William Yang is one of Australia’s most vital storytellers. For over five decades, he's documented queer life in Sydney -- its parades, parties, politics, and people -- through photography, performance, and prose. Born in 1943 in Far North Queensland, William came out as gay in the early 1970s during the wave of gay liberation, and later came out again -- this time as Chinese -- after reconnecting with his heritage through Taoism and travel. His landmark exhibitions and live slide shows, like Sydneyphiles, Sadness, and Friends of Dorothy, have cemented his place as a queer cultural archivist.I've wanted to interview William since beginning Tracks of Our Queers, and have to thank Benjamin Law for connecting us. This is a special episode, recorded in-person at Forbes Street Studios in Sydney, and William shares five songs that resonate with him, and his life as a queer person.The other bits:Tracks of Our Queers is recorded and edited between Gadigal and Ngarigo land in Australia, by me, Andy GottListen to all of the music discussed in the pod with the Selections from Tracks of Our Queers playlistYou can email me your own queer tracks or guest recommendations at
[email protected] beautiful artwork is illustrated by Luke Tribe.Support the showI'd love to hear about your queer tracks. Send me a voice note of a song, album, or artist that has resonated with your life, and I'll include it in an upcoming episode. You can email me your voicenote at
[email protected]. Help keep Tracks of Our Queers ad-free by shouting me a coffee right here. Thank you for your support.
Australia