Polare 1 Editorial

by Rachelle

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

Welcome to the first edition of Polare, a journal on gender issues published by The Gender Centre.

Polare reports on cultural and social changes in the 90's and aims to raise awareness about gender issues and the needs of people with gender issues, their partners, families and friends. It provides a forum for discussion and debate about many aspects of gender and will be an informative resource for service providers and other people interested in gender issues. Polare will present special articles about the historical, social, medical, research and political aspects of gender issues. Regular features will include:

• Briefly, A media roundup of special interest;
• Postscript, Opinions, debate and dissention through letters to the editor;
• Now Write This Down, Calendar of key upcoming conferences, meetings and social events;
• Life, Love and Liberty, Personal experiences and expressions;
• President's Report, Major developments and activities of The Gender Centre;
• Politicking, Update on political activities; and
• Directory Assistance, Local, rural and international services currently available to people with gender issues and their partners, families and friends.

To introduce the journal, the first edition features a profile of the staff, services and philosophy of the publisher, The Gender Centre. This first edition also has an historical theme and includes a number of special articles which look back on the past, including The Scene Was Mean, a brief history of the drag queen scene in Sydney in the 1980's, Great Outings of History, getting sprung through the ages, and The History of Seahorse, a brief history of cross dressing and I'm transgendering, provides a male viewpoint.

Polare will be published quarterly and is only partially funded. There is no subscription rate currently, however we may have to introduce a small fee in the future if costs become unmanageable.

We are very keen to hear your comments on our first edition, suggestions for improvements or features, and a guide for contributors in on page 17.

Our next issue will include more information on the political scene, an article on H.I.V. and how it effects people with gender issues and an article on breast augmentation. So don't miss out.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.