S1E4: Show Notes
Episode Summary
Episode 4 of The LOTL Lounge is packed with brilliant voices and big stories. This week features comedy from the Tuckshop Ladies, an interview with award-winning non-binary author Kris Kneen, an NRLW wrap with Jo Barrett, a deep dive into the history of lesbian and bisexual women's dynamics with Amber Loomis, music from Theia and Fvneral!, a powerful conversation with formerly incarcerated queer Aboriginal writer Tabitha Lean, a Drag King Corner update from Nash Hill, and a cabaret love letter to the '90s with Cherry Charleston.
Segments & Timestamps
Tuckshop Ladies — Talking About Sex (~1:36)
Rosie Burgess and Sam Lowes (the Tuckshop Ladies) return with a hilarious segment about the discomfort of talking about sex.
Topics include:
- The expectation that queer people should be open about sex
- The L Word and lesbian representation on television
Author Kris Kneen - Rite of Spring (~13:59)
Award-winning non-binary author Kris Kneen (formerly Krissy Kneen) joins the show to discuss:
- Their transition to a non-binary identity and name change
- Their new book Rite of Spring, a story about a marine biologist on a remote Tasmanian island, exploring themes of gender transition, menopause, and life change
- The queer community's response to their writing, including readers who realised they were trans through Kris's first book Affection
- Their fascination with writing about sexuality in fat bodies
- Exclusive excerpt from Rite of Spring read by the author (~23:20)
BONUS EPISODE: Read the article and listen to the full episode here
Music Track by Theia - BALDH3AD! (~27:37)
A track that has become a full-blown protest anthem, nominated for Single of the Year at the 2025 Aotearoa Music Awards and landing at #178 on Rolling Stone Australia's top 250 Australian/New Zealand songs of the 21st century. A new live version has just been released. Follow LOTL Lounge's queer artist playlists on Spotify and SoundCloud.
League from the Lounge with Jo Barrett (~28:27)
Jo Barrett's NRLW Wrap covering rounds 6 and 7:
- Indigenous Round - celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, jersey design, boot painting, and recognition of historic Indigenous women players (Katrina Fanning, Yvonne O'Neill, Carol Jarrett, Tracey Thompson, Theresa Anderson, Kylie Pennell, Katasha Gale)
- Three things noticed lately:
- Impact of injury on team performance (Cronulla Sharks hit hard, losing Shontae Kiri-Ratu)
- Every team has now had at least one win; Titans move to second; Roosters stamp authority with big win over Broncos
- The tribute to Yasmin Meeks' mother — both the Knights and Warriors came together in an emotional opening ceremony
- Player focus: Jocelyn Kelliher (Roosters) - first player to reach 300 individual points in the NRLW
- Looking ahead: Broncos vs Titans clash with finals implications
Amber Loomis - Lesbians & Bisexual Women: A History (~35:43)
Amber Loomis, a trans genderqueer bi+ advocate and community researcher, explores the longstanding friction between lesbians and bisexual women:
- Founding the Sydney Bi+ Network
- Jill Johnston and the 1971 Dialogue on Women's Liberation in New York — a flashpoint for lesbian separatism
- Johnston's 1973 book Lesbian Nation and its call for a complete break with men
- How lesbian separatism shaped the exclusion of bisexual women from queer spaces
- Tensions in the 1990s — archival evidence from Lesbians on the Loose and feminist newspapers
- Dating app exclusion and modern-day impacts on bi+ mental health
BONUS EPISODE: Read the article and listen to the full episode here
Music Spotlight: Fvneral! - Hate U (~53:19)
Queer supergroup Fvneral! features their new EP Chosen Family, led by trans non-binary songwriter Tay Blunt.
Interview topics include:
- The concept of chosen family in queer culture
- The track "Hate U" - about recognising coercive control and reclaiming power
BONUS EPISODE: Read the article and listen to the full episode here
Tabitha Lean - Queer Women Leaving Prison (~59:34)
Tabitha Lean, a queer Aboriginal woman, formerly incarcerated, writer and advocate with Sisters Inside, shares her powerful story:
- The contrast between coming out as queer (celebrated) vs. coming home from prison (stigmatised)
- The work of Sisters Inside and CEO Debbie Kilroy
- A recent Adelaide court case where a prison officer was found guilty of sexual violence against women prisoners - and the resounding silence from feminist organisations
- The impact of shows like Wentworth and Orange Is the New Black
- Aboriginal women as the fastest-growing prison cohort in Australia
BONUS EPISODE: Read the article and listen to the full episode here
Drag King Corner with Nash Hill (~1:15:06)
A quick call with Nash Hill, who writes the biweekly Drag King Corner column on lotl.com:
- Upcoming interview with iconic drag king Sexy Galaxy
- Sexy Galaxy's journey from shyness to the stage
Read the column at lotl.com
Cherry Charleston — Love Letter to the '90s (~1:18:52)
Cabaret performer Cherry Charleston discusses her show Love Letter to the '90s:
- Origin story: started as a 10-minute act at an alternative queer performer competition
- Expanded into a full cabaret show with a group of seven backup singers
- Coming out in the '90s - legal discrimination, no couples rights, no IVF access
- k.d. lang's 1993 coming out and the iconic Vanity Fair photoshoot with Cindy Crawford
- The '90s lesbian "uniform" - short hair, jeans, vest, red lipstick
- Show details: August 22, Melbourne
Followed by Cherry's recorded Love Letter to the '90s — a personal, moving account of queer life in 1990s Melbourne
Next Episode Preview (S1E5)
- Zoe Terakes - author and actor, known as Max from Wentworth
- Mandahala Rose - known as E from the film All About E, joining from New York
- The Tuckshop Ladies return, and more queer music and stories
Links & Resources
Seg 1: Tuckshop Ladies
Seg 2: Kris Kneen and Byron Bay Writers Festival
Seg 3: Music Track by Theia - BALDH3AD!
Seg 6: Music Spotlight: Fvneral! - Hate U
Seg 7:Tabitha Lean - Queer Women Leaving Prison and Sisters Inside
Seg 9: Cherry Charleston — Love Letter to the '90s
Feedback & Participation:
Email feedback: podcast@lotl.com
Send a voice message: click here
Are you a lesbian or queer musician? Submit your track for the playlist and show!
---
Where to Find Us
- Website: lotl.com
- Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube: @LOTLMagazine
- Spotify/SoundCloud: The LOTL Lounge Playlist
---
Thanks for listening to the LOTL Lounge - where your story shines.
Check out more content on www.lotl.com