I loved hosting this panel for The Wheeler Centre with Stephen Oliver, Geraldine Hickey and Demi Lardner on being queer and doing comedy.
Author Archives: Tom
92 – Adam Jacoby
Let’s talk about a little thing called democracy.
MiVote is a new political movement that launches next week and it’s all about direct democracy. It’s an online platform and political party that enables its members to directly influence their elected representatives: representatives that will be committed to enacting the people’s (informed) will.
Founder Adam Jacoby kindly gave me a lot of time to talk through the idea and answer my annoying questions. He sets out just how fucked the system currently is and why he believes this might just work.
Problematic is coming to Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney
Boundless Plains To Share is coming to Adelaide, Brisbane & Melbourne
Stan Australia announces One Night Stan
Article: Our democratic operating systems aren’t working: here’s how to upgrade them by Jon Barnes
Article: Mob rule: Iceland crowdsources its next constitution
Fast Company story: Can direct democracy be revived through new voting apps?
Cause of the Week: MiVote.org.au
91 – Charlie Wood
Charlie Wood is the Campaigns Director at 350.org, an international climate action organisation that are fighting for a future that’s free from fossil fuels.
Here she describes where climate politics is at in these troubling times, how divestment is changing the game, climate scepticism, just how much the fossil fuel industry influences our politics, fear-mongering, how she manages to maintain hope. Charlie explains why Trump might actually be a good thing for the movement and whether or not, actually, for real, we (the human race) are fucked.
Problematic is coming to Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney
Boundless Plains To Share is coming to Adelaide, Brisbane & Melbourne
RISE Refugee’s #BlockTheBill campaign
#BlockTheBill Snap Rally this Saturday in Melbourne
Cause of the Week: 350.org
90 – Nakkiah Lui
Playwright, Black Comedy writer, tweeter and Aboriginal not-activist Nakkiah Lui joins me for a chat ahead of that ugly date, January 26th. Nakkiah reveals how she and her family mark Invasion Day and we discuss the merits of even having a national day at all.
We also touch on ideological diversity within Indigenous Australia, the “personal responsibility” narrative, deconstructing whiteness, the myth of multiculturalism, Bill Leak and the new TV series we’re now going to pitch all over town, Blackfulla Mirror.
Reconciliation Comedy Gala at at the Malthouse Theatre on Invasion Day
Invasion Day Melbourne Event on Facebook
My Work in Progress show starts at Perth Fringeworld next week
Article: Why are we fighting Islamaphobia at the expense of Indigenous Australians? by Sara Saleh
Nakkiah on The Osher Günsberg Podcast
Article: It’s not racism that Australia needs to get rid of – it’s the privilege of whiteness
Article: As an Aboriginal teen I thought about killing myself every day
Article: Australia Day is a time for mourning not celebration
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Black Is The New White coming to Sydney Theatre Company
An Octoroon coming to Queensland Theatre Company
Cause of the Week: Butucarbin Aboriginal Corporation (butucarbin.org.au)
Sofie Hagen’s Made of Human Podcast
I had a delightful chat with the delightful comedian Sofie Hagen back in August and she’s just now posted it.
It’s a chat about Boundless Plains, why I’m a comedian, trying to be a good person and aliens. I hope you get something out of it; listen to the full thing here.
89 – Lara Jeffery
Lara Jeffery is the director of MyChoice Australia and describes herself as a right-wing libertarian. She’s all about pushing back against the “nanny state”, reducing the size of government and letting the free market do what it does.
Here we discuss how she came to this worldview and how that plays out in relation to education, healthcare, social justice, housing, smoking, the environment and more. We also cover the legacy of Ayn Rand, claiming the moral ground and Uber.
Boundless Plains To Share is coming to Perth Fringeworld for 2 shows only!
I’m bringing a Work In Progress to Fringeworld from Tuesday January 31st
I’m also touring to Adelaide Fringe, Brisbane Comedy Festival & the Melbourne Comedy Festival
Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance forum: Women In Politics
Cause of the Week: Students For Liberty Australia & New Zealand (studentsforliberty.org/anz)
Reconciliation Gala
Come to this! It’s a good cause with a sizzling hot line up. Tickets available here.
Radio National interview
I got to chat to Hamish McDonald on Radio National Breakfast about the ideas behind Boundless Plains To Share. You can listen to it here.
The show is coming to Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne next, details here.
88 – Sally Goldner
Happy 2017 everyone!
Sally Goldner is the Executive Director of Transgender Victoria, the treasurer of the Bisexual Alliance Victoria and the first ever trans woman to be included on the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll.
Here she kindly shares her personal journey from the “soulless life” she lived for 30 years to the defiant person she is today. She lays out the challenges facing gender diverse folk, including the discrimination that often comes from within the queer community itself, outlines her thoughts on everything from identity politics to Cate McGregor and argues for the queer rights movement to take a more assertive and uncompromising approach to those who oppose us.
Boundless Plains to Share is on this weekend at the Belvoir Theatre, 4 shows only
And Boundless is coming to Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane & Melbourne in the coming months, on sale now
My new stand up show Problematic is coming to Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane & Melbourne, on sale now
My piece for Fairfax: A brand new Dutton-worthy citizenship test, with extra values
Article: Sally Goldner lands top award for her dedication to transgender advocacy
Article: A ten point guide to not offending transgender people
Cause of the Week: Transgender Victoria (transgendervictoria.com), 3CR (3cr.org.au), Bisexual Alliance Victoria (bi-alliance.org)
A new Dutton-worthy citizenship test
My piece for Fairfax:
Well boys and girls, it’s January in Australia, and we all know what that means: family holidays, sizzling barbecues and blatant racism. Hooray! What would Australia Day season be without our political leaders wheeling out some sweet nationalism infused with xenophobia?
Why, that would simply be forgetting the reason for the season.
Anti-Immigration Minister Peter Dutton got into the spirit of things this week as he called for a revamp of the citizenship test that prospective Australians have to undertake. “We need to have a look at the way we welcome people into our country,” he said (the phrase “TELL US ABOUT IT!” could be heard echoing around Nauru and Manus Island).