FOR BOYS

POP ART
Sydney gay artist John Douglas (The Artist Formally Known As Princess) has launched his Pop Men 2011 calendar. Pop Men is a celebration of gay male sexuality that combines an old-school, pop art ethos with modern gay male sensuality and sass. The artworks were created by hand-drawn ink on paper with vibrant, digitally blocked colours. You can purchase the calendar from www.johndouglasart.com/merchcalendar11.
LEATHER COMP
Sydney Mr Leather Competition 2010 will be held on Sunday October 24 at Spectrum @ The Exchange, from 4-8pm. You can compete, or just come along to check out the talent and support your favourite leather man. The winner will enjoy a sponsored trip to Melbourne to compete in Mr Leather Australia & NZ. To register as a contestant, go to www.sydneyleatherpride.org
BETWEEN THE COVERS
Melbourne artist and photographer Ross Watson has published a sumptuous new hardcover book through gay erotica publishers Bruno Gmunder. Untitled # features more than 150 of Watson’s paintings and photographs spanning the past 15 years. Included in the book is an interview with Watson by Michael Kirby. info: www.rosswatson.com
GAMMA MEETING
The next meeting of GAMMA – the gay and married men’s association – will take place on Wednesday, October 20, in the ACON Building, 9 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills, from 8pm. For more information, contact Scott at [email protected] or call 1800 804 607.
HIV SUPPORT
Have you been living with HIV for a while? Would you like to meet others in a similar situation? Seven-to-Nine is a monthly support group for men living with HIV. They meet to discuss their experiences, exchange information and develop friendships. info: Call Hedimo on 9361 6011 for a confidential chat or email [email protected]
IAN ON STAGE
Former rugby league star — and pioneer for openly gay sportspeople everywhere — Ian Roberts is the latest addition to the massive cast set to deliver Ben Hur: The Stadium Spectacular at ANZ Stadium in October. Roberts plays Pontius Pilate, the Governor of Judea — an integral role in this unforgettable production, which will be held over two nights on October 22 and 23. info: www.benhur.com.au
FURRY FRIDAYS
Fridays have always been furry for Harbour City Bears members. In practice this is represented by a few drinks at members prices at the Oxford Hotel’s Main Bar, accompanied by sweet sounds from DJ Rob from 9pm. Once the deck has closed at 10pm, it’s time for the Underground to open. The more playful head down to listen to DJ George Roussos (woof) among the hypnotic flashing walls and vibrating dancefloor. info: www.hcbears.com
BRISBANE BEARS
Bears, take note: the Northern Exposure Bear festival takes place from Thursday October 14 to Sunday October 17 in Brisbane. Events include the Bear Trek Bear-foot bowls and the Saturday Night Fur-ver dance party. info: www.brisbears.org.au
NAKED BARBER
Looking for a close shave? The Naked Barber is a men’s mobile grooming service that specialises in body shaving/clippering, haircuts, cutthroat shaving and hair colouring. info: www.thenakedbarber.com.au

FOR GIRLS

TURKISH DELIGHT
Head to Ottoman Love at the Red Rattler on October 23 to venture through the Turkish lands from the Persian borders to the new world. Enjoy the exotic journey with performances by Tasia, Billie Bradshaw, Sheena Miss Demeanour, Lulu, Tall Paul, Kael, Baby Blue Bergman and Aishwarya Chai. Indulge with Turkish delights of a Nargile Lounge (herbal fruit tobacco, no nicotine), a mystical fortune teller and belly dancers. Tickets $25 from www.dsvision.net/ottomanlove
PAGE TURNER
Author Ana Corman has just released her fourth lesbian romance novel, A Celtic Knot, through Amazon. In the book, Corman presents a romance between two professional women trying to overcome their pasts and preconceived notions about love. Wearied by the hassles of a hard life, heroine Catherine O’Grady unexpectedly finds solace in the arms of jaded oncologist Olivia Carrington. Search for ‘A Celtic Knot’ on Amazon.com to check it out.
DYKES’ BALL
The Dykes on Bikes are holding their annual fundraising Black and White Ball from 7pm on October 23 at the Jet Sports Club in Tempe. DJs Sandi Hotrod and Sveta will be on hand to pump the tunes, and there’ll be shows throughout the night from a mix of drag queens and live performers. Tickets, $20 presale or $25 on the door, are available from MaXXX Black in Newtown or by calling Webby on 0412 028 906.
SAPPHIC SYDNEY
Website Sapphic Sydney is a comprehensive online portal for lesbians living in or visiting our harbour city. Girls, if you’re looking for like-minded women, visit www.sapphicsydney.com.au
SHUNDA SHINES
Shunda K of Yo! Majesty’s just-released official solo debut single, Here I Am To Save The World, is a collaboration with Cindy Wonderful of Scream Club. The track was co-written and produced by Chrissy Murderbot and Electrosexual and mixed by longtime Shunda K cohorts, female French DJ Flore and Christian ‘Duke’ Quermalet, and features the talented lesbian rapper in typically outspoken form. On iTunes.
MARY’S RETURN
Since its release earlier this year, Mary Gauthier’s The Foundling has received widespread critical acclaim. The openly gay country/folk singer will return to our shores later this year for a string of shows, including a stop at Notes in Newtown on Saturday, December 4. info: www.marygauthier.com

PUBS

SUPPER IN PARIS
Every Friday night in Paris, the Oxford Hotel’s plush upstairs Supper Club plays host to Gay Paris, a diverse, ever-changing night of performance, art shows, DJs and drink specials. On October 22, enjoy performances from The Rumjacks, Betty Airs and Mother and Son. Tickets, $12, through Moshtix.
FIERCE POP
Saturday nights from 10pm at the Stonewall Hotel, get ready to work up a sweat with Fierce Pop. Decoda Secret is joined on stage by her sexy male dancers Wil Sabin and Daniel G for a ferociously hot show that’ll have you sizzling. info: www.stonewallhotel.com
KINKY CLUBBING
Club Lush presents Un Carnaval Fetich at a top-secret inner-city warehouse location on Saturday October 23. From 9pm til very late, the party will feature a dance floor and play area, plus DJs Dom de Sousa, Khan and more. There’s a strict dress code – kinky, outrageous, sexy. BYO alcohol. Tickets $40/50. info: www.clublush.net
GAGA RARA
Going Gaga is the latest tribute show at ARQ to that inescapable force of nature, Lady Gaga. The Thursday night show stars Minnie Cooper, Charisma Belle, Decoda Secret and Tora Hymen as a troupe of bottle-blonde Gaga clones, with all the hits — and outlandish outfits — you’ve come to love. From 9pm, free entry.
ROCK AND POP
Head to the Midnight Shift on Fridays for the new night, Pop Rocks. Kicking off at 10pm, it’s free entry and you can enjoy rocking pop music from DJs Dan Murphy and Greg Boladian.

COMMUNITY

BUDDY WALK
To mark Down Syndrome Awareness Month this October, Down Syndrome NSW will host its annual Buddy Walk, which aims to raise understanding and inclusion of people with Down Syndrome. A free event, the Buddy Walk is on Sunday, October 24, starting at First Fleet Park, Circular Quay at 9.30am. It will cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge and finish with a picnic at Bradfield Park, followed by a concert for Down Syndrome NSW’s 30th anniversary.
COME OUT
Come Out Southern Sydney will host a BBQ at Gunnamatta Bay Reserve from noon on October 24. The reserve is located on Nicholson Pde, Cronulla, a five-minute walk from Cronulla train station. Look for the rainbow flag. It’s $10, which covers the cost of the BBQ and a range of salads. BYO salads. For info or to find the group on the day, call Alex on 0439 730 414.
PURRFECT
Hollie Matthew, Bears with Guns, Art Rush and the BNKDJ’s are joining together with brand new venue 48 Little Oxford Street for the first ever The Cat and The Moon fundraiser show. Come hear some of Sydney’s best perform in an intimate arts space (instead of a noisy pub) and support a good cause as part of the proceeds are donated to the NSW Cat Protection Society. From 7pm-late, $10 entry.
SEX SURVEY
James Cook University is seeking adult men and women to complete an online survey (secured and confidential) about sex, sexuality, relationships and pornography use. This information is important for sex education, ongoing information relating to sexual deviance, and general information about sex and sexuality which has not been covered by Australian research to this degree in the past.
info: http://discors.net/survey/
GAY CHRISTIANS
Gay men with religious beliefs are invited to participate in an online study aimed at better understanding their mental health needs. For information about the survey, visit www.nexus.uws.edu.au/display/Psyc/Home and click the study link beginning with ‘Gay and Christian’.
BENT YOGA
Bent Yoga classes offer maintenance of a healthy body, mind and spirit, and are proud to be a part of the gay and lesbian community. Bent Yoga offers services from private classes to corporate packages. info: www.bentyoga.com

FREE STUFF

TALKING ART
As part of Art & About Sydney 2010, the public are invited to a free forum titled Community Collaborations: Creating Public Art, from 6:30pm this Wednesday October 20 at the Burdekin Hotel. Discover the genesis and evolution of City of Sydney’s public art projects, including the Bike Bike in Martin Place, Oh Alfred in Surry Hills and Taylor Square’s CAMP Stonewall. info: www.artandabout.com.au
ON THE BUS
Bored with your daily commute, with the surly bus driver and same old view?  Rather see a man wrestling a crocodile on the street before grabbing your first coffee? To mark the launch of Keeping Up with the Joneses, a new Channel 10 observational documentary that showcases the station lifestyle in the Northern Territory, Tourism NT are treating Sydneysiders to a free, express bus ride into work on the morning of October 21, complete with mystery NT style pop up experiences along the route. For more info or to reserve a free seat, email [email protected]
BANNER GALLERY
A large scale outdoor photographic exhibition is showcasing a day in the life of Sydney’s villages, with the faces of 100 Sydneysiders proudly lining the city’s streets over the next month. Sydneysiders captured in Redfern, Waterloo, Surry Hills, Circular Quay, Darlinghurst, Newtown, Darling Harbour, Erskineville, Kings Cross and Potts Point feature on the 400 street banners which are 4.5metres long x 1.5metre wide and make up The Banner Gallery.
OUTDOOR ART
On Saturday October 23, the Oxford Art Festival outdoor art fair will be staged in Taylor Square North from 11am-4pm, in conjunction with the Oxford Arts Festival 2010. Over 200 artworks will be on view to the public, with live entertainment, special guest speakers and many prizes to be won.

FUTURE FUN

TYRANNOSAURUS ROX
Walking With Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular, based on the award-winning BBC television series which was seen by over 700 million people, returns to Australia for a national tour in 2011. The tour will see the dinosaurs roam Acer arenas from May 18 to 29. Tickets go on sale on October 26. info: www.dinosaurlive.com
STRICTLY’S COMING
Global Creatures and Bazmark (the multimedia company founded and owned by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin) have announced a partnership to produce a stage musical adaptation of the first movie of Baz Luhrmann’s ground-breaking Red Curtain Trilogy, Strictly Ballroom. Luhrmann will commence a creative workshop of the book, text, and music in December. The full production schedule and location of the premiere will be announced at a later date.
DEER DIARY
Lead by the magnetic, asexual frontman Bradford Cox, US indie rock band Deerhunter have just released their exhilarating fourth studio album Halcyon Digest to international acclaim and rave reviews. The band have just been announced to perform at the 2011 Laneway Festival, coming to the Sydney College of the Arts on February 6. Joining Deerhunter will be Blonde Redhead, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Stornoway, Warpaint and Holy Fuck. info: www.lanewayfestival.com.au
IN THE FUTURE
The first line-up for the 2011 Future Music Festival has been announced, and it’s epic: The Chemical Brothers, Dizzee Rascal, Pendulum, MGMT, Mark Ronson and the Business Intl, Ke$ha, The Presents, Leftfield, Plastikman and a heap more. They all come to the Randwick Racecourse on March 12. Tickets on sale October 28 via www.futuremusicfestival.com.au

ON SCREEN

BACK TO PANDORA
Start saving your pennies, because the inevitable Extended Collector’s Edition of Avatar will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 15. With three versions of the film, Avatar fans will get an all-new extended cut of the film, in addition to hours of never-before-seen material including more than 45 minutes of deleted scenes over three discs.
LA FEMME
Nikita, a sexy and suspenseful new female-fronted action series in the vein of Buffy and Alias, makes its Australian television premiere on Thursday, October 28, at 9.30pm on GO!. As a deeply troubled teenager, Nikita (Maggie Q) was rescued from death row by a secret US agency known only as Division. They faked her execution and gave her a second chance – the chance to begin a new life while serving her country.
GO TROPPO
Tropfest is calling for entries for its 2011 Competition and for Trop JR (the junior Tropfest, open to kids under 15 years). For 2011, Tropfest has entered into a new partnership with YouTube: for the first time entries will be received online through an all new Tropfest YouTube Channel. For submission guidelines, visit www.tropfest.com/au
GET EM’ TIGER
It was the sporting scandal that captivated the world and changed the public image of Tiger Woods forever. In the intriguing documentary Tiger Woods: The Rise and Fall, screening on Friday October 22 from 10:05pm on SBS One, journalist Jacques Peretti goes behind the rumours, talking to those close to Tiger to uncover the real story behind his very public fall from grace.
SPRING SCREENINGS
Merivale venues Ash Street Cellar, the Beresford Hotel and Slip Inn welcome the warmer nights of spring and summer by bringing back their popular film nights. Each venue is transformed into an intimate outdoor cinema space with films showing on Monday nights at Ash Street Cellar and the Beresford, and Tuesday nights at Slip Inn. Films will screen after sunset. For a full list of films, visit www.merivale.com

PUBS + BARS

NUMBER’S UP
Bingay gets a Halloween makeover on October 29 with Big Bang Fangers at the Paddo RSL from 7:30pm. Expect weird rules, singalongs, penalties and hilarious stories with prizes that range from the silly and camp to great theatre tickets or restaurant vouchers. Tickets are $37 – book via [email protected] or call David on 9206 2110.
SUNDAY SESH
Beresford Sundays offer $5 wine, pints and basic spirits between 5–7pm and performances from some of Sydney’s top local acts including Murray Hood, Kitty Glitter, Jimmy Dee and James Tobin. The Beresford is the perfect place to catch up and chill out with friends for the last few free hours of the weekend. 354 Bourke St, Surry Hills.
QUEEN SHEBA
Head to the Oxford Hotel’s Supper Club any Thursday in October to enjoy Kiwi sensation Sheba in her fierce and fabulous Grace Jones tribute show. Featuring all of Grace’s iconic hits like Slave to the Rhythm and Pull Up To the Bumper, it’s as close as you’ll get to the real Grace – and entry is free. info: www.myspace.com/shebawilliams
DEEPER
Deep Disko continues at the Colombian this Sunday with Phil Hudson, Matt Cahill, Dave 54, Soul Junkies, Danny De Sousa, and Mark Matthews live on sax from 10pm. Expect to hear the sexiest beats on Oxford St. The Lounge Bar will serve premium cocktails from 6pm-9pm for $10 to get the night off with a bang.
IMPY OPEN
Erksineville’s much-loved Imperial Hotel is open for business again after three years, with a packed roster of drag shows every weekend. On Friday and Saturday nights, catch The ABBA Show with Minnie Cooper, Chelsea Bun and Amelia Airhead. Also on Saturdays, watch Minnie, Charisma and the girls in Priscilla. Entry to shows is $15 Fridays, $20 Saturdays. The public bar is always free.
info: www.theimperialhotel.com.au
CASTROS
Every Saturday night at Castros Nightclub in Woollongong is GLBT night, hosted by Ms Deedee Lamar with special guests. It’s free before 11pm and $10 after, with shows at midnight and 1am. Join the Castros Facebook page for more info.
WITH GRACE
Sheba Williams will perform her Love Is The Drug Grace Jones tribute show every Thursday in October at the Oxford Hotel. Pull up to the Bumper baby and enjoy the intimacy of The Oxford’s cabaret venue, The Supper Club. There is a new menu and snacks are available along with wine specials by the glass and the bottle.