You Can't Ask That

Women and men tell their deeply personal stories of sexual assault, sharing what happened, how people reacted, whether they got justice and what they did to recover. These are voices and insights you won't hear anywhere else.

Is the idea of fame and fortune all it's cracked up to be? Ex-Reality TV stars tell all about what's it's like to jump head first into the world of reality TV and come out the other side. This is the reality of reality TV.

An unprecedented glimpse into the complex lives of eight Australian former cult members - how they joined, what they were subjected to on the inside, and how they ultimately escaped.

With almost a million Australians currently living with an Eating Disorder, this is a subject that affects many but is still largely misunderstood, this episode of You Can't Ask That puts a human face to eating disorders.

It's Swingers night on ABC's You Can't Ask That asking such questions as 'What was it like losing your swinging virginity?'

Also on the cards, 'What's it like watching the love of your life get pounded, and loving it? Do your parents know? What has banging a bunch of strangers taught you about life?'

When most people think of swinging what comes to mind is keys in a bowl, sleazy men, messy orgies and bitter jealousy. Yet for the nine swingers featured in this episode of You Can't Ask That those stereotypes couldn't be further from the truth. Speaking with jaw-dropping honesty and eyebrow-raising descriptions, no question is left unanswered and no detail off limits. It's a swinging romp... without the clean-up.

Asked how she initially talked her partner into swinging, Megan explains, "If you need talking into it, you probably shouldn't be doing it". She describes dealing with jealousy while watching her partner have sex with someone else, "If it's been very intimate and sensual I have felt jealous. Jealousy is a natural emotion and I think people look at it like it's a negative thing, but it's not. It shows that you really care about the person and the key to overcoming it is just good communication". She continues, "Sex, for me, is so separate to love."

This week You Can't Ask That takes viewers inside the minds of people living with schizophrenia.

With 1 in 100 people worldwide living with a form of schizophrenia, interviewees open up about their symptoms and diagnosis, the voices in their heads, delusions, hospitalisations and treatment. Largely misunderstood, with a lot of negative stereotypes and stigmas, schizophrenia is a complex but treatable mental illness - this episode provides a platform for eight unique Australians to set the record straight about what living with schizophrenia means to them.

"I'm very deeply affected by the question of why it happened to me" explains Richard when asked if his diagnosis was a result of smoking too much weed. He explains that a diagnosis can be attributed to a variety of things, "As with all illnesses there are genetic factors and there are environmental factors. The environmental factors that they look at are things like trauma at birth, drug taking and periods of high stress". He explains that one of the most negative stereotypes about schizophrenia is the idea that everyone living with it is violent, "It's really important to understand only a very small percentage of people with schizophrenia are violent. People who suffer the illness are far more likely to be the victims of violence. Do I want to kill anyone? No. All I want for the world is peace and love."

This week on You Can't Ask That the questions are all about Drag, with guests Courtney Act, Doug Lucas, Maxi Shield, Strykermeyer, Dandrogny, Sexy Galexy and Penny Tration.

Amongst the questions are "Aren't you just mocking women?", "Who hits on you?" and "How is what you do different to the d***heads frocking up on The Footy Show?"

This episode of You Can't Ask That overdelivers on sequins, wigs, glitter and flare. But more importantly, it gets to the heart of gender expression, celebrating the surprising complexities of what it means to live life in Drag.

"Our society agreed on certain ways that men and women should act" explains Courtney Act when asked whether dressing up in drag is mocking women. "I don't ever want to mock women or mock womanhood. I just think the whole concept of gender is a construct that needs to be torn apart".

Tonight in the season final of You Can't Ask That, Priests will address questions on such questions as:

"How can you preach what's right and wrong when the organisation you represent has hurt so many people?"

"Nobody should become a priest because they think it's going to be enjoyable, or fun, or the pay is good, or it's going to be fulfilling", answers Perth Anglican Vicar, Chris Bedding, when asked why he became a priest — "You should only do it because there is an unshakable sense that you're called to it". Yet despite the calling, years of ministry and devotion to his vocation, Chris explains he is not entirely unquestioning in his beliefs, "I doubt every single detail of the Christian faith. I sometimes wonder if I still believe. I think doubt is really helpful. If your life is marked by certainty, there's no way that you are going to be able to be open to people or listen to people."

Asked if he has a sex life Assistant Catholic Priest, Father Marcus Goulding, laughs, "I am a celibate, so the ideal is no". The 25-year-old, who entered the Catholic seminary directly after finishing high school, lives a life very different to most his age. Ordained a year ago, he explains the vow of celibacy is about:

"Giving our hearts to God himself and to God alone, and that includes the body. There is this belief that to be happy you have to have sex — that can bring a lot of happiness but you can live an integral human life in other ways. There are always temptations there but, for me, the thing that sustains my celibacy is prayer — if I spend an hour a day praying I find that I live celibacy easily."

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PS. You Can't Ask That will return in 2019.