Archer’s sterling new third edition launches in Melbourne on November 27.  Pre-order your copy here. After a sold-out sophomore edition, Archer’s highly-anticipated third issue is packed with more thought-provoking articles on sexuality, gender, identity and society, including: * Michelle Dicinoski (Ghost Wife, 2013) on masturbation * Benjamin Law (The Family Law, 2010) on being gay at …

I can still recall the first time I tried to insert a tampon. Locking myself in the bathroom, I pulled out the Carefree leaflet and carefully studied the instructions. Was I supposed to push in and up or…? How far was far enough? What if I missed and pushed it into my urethra or it …

I have never heard an orgasm. This isn’t exactly one of the highest items on my bucket list. Still, it does creep into my thoughts – usually when I’m in the middle of the act – and I wonder if sound really does enhance the experience. I wonder a lot of things. I’m 30 and …

“You’re a fucking disgrace!” shouted a drunken youth, hanging out of a low-slung, headlights blazing, Falcon GT as I walked out of the Directors Hotel in Adelaide after my first ‘Transgender Friday’ meeting. I waved and smiled, but I don’t think it helped my position on his disgracefulness ladder. Until then I hadn’t appreciated how …

It’s disappointing, not being able to have multiple orgasms anymore. Not that I’d swap them for the deep sense of happiness I now feel inhabiting a male body, but losing that ability was not something I’d anticipated as a result of transitioning my physical body from female to male. Ditto waking up one day and …

“IT REALLY SURPRISES me that I’m attracted to you,” my last girlfriend told me. “I’m usually attracted to much butcher women.” The edges of my bow-tie curled up and my asymmetrical quiff flopped down over my face. I felt like a billboard for a queer subcategory. And apparently the billboard was in need of some …

In my first year at university, I developed a major crush on a man. He didn’t appear to return it. Seven years later, he was married with children, and I was good friends with him and his wife. He and I had dinner one night and ended up kissing. We weren’t prepared for the torrent …

Queer rights have made a big leap forward in Australia. In a short space of time, a number of legal advances have been introduced including recognition of relationships, alterations to identity documents, and a broader tolerance towards some sexual practices. Despite this, queer youth are still among some of the most likely Australians to suffer …

The Big Bang Theory tells us that after the start of the universe, there was an amorphous cloud of atoms and particles. The catalyst for the coalescing of the gases and dust were very small differences in that early cosmic soup. If it wasn’t for these differences and mutations, the universe would never have formed. I …

“Bet she’s a lesbian.” It’s not particularly hushed, this comment made in the year 12 common  room. Yet it’s not uncommon. Growing up in country Victoria, with short hair and no particular interest in giving blowjobs to the boys I’d known since age eight, I wasn’t the height of popularity in my class. No-one questioned …

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 …

Yesterday, the Courier-Mail put the gruesome murder of Indonesian transwoman Mayang Prasetyo, killed by her partner Marcus Volker, on its front page. The article is breathtaking in its prurience and voyeurism. Even though Prasetyo was murdered and dismembered, The Courier-Mail deemed it appropriate to include a succession of photos of a seductively-posed Prasetyo in a …

IMMIGRATION ISSUES HAVE plagued parliamentary leaders throughout Australia’s recent history. In particular, the plight of asylum seekers who arrive by boat has captured the attention of the media and the public – harrowing images of people fleeing countries ravaged by war, violence and economic instability have flooded our screens since the infamous Tampa affair in …

Archer Magazine was among nine people and organisations from across Australia recognised for their service to NSW’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community at a gala awards ceremony in Sydney last month. Presented by a host of LGBTI organisations, the Honour Awards are a chance for the community to recognise their heroes. Archer took …

Send us your pitches for the Archer blog! We are on the hunt for writing that captures Australian attitudes to sexual diversity in 2014. (Historical and overseas content is welcome, as long as it has an Australian slant.) What we are looking for: * Archer values open communication; real human stories; difference and sameness; inclusivity. …

CAREY AND I had been laughing together for four years when we made the big commitment. She was fun, active, smart and compassionate. I loved her, so marrying her was easy. Kids came along and, as I had expected, she was the kind of mum that read stories at bedtime, put ‘I love you’ notes …

I’m nervous. I always get nervous. It’s dark and the music thumps. People chatter but I can’t see the crowd through the spotlights. He puts his hands on my hips and the world falls quiet. He stands behind me, kisses my neck and pulls me into him, hands behind my back. He catches my wrists …

I stirred the slush in my Slurpee. ‘Have you slept with a lot of girls?’ I asked. Josh shrugged and scratched his nose. ‘A lot of guys too. Sex is sex.’ I clenched my teeth and took a long sip of my drink. I’d never heard someone be so blasé about something like that before. …

There is a significant lack of discussion about LGBTI identities within heavy industries, such as mining, construction, oil and gas. Should this change? Over the years I’ve spent investigating the role of gender in the resource industries for research consultancy Factive, I have met many queer people. I have been approached by human resources personnel …

“BEING GAY IS complicated. Being Arab and gay is even worse.” Australian web series I Luv U But follows the lives of an Arab-Australian couple who go to extremes to hide their sexuality from their parents. Oscillating between hilarious and poignant scenes, the show explores the complex situations faced by Sam and Mouna, who are …

LIKE THOSE IT marches for, SlutWalk is a diverse movement. You don’t have to fit any particular mould to join — not least because ‘slut’ is used against women so loosely the word has lost much of its meaning (though not all of its bite). It’s up to the individual whether they want to reclaim …

Airing on the ABC last month, Carlotta takes us on the journey of Carol Lee, an Australian icon.