THE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED second edition of Archer Magazine launches on 5 June at the Melbourne Emerging Writers Festival.

Archer #2 is packed with compelling stories of sex, in all its glory and curiousness, plus gender, identity and lifestyle.

Archer’s new design reflects the time that has passed since issue #1. The new look is bold, lush to hold and, shall we say, comes in a bigger package…

Here is a sneak peek into some of the highlights of our sophomore issue.

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Anne Hunter on polyamory…

For me, one of the strongest reasons for being polyamorous is freedom; in particular, the freedom to ask myself deeply and honestly, “What do I want?”

For example, I have discovered that I love kissing. I love the sensation and the intimacy. I love the freedom to kiss heaps of luscious people, where everyone is clear that a kiss is just a kiss. Also, I choose to live alone despite having several deep, committed relationships, because I need my own space. These are two needs that wouldn’t have been considered normal or acceptable in my old monogamous circles.

Krissy Kneen on sex addiction…

Do you get high from sex/romance? Does your sexual/romantic behaviour affect your reputation?

These are two of the 40 questions on the Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) website for self-diagnosis. The questions are broad and often contradictory (Do you keep a list of partners you have had? Have you lost count of the number of sexual partners you have had?), so much so that at some time or other during my life I could have answered yes to every one of them.

Steven Ross on being Aboriginal and gay…

I was about five years old, I reckon. My father, a Wiradjuri man, and I were getting out of our old family Valiant. We lived in what was called ‘the new mission’ in Deniliquin, New South Wales.

On this particular summer day, my father had left the house keys inside. He ordered me to climb through the window to open the door, but I refused. His response was to verbally abuse me and, for the first time in my life, I was called a ‘poofter’. I didn’t know what this word meant, but, considering the tone of its delivery, I knew it couldn’t be a good thing.

Over the following years I heard this word a lot more, and figured out its meaning. Given my pre-pubescent romance with another boy, I soon knew I was this thing.

Archer #2 also features articles on asexuality, grief and sex, rights for sex workers, and the biology of homosexuality, plus photographic essays by Leila Koren, Charlie Brophy and Greta Punch.

Join us at the Emerging Writers Festival on 5 June for the Melbourne launch.

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