Semper Floreat is the University of Queensland Union's free & independent student newspaper.
Time. It truly is crazy. Time passes in the blink of an eye as families gather, children play, communities indulge in frivolous activities and delicious food. Yet some – for almost two years – have been deprived of those very special moments. Deprived of basic human rights. Time, it truly is crazy. Days turned into […]
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If you’re queer or LGBTQIA+ and pro-Palestinian, chances are you’ve been hit with the phrase ‘you’d be killed for being gay in Palestine’ or something similar. This is an example of pinkwashing. According to DecolonizePalestine, Pinkwashing ‘refers to when a state or organization appeals to LGBTQ+ rights in order to deflect attention from its harmful […]
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Two weeks ago a photo was shared online of a family in Gaza. Mariam Al-Amassi and her four young children, Karim, Alma, Rima and Ramiz, are fighting to survive in Gaza. Their home was destroyed by the Israeli army in an airstrike. They have no shelter or safety, and are constantly struggling to find basic […]
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As technology has become more prevalent and pornography consumption has increased, more attention is being directed towards the harms that the industry causes towards women and girls. Sexual violence is being perpetrated at alarming rates, and addressing the structures that fuel misogynistic frameworks has become increasingly important. This can be seen in a recent decision […]
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The world is fucked up. Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues to rage on unchallenged by western leaders, ICE agents are operating as a virtual Gestapo in America as they abduct and deport anyone who dares to criticise the Trump regime, and far right rhetoric is seemingly on the rise everywhere we turn. If ever we […]
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On Wednesday, 16th April 2025, it was announced that five judges from the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the terms “woman”, “man”, and “sex” would refer only to biological sex assigned at birth, excluding transgender people, including those with a gender recognition certificate (GRC). What does this mean for transgender people of the United […]
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Between Two Worlds When I tell people that I moved from nuclear medicine to agriculture, their first reaction is usually confusion. “How does that even happen?”, they ask. To most, these fields seem worlds apart, one is rooted in high-tech diagnostics; the other in soil and seasons. But for me, the transition wasn’t about leaving […]
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I’m sitting in the Fryer Library, flipping through a collection of Semper Floreat issues from 1966. An orange slip of paper is nestled between the pages of an edition published on 17th March 1966. The words “Vietnam Protest Week March 21-27” are in a large, bold font. Some of the items on the agenda include […]
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In the evening of the 3rd of April, a group of no more than 50 protestors stood in front of the Queensland Parliament House in solidarity with Palestine. A snap rally had been called by the Palestine human rights organisation ‘Justice for Palestine’ ((1) Justice for Palestine Magan-djin | Facebook 2025). CONTEXT The Sunday before, […]
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This coming election, many UQ students will be provided the opportunity to have their democratic say on who they want to represent them in their local federal electorate. Even if you haven’t voted before, this federal election will be an ultimatum asking whether we should keep the current Federal Labor Government led by Anthony Albanese […]
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