Quinn Eades (credit: Jamie James) & Hannah McCann
Many of us are living with the ongoing grief of having our lives, and those of our children, be up for public debate.
Throughout 2017, the queer and gender-diverse community of Australia undertook an incredible campaign of everyday activism around marriage equality. Individuals and collectives shared personal stories with their networks - from social media to workplace to school playground. Tears and rage were purged - often documented as poems, photos, short stories, status updates, tweets, blog posts, political cartoons, and videos. Many were shocked at the vitriol directed at ‘Yes’ voters – to faces, in letterboxes and online, even in ‘secret’ Facebook groups. By the end, many were truly exhausted. And yes, the legislation went through. Yes, more people can get married now. But many have been left wondering whether it was worth it. Many are living with the ongoing grief of having their lives and those of their loved ones up for public debate.
Going Postal is two books in one: a celebration of the ‘Yes’ result, of the empowerment gained and joy felt by those directly and indirectly affected. It’s also however a protest book, one that is angry and sad due to the trauma enacted upon people.
Meet one of the editors of Going Postal, Quinn Eades, in conversation with Dr Hannah McCann.
In collaboration with ANU Gender Institute and their Happy anniversary? event
Tickets: $12 (includes a complimentary glass of house wine or soft drink)
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Quinn Eades is a Tracey Banivanua Mar Research Fellow and Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Studies in the Gender, Sexuality, and Diversity Studies program at La Trobe University. A writer, researcher, gutter philosopher and poet, his book Rallying was awarded the 2018 Mary Gilmore Award for best first book of poetry. Quinn is the author of all the beginnings: a queer autobiography of the body, and he recently published a co-edited volume of life-writing, poetry, and scholarship titled Offshoot: Contemporary Life Writing Methodologies and Practice. When he’s not working, Quinn is hanging with his kids, cuddling his pups, and watching reruns of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or drag makeup tutorials on youtube.
Dr Hannah McCann is a lecturer in gender studies at the University of Melbourne. Her research explores feminist discourse on femininity, queer femme LGBTIQ communities, LGBTIQ history, beauty culture, and aesthetic labour. She has published in various journals including European Journal of Women’s Studies, Women’s Studies Quarterly, and Australian Feminist Studies. Her book Queering Femininity: Sexuality, Feminism and the Politics of Presentation was published with Routledge in 2018.