Our homosexual guide to the alphabet happens upon ‘H’, where we find Hair, Hobart, HIV, Hedwig, Hate Crimes and the hilarious Honey Badger…

Hair

It’s on our heads, our bodies, our backs, cracks and sacks. Some want more, some want less and many of us invest loads of our hard earned cash and time to keep it trimmed, coloured, waxed, shaved and quoiffed to look our best. For some, it’s a huge part of our identity and one of the ways we choose to express ourselves.

As Lady Gaga proclaims in her song, “I’m the spirit of my hair, it’s all the glory that I bear”. When American teenager Jamey Rodemeyer committed suicide earlier this year, it was Hair that Gaga dedicated to him, sending a message to little monsters everywhere to be who they want to be and be loved for who they are. Love it or loathe it, Hair plays a huge part in our lives.

Hobart

The capital of Tasmania is now leading the way for Australian Marriage Equality. Shown below, there was a round of applause as the Lower House of Tasmania’s Parliament passed their marriage equality bill – the first state to do so. And this week, Hobart City Council voted to endorse marriage equality and to write to all Upper House MPs in support of advancing the same-sex marriage bill.

Back only 15 years ago in 1997, Tasmania was the last state of Australia to legalise homosexual acts. Now all eyes are on our Map of Tassie to see just when the state’s gay and lesbian citizens will receive equal marriage rights, giving the rest of us some long-awaited hope.

HIV

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It’s passed on from one person to another during unprotected sex, from sharing injecting equipment or from mother to child during birth and breastfeeding.

In Australia most people living with HIV are gay and bisexual men, sometimes also called MSM (Men who have sex with men). Most new cases of HIV continue to happen among Gay and Bisexual men, although anyone can get HIV.

HIV affects the Immune System of Humans, and if undiagnosed or untreated can develop into AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). HIV and other viruses are unable to reproduce themselves without a ‘host cell’. HIV uses the CD4 cell of the Immune system as a host cell to replicate or reproduce itself, as a result this replication cycle the human CD4 cell dies.

The CD4 cell is one of the most important cells in our immune system, being the first group of cells to respond to any new infection. Over time HIV will use and destroy most of our CD4 cells leaving our immune system unable to fight infection, and if undiagnosed or untreated someone with HIV/AIDS can become extremely unwell and perhaps even die.

Modern HIV treatments and care allows many people with HIV to live a healthy, happy and probably normal length of life, especially when started soon enough after becoming HIV positive. It is important for people at risk of HIV to have regular HIV tests, and if someone has HIV it is very important that they talk to their doctor and others about the best time to start HIV treatment, as starting treatment at the right time can prevent many health problems.

Hedwig

“I tried singing once, back in Berlin; they threw tomatoes. After the show I had a nice salad” – Hedwig.

If you haven’t seen Hedwig and the Angry Inch, you simply must. An extravagant comedy rock opera telling the story of a down-on-her luck transgender singer, its songs and story stay with you long after the credits roll.

Written, directed and starring John Cameron Mitchell – who also gave us the wonderful Shortbus, there’s talk of resurrecting Hedwig, which was originally a live musical production, for a sequel. That could be amazing… you knows what Hedwig’s been up to since all the drama of her first outing?

Hate Crimes

They are the worst nightmare of many a young gay boy or girl and can ruin or even end a life. The list of names of people who have been victims of hate crimes is endless and includes names such as Matthew Shepard who was bashed to death in the US in 1998.

Hate crimes often occur in regional areas where the prevalence of gay people isn’t as common, but living in a big city with large gay populations like Sydney or Melbourne doesn’t make it safe. In fact, according to the latest reports from NSW police, while the occurrence of gay bashing is decreasing, the severity of these attacks is getting worse.

You can reduce the chances of being attacked or harassed by following some general safety tips like staying alert to your surroundings and removing yourself from a situation if you think, or feel, something is wrong with it. Listen to your instincts and make sensible choices to protect yourself such as not walking alone late at night and if you’re frocking up for the night wear something over your outfit, such as a jacket or overcoat, or consider changing at your destination.

Common abbreviations beginning with ‘H’

HH – Hold Hands
HMSX – Homosexual
HNG – Horny Net Geek
HPOL – Have Partner, Only Looking
HTFU – Hurry The Fuck Up
HWP – Height/Weight Proportional

And not forgetting…

The Honey Badger

One of the funniest videos to hit YouTube in the last couple of years and clocking up over 50 million hits, this clup documents the behaviour of the Honey Badger, who according to Randall the overtly gay sounding narrator, “is one crazy fuck and doesn’t give a shit!”

The badger was a huge hit with gays around the world and even spawned its own range of t shirts and memes. Hilarious. Check it out…

This page was co-written by Daniel Cheetham, Matt Akersten and the team at ACON.