Episode 35 - Tension
/ROSLYN: This episode of Love and Luck contains references to homophobic violence. Please, take care of yourself.
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ROSLYN: You've reached the Love and Luck Podcast.
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KANE: Hey... the flyers are still up today. Or... they're up again. I'm not sure which one it is.
Victor's stopping by the shops on his way in today and buying me some more flour so I can make extra cupcakes. I'm going to give them out for free today, I think. Oh, I should text him and tell him to get gluten free flour, too.
I... look, I know free cupcakes won't fix this. But... I don't know what else to do. Everyone is whispering instead of speaking normally, and staring at their hands in their laps, and I just... I don't know what else to do. I don't know if there's anything else I can do.
I've been soothing with magic, but... it's exhausting, and I can't seem to make enough of a dent in the depressive cloud over everyone's heads. So I'm just... trying to help keep everyone from falling into despair. Maybe when you're up when can try it together, maybe with both of us it will have a better effect. I don't know.
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JASON: So, I might be a bit tired when I get up tomorrow, or, well, today, because it's currently six o'clock in the morning and I'm only just heading to bed after I leave you this voicemail. I took my boys and we combed the neighbourhood, ripping down posters and pasting up new ones. Nothing inflammatory, don't worry, I know that would just make you anxious. We literally just put up cute drawings of animals and shit like that. So don't worry about that. We're not escalating the situation.
We didn't run into anyone who had a problem with what we were doing, which really is as fortunate for them as it was for us, because I swear, if I run into the pieces of shit posting this bullshit around, I will make them wish they'd never been born. Fucking bigots can go fuck themselves, this is our town and our area and I'll be damned if I let them have any goddamn power over us.
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KANE: Hey... I hope you're sleeping okay. I might let you sleep a little more than usual today, since you were up so... late? Early? Not sure what the right word is in this situation.
People are still tense today, but it seems a little better, and once they settle in here at the bar they start to relax a lot more. There's been some talk of the posters, but it's not been particularly frightened, just sort of... wary. Oh, and a lot of very positive comments on the cute cat pictures floating around the area, hah.
I think we're making a difference, even if it's a small one. I love you. Thank you for doing so much last night. Oh, and I've set up a little tab for your boys for when they come in next too, for helping. It's not much, but it's something.
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KANE: Oh, hey, this is cool - an author who writes some cool queer fiction just came in and asked about stocking her books with us! I said yes, obviously, and I tried to pay her for them but she just refused and said she wanted to donate them to us to support us. Apparently she's done this for Hares & Hyenas too, northside? I argued, but I lost. I'm paying her in coffee instead, at least she agreed to that.
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JASON: Damn, these books Mary left for us to sell are pretty cool. That one called the Devil's Mixtape? I'm loving it. It's pretty dark, but damn, it's really fucking good.
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JASON: I stayed up too late reading. It's 6AM again. Fuck. Don't judge me.
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KANE: [Teasing] Oh, and you call me a nerd? When Mr Party boy was up all night reading young adult fiction?? Your secret's out, nerd, you're as big of a nerd as I am!
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KANE: This is a really good book, though.
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VICTOR: [Stressed] Hey, Kane? It's me, Victor. Look... I'm on my way to the Best of Luck bar because I'm not really sure what else to do.
I was heading to the shops and I heard all this homophobic yelling and shit, and after all those posters lately I just... well, anyway, I went to see what was happening, and these fucking arseholes were kicking this guy on the ground, while shouting awful shit at him. I yelled at them to fuck off and they ran off when they saw me. Fucking cowards were afraid of a witness, I think.
Anyway... this guy, his name is Michael, and he said he really doesn't want to go to a hospital or to the police or anything, because he's a refugee here and he's really afraid he'll get deported or sent to Nauru or something if any kind of authority so much as looks at him. Fucking government... making people afraid like this, what the fuck.
Anyway, he's hurt, but it doesn't seem to be like, life threatening, so I'm bringing him to you, okay? I don't... I don't know where else to take him. He needs to be safe and I just... you can help him, right? I don't know how but... I don't know. See you soon.
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ROSLYN: Love and Luck is written by Erin Kyan, and produced by Passer Vulpes Productions. Kane is voiced by Lee Davis-Thalbourne. Jason is voiced by Erin Kyan. Victor is voiced by Darby Turnbull. Credits spoken by Roslyn Quin. Recorded by Kermie Breydon.
Mary Borsellino is a real Melbourne author, and the Devil's Mixtape is a real book that she wrote. You can check out her website, maryborsellino.com, for information about her and her books. That's m-a-r-y-b-o-r-s-e-l-l-i-n-o.
Hares and Hyenas is a real queer bookshop in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Whether you want a coffee or a glass of wine, a good book or a hot magazine, Hares and Hyenas have you covered. They do live performances too. Basically, Hares and Hyenas is like, the cooler and non fiction big brother to the Best of Luck Bar. Check them out at hares-hyenas.com.au.
For more information about Love and Luck, check out our website, loveandluckpodcast.com. You can also find us on facebook as Love and Luck Podcast, and follow us on twitter, at @LoveLuckPodcast.