Why Australia’s HIV Response is State by State

First Nations Storytelling and Mob+

Rachel is joined by Jacob Boehme, an award-winning filmmaker, choreographer, and cultural leader. Jacob shares his journey from a troubled teenager in Melbourne’s western suburbs to his studies, where he discovered the deep connections between traditional cultural practice and theatre. We also explore his acclaimed solo work Blood on the Dance Floor, which centres First Nations experiences of living with HIV. He closes after speaking about his current role leading the Mob+ program at Thorne Harbour Health’s Positive Living Centre in Prahran. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Show introduction and guest overview 01:52 – Early theatre and dance beginnings 05:54 – Cultural discovery and identity at NAISDA 08:22 – Multidisciplinary ceremony as theatre practice 11:45 – Founding Yirramboi Festival with self-determination 15:50 – Blood on the Dance Floor 20:21 – Introducing the Mob Plus program 26:03 – Hopes for the future of Mob+ All chapter timecodes are approximate. WANT MORE WELL WELL WELL? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell [http://joy.org.au/wellwellwell]. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at wellwellwell@joy.org.au [wellwellwell@joy.org.au] Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org [http://thorneharbour.org]. Produced by: Rachel Cook, Jack Crnjanin

Kink and Activism with Kitty Obsidian

Trans non-binary performer Kitty Obsidian joins us to discuss the intersection of fetish performance, activism, and community health. Joel and Jake speak with them about the legal realities of sex work in Australia, why risk-awareness is essential for both performers and participants, and their involvement with the Touchbase harm reduction campaign. We also talk about creating safer queer spaces and the inaugural Fetish Fantasy Ball fundraising gala supporting sex worker and First Nations organisations. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro and Host Welcome 02:11 – Meeting Kitty Obsidian 04:54 – Life Journey and Discovering Queer Identity 09:31 – Performance Audiences From Cabaret To Sex Shows 14:17 – Decolonizing White Centred Performance Spaces 20:50 – Understanding Leather And Rubber Title Pageants 24:42 – Harm Reduction Education And Touchbase Campaign 33:04 – Fetish Fantasy Ball Fundraiser And Personal Self Care All chapter timecodes are approximate. WANT MORE WELL WELL WELL? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell [http://joy.org.au/wellwellwell]. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at wellwellwell@joy.org.au [wellwellwell@joy.org.au] Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org [http://thorneharbour.org]. Produced by: Joel Parker, Jake Neville

Sexperts Trivia for JOY Radiothon!

This special live broadcast from JOY’s 2026 Radiothon features a spirited “Sexpert Trivia” challenge. We dive into the archives of Victorian AIDS Council campaigns, decode hanky colour meanings, and discuss the practical importance of various barrier methods. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Radiothon special kickoff and guest intros 04:11 – HIV campaign poster history 08:53 – CondoMan superhero campaign origins 13:11 – Drama Down Under campaign in the top end 17:32 – Barrier methods 28:05 – Hanky codes 32:18 – Final scores All chapter timecodes are approximate. WANT MORE WELL WELL WELL? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell [http://joy.org.au/wellwellwell]. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at wellwellwell@joy.org.au [wellwellwell@joy.org.au] Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org [http://thorneharbour.org]. Produced by: Rhian Graco-Ilves, Jack Crnjanin, Joel Parker, Jake Neville

Why Australia’s HIV Response is State by State

We explore why Australia relies on state-based organisations to tackle HIV and sexual health rather than only one national body. Karina Reeves from WAAC and Eleni Gabrielides from Meridian join Joel to discuss how trust, cultural diversity, and geographic isolation demand localised strategies. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Welcome and guest introductions from across Australia 04:53 – Defining health promotion and social determinants of health 07:17 – How HIV sector demographics have changed over time 11:35 – WA and ACT jurisdictional differences and approaches 16:04 – Building trust and community-led health promotion strategies 23:29 – Marketing tensions in community health communication 27:41 – AI, social media and digital era challenges 35:43 – Future projects, funding and exciting upcoming initiatives All chapter timecodes are approximate. WANT MORE WELL WELL WELL? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell [http://joy.org.au/wellwellwell]. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at wellwellwell@joy.org.au Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org [http://thorneharbour.org] and samesh.org.au [http://samesh.org.au] Produced by: Joel Parker

From Jurassic Park to Global Health with new Thorne Harbour Health CEO Chad Hughes

Jack and Cal are joined by new Thorne Harbour Health CEO Chad Hughes, and discuss the critical challenge of delivering equitable health services to our diverse communities in regional Victoria and South Australia. Chad dives into the organisation’s strategy of embedding practitioners with lived experience into mainstream rural clinics to ensure privacy and reduce stigma for those not ready to come out locally. We also explore the unique dynamics of regional pride events and the importance of empowering local experiences over a one size fits all approach. Given the growing crisis of misinformation in the age of AI, Thorne Harbour’s forty-year legacy of trust is more vital than ever, especially as the organisation expands its national reach through innovative digital platforms. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Intro 01:56 – Chad’s origin story involving genetics, a trip to Uganda in the late 90s, and the pivotal moment that drove him toward public health 06:14 – Setting up harm reduction programs over four years living in a remote Nepalese village, learning the language, and overcoming his needle phobia 11:39 – Leadership philosophy, focusing on mentoring others, the satisfaction of population-level impact versus individual care, and his framework for making tough decisions under pressure 14:45 – Living in Daylesford, the unique nature of regional queer communities compared to the city, and the specific challenges of delivering health services to isolated trans and gender-diverse youth 20:00 – The importance of supporting local autonomy in events like Bendigo Pride 24:46 – Thorne Harbour’s 40-year history of adapting to diverse community requirements 28:47 – Misinformation and AI-generated content, highlighting why Thorne Harbour’s reputation for trusted health information is more valuable than ever 33:32 –  The current political climate, funding challenges in Victoria, the importance of a unified sector, and the significance of having a community member as the new Minister for Health 38:13 – Chad’s hobby of birding, his spark bird, and how observing nature serves as a mindfulness practice 48:14 – Parallels between the patience required for birding and the calm, observant leadership style needed to manage staff dealing with vicarious trauma and complex community crises 49:42 – Ensuring services are truly community-led, responsive to emerging threats like Mpox, and accessible to everyone regardless of location or identity WANT MORE WELL WELL WELL? Check out our other JOY Podcasts for more on LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing at joy.org.au/wellwellwell [http://joy.org.au/wellwellwell]. If there’s something you’d like us to explore on the show, send through ideas or questions at wellwellwell@joy.org.au Find out more about LGBTIQ+ services and events in Victoria and South Australia at thorneharbour.org [http://thorneharbour.org] and samesh.org.au [http://samesh.org.au] Produced by: Caleb Hawk, Jack Crnjanin