In this enthralling episode of The B-Side, hosts Ares, Marie, and Slanie come together for a thought-provoking conversation with Ashley, exploring masculinity, identity, and sexuality beyond binary norms.

Ashley, a bisexual man who grew up surrounded by rugby players and military culture, shares his personal journey of questioning traditional ideas of masculinity and how those experiences shaped his understanding of gender and sexuality—particularly within the context of bisexual and sexually fluid men. Together, the hosts unpack how rigid masculine expectations can limit self-expression and reinforce harmful stereotypes.

The discussion draws on sociologist Raewyn Connell’s work on hegemonic masculinity and its global influence, examining how these power structures intersect with queer identity.

The conversation also explores the role of drag as a form of resistance and self-expression, as well as the often-overlooked connections between homophobia and misogyny within queer spaces themselves.

With thoughtful insights, honest reflection, and collaborative dialogue, Aries, Marie, and Slania guide this rich and timely discussion—offering listeners a deeper understanding of the complexities of masculinity, gender expression, and identity in a world that is slowly learning to move beyond rigid definitions.

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.

Bisexual representation in film and television has come a long way — but it’s still complicated, inconsistent, and often misunderstood.

In this episode of The B-Side, hosts Marie, Bridget and Ares are joined by guest Slaine to unpack how bisexuality is portrayed in the media: when it feels authentic, when it falls into lazy or harmful tropes, and why visibility alone isn’t enough.

We explore characters who got it right — from Rosa Diaz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and David Rose (Schitt’s Creek) to Kalinda Sharma (The Good Wife) — and examine where representation has missed the mark through erasure, stereotyping, and “it’s just a phase” narratives. Along the way, we discuss why hearing the word bisexual on screen matters, why bi men remain underrepresented, and how media portrayals shape real-world experiences for bi+ people.

The conversation also touches on broader patterns in television, including over-sexualisation, invisibility, and the tendency to rewrite bisexual characters once they enter relationships with one gender. Through personal reflections and cultural analysis, the episode highlights what meaningful, respectful representation can — and should — look like.

You’ll also notice a very special Christmas version of our theme song — stick around to the end of the episode to hear the full version. We hope you enjoy it.