FUSE70

FUSE70 Authenticity is simply being who you are

In this issue: Husbands Anthony Callea and Tim Campbell indulge in musical and other guilty pleasures. Kasey Chambers shares her thoughts on being a decent human and her life as a singer. During these challenging times, Andreas Anthony looks at how we can achieve true authenticity. Filmmaker Nicholas Verso on crafting a story about queer youth, intimacy and masculinity.

FUSE | Editors Rant

Welcome to our Autumn issue. So much has happened since our last issue of FUSE Magazine. The past few months have brought a mix of both delights and horrors.

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FROM THE EDITOR
TRUE AUTHENTICITY IS THE ACT OF SIMPLY BEING WHO YOU ARE!

We saw Troye Sivan and Kylie Minogue thrill LGBTIQ+ fans as they took to the stage in our major capitals, and over the summer we celebrated freedom and pride in towns and cities Australia-wide. In contrast, our queer and trans friends in the US saw the new Trump administration take to their rights and liberties with a sledgehammer. As America struggles, I feel incredibly fortunate that I live in Australia’s ‘Capital of Equality’.

As a publisher and writer, I can’t ignore the torrent of news in my feed. Like many of you out there, every day, sadness floods my heart. It’s tough to see people plunge into uncertainty and fear. My partner’s support, meditation, gratitude and date nights have literally been my emotional savours.

I can’t help feeling that Margaret Atwood may be a modern soothsayer as much as a talented storyteller. I recently read an interview with Margaret when her book The Handmaid’s Tale first came out in 1985. Atwood commented that there were three responses about the book. In the United Kingdom, they called it ‘a jolly good yarn’. In the United States, the reaction was split 50-50, with half saying it couldn’t possibly happen here in the ‘leading liberal country in the world’. In her native Canada, the reaction was, ‘How long have we got?’. Atwood recently said, when asked about Trump’s second term in The White House, ‘Well, I don’t think we’ll get the uniforms’.

To no one’s surprise, The Handmaid’s Tale is now on the US banned books list.

When you drill it down to its core, it seems that LGBTIQ+ folk are fighting for the right to true authenticity — to simply be who we are — something that so many people seem absolutely terrified of. Despite this pushback from so many closed-minded humans, I believe that genuine happiness can only be achieved by being truthful to and about yourself. It’s worth fighting for!

In this issue, Andreas Anthony, a registered yoga teacher and spiritual practitioner, writes about just that: achieving true authenticity, p24. It’s my favourite feature and I encourage everyone to spend some time reading it.

After our Kylie Minogue cover takeover of FUSE69, we’re back to two fab covers. One has musical power couple Anthony Callea and his husband Tim Campbell. They are on tour singing all their favourite songs from Elton John and George Michael; our interview is on p14. Those who have been reading FUSE over the years may have noticed that this is Anthony’s second cover — he last appeared in FUSE34 back in 2013. Our other cover features multi-award-winning country music artist Kasey Chambers. We talked to her about her new album Backbone, life on the road as she tours the country, and her book Just Don’t Be a D**khead, p18.

With all the hype around Stan’s new Australian LGBTIQ+ drama Invisible Boys, we spent some time talking to the show’s award-winning filmmaker, Nicholas Verso, about why he decided to make the series and why it is such an important addition to Australian queer drama, p29.

As well as all the FUSE regulars, from p41 you’ll find our wonderful Mardi Gras 2025 photos, which starts with Canberra’s very own ‘Capital of Equality’ crew, who marched proudly down Oxford Street — authenticity on full display! It’s a glittery reminder that no matter what, don’t stop being you.

Alexander Thatcher — Executive Editor