queerasfact:

Bright, comic-book style image of Condoman, an Indigenous superhero in a red and yellow body suit, standing on a beach. He's holding a packet of condoms. Text reads: "Condoman says "Don't be shame, be game. Use condom!"ALT
Cartoon of Indigenous superheroes Condoman and Lubelicious against a bright yellow background. Condoman is wearing a red body suit, holding up a condom, and saying "Don't be shame, be game! Wear condoms!" Lubelicious is wearing a green, white and blue off-the-shoulder top and shorts, and adding "With water-based lube!" Text between them reads "Condoman and Lubelicious".ALT

Condoman

In 1987, Indigenous sexual health worker Aunty Gracelyn Smallwood and her team felt that safe sex advertising wasn’t effectively targeting people in Australia’s remote Indigenous communities. In response, they created Condoman – “The Deadly Predator of Sexual Health” – who spoke to Indigenous people in language they could relate to, and removed stigma from conversations about sexual health. 

Condoman became something of a cult figure in Australia, and in 2009 he was relaunched with a suite of comics, animations, and merch, including branded condoms. He was also joined by his “deadly, slippery sister” Lubelicious, who promoted consent, the use of water based lube, and women’s health, for her sisters and sistergirls (an Indigenous term analogous to trans women).

We covered Condoman in our podcast on the AIDS epidemic in Australia.

Keep an eye on this blog throughout the week as we continue highlighting queer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture for NAIDOC Week.

Leave a Comment