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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

Last week, following a call from our distributor, it came to my attention that a handful of newsagents have refused to stock Archer in their stores. A friend went looking for Archer’s second issue in a Melbourne suburban newsagent, and found it had been hidden in a drawer, restricted from view due to its content. …

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 …

IN JUST OVER two weeks, the third Asia Pacific Out Games kicks off in Darwin, Australia. There’s been no bidding war over who will televise the games, nor any slow motion ads showing athletes with muscles rippling, faces contorted with determination. For most people, the Asia Pacific Out Games, like the Gay Games and the …

Music in itself is pretty gay. It’s often melodramatic, sometimes camp and always likely to incite singing, dancing or jazz-hands – stereotypically gay behaviour by pop culture’s own yardstick. It’s therefore ironic that the medium has been sparse on gay content. Until now. A shift is underway and it reached a crescendo with Macklemore. His …

THAT SEXY SHOW is one of the more sex-focused events at this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Teams of comedians, including Triple M’s Geraldine Hickey, battle it out for points in a game show with a sex-positive slant. The show is the brain-child of 24-year-old Honor Eastly, a performer and comedian with a penchant for …

I[/dropcap. WAS EXPOSED TO the sex-toy market a lot earlier than most. My mother started an adult toy business when I was in my mid-teens. In the beginning she specialised in hen’s nights and Tupperware-style parties, replacing plastic containers with rubber fists, rabbits and vibrating eggs. When I left school for university, I approached my …

SO YOU AND your squeeze have had the talk. You’ve decided to open up your relationship. Time to hit the local bar/kink party/games night, and soon you and your sweetie will be snuggling up with a hot bisexual babe. Right? Not quite. Changing your relationship structure always comes with surprises. If you consider the tips …