Newsletter - April 2020

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April 2020

Message from Co-Chairs

The Covid-19 pandemic has dramatically changed our personal lives – and has similarly impacted the organisational life of First Mardi Gras Inc.

Social distancing rules have halted our general meetings and regular forums. So we are trying to find different ways to maintain our connections and communications with you, by producing our newsletter more frequently and posting news and interesting links on our Facebook pages and website https://www.78ers.org.au/.

Our Committee will be meeting regularly by video chat and will continue to consider issues of interest and importance to 78ers. We are also looking to provide support to people who need it and identify 78ers who are able to provide practical help or phone/video chat support. You can also continue to contact us through our email address info@78ers.org.au and we’ll respond promptly.

So...until the crisis stabilises, stay safe and well. We look forward to seeing you in-person on the other side!

Betty Hounslow and Ken Davis

Daylesford and Wagga – Saturday 7 & 14 March 2020

Helen Gollan and the 78ers banner led the Daylesford ChillOut Festival Parade with the assistance of the Trentham Youth Group.

The Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras Parade was cancelled at short notice but Helen, Barry Charles and Karl Zlotkovski travelled to Wagga with the 78ers banner and attended some smaller events along with other 78ers.

Hay Mardi Gras in late March was cancelled as was Newcastle Pride, planned for August. Central Coast Twist, Tamworth Pride and the Broken Heel Festival are yet to announce whether they will be going ahead later this year.

Photo above left: Helen Gollan and the Trentham Youth Group at Daylesford ChillOut Festival. Photo above right, from left: Karl Zlotkovski, Helen Gollan and Barry Charles in Wagga.

Providing support to our community

In this time of Covid-19 and social distancing, many in our community are finding it tough. It will be a difficult few months ahead for many and with age and health related risk factors involved, we need to develop ways of staying connected.

We are looking to provide support to people who need it and identify 78ers who are able to provide practical help or phone/video chat support. Here are some suggested protocols for collecting and delivering goods in these times: https://wiki.queercare.network/index.php?title=Category:Protocol.

The National LGBTI Health alliance page https://lgbtihealth.org.au/ has Covid-19 and health support information including on the QLife counselling and referral service for LGBTI people.

Let us know if you need:

some practical help going to medical appointments, picking up shopping or medicines
the support of a regular phone or video chat.

Let us know if you could provide support via regular phone or video chat to 78ers.

Please respond to info@78ers.org.au if you need some support or would be interested in helping out people in our community.

Anne Morphett

Fifty Fabulous Years!

Early 70s activism. Photo Phillip Potter

This year we reach the fiftieth anniversary of visibility in the history of LGBTI people in Australia. In 1970 and 1971, with the public announcements of the formation of the Australian Lesbian Movement and the Campaign Against Moral Persecution, homosexual visibility became a reality here.

Before then, there were no openly homosexual organisations, only closeted social groups.

This is what makes the formation of the ALM and CAMP Inc. truly significant. Because of the bravery of our sisters and brothers back then, especially those in CAMP Inc., who first publically put their head above the parapet, all else flowed.

We helped change perceptions within the community and the medical profession about what it means to be homosexual and we demanded equality. We achieved anti-discrimination legislation and homosexual law reform, fought and overcame the scourge of HIV, won relationship recognition in the immigration and refugee system, and – eventually – gained marriage equality.

First Mardi Gras Inc., the Pride History Group and CAMP Goes Gold had planned a series of celebrations and events but the Corona virus will impact these plans. We are still hoping to gather on 19 September, the 50th anniversary of the formation of CAMP Inc. The State Library of NSW intends to hold an exhibition Seen and Heard: the early years of gay achievement, though there may be some social distancing limits. Unfortunately, the history conference, planned for November at UTS, will be postponed, though smaller local forums may be possible.

We will keep you in touch with further developments with these events.

Robert French

Keep up your First Mardi Gras Inc. membership

For some First Mardi Gras Inc. members, it will soon be time to renew your membership. Our fees are modest – $10 a year or $5 a year concession – but they help maintain our incorporated community association as a representative, consultative and sustainable organisation for 78ers.

Your fees contribute to the cost of running our website and email system and for hire of venues when we are again able to meet and host forums and events.
With over 180 members (including 17 Associate Members), we want to continue to celebrate our history, inspire our community and fight for the future. We want to continue to:

Keep in touch with each other, particularly during the Covid-19 epidemic
Advocate for appropriate support and services for our ageing community
Support community campaigns, including against the Religious Discrimination Act
Provide a strong voice for 78ers on the elected SGLMG 78ers Committee.

If you would like to renew your membership, look out in May for an email and membership form. If you would like to join First Mardi Gras Inc. or have a partner or friend who are interested in joining as an Associate Member, email us at info@78ers.org.au.

Barry Charles - Membership Coordinator

European Pride Organisers Association

First Mardi Gras Inc. has joined the European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA) as an associate member. EPOA is the network of European Pride organisations that promotes Pride as a celebration and a vital human rights movement.

We have a strong interest in global LGBTQI human rights and are keen to support campaigns such as those against regressive policies in Eastern Europe. We will be participating in the EPOA Online Global Pride celebration in June. Watch this space for links to events and displays!

Garry Wotherspoon’s new book

This month, First Mardi Gras Inc. member Garry Wotherspoon’s new book has been published. 'Through the Gay Looking Glass' is a fascinating history/biography of Clive Madigan.

Garry is also the author of the bestselling 'Gay Sydney: A History.' Both books are available from The Bookshop, Darlinghurst.

Vale Sandi Banks
15.7.1950 – 16.3.20020

Sandi Banks has passed away peacefully after a long and brave battle with cancer.

Sandi and then partner Jo Eccleston, Ken Davis and I were very active in the Gay Solidarity Group and the Drop the Charges Campaign. Our friendship was forged in this fightback against the arrests in the first Mardi Gras.

Sandi was a committed activist for many years. In recent years Sandi was also a stalwart spokesperson for 78ers, calling for and responding to a Police apology for the events of 1978. Sandi was also one of five proud founding members of First Mardi Gras Inc.

Only two weeks before she died, Sandi and her partner Jean travelled from the south coast to be on the 78ers bus in the 2020 Mardi Gras Parade. Sandi was buried in the 78ers t-shirt she wore that night.

On 27 March a small number of us were able to farewell Sandi in a lovely ceremony in front of rolling surf. Fabian Los Shaiavo participated by video, leading us in a poignant rendition of Thank you Lord for Gay Liberation.

Sandi will be sadly missed by her many friends, including me, partner Jean and former partner and long standing friend Jo.

Slip away, slip away like ripples on the sea
You’ll never slip away from all our memories.

Donations in memory of Sandi to the Cancer Council (for research purposes) would be appreciated.

Diane Minnis