Victoria's Pride Artists

2Joocee does it all. From singing to dancing, Hosting (according to certain apps) and more. Originally from Broome (Rubibi) in WA this small town Faboriginal has big city dreams and now lives and works on the beautiful lands of the Kulin Nation. As a First Nations plus size Queer, 2Joocee believes that visibility is still very important, even if you are likely to hear them before you see them.

2Joocee is all about love and having a great time so let’s get this party started lovelies!

In March 2020 Alter Boy provided the musical opening to the West Australian Music Awards at His Majesty’s Theatre. It’s a traditional, old world theatre and as the grand curtains went up to reveal the band a voice was heard all together too loudly/rudely whispering, ‘what’s this, then?’

All together, Alter Boy are not your usual band and there is no other band like it. What the ‘whisperer’ was soon to discover was that this is a new take on musical production and presentation - like a breath of air they’d never breathed before. Not just new light through old windows, but an entity that boldly evokes and exercises accessibility and inclusion and does so in a way that storms a trail through dream pop, theatrical imagery and avant-garde costuming that recalls the renaissance as much as it does the 21st century work of the likes of Italian director, Romeo Castellucci. And it does so with beautifully open hands that welcome the audience into the experience.

Banoffee is a Melbourne-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter and producer with a musically transgressive and deeply vulnerable approach to pop. She has toured with Taylor Swift on a worldwide stadium tour as part of Charlie XCX’s troupe, and represents the new wave of mutant pop bubbling up from today’s queer club underground. She has been described as one of pop music’s “recent great forward thinkers” (FACT) and is known for infectious melodies that belie more unsettling, experimental textures and beats. “It’s an exciting time for pop music,” says Banoffee, who relishes her position at the border between avant-garde art and pop. The broadening of the popscape to include more radical and queer artists such as herself is heartening—and playing in Charli XCX’s band on the Taylor Swift tour taught her a lot about how pop brings people together. “Pop isn’t lyrically political like in the 60s,” she says, “but now, the existence of these avant-garde pop artists advocacy in itself. Our existence, and rise to the top is more political than we could put into words”.

Imagine Graham Norton and Ellen having a really tall baby that ended up being a little bit funnier and a whole lot cheekier. Enter Brihony Dawson.

Host of Channel 10’s, The Challenge, Brihony is a rare entertainment force and has proven themselves a sought-after MC and presenter in corporate, sporting, and social spheres. With some  007 style, Brihony is clever, bold and quick to add a dash of comedy to shake or stir any conversation.

After a meteoric rise to fame at the age of 16, Casey became the youngest ever winner of Australian Idol in 2004. A proud Gumbaynggir and Dunghutti woman, over the last eighteen years, Donovan has made her mark not only as a musician, but also in the areas of stage, screen, presenting and writing. Casey is a multi-Award winner & nominee, including an ARIA No #1 Award and Triple Platinum for ‘Listen With Your Heart’ from the Double Platinum Album ‘For You’ and Deadly Awards for Best Album, Best Single and Most Promising New Talent.

Cerulean is one of Melbourne’s most dynamic and vibrant conceptual performers bringing a refreshing cloud of excitement and pleasure to the stage. As the current reigning winner of the national Miss First Nations pageant, she is set to propel her way into shaping the future of drag. As a visionary performer, you can expect her to deliver compelling stories through exceptionally fierce and entertaining drag performances that will leave audiences salivating for more.

Chelsea Wheatley is a Filipino/Australian artist, musician, songwriter, producer, and filmmaker originally from Fremantle, WA.

Her family relocated to Melbourne, Victoria when she was 15. She then taught herself how to play bass guitar so she could start a femme punk pop band with her high school best friends. They toured Australia extensively for 3 years and within this time Chelsea also appeared twice as a guest on Rockwiz, performing two solos and a duet with Chris Ballew (Presidents of the United States of America).

Some time thereafter 'Chela' (a long-standing nickname) was born, self-releasing her first single ‘Plastic Gun’, co-produced with Ben Ely (Regurgitator) and receiving airplay on Australian national radio. In 2013 and 2014 French tastemaker label Kitsuné released ‘Romanticise’ (co-produced with DCUP) and 'Zero' gaining Chela international attention. In 2014 Chela performed at SXSW and Coachella and has since supported Classixx, The Presets, The Preatures, San Cisco, Client Liaison and MIKA on tour.

As well as gaining 20million+ streams on her own releases, she has also collaborated with several musical entities, including Goldroom on his summer-anthem ‘Fifteen’, Clubfeet on their highly-rotated single ‘Heartbreak’, electronic heavyweight Damian Lazarus on 'Five Moons', queer pop-punk cult hero Seth Bogart on his debut self-titled solo album alongside Kathleen Hanna and Tavi Gevinson, and NYC's Gus Dapperton on his 2020 track 'My Say So'.

Australian queer noise-pop duo, Cry Club are as gentle in spirit as they are ferocious on stage, they have a flair for creating relatable, empowering and danceable anthems coupled with head-turning moments of intrigue and flawlessly tight guitars which has seen them booked for festivals such including Falls Festival, Lost Paradise, and Splendour in the Grass. Their debut full-length album, God I’m Such a Mess, released in 2020, showcased their confidence, vision, and fiercely idiosyncratic personality and featured on triple j and KEXP.

Frankie Mazzone is a 15 year old Australian/Italian transgender actor and activist based on the lands of the Wurundjeri People.

Frankie has starred in music videos, short films and web series. To date her work includes features in Sitting Still (2019), And Then Something Changed (2019), Falling clouds (2019), and Cool For A Second (2019). 

Since coming out, Frankie has been a spokesperson for the transgender community, and has appeared on ABC TV and Radio, and more recently on Channel 10's 'The Project'. Frankie also writes for Archer Magazine on Trans teen issues.  Frankie is committed to raising awareness and advocating for her community. 

Photo by Kira Puru

HONŌUR will introduce you to some of Melbournes most ICONIC legends in a celebration and ceremony of love recognition and a mother fucking PARTY …….

These may be people that aren’t known to the whole queer community of Melbourne BUT THEY SHOULD BE !!!!!

Trans activists , Indigenous icons the real ROYALTY of our communities ……

HONŌUR also celebrates the many cultures that are under represented within Melbournes queer communities and let’s you know exactly where they are and where they should

Be which is right at the CENTRE……

There is nothing predictable about the remarkable rise of the artist Jaguar Jonze (Deena Lynch). Her success stems from hard work and her pure creative vision, with WHO DIED AND MADE YOU KING and CUT the latest step in cementing her position in the cultural landscape. As the public artist voice of the Australian #metoo movement, Jaguar Jonze has appeared on The Project, triple j’s Hack, The Guardian and in numerous news pieces as she strives to create meaningful change in the music industry. A true advocate, JJ’s commitment to getting results for survivors in an industry which has ignored reports of harassment and assault has seen her join a working group of industry professionals to build and enforce behavioural guidelines and victim support strategies in the workplace. Her latest musical work will sit alongside her photography and visual art as another reason this truly unique and iconic artist cannot be ignored.

Comprised of Melbourne drag queens Kali Fornikate and Sabrina Babyslut, Jawbreakers are a duo bringing fierce and high-energy dance music to stages around the world, including Sydney Mardi Gras, Groovin the Moo, Beyond The Valley and more. Since their debut in 2018, Jawbreakers’ performances have blended together dance music, theatrical performance and high-quality drag to create an experience unlike anything else you’d find in the world; an embodiment of bold, colourful fun that always brings the unexpected.

In 2022, they’re venturing into a new chapter with the introduction of their own music; ‘Boyfriend’ - their debut single - being a dance-pop burst of energy featuring Operator Please’s Amandah Wilkinson, released in January via Vicious Records. The first taste of a debut EP arriving later in the year, ‘Boyfriend’ is another example of how Jawbreakers are always striving to go beyond people’s expectations to create one hell of a fun time.

Multi-hyphenate artist Keiynan Lonsdale was raised in a storm of energy, with relentless expression, and the fiery backdrop of Western Sydney’s North St Mary’s. Australian, Nigerian, and Irish, born in 1991, and with 11 siblings, he made sense of his unique lens by embodying the language of art; first with music, then dance, & then acting. 

He had an extremely hard working single mother, plus an instinctive desire to tell unifying stories at a young age - this sets the tone for an empowered dreamer to break beyond social & economic barriers, to forge new realities. Not only has Keiynan Lonsdale made a global name for himself as an award winning entertainer across film, TV,  fashion & music, he has become an icon for authentic representation, and has helped make a better life for the family that made him strong & electric.

In 2020 Lonsdale released his debut album ‘Rainbow Boy’, catching the ears of Billboard, GQ, Rolling Stone, Vogue, Interview Mag, & gaining him the nomination for ‘Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist’ at the 2021 GLAAD Music Awards.

His songwriting is effortless, his storytelling is captivating and purposeful, and his love for the many sides of creating is what sets him apart from the rest - often producing, directing, & editing his own music videos. He also enjoys working directly with film makers to craft & portray important  characters that help set the pace for new industry standards.

As an actor, Lonsdale continues to push the boundaries on what it means to be a leading man in Hollywood, working with the best of the best in film & television, and enjoying an impressive collection of iconic roles. Such as Kid Flash in CW’s ‘The Flash’, Bram In 20th Century Fox’s ‘Love, Simon’, & Julliard in Netflix’s #1 film ‘Work It’. He has earned 2 GQ Actor of the Year awards, MTV’s Best Kiss Award, Screen Australia’s breakthrough Award, and a Teen Choice Award.

An already exciting year is lined up for the artist in 2023, Keiynan is set to release his anticipated sophomore album, which dives deeper into his R&B roots, and he will both co-host and perform live at the Closing Ceremony of Sydney World Pride.

Thomas Fonua an artist of Pacific decent with an established career as a dancer, choreographer and emerging leader. Thomas has worked for companies such as Black Grace (NZ) , Australian Dance Theatre, Red Sky Performance(Canada) and has been touring internationally from the age of 16. Thomas’ alterego Kween Kong, is the Reigning Dragnation Australia Winner. With a strong focus to inspire, challenge and nurture our community with his loved based leadership style. Thomas is the recipient of The (NZ) Prime Minster’s Award for Arts and Creativity(2015), Out For Australia’s Emerging Leader(2019) and has recently been nominated for the Dora Award For Outstanding Choreography in Canada.

Mora Money (she/they) serves camp clown chaos. Trans Wiradjuri babe, Mora leaves you wanting more. The pure personification of a money hungry capitalist gal living her fantasy. Think girl in control - think like Mora. Follow her silly little adventures @mora_money. Highlights include: ‘dis rupt’ @ Hamer Hall, Yirramboi 2019; ‘White Rabbit’, Brunswick Mechanic Institute, Fringe Festival, 2019; ‘The Fae’ @ Signal, Yirramboi 2021; SMASH the Drag Show (most iterations) 2020-2022; Midsumma Carnival 2020 & 2022; 4Play @ Pride of our Footscray, 2022; ’The Birth of Dirty Versace’ @ Miscellania 2022 and many more!

Open Seen collective curate spaces for queer expression in all forms, in particular for the QT/BIPOC community. They are a double entendre, playing on the duality of the literal opening up spaces for queer people in the ‘scene’, and the figurative idea of people coming into the space and being able to be truly ‘seen’ and be appreciated for being authentically themselves.

Helene is a Tasmanian born, Hobart based award-winning creative audio producer. Helene often works with personal in-depth narratives to create immersive, intimate, audio experiences. She has been producing audio features and documentaries for fifteen years.  She learned very quickly that telling people’s stories comes with significant responsibility so she made this the topic of a PhD study. Through her research she developed a practice that involves slowing down and making deeper human connections to ensure a more responsible and ethical storytelling.
 
Since the creation of The Wayfinder she has been engaged with a variety of community and arts storytelling projects in collaboration with the City of Hobart, Salamanca Market, the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, Tourism Tasmania, Glenorchy City Council, Big hART, the Huon Valley Council, the Huon Valley Mid-Winter Festival, The Unconformity and artists featured in the Ten Days on the Island festival.

The purpose of The Wayfinder Mobile Story Studio is to travel around and collect stories and conversations and share them through the intimate art of audio storytelling. The Wayfinder is a mobile recording studio designed and built in Tasmania. It is a professional sound booth with acoustic insulation properties and has been carefully designed to make people feel comfortable and relaxed and conducive to conversation. Helene is thrilled to be partnering with Midsumma Festival for Pridefinder: The Rainbow Road Trip. She’s looking forward to touring regional Victoria and engaging in conversation with LGBTQIA+ communities about their experiences and their projects as part of the Regional Activation Program.

Fast, on the edge and brutally funny, multi-award winning, Australian comedian, singer and writer Reuben Kaye is loud, politically active, queer, brash and the winner of Best In Breed at Crufts 2022. (He thought he was entering a different type of competition). After racking up millions of views across TikTok, YouTube & Instagram plus appearances on Spicks and Specks, The Melbourne International Comedy Fest Galas (ABC), Celebrity Letters & Numbers (SBS) and in the UK, Channel 4 & BBC’s You’re Fired, Kaye is now the danger man to watch on the scene. Backed by his band The Close Contacts, Reuben’s unmissable live shows have sold out in Australia, London and Europe, gleefully proving that he is the much needed, Swarovski studded revolt against the ever-narrowing views of an increasingly conservative world and he’s done it all while looking fabulous!

Reuben Kaye is what happens when you tell your children they can be anything.

A high-femme kaleidoscopic cyclone of extroversion and light perversion, Ruby Slippers lives by the motto that you’re either Dorothy, or you’re the twister. She's campy yet vampy, a clown-in-a-gown, burlesque supervillain and drag disruptor. A serial name-dropper, she’s shared a stage with Amanda Lepore, Brooke Candy, The Boulet Brothers and Boy George, Michelle Visage has called her work “incredible” and Courtney Act once told her she looked stunning. Enough said.

When she's not racking up Velocity frequent flyer points and dragging suitcases around the country, Ruby is a sought-after costumier and has worked on pieces for stage productions including Briefs: Close Encounters, Matador and Gender Euphoria, as well as stunning soloist costumes for some of Australia's favourite burlesque and cabaret artists. Her flair for stage makeup has seen Ruby acting in the role of makeup supervisor for a number of stage productions, including Australian circus shows Rouge, Circa 1920 and Rebel, and Spiegelworld’s OPIUM on the Las Vegas strip.

Since it fledged from its parent choir, Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Chorus, in 2005, shOUT Youth Chorus has spread its wings and soared. The first LGBTQIA+ youth choir in Australasia, shOUT provides a platform for young people aged 18 - 29 to make their voices heard. Made rich by the diversity and creativity of its membership, shOUT brings its own unique identity to its musical endeavours with a repertoire that’s surprising, dynamic and joyous.
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As a performing choir, shOUT are increasingly in demand and have been invited to perform at many notable occasions including the Melbourne Writers' Festival and Gaytimes Festival, and most recently as part of Paul Mac's The Rise and Fall of Saint George at The Arts Centre. shOUT’s growing reputation recognises not only the calibre of the music they create, but their importance as emerging leaders of our community. Rehearsals are every Wednesday evening from 5:45m – 7pm in South Yarra. Some shOUT members also regularly rehearse and sing with MGLC, our main chorus. Membership of shOUT automatically entitles a singer to sing with MGLC with no additional membership fees.

For Siala, the process of music stems from an imperfect place. Growing up on the North Coast of New South Wales, her mother was a victim of domestic violence – until one day, 15-year-old Siala fought back against her abuser. “After knocking him out, I wrote a song about it. I found this rhythm of writing my emotions out constantly into music,” she says. “I felt so much lighter mentally. It helped me register and reflect on my feelings, and then I’d look back on situations and feel closure.”

Siala found solace in gloomy, guitar-heavy artists like The Smashing Pumpkins and PJ Harvey, later diving headfirst into hip-hop, R&B and jazz. Writing lyrics became a way to digest pain and isolation, melding her diverse range of influences into a cathartic sound that sits confidently in its own lane. “I started taking it more seriously when I was getting great feedback from mates. Any time I thought about performing or sharing sounds, it would give me butterflies,” she says. “I would vision it so clearly!” After watching The Weeknd perform live in Brisbane, Siala knew that music would be her future, and that she was destined for those same stages.

Siala is well on her way to becoming one of the country’s most powerful voices and storytellers.

A hot 80s all-women supergroup.