Mon Schafter

2 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Dan Condon |Mon Schafter

Anohni Hegarty first sang on Australian stages almost 20 years ago, when her band — then called Antony and the Johnsons — played theatre shows that left audiences enraptured. This month, the band — now Anohni and the Johnsons — will play their final Australian shows, as their leader reckons with the environmental impact that comes with her profession.

Dec 2, 2024 | abc.net.au | Mon Schafter

*Content warning: this story discusses experiences of LGBTQ sexual harassment and discriminationWhen *Chloe first moved to Australia six years ago, she was excited about starting a new life. The 25-year-old marketer had kept her sexuality mostly private, but was feeling great about starting a new job in a new country away from the expectations of family. "I can be out, I can be my authentic self," she says.

Nov 6, 2024 | abc.net.au | Mon Schafter

In the late 1980s, Australia's first sex-positive lesbian zine was born. Wicked Women ran from 1988 to 1996, capturing the sexual expression of a diverse community not represented in mainstream media. Now, groundbreaking photos from Wicked Women will be recreated for next year's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to bring queer history to life.

Jul 3, 2024 | abc.net.au | Mon Schafter

Marlo W didn't know what a transgender or gender diverse person was until he went to uni. "I had a couple of gay friends in high school, but I just didn't even know what trans was. I was completely oblivious to it," says the Naarm-based photographer. "Being at uni, I met other trans people."That lack of visible role models meant it took some time for Marlo to explore his own trans identity.

Mar 30, 2024 | abc.net.au | Mon Schafter |Peter Gunders |Danielle O'Neal

Dom Tulleken was in a health crisis when he decided to start his now flourishing business.  "I ended up getting paralysed from having three mini strokes in one day, which left me paralysed from the shoulders down and unable to talk," he says. "They really didn't think that I would end up ever being able to walk again or talk again." Dom has been a lifelong dancer, so once he'd regained movement of his hands through physical therapies, he taught himself to dance in a wheelchair.