Trading school for McDonald’s to escape the bullies

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Christopher Banks • 4 Comments

14-year-old James Hope first became aware that his bullying was getting out of his control when a pair of scissors and a compass came flying towards his head in the middle of class. The violence was the culmination of several years worth of psychological bullying that systematically tore him apart on every aspect of his personality, looks and mannerisms. Continue reading »

discrimination / film / gay / homophobia / relationships / self-stigma / sex / violence / wellbeing

Brokeback Mountain is not a universal story of love

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Christopher Banks • 12 Comments

In the documentary “The Celluloid Closet”, gay actor and writer Harvey Fierstein talks about growing up watching mainstream Hollywood films, and how he had to ‘translate’ them in order to make them more relevant to him as a gay viewer. After all, in a celluloid world that made gays and lesbians completely invisible unless they … Continue reading »

mental illness / politics / religion / violence / wellbeing

It’s just a shitty film

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Christopher Banks • 5 Comments

200 people caused violence, mayhem and injury in Sydney on Saturday because of a shitty film. Given the current state of Hollywood, and the rubbish that populates much of the television landscape, it’s a surprise that any of our cities are still standing if that is a reason for protesting. But of course, that wasn’t … Continue reading »

discrimination / gay / homophobia / medication / politics / religion / violence

Stop talking about gun control, and start controlling the guns

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Christopher Banks • 5 Comments

I’d like to think, for the safety of everyone within a hundred-mile radius of me, in the unlikely event I decided to go on a shooting spree that the means to carry out such a nihilistic plan of destruction would not be readily available to me. In many parts of the United States, this would … Continue reading »

anxiety / bipolar / gay / manic phases / psychology / sex / violence / wellbeing

Don’t get mad, get laid

Posted on May 19, 2012 by Christopher Banks • 7 Comments

The feeling of wanting to smash things is not a pleasant one. Caught between the swelling need to release the caged beast within and the fear of losing control, your brain inflates inside your head, you grit your teeth and your whole body can start shaking. I’ve found myself in frustrating situations where thinking about … Continue reading »

alcohol / bear / discrimination / gay / homophobia / mental illness / violence

An ironic gay hate crime

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Christopher Banks • 3 Comments

It’s worth remembering that Taavel was an unlucky victim of circumstance. Violent crime is still statistically rare, and we should not let a single event – no matter how horrific – colour the way we see the world and how we move within it. It’s not what he would have wanted. Continue reading »

anxiety / bullying / depression / discrimination / employment / friends and family / gay / mental illness / self-stigma / violence / wellbeing

My Big Fat Playstation Arse

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Christopher Banks • 1 Comment

Last week, we learned about David’s experience of losing a friend to a suicide, and how it forced him to reflect on his own childhood. This week, we continue his story. David learned the value of keeping silent at a very young age. He came from a family of five boys, headed by a drunken, … Continue reading »

discrimination / gay / homophobia / transphobia / violence

Vanity parenting

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Christopher Banks • 5 Comments

If columnist and craft enthusiast Rosemary McLeod is really worried about things rebounding against the kids, perhaps she should focus more on our appalling rates of child abuse. Continue reading »

bipolar / discrimination / gay / homophobia / medication / mental illness / politics / violence / wellbeing

The end of the chapter

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Christopher Banks • 7 Comments

Well, it’s the last day of the month and this will be my last post for 2011. I’m going on hiatus for a few months so I can focus more energy into completing my feature documentary film project for 2012. (Oh, by the way, my 2011 film “The Colonel’s Outing” is now available on digital … Continue reading »

discrimination / homophobia / music / violence

The future may be odd, but…

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Christopher Banks • 13 Comments

Last week, American hip-hop collective Odd Future – or to address them by their full title Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All – have had their licence to rap revoked, at least as far as appearing at next year’s Big Day Out is concerned. The promoters decided to pull them from the lineup after … Continue reading »

Bipolar Bear

Health, humour and advice for gay and bisexual men with experience of mental illness

Category Archives: violence