The atmospheric images in Ray Cook's Money up front and no kissing present a darker view of the ongoing struggle for gay identity.

Here, Cook's homosexual is relegated to the circus sideshow as a freak, the carnival outcast, but an attraction nonetheless. Semi-costumed figures are presented as tired clowns, lurking in shadows against a red velvet backdrop of opulent decay.

This body of work addresses what Cook views as conditional acceptance- wider society's apparent readiness to accept homosexuality, but only those aspects which it finds endearing, entertaining or lucrative. Cook's concerns are echoed politically in the government's selective recognition of same-sex relationships (ie: at the taxation office). Although no longer completely hidden from view members of the gay community remain a novelty- all singing all dancing caricatures of what the public wants to see.

Breasts have often been a subject of the photographer's gaze, as persistent icons of femininity and sexuality. They play many roles throughout a woman's life, and it is these varying functions that Gemma-Rose Turnbull investigates in her ongoing series Show Us Ya Tits.

In both documentary-style shots and more intimate photographs Turnbull explores the relationships and perceptions both women and wider society have to breasts and the female body. Delving beyond their mush celebrated aesthetic appeal and the prevalence of breasts in pop culture, Turnbull examines how the bosom might represent wider issues such as gender identity, motherhood, health and the ageing process.

Her revealing images are made all the more compelling by text accompanying the work; stories relayed by the subjects, offering the viewer further insight into the complex natures of these relationships and interactions.

In her exhibition In Broad Daylight Angela Bailey upholds the traditional role of photographers as social commentator and documenter.

Amidst the frenetic 'loud and proud' chaos of pride marches and festivals in Australia and abroad, Bailey captures moments of celebration and reflection. Persons of interest are selected by the artist from the anonymous crowd, individualising their cause.

Although such marches are becoming mainstream events in cities across the world contemporary issues continue to renew their importance and relevance. For example, Bailey's images of the 2008 New York Pride March convey the USA's pre-election buzz of optimism that was so prevalent at the time.

By documenting these events Bailey is both supporter and active participant who contributes by giving these events a presence and gravity beyond parade day.

In a series of character investigations Eric Bridgeman tackless issues of gender in his explorations of race and Australian culture.

Labour Queen stars madcap figure Boi Boi The Labourer, resurrected from the 2008 series The Sport and Fair Play of Aussie Rules. Boi Boi, as with all of Bridgeman's character creations, is the vehicle for a number of cliches, being a camp combination of pop-culture references, trubutes to Bridgeman's own Papua New Guinean Highlands heritage and a hefty does of what has been referred to as 'ogga-booga'.

In hits short video piece we witness Boi Boi, deranged construction worker, running joyously amok downtown. A cigarette hanging from his wide, minstrel face paint smile and resplendent in tiny stubbies, his exuberant presence is a startling addition to the orderly city.

Photography's ever-increasing ability to meld fact and fiction, reality and fantasy is eloquently harnessed by Margot Seares in her series Almost Real.

In these classically composed images referencing cliches of commercial portraiture no-one is quite what they seem. Female subjects are presented as male, appearing in stereotypically masculine roles such as the businessman and the man in uniform. Conversely, Seares' male subjects adopt feminine guises, including a radiant Munroe-esque figure. Despite such theatrical elements these portraits exude the pride, self- assuredness and humanity of their subjects. Our judgements are then turned on their head when the images are belied by accompanying captions, revealing the subjects' true name, age, occupation and gender.

The illusive nature of this series ins enhanced by Seares' use of 3D lenticular prints, offering the viewer a seemingly magic heper-real perception, reinforcing that there is more here than meets the eye.

Keith Carey's series The Exchange takes us behind the scenes at the popular Melbourne club of the same name.

Here the artist and his camera offer us privileged insight into the routines and rituals of celebrated drag artist Ms Candee and Barbara Quicksand as they prepare for the night's performances.

This transitional phase is of interest to Carey, and he attempts to document not only the physical metamorphosis but also the transformation of the individual performer's personalities during this process. Carey is fascinated by the dramatic shift undertaken by his subjects from mild-mannered men to outrageous and vivacious women and back again.

By using varied photographic techniques layering imagery and textures Carey replicates the multi-layered nature of his subjects and their multi-faceted lives.

(m)-elly nio's Vade the Poloni with the Matini brings to light intimate relationshiops between servicemen during World War ll. This video piece tells the story of one such relationship, in this case two sailors. Although fictional, nio's film represents the countless actual relationships that went undocumented and shrouded in secrecy throughout wartime.

The work's title is taken from Polari, a hybrid language used throughout the twentieth century in gay communities and in particular by sailors as 'look at the man with the ring' or 'look,he's gay'.

Nio aims to convey the warmth and comfort that such interactions would have provided men from all walks of life a they rode out the horrors of war together, away from homes and family.

Yolande Norris
Independent writer and Program Manager at Canberra Contemporary Art Space.