Tony Award-winning actor and director John Benjamin Hickey joins me on Tracks of Our Queers. From his breakout role in Terrence McNally's Love! Valour! Compassion! to his devastating turn in Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart , John has been at the heart of some of theatre's most important queer work. Far from being typecast, John has appeared in hundreds of roles across TV, film, and theatre (I loved him in The Big C , and of course, the dad in Pitch Perfect ). Outside of acting and directing, Joh...
Jun 30, 2025•58 min•Season 5Ep. 9
William Yang is one of Australia’s most vital storytellers. For over five decades, he's documented queer life in Sydney -- its parades, parties, politics, and people -- through photography, performance, and prose. Born in 1943 in Far North Queensland, William came out as gay in the early 1970s during the wave of gay liberation, and later came out again -- this time as Chinese -- after reconnecting with his heritage through Taoism and travel. His landmark exhibitions and live slide shows, like Sy...
Jun 23, 2025•54 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Kate Pierson is a founding member of the B-52s : The World's Greatest Party Band, and a beacon for weirdos and queer-does since the late 70s. After decades of collaborating with the likes of Iggy Pop, R.E.M., and her Japanese side-band NiNa (more on that in the episode), Kate began writing and recording her entirely solo output in 2015. Last year, her second album Radios and Rainbows was released, and at the age of 77, Kate is bubbling with inspiration and drive to create. Between the B-52s' leg...
Jun 16, 2025•59 min•Season 5Ep. 7
I'm trying something new, and treating you, like I treat my long-suffering friends and family, to a quick voice note. If you can't be bothered to listen, the summary is... please email or DM me your thoughts on: As a listener, how much do you care about interviews with 'known' figures, or for want of a better word, celebrities? Would you rather listen to people you weren't aware of? Or do you like a balance? As a listener, how important to you is my use of music in the episode? Would you miss th...
Apr 05, 2025•3 min
Sabah Choudrey is an award-winning, reluctant activist. He's also an author, youth worker, Pride organiser, Saturday morning Fun Run participant – the list is exhausting, but they somehow found time for me and Tracks of Our Queers . Sabah has also featured on the Diversity Power List 24/25, serves as the Vice Chair of Trustees for the Inclusive Mosque Initiative, a Gay Times Future Fighters Honouree, and the writer of the book Supporting Trans People of Colour . We discuss music by Planningtoroc...
Mar 24, 2025•44 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Rhys Nicholson is a comedian, actor, and judge on Drag Race Down Under . They began their stand-up journey in their teens, with regular train rides to Sydney’s open mic evenings, before launching onto the global comedy scene with a slot on Conan O’Brien. This, in turn, lead to a Netflix special, which found it’s way to one RuPaul. They’ve won countless awards, have toured globally multiple times, and are a regular panellist and host on Australian television. Their book DISH was published in 2023...
Mar 17, 2025•53 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Peppermint joins me for our 50th episode. A mainstay of New York nightlife, Peppermint burst onto the global queer scene as a finalist in RuPaul's Drag Race' s ninth season. Soon after, she became the first trans actress to originate a principle role on Broadway, and has starred in dozens of television roles, most recently in Michelle Buteau's Survival of the Thickest on Netflix. She continues to regularly appear on mainstream news outlets as a powerfully articulate activist for trans folk, and ...
Mar 11, 2025•56 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Eric Schnall is a Broadway producer and author from New York. Eric grew up attending Broadway productions with his parents, leading to a professional career which saw him driving critically-lauded shows like the Hedwig and the Angry Inch revival, and Fleabag. In 2024, Eric published his first book, I Make Envy on Your Disco – a love letter to Berlin, through the eyes of a late 30s gay man exploring the city in the early 2000s, running from personal turmoil and finding solace in the concrete jung...
Mar 03, 2025•55 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Chloe Petts is a *very* funny comedian from the UK. Her work is littered with brilliant examples of what I think of as 'soft' activism – she skilfully endears audiences with her warmth, before a one-two punch reminder of the foolishness of homo- and transphobia. Chloe is touring the UK and Australia throughout 2025, and you can find her tour dates here. We discuss music by Tina Turner, Haim, and Kasabian (!). Follow Chloe online . The other bits: Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited betwe...
Feb 24, 2025•46 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Margaret Cho. Period. A groundbreaking comedian, actor, musician, and advocate, Margaret Cho has been smashing barriers and ceilings in entertainment since the early 1990s. She's a massive queero of mine, and I was quite honestly shook to be on a Zoom with the Notorious C.H.O. herself. Margaret just released her third studio album, Lucky Gift , including punk pop girl group bangers, musings on opioid addiction, and a beautiful tribute to her mentor, Robin Williams. We discuss music by Erasure, t...
Feb 17, 2025•45 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Faustina Agolley is a writer, producer, DJ, presenter, actor, and all-round legend. She hosted Video Hits, Channel Ten’s flagship music program in Australia, from 2006-2011; she’s toured with Oprah Winfrey as her resident DJ, and she made her stage debut in the 2017 Sydney Theatre Company award-winning production, The Father. We discuss music by Kylie Minogue, Janelle Monaé, and Tyler, The Creator. You can follow Faustina online here. Support the show I'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Se...
Dec 10, 2024•46 min•Season 4Ep. 11
David Polson AM is an advocate and educator for HIV awareness. Just 29 in 1984 when he was diagnosed in HIV himself, David is currently celebrating his 70th birthday. In 2023, he founded Qtopia, a museum in Sydney dedicated to the commemoration and celebration of LGBTQIA+ resilience. To mark his milestone birthday and contributions to HIV advocacy, the museum will open a memorial garden, dedicated to all queer Australians lost to HIV/AIDS. In this live, in-person conversation, we discuss music b...
Nov 26, 2024•50 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Ash Gordon is a New York-bred, LA-based songwriter, producer, and now playwright, best known for her collaborations with a galaxy of stars from RuPaul’s Drag Race , including but not limited to Trixie Mattel, Sharon Needles, Trinity the Tuck, and most prolifically, Alaska, with ten #1 albums on the iTunes charts to her name. Together with Alaska and their collaborator Tomas Costanza, Ash wrote the book, score, and lyrics for DRAG: The Musical , a high octane, high camp spectacle currently sellin...
Nov 19, 2024•49 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Bishi is an artist, composer and producer born in London of Bengali heritage. Trained in both Hindustani and Western Classical styles, she has released and composed three albums, several EPs, movie and documentary soundtracks, and tirelessly advocates for the elevation of women, trans, and non-binary creative practitioners in music and technology. From coming up in London's queer underground in the 90s, Bishi has carved out a career path precisely for herself – to be frank, she is completely bad...
Nov 12, 2024•56 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Simon Graser is a DJ and nightlife curator based in Naarm/Melbourne, and performs as Simonetti . He co-founded the Melbourne party CONFIDE, a love letter to the roots of house, and a means for relief, release, and respect. Five points if you know the iconic Australian song it was named for. We discuss music by DASCO, Scissor Sisters, and of course, Kylie Minogue. Follow Simonetti , Club CONFIDE , and Minus 18 here. The other bits: Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and N...
Nov 05, 2024•45 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Christy DeGallerie is a writer and interdisciplinary artist from New York. Her contribution to the Modern Love column in the New York Times took my breath away a year ago, in which she wrote about her decision to come out to her mother on the day of her deportation. It's a moving, funny, sharp dissertation on migration, queerness, and gardening, and I insist you give it a read. Christy is also an enormous music fan, and made this interview exceptionally easy by showing up with some fabulous sele...
Oct 29, 2024•50 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Benjamin Law is a writer, broadcaster, television creator and producer, and refined homosexual about town in Sydney. He's also a former competitor on Australian Survivor – important. If you haven't already, I implore you to read some of Ben's sharp, warm, illuminating writing. There's Gaysia, an exploration of LGBTQ+ cultures across South East Asia; The Family Law , a memoir of his childhood that he adapted into three seasons of television; Growing Up Queer , a collection of stories from LGBTQ A...
Oct 22, 2024•48 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Bright Light Bright Light , aka Rod Thomas , is an entirely independent pop superstar based in New York City. Hailing from Wales, Rod has rewritten the rulebook for being a singer songwriter without major label backing, mostly through tremendously hard work, and an ever-growing back catalogue of bangers. He's been backed, endorsed, and collaborated with legends like Sir Elton John, Erasure, Scissor Sisters and Ultra Naté over the years, but the latest Bright Light Bright Light album, Enjoy Youth...
Oct 15, 2024•41 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Geraldine Hickey is one of Australia's most beloved comedians, and multiple award-winning at that. She's a regular face on TV, a veteran of the Melbourne International Comedy and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, and... a bird watcher. More on that in the episode. We discuss music by Diana Ross, RVG, and Cash Savage. Further reading: Follow Geraldine on Instagram Buy tickets to her upcoming Oct/Nov 24 shows here Check out the Switchboard charity here The other bits: Tracks of Our Queers is recorded an...
Oct 08, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Carlton Wilborn is an actor, life coach, and former dancer with Madonna. At 25, Carlton was hand-picked to join the Blond Ambition World Tour, documented in the ground-breaking concert film Truth or Dare (or, In Bed with Madonna ). He would go on to join her second tour, The Girlie Show, before embarking on a career in acting, and life coaching. Apologies in advance for slightly iffy audio – I hope the conversation is worth it. Further reading: Follow Carlton on Instagram Learn more about his li...
Sep 30, 2024•42 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Fenton Bailey is a co-founder of production studio World of Wonder, the home of RuPaul's Drag Race . Together with Randy Barbato, Fenton has creatively collaborated with RuPaul since the mid-80s, helping birth his albums, imagery, VH1 chat show, even directing the iconic "Supermodel" music video, before launching the queer cultural juggernaut that is Drag Race in 2009. Over 25 international variations are currently airing around the world. Fenton joins me for the first episode of Season 4 to dis...
Sep 24, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Sarah Keyworth is an award-winning comedian from Nottingham, England, who you may know from Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats , or their own BBC Sounds show, Am I a Boy or a Girl? Sarah just won the top prize at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and sat down with me to muse on some of the music that has soundtracked their queer journey, including (but not limited to) Katy Perry, MUNA, and Taylor Swift. This is the final episode of Season 3. I'm taking a few months to...
Apr 23, 2024•46 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Brontez Purnell is a writer, musician, critic, model, zinemaker, dancer, choreographer, and quite literally, more. An Oakland punk by way of Alabama, Brontez has just published his fifth book, 10 Bridges I've Burnt . I'm an enormous admirer of Brontez's writing, and am thrilled to chat about his queer tracks. In this conversation, we discuss music by Carol Hahn, Emily's Sassy Lime, and his own musical collaboration with a special friend from his past. Links to Brontez online: " I’ve Listened to ...
Apr 16, 2024•39 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Carl Austin-Behan served in the British Royal Air Force from 1991 until 1997, when he was discharged for being openly gay. Lauded with honours for services to his country, including a medal for bravery, nonetheless he was ejected from the RAF – simply for choosing not to hide who he was. Carl went on to win Mr Gay UK pageants, elections in local government, and the title of Lord Mayor of Manchester (the first to be openly gay). We discuss music by Gloria Gaynor, Erasure, and Bronski Beat. Carl c...
Apr 09, 2024•39 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Jenna Suffern is a Sydney-based comedian, producer and writer. One half of comedy due Two Queers Walk Into a Bar , a writer and producer for Pedestrian.TV and VICE AU, and the star of her own one-woman show, It's Not Funny, It's Private, Jenna has helped curate a flourishing queer comedy safe space in Sydney and beyond. We recorded this conversation live in the studio, on Gadigal land, and had a lot of fun – apologies in advance for the hijinks. We managed to discuss music by Leagues, Janelle Mo...
Apr 02, 2024•42 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Josh Rivers is a cultural worker, broadcaster, and the presenter of the conversation series Busy Being Black , a podcast exploring how queer Black folks live "in the fullness of their lives". Josh conducts his interviews in a way that allows people to unfold into their vulnerability, leading to inspiring conversations with fascinating guests from across the queer Black spectrum, including HIV activists from 80s London, Anglican priests, and Moud Goba – a guest on one of my favourite Tracks of Ou...
Mar 19, 2024•38 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Tommy Murphy is an award-winning screenwriter and playwright based in Sydney. Tommy adapted the Australian queer classic memoir Holding the Man for both stage and screen, while his limited series Significant Others was broadcast on the ABC last year. Most recently, he adapted Nevil Shute's On the Beach for the Sydney Theatre Company. We discuss music by Whitney Houston, Olivier Messiaen, and Rufus Wainwright. This conversation was recorded at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney. A huge thank you to ...
Mar 12, 2024•35 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Stuart Linden Rhodes is the photographer behind the @linden_archives , a fascinating record of queer nightlife in the UK's north. During the pandemic, I start finding photos in my Instagram feed showing legends like Lily Savage, Su Pollard, and a pre-Spice Mel B, alongside a host of gay clubbers and allies dancing on sticky floors and tearing up the night. Like many others, it felt like I had a window into an era I completely understood, but hadn't directly taken part in myself. Stuart was a sch...
Mar 05, 2024•37 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Bamby Salcedo is the CEO and President of the TransLatin@ Coalition , the largest trans-lead organisation in the United States, with a mission to improve and enrich the lives of trans Latin@ women. Her activism over 25 years has seen her champion issues across undocumented migrants, HIV-AIDS, youth incarceration, and of course, the LGBTQ community. Her leadership is powerful to behold, and I hope you enjoy this conversation. We discuss music by Mercedes Sosa, GIT, and Madonna. You can follow Bam...
Feb 27, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Michael Cragg is a prolific music journalist for The Guardian, The Observer, Vogue and more, and as of last year, the published author of Reach for the Stars, an oral history of the mind-boggling period of British pop music that flourished between 1996 and 2006. We discuss the heady confluence of factors that lead to an era bookended by the Spice Girls and the X Factor, Michael's own complicated relationship with music and his queerness, and Xenomania's contributions to the UK pop canon. We also...
Feb 20, 2024•51 min•Season 3Ep. 4
