17c起草社区

AJ Lamarque isn鈥檛 just a nerd, he鈥檚 every high school bully鈥檚 wet dream. He鈥檚 an amateur Egyptologist, a stand-up comedian, a biomedicine graduate, and, well, a gay twink. And yet, despite not being particularly athletic, in 2025, AJ graduated from stand-up and ABC Radio fame to become 鈥檚 .听

So how did AJ go from being his school鈥檚 resident punchline to king of punchlines? Or, even more surprising, what prompted him to become an official spokesperson for the sport that once rejected him?

According to AJ, becoming a public personality, much less a sports influencer (*gay shudder*), was never part of the plan. In fact, he鈥檇 intended to become a doctor. However, after moving to Australia, he noticed a strange commonality among entry-level research positions in biomedical science: they all actually started on the third floor.

鈥淚 ended up just getting regular day jobs in marketing,鈥� AJ said, 鈥渏ust to have some sort of income. Then I started getting success on that side.鈥�

AJ Lamarque on his unexpected pivot to comedy

At around the same time, AJ began his foray into comedy. Not as a means to a career, but as a means to friendship. Rather than try and worm his way into Sydney social circles established in high school, AJ joined an improv class.

鈥淚t worked very well and I got a lot of friends out of it,鈥� AJ said. 鈥淓ventually we all started going to other people鈥檚 shows and gigs. From there I ended up getting dragged into a lot of improv comedy and then later to stand-up and general comedy.鈥�

Since then, AJ鈥檚 stand-up has attained national acclaim. He鈥檚 opened for drag star Juno Birch and presented sold-out tours at Australia鈥檚 top fringe and comedy festivals. AJ鈥檚 recent edu-tainment specials,聽A Beginner鈥檚 Guide to Gay Cruising and , have both boasted sparkling reviews. He鈥檚 even appeared as a guest on SBS‘ series .

鈥淪o alas,鈥� AJ mused, 鈥淚 did not invent any cures to anything.鈥�

While AJ did not go on to pursue biomedical science professionally, his undergraduate degree did not go unused.

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely helped with comedy,鈥� AJ said. 鈥淲hen you have that analytical background, you鈥檙e always optimising. You know, how are people entering the room? How is the space affecting their mood? What copy are they reading before the show, and how does that translate to their understanding of what the show is? Is that understanding representative?”

His secret to a successful comedy career

His science edge aside, AJ argues there is only one secret to a successful stand-up career: being unapologetically yourself.

鈥淚 believe anyone can write most jokes,鈥� AJ said, 鈥渂ut the reason people have favourite comedians is because that person is bringing themselves to the stage.

鈥淎 lot of people go into stand-up being like 鈥榳ell you should be funny to everybody, and if you鈥檙e not, you鈥檙e not a good comedian鈥�. I think the inverse is true.听 If you鈥檙e funny to everybody, you really have nothing unique you鈥檙e offering. A set has to be so demure and appeasing to appeal to every kind of person, to the point where you aren鈥檛 really bringing anything of yourself.鈥�

Accordingly, it is AJ鈥檚 recommendation that all aspiring comedians be totally – and perhaps outrageously – themselves, a sentiment that is fittingly rather queer.

鈥淎s soon as you are different, or have a distinct opinion on something, someone won鈥檛 like it. So you have to stick to your guns and be proud of who you are and what you put out. If you build up your own voice like that, you will find the people you鈥檙e supposed to find.鈥�

“A Beginners Guide to Ancient Egypt”

For AJ, fostering his personal voice has meant leaning into his nerdiness. Including rocking up to Sydney Comedy Festival with an hour-long lecture on Ancient Egypt.听

鈥淭here鈥檚 a story I tell within the show,鈥� AJ said 鈥渟pecifically because you won鈥檛 learn about it in a classroom. It touches upon queer representation in Ancient Egypt, and it involves sex. You won鈥檛 see it in a textbook. And they definitely won鈥檛 be talking about this when you go on tour in Egypt. But it is a 100% authentic tale from Ancient Egypt.鈥�

We won鈥檛 spoil the contents of this historical heated rivalry. But, suffice to say, it is now the official position of the 17c起草社区 that all Hieroglyph101 courses henceforth be taught by sassy comedians whose academic rigor doesn鈥檛 stop at mummies, but includes daddies too.

Whether it鈥檚 a presentation on Ancient Egypt or an anthropological take on gay cruising, it is AJ鈥檚 hope that audiences walk out of his shows not just amused, but fascinated.

鈥淯ltimately, I want to be interesting and funny,鈥� AJ said. 鈥淚 want people to associate my work with having a fun night out, but also being like 鈥榯hat made me think鈥� or 鈥業 didn鈥檛 know that鈥�. Making people smile, making them feel intrigued and engaged – I am so grateful for being able to do that as a performer.鈥�

Comedy, sure 鈥� are you going to explain the basketball thing?

Oh yeah 鈥� the basketball thing!

Okay, so nerdy gay twink stands proud in his identity yada yada. Monetises his childhood obsession with 鈥淭he Mommy鈥�. National acclaim. Impressive, but how does that get us to basketball?

Well, much like AJ鈥檚 spontaneous leap into improv, this is another case of 鈥測eah, turns out as an adult you can actually just, like, join things鈥�.听

鈥淚 joined , Sydney鈥檚 17c起草社区IA+ basketball club, about a year and a half ago now, as a complete beginner,鈥� AJ said.听

鈥淲hen you join something like this, you鈥檙e not going to be dunking in the NBL any time soon. But everyone is so supportive of your small wins and your growth as an individual player. You鈥檒l be down by 30 points and your team will still be cheering at you like you鈥檝e won the cup because you鈥檝e done your first in-game layup.鈥�

Growing up queer in sport

Of course, like many queer people, AJ鈥檚 high school experience with sport wasn鈥檛 so positive.

鈥淐ue tiny violin,鈥� AJ mused, before sobering up. 鈥淣o, well, as a kid, I was very open to playing sport. I did track, I was very good at sprinting, I was good at badminton, and I played a bit of basketball. But the school PE system didn鈥檛 support me.

鈥淎s I went through high school, that kind of environment became quite hostile. The guys were aggressive. They would call me gay and bully me in the changerooms, until I stopped playing sports completely. Instead of intervening, the school threatened to expel me.

鈥淟uckily by twelve, AJ was already a hard-core negotiator,鈥� AJ grinned. 鈥淚t was eventually decided that I would play sport with the girls just to have a safer environment.听

鈥淚 learned from a young age that sports were an environment where people were actually praising your downfall and actively wanting harm for you. That was my high school experience, so I kind of just ruled it out as an adult.鈥�

For me, AJ鈥檚 story really struck home. While many adult queer people identify as 鈥渘ot into sport鈥�, many of us didn鈥檛 start out like that. Rather, it is often a sentiment we internalised. When you don鈥檛 feel at home in your own body, or when you鈥檙e cautious to fully use your body to express yourself, a space as gendered, physically competitive, and permissive of 鈥渂anter鈥� as high school sport will invariably become ground-zero for homophobia.

However, one fateful Mardi Gras, AJ took an opportunity to rewrite that story.听

鈥淥ne Fair Day,鈥� AJ recalled, 鈥淚 saw the basketball stall, and after three years of walking right by it, this time I thought 鈥榯hat looks fun鈥�. And I quickly realised after joining how many of us didn鈥檛 fit the mold of 鈥榗ool kid鈥�, 鈥榩opular kid鈥�, or 鈥榮porty kid鈥�. It occurred to me how many of us were robbed of rewarding sports experiences growing up. And I thought 鈥榟ow dare people rob us of this – this whole world.鈥欌��

Clearly, Basketball NSW took note of AJ鈥檚 fire. Since , AJ has been working with and the to promote inclusivity in the sport. His work has even been recognised with a .

AJ鈥檚 newly acquired sporting laurels aside, the comic鈥檚 message is simple:聽

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be six foot something, and a child prodigy in order to play sport as an adult. There is a space for you – whether you鈥檙e queer, regardless of your age – to play in a fun environment that鈥檚 encouraging. And no, it doesn鈥檛 matter if you can鈥檛 dribble it. You鈥檙e gonna learn, and you鈥檙e gonna have fun, and we鈥檙e gonna play at your skill level.鈥�