This week on The B-Side, Marie, Slaine and Ares are joined by someone who helped shape the very beginnings of our community: Dr Misty Farquhar (they/them), bi+ and non-binary advocate, educator, CEO of Rainbow Futures and founding organiser of Bi+ Community Perth. Together, we journey through Misty’s personal story — from creating spaces for bi+ people a decade ago, to becoming one of WA’s leading voices in LGBTQIA+ human rights. We reflect on the wins since marriage equality, the reforms still unfinished, and what it feels like to carry both the weight and the hope of this work. Misty breaks down the big political changes happening right now in WA, including updates to reproductive rights, surrogacy access, discrimination protections and the continuing push to ban conversion practices. We also talk Walkern Wirin, community power, visibility, and what it means to organise with courage in a shifting political landscape. If you care about queer rights in WA — or you’re simply here for authentic conversations about identity, leadership and belonging — this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

As Trans Awareness Week draws to a close, The B-Side brings you a powerful and deeply reflective conversation with Dom — a transgender man whose journey through transition reshaped his understanding of attraction, masculinity, bisexuality and identity.

In this episode, Ares, Marie and Slaine explore how gender discovery can open unexpected pathways into desire and self-acceptance. Dom shares how settling into his masculinity helped him recognise long-repressed attraction to men, and how he navigated bisexuality within a monogamous, hetero-presenting marriage through honesty, consent and continual communication.

Together, the team dives into the complexities of dating as a trans person — from recognising genuine attraction to avoiding fetishisation, and how transness can often become a “gateway” for cis male bicuriosity. Dom speaks candidly about internalised bias, emotional labour and the pressures that come with other people’s curiosity, assumptions and boundaries.

As the episode moves toward Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, the discussion turns to politics, visibility and allyship. Dom reflects on the weight of being trans in today’s political climate, the differences between Australia and overseas, and how trans men experience visibility in uniquely nuanced ways. We also highlight local community support, including TransFolk of WA and Bi+ Community Perth, and talk about what real allyship looks like beyond this awareness week.

The episode closes with an honouring of TDOR — a solemn day recognising trans and gender-diverse people lost to violence — and a call for ongoing solidarity, not just during this week but every single day.

A thoughtful, grounding and heartfelt conversation, this episode invites listeners to challenge bias, expand empathy and show up for the trans community with intention and respect.

In Part 2 of The Weight of the Armor, hosts Ares, Marie, and Slanie continue their powerful conversation with Ashley, moving beyond definitions of toxic masculinity and into the lived realities of navigating masculinity in dating, relationships, and community spaces.

Building on the foundations laid in Part 1, this episode dives deeper into how masculine expectations show up in everyday interactions—particularly within bi+ and queer communities. Ashley reflects on how masculinity is perceived by others, how those perceptions influence attraction and intimacy, and the tension between authenticity and the pressure to perform masculinity in certain ways.

The discussion explores themes of emotional vulnerability, consent, and hypersexualisation, unpacking how toxic masculinity can persist even in spaces that are meant to feel safe and affirming. The hosts examine how these dynamics affect communication, trust, and connection, and why unlearning harmful norms is essential for healthier relationships.

With honesty, humour, and thoughtful reflection, The B-Side creates space for nuance—acknowledging that masculinity is not something to be rejected outright, but something that can be reshaped with care, accountability, and self-awareness.

This episode invites listeners to consider what it really means to show up as themselves, to connect without armour, and to imagine masculinity beyond rigid roles and expectations.