay photographer’s personal notes or diaries. Those who receive the sharp edge of his acid tongue include Elizabeth Taylor, who he describes as “this great thick revolving mass of femininity in its rawest”. George Cukor’s house is slammed as “inexcusably lacking in all taste – a mad old trollop’s idea of style”. He claims Evelyn Waugh died of snobbery and goes on to say that “he became pompous at twenty, and developed his pomposity to the point of having a huge stomach and an ear trumpet at forty-five”. Tennessee Williams’ physical attributes are also scorned with his “head the shape of a pineapple, Mr Williams is plump and portly”. Mae West was “rigged up in the highest possible fantasy of taste. She could hardly be considered human”. Of course, Mr Beaton also makes admiring and complimentary remarks about many of his subjects – they’re just not quite so entertaining to read! Beaton wasn’t a fan of Liz Taylor: “Her breasts, hanging and huge, were like those of a peasant woman suckling her young in Peru.” Above: Joan Crawford: legendary Mommie Dearest manages to look stiff even with her feet on the couch. Beaton’s on/off friend and fellow gay, the writer Truman Capote.

36 DNA Dear Diva, One of my friends hooked me up on a blind date. This friend has known me for over six years and knows the types of guys I like. This blind date was a disaster! The guy was totally not my type and so unattractive. My friend has been calling me to find out what happened. I have been avoiding her like the plague because she set me up with this dude. I don’t want to say something that will damage our friendship but I am pissed off at her for wasting my time. Dear Pissed Off, I’m sure that your friend had your best interests in mind when she set you up. Perhaps she has some insight into this guy’s personality and thought he was good enough to meet you? I don’t believe in types. When you are looking for love, be open because it may not come wrapped in the package you expect. And you will never know what’s inside if you throw the package away before opening it. Of course you don’t want to date someone who has bad breath and a head full of dandruff. The Vatican would nominate you for sainthood! Call your friend. Tell her you didn’t make a love connection but thank her for her efforts. Always be gracious. You never know – the next one she introduces you to may be Mr Right. Dear Diva, My friend and I used to be the ultimate circuit party boys. It was always sex, drugs and anything else but we were always together until now. He met a great guy and then moved in with him. This is the first serious relationship he’s had in years and I want to be happy for him but I’m not. I feel like I’ve lost my best friend. He invited me over for dinner with his new man who is actually a really nice guy. But I felt like the third wheel. Dear Lonely Circuit Boy, Your friend has moved on to a different phase in his life. He has decided to settle down and make a home with a man he seems to care. Be happy for him. You can still be a part of his life. It’s normal for you to have feelings of sadness as your relationship has now evolved, but don’t hang on to the jealously and envy. Those emotions generate negative energy. Change often forces us to reflect on our lives and take that proverbial look in the mirror. You may be fearful about doing that, but when you do what you fear the fear goes away. Dear Diva, My boyfriend has several times suggested a menage-a-trois with one of our mutual friends, “Toby”. Toby is super sexy and I hate to disappoint my boyfriend but I’m not sure that I am 100 percent on board with the idea. Dear Menage-A-No, Honey, if you don’t want to do something, don’t do it. Nobody likes to disappoint their man but you can’t let anybody disregard your feelings. Threesomes can get messy. If Toby pays you or your boyfriend more attention when you are doing the nasty somebody is bound to get their knickers in a twist and it will all lead to drama. Keep your man, keep your friend and keep your hands off Toby’s dick. Let the choir say amen! Dear Diva, My sister and I recently visited one of our childhood friends. She and her husband often invite us over, and this time we all had a little too much to drink and I could swear I picked up a gay vibe from my friend’s husband. He is a super hot guy and since our last visit I’ve been fantasising about seducing him. I don’t know what has come over me and not sure what to do next? Dear Horny Homewrecker, Do not fuck your friend’s husband! Take a cold shower. Do you know the pain, devastation and betrayal that a move like that would bring? Think of the consequences. Do you really want your friend to catch you writhing inflagrante in her sheets with her man? If her husband is gay let him initiate it with someone else, but it’s more likely he just had one too many drinks. Some drunk guys will hump a log if it’s within reach. MORE: Robbyne Kaamil has been featured as a relationship expert on numerous TV and radio shows, including the Howard Stern Show. She is also an actress, comedian and singer. Find her on FB, follow on Twitter @theadvicediva, and email your confidential Dear Diva queries to: [email protected] Dear Diva… Hoping to play Hump The Host with your married friend? Hop in a cold shower first, cautions DNA’s advice diva. ADVICE/ with Robbyne Kaamil “Keep your man, keep your friend and keep your hands off Toby’s dick. Let the choir say Amen!” “He just had one too many drinks. Some drunk guys will hump a log if it’s within reach.”

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NUTTIER THAN A SQUIRREL TURD {#8 IN AN ONGOING SERIES ABOUT WHAT THE HATERS HAVE BEEN SAYING.) The Middle-East and Africa are not the only places you’ll find religious fantatics advocating that homosexuals should be killed. Welcome to the USA… “I’m going to explain to you why God wants these people to be put to death. The word of God is very clear that God is against the sodomites, that they’re filthy and it says they’re an abomination to God. I love that part of the Bible, and I’m going to preach that part of the Bible until the day I die, and if I ever stop preaching that part of the Bible, I hope my kids tell me, ‘Dad, you’re going soft on sin, you need to get up there and rip on these queers, because it’s only getting worse and worse.’”  – FORT WORTH PASTOR, DONNIE ROMERO. HE WAS ORDAINED BY NONE OTHER THAN… STEVEN ANDERSON (AT RIGHT)! “[Gay activists] believe that the views they want to silence are not worthy of ever being spoken… and so they must be punished, they must be vanquished, and everyone must know it’s going to happen to them as well.” – CONSERVATIVE ERICK ERICKSON, FOLLOWING THE TERRORIST MURDERS AT FRENCH SATIRICAL PAPER, CHARLIE HEDBO. “All the people who advocate for so-called same-sex marriage ought to have to live in homes in which the plumbers who built them, or the electricians who built them, didn’t understand the difference between the male and female end of piping or plumbing or of electrical, and see how that works for them. It doesn’t work.” – LA MESA, CALIFORNIA PASTOR JIM GARLOW 38 DNA

In the Bible, there are sins that you would think of as worse: you know, murder or mass murder, but what does it come down to? Leviticus 18 tells the Hebrews exactly what it is that God identifies as the most rebellious behavior, the behavior that causes the land to actually vomit out its inhabitants and every item on that list, except for child sacrifice, is sexual perversion, and child sacrifice is often a form of sexual perversion. So that’s where we are. Homosexuality is not just another sin, it is the sin that defines rebellion against God, and it is the harbinger of God’s wrath.” – US CHRISTIAN SCOTT LIVELY, WHO IS BEING SUED FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AFTER FANNING THE FLAMES OF HATE IN UGANDA WITH ITS ‘KILL THE GAYS’ BILL. DNA 39 “I’ve had people say, ‘Hey, you know, there’s nothing wrong with gays in the military. Look at the Greeks.’ Well, they did have people come along who they loved that were the same sex and would give them massages before they went into battle. But you know what, it’s a different kind of fighting, it’s a different kind of war and if you’re sitting around getting massages all day ready to go into a big, planned battle, then you’re not going to last very long.” – TEXAS REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN, LOUIE GOHMERT “Everybody’s talking about ‘let’s have an AIDS-free world by 2020.’ Look, we can have an AIDS-free world by Christmas… 90 percent AIDS free… If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. And that, my friend, is the cure for AIDS. It was right there in the Bible all along, and they’re out spending billions of dollars in research and testing. It’s curable – right there. Because if you executed the homos like God recommends, you wouldn’t have all this AIDS running rampant.” – ARIZONA PASTOR, STEVEN ANDERSON

/ STRAIGHT MATE Soldier Boy ›› From Unbroken to Gallipoli, actor Travis Jeffery has kept his characters in khaki. He tells Matthew Myers about life in the trenches. DNA: Tell us about your character in [TV miniseries] Gallipoli. Travis Jeffery: I play a working-class Perth boy named Stewie who’s a bit of a rough-head looking for adventure. He’s the kind of guy who likes to jump in and have a go, and is disappointed if he misses out on the action. Like a lot of the other guys that join up, he’s a larrikin, which is a big part of the ANZAC image and legend. In your research, did you discover a whole new side to the ANZAC soldiers? Yes, I watched documentaries and read a lot of books such as Gallipoli by Les Carlyon, which the series is loosely based on. I was also lucky enough go to Gallipoli last year and took my mum along, who hadn’t been out of the country in twenty years. I had never been to Turkey myself, so it was fantastic to check out Istanbul and to see where it all happened. It was also incredible to see how respected everything is at Gallipoli now, and how well the graves are 40 DNA

taken care of. That was really lovely to see. Do you think after watching Gallipoli, young people will see their heritage in a new light? I think so. I was never really taught about it at school and I think most people get a gist about the war in general, but the great thing about Channel Nine’s Gallipoli is that it shows the individual, which we can sometimes skim over. It shows the poor blokes in a dark trench with nothing but their bare hands left to fight with, and fighting some other poor guy who’s doing it for the same reason: for god and country. That’s why ANZAC Day is so important, because we are not only remembering the war, but also the individuals. Of course television shows embellish, but the writer Christopher Lee did such an incredible job in keeping it realistic. It’s heavy, but it gives a really good insight into what these boys went through. You’ve also played a soldier in ANZAC Girls, the documentary Changed Forever and in Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken. Yeah, Unbroken was an incredible experience and I was really fortunate to get to work on something of that size and energy, and it was so close after graduating from drama school. It was really good to see how everything worked at that level, and not to mention that it was an absolutely incredible story. It could be quite taxing because we were all playing prisoners of war and tried to drop as much weight as we could, so there was a bit of fatigue and it was quite tiring at times. But it was definitely worth it. The story of Louie Zamperini is so inspirational. What actors have influenced you? Heath Ledger has always been a big hero of mine. I really respect the integrity and work ethic he had, and how fearless he was when he approached roles. It’s such a tragedy that he passed away so young. He inspired me to go to drama school. He rode horses, too, which is a common link. I thought Brokeback Mountain was interesting with the way it was handled. Would you play a gay role? Yes, I played a gay role last year in a film called The Tender Dark, which is a great story, again with integrity and I had no problem playing that. I played the love interest of a young boy. It’s set in the Fifties and tackles issues around repressed homosexuality. I have a very fleeting appearance, but it had such a great script that I wanted to do it. It should be at the gay film festivals this year. If you were gay, who would you go for? It would definitely be between Chris Pratt and Matthew McConaughey. Chris Pratt seems like a lovely big teddy bear and you’d spend most of your time laughing with him. He’s become very ripped and he’s also a great actor. Who is your diva? Does Bette Midler count? Of course! She’s a legendary diva. How does someone as young as you know Bette Midler? I guess from growing up with her movies. I loved her in Hocus Pocus! I think her song, The Rose, is fantastic and she really nailed I Put A Spell On You in Hocus Pocus. She’s a very versatile and interesting cool lady, though I think sometimes her mouth needs to be washed out with soap! Growing up in Gen Y, have you witnessed homophobia? I know it exists and that’s very frustrating, but I don’t think I ever witnessed it first hand at school. I grew up in a small town and I only really remember one kid coming out, and he was actually quite well supported. I remember some people making passing comments, but I never saw any physical kind of homophobia. My family have been really supportive in that way. We have gay friends who would spend Christmas with us, and I feel very lucky to have grown up with that. What do you think was the trigger point where your acting career took off? I think it was getting the role in Unbroken. It’s really handy to now have something with so much credibility behind me. I auditioned for the role of an Aussie character and in the end it didn’t come about, but Angelina [Jolie] really liked the look I had, so they kept me in the loop and I started to lose weight because I knew that if I got the role I’d be playing a prisoner of war. So I wanted to get a head start. A few weeks turned into a few months and then it was all quite hectic and last moment. I was at work one day and I got a call from my agent saying the Aussie role had been given to somebody else, but they had me in mind for a Scottish role and could I audition? I had never done a Scottish accent, so it was a little bit intimidating. I had to fly up to Queensland to meet with Angie, so I managed to get in a couple of dialect classes. When I got to the set, I met the other guys who had already been cast and Angie said, “Okay guys, grab some food and we’ll get you into hair and wardrobe.” I was like, “I’m a little confused. Am I up here for an audition?” And she said, “Oh, sorry, you got the role last night and we start shooting Monday.” It was one of the best acting experiences I’ve ever had – so far. You caught the eye of Angelina Jolie! That’s pretty cool. Yeah [laughs] I think it’s because I have high cheekbones that make me look sick! But it was lovely meeting her after growing up watching her films, and the charity work she does outside of acting is just amazing and so sincere. She’s one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met! The passion she had for this project was nothing short of inspiring. What’s the next project in store for you? I’ve just finished working on an episode of The Doctor Blake Mysteries, which was a lot of fun, and I’m also working on the docu-drama Changed Forever in Adelaide, which is about WW1 as well. You’re not being typecast, are you? [Laughs] No, not at all. In fact, I’ll probably be out of work until 2039, when they start doing the WW2 centenary stuff! Do you wear Jocks, fitted boxers or freeball? Fitted boxers for the support and comfort, and I’m afraid to say that’s also the case under my WWI uniform. I probably should have got some old cotton long johns to be authentic! MORE: Gallipoli is screening on Channel Nine. Follow Matthew Myers on Twitter @ MattMyers1964 DNA 41 “I’ll probably be out of work until 2039, when they start doing the WW2 centenary stuff!” Travis (far right) in Gallipoli. “My high cheek bones make me look sick!” VIDEO

AS I WALK TOWARDS the subway in SoHo in the ridiculously cold March weather, I realise that it’s been a whole year since I made the move from Australia to New York. You have all been along for the ride as I’ve attempted to traverse the mean streets of the city that never sleeps. We’ve all learned the importance of developing a network of support with Common Mortals, we’ve learned never to make eye contact with the homeless on the subway, that Craigslist is basically where you put out an ad for the city’s most deranged potential flatmates, and that poly-relationships do, in fact, exist. I like to think of myself as a well prepared person and so I did some reading to prepare for the move. However, what I came to find was that none of the information was relevant or seemed afraid to really ‘go there’, so I’ve compiled a list of things I wish I’d known before moving to New York. I write this final post in hopes that a wide-eyed young Aussie gay is reading this and saying to him or herself, “One day, I’ll move to New York City, and thank fuck Christopher told me all these survival tips.” 1. There’s nowhere safe to walk. In Manhattan you have one of two options. Walk close to the road and take the risk of being swiped by a rogue car or walk close to a building where you will get dripped on. I thought it was from air conditioning vents but you never really know, so never look up, keep your mouth closed and walk quickly. 2. The subway is a pressure cooker. When it’s summer, underground NYC becomes an oven where you will literally cook in your own juices until an overcrowded subway car comes along. Bring water. 3. If you’re in bed and feel your leg hair settle and think it’s a spider… it’s bed bugs. You have to literally start all over again. Strip down and boil everything, put the mattress on the street and move house. 4. Drugs are everywhere. And they are recreationally taken by everyone. But this doesn’t mean that you have to indulge or even overindulge. Pace yourself. There are subway advertisements for cocaine addiction for a reason and it’s very easy to end up a statistic. 5. People will want to fuck you, conscious or unconscious. This means you have to either be drinking your drink, or have a finger in the neck of it to prevent the array of date rape drugs people will attempt to throw into it. 6. People will say you should only spend a third of your pay on rent. They are lying. It is an impossibility to live in this city and do something like that, especially if you’re a creative type. You’ll be paying at least half. Plan for this. 7. No matter what you eat, you will lose an exorbitant amount of weight because you either can’t afford to eat or because you walk absolutely everywhere. Gym membership is not necessary. The city is your gym. People will also ask you if you’re sick or addicted to drugs. Please refer to point no. 4. 8. Keep your ears pricked at a Starbucks and some stupid girl ordering a pumpkin spice latte will offer her Netflix password to her friend in an overbearing obnoxious voice. Use the password for yourself. Also hope she’s born into money and do the same for her Hulu password and HBO GO password. Then you’ll be sorted for life. 9. You WILL get lonely. Even though you have an extensive group of friends, the one day you have off absolutely everyone is busy. You will be sitting in your room wondering why you’ve left all your beautiful friends and family back at home, but then realise that you have Netflix, Hulu and HBO GO to drown out them negative thoughts and you wake the next day in NYC. 10. Abandoned plastic bags in the subway are always filled with shit. Animal, human, who knows? But there’s shit in there. Also, if your carriage is packed on the subway and the one next to it isn’t, there’s a reason for that. Don’t switch carriages. Trust me on this. 11. Houston Street is pronounced “Howston,” not “Hew-ston”. Capsicums are bell peppers. Mobiles are cell phones. Uni is College. Repeat these until cemented into your head. Or don’t. When you get things wrong people find it adorable. 12. Seamless and Grubhub are the two best inventions to ever exist. Food in your house, in a hurry and cheap if you can find good deals. Don’t order the goat curry, ever. Even as a joke. 13. It will take you forever to develop a strong network of friends. The reason for this is that you need them, they don’t need you. Keep your cool and just be yourself because, I promise you, friends will come. 14. People from out of town will be the bane of your existence. This happens as you slowly forget that you, too, were once from out of town. 15. You will be inspired by complete strangers. This will lead to you wanting to be around them 24/7 and then coming off as a psychopath and, finally, them never returning your call. Don’t sweat it, the city is full of incredible, driven people. I could go on spouting infinite points of advice, but the fun is in figuring these things out for yourself. As I face my second year in NYC, I look forward to the hard work it takes to stay here, the things that will shock me and shake me to my very core, and to the time where all of this seems commonplace and I am, in fact, a true New Yorker. MORE: Find the author on Twitter @KhrisWarhol COMMON MORTALS/ with Christopher Klimovski Strip down and boil everything, put the mattress on the street and move house. 15 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE MOVING TO NYC Have a stiff drink, take a breath and brace yourself… then go ahead and read the scroll! Christopher pens his top tips for surviving in the city that never sleeps. 42 DNA

44 DNA / COOL COUPLES DNA: Hi Rhys. You and Kirk look very sexy and sultry in the wrestling outfits. Do you ever wrestle or are the singlets just a fetish? Rhys Bobridge: [Laughs] That day we were at the mercy of [photographer] Rod Spark who dressed us up – and down. You two have been together for three years. How did you first meet? We caught each other’s eye at the gym and eventually started chatting on Facebook. Our first meet up was after a performance of mine on New Years Day 2012 and we hit it off. So far, so good! Law permitting, do you ever plan on getting married? Marriage isn’t something I’m really interested in for myself but I will always fight for my right to do so if I choose. >> Interracial, interdisciplinary and interested! Performer Rhys Bobridge and med student Kirk Lee are not your everyday boyfriends. Rhys explains how the two met, what makes them tick, and the differences that keep them together. INTERVIEW JESSE ARCHER PHOTOGRAPHY ROD SPARK

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48 DNA / COOL COUPLES >> How about kids? We have spoken about having kids, but right now we are looking at adopting a new family member from the local pet rescue. Kirk is studying podiatry. Does his homework include foot massages for you? He is also a highly qualified massage therapist so you think that would mean plenty of muscle manipulation for me. Wrong! I’m the one who usually dishes out the back rubs. Kirk has another two years to complete his Masters so I’ll be happy to play guinea pig. My hooves have copped some abuse over the years as a dancer so I’m keen to improve my own foot health.    You’re a showboy and he studies medicine. What do you do together as a couple? Our favourite thing to do together is laugh. Funny animal videos are always a winner but making each other giggle is a favourite pasttime. Kirk is originally from mainland China and now is an Australian citizen. You’ve been to China for work, but do you speak any Chinese? I know a few words and phrases. It seems like we speak our own strange language sometimes. Have you met his family or vice-versa? Kirk has spent time with me and my family in Adelaide but Kirk has only just come out to his immediate family who are still in China and are quite traditionally conservative. His mother and I will meet for the first time this year! Are you nervous about that? A little bit as it has been quite a difficult coming out process for him and culturally still taboo in the small province where he’s from. The pressure for him to find a girl and get married grew too much and he decided to live honestly and openly. I’ll never understand how difficult it has been for him but I am extremely proud of his big step. Do you find there are certain cultural barriers or struggles in a multi-cultural relationship? We have definitely had some clashes of culture when it comes to family values and societal pressures. Kirk speaks English very well but sometimes the language barrier is a benefit as he is unable to mince his words and filter what he really means. In this way, he can be unknowingly harsh sometimes but generally I appreciate the level of honesty that comes with it. We probably have the most fluid communication of all my relationships.  Do you ever get any flack for being a bi-racial couple from other Australians or within the gay community? Not really. Sometimes I clock the surprise when people find out that my partner is Asian but that’s about it. You grew up in Adelaide – why does this city get such a bad rap? Maybe it did, but I think Adelaide is growing up. It’s so much more culturally diverse since I moved away at 20 years old. I was a pretty flamboyant kid when I lived there and copped my fair share of attitude from idiots, but I’d like to think it’s not as narrow minded now as how I perceived it back then. You’ve since worked all around the world as a dancer and entertainer. What’s one place you’re dying to go back to? Actually, I’ve really only been through various parts of Asia. I love Singapore and consider it a place where I think I could comfortably live, however I would really love to see more of the USA and I’m yet to visit anywhere in Europe. On my to-do list for 2015! What’s the most Showgirls experience you’ve ever had working? I’m no diva but I did butt heads with a cast member in a show while I lived and worked in a Taiwanese theme park. I was only 18 and was placed in charge of the team because of prior experience at the park. He defied me a fair bit, much to my frustration, but karma threw those beads onstage when his foot was crushed in the platform lift that was used to bump in the live caged tiger to stage level. We actually reconnected a while ago and it’s all water under the bridge. You’ve also been part of the cabaret troupe Boylesque – how does Kirk feel about your more risqué work when it’s not posing alongside him? Kirk and I are very different, obviously, when it comes to what we do for a living. He supports me in everything that I do but doesn’t feel the need to be at every gig or keep tabs on what I’m up to while I’m in show mode. I prefer it that way as I’ve dated guys who are in the industry and I don’t think I would ever [do that] again. Our differences are what makes us compatible. Maybe Kirk does get a little green with all the sexy fellas around that I work with…  So what happens if you get a gig with sexy fellas overseas? Do you guys have an open relationship? We have always been very up front about sexuality and our relationship. We are in what people would call an open relationship when it comes to casual sex and it’s pretty uncomplicated. We seem to feel pretty similarly about such things and for us it works. Our commitment to each other is about so much more than just sex. Who do you look up to as a choreographer? I’m a big fan of Ms “Polyswag” Parris Goebel from New Zealand whose range, musicality and vision just astound me. Big shout out to the boys of The Squared Division from Australia who are making such a huge name for themselves around the world. Do you have a favourite dance number from a film? Typically I hate dance movies. They are generally lame and predictable but I would have to say that I love the semi-autobiographical musical All That Jazz by Bob Fosse. The Take Off With Us number was way ahead of its time. Honourable mentions go to Lullaby Of Broadway from Gold Diggers Of 1935, an elaborate Busby Berkeley tap dance production with an eerily dark undertone and morbid twist; Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly in the Broadway Melody Ballet sequence from Singin’ In The Rain, proof that dance is a form of love-making; and the Saga Of Jenny finale of Robert Wise’s 1968 extravaganza STAR! with Julie Andrews doing acrobatics while singing live. You played an elf on TV show The Fairies, were you ever tempted to wear your costume out in public? Aah no. Since it was a kids show, did you feel a responsibility to behave while out and about? When I worked on The Fairies I was also working as a drag queen in the clubs of Melbourne. The two different aspects of my career at the time would rarely cross paths so I wasn’t really concerned. How often does your drag alter ego, Regime Dettol, come out to play? I’m more of a drag king these days. Instead of exploring the feminine aspect of my stage persona, I’m channeling a more masculine aesthetic. In reality, I fall somewhere in the middle. You play a lead in the upcoming short film, Criticism. What’s it about and where can we see it? It’s my first dramatic role and it’s based on the play by Gary O’Casey and was inspired by the rumours and speculation that surrounded the home invasion assault of a prominent theatre critic. The film is finished and should screen at the majority of Australian short film programs and queer film festivals this year. First, though, it has to screen at the international festivals. As I age, film and acting is a medium I am looking forward to sinking my teeth into more and more. So what’s one role you’re dying to play?  I’ve never performed in a major musical theatre production, but I would love to play the Emcee from Cabaret. H We are in what people would call an open relationship, and it’s pretty uncomplicated… Our commitment to each other is about more than just sex. It has been quite a difficult coming out process and culturally still taboo in the small province where he is from.

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/ COOL COUPLES Costume Diary Of A Showboy PHOTOGRAPHY HAMID MOUSA Away from partner Kirk Lee (see previous pages) entertainer Rhys Bobridge finds himself wearing some pretty extraordinary outfits. We hope these inspire your next Mardi Gras look! 50 DNA