In this May edition of the First Mardi Gras Inc. Newsletter, we have:
- Karl Zlotkowski on Anti-Trans Bills: Anita Bryant vs Mark Latham?
- Details of the 5 June demo: Defend LGBTIQ rights in NSW: No right to discriminate!
- Barry Charles on US Anti-Trans Laws
- Diane Minnis on the Salon78 Forum: Why did Mardi Gras Move to Summer?
- Deb Healey on Oceania Pride
- Robyn Kennedy on CAMP Goes Gold!
- Anne Morphett’s pictures of the 78ers Dog Park Picnic
- Details of the next Social Lunch on 6 June
- Information on our ongoing 2021 Raffle
- Tributes to Murdered Tongan Activist Poli Kefu
- From the Bay Area Reporter: Queers and Allies Rally in San Francisco against Anti-Asian Hate
- From Bloomberg: Same-Sex Parenthood Draws Unexpected Support in Hungary
- Calendar of Events.
Diane Minnis
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We all know that Mardi Gras is many things to many people. These differing views derive from their own individual experience.
For many people the celebration is the most important thing, and often that reduces down to an excuse for dressing up and dancing (and comparing the colour of each other’s drugs).
But those of us who’ve been around since the beginning, know that Mardi Gras celebrates not just the pride of individuals, but the collective pride of our LGBTIQ community. And we know that each year our community celebrates the way we rallied together during the winter of 1978.
The Riot and the subsequent Drop the Charges campaign would never have happened if the Police hadn’t over-stepped the mark. But they did, and as a result the birth of Mardi Gras on 24 June is usually seen as the community’s reaction to police violence and the arbitrary abuse of police authority.
But the Riot is only part of the picture. June 24 was an International Day of Solidarity with a street rally in the morning, a forum in the afternoon and a festival (the 'Mardi Gras’) at night. And up front that day were a number of human rights issues that activists had been campaigning on for years – legal reform, police harassment, discrimination in employment and housing, and in education.
Most of us knew about Anita Bryant and her campaign against gay teachers in Florida schools (waged under the toxic slogan ‘Save our Children’). There were similar anti-gay campaigns elsewhere in the USA at the time, including the Briggs Initiative in California, and American activists were fighting these on many fronts. They called on LGBTIQ communities around the world to rally in support, and Sydney did so on 24 June 1978.
Forty three years later, we in Sydney are confronted by a piece of populist legislation in NSW put forward by Mark Latham under the guise of Parental Rights in education. This Bill seeks to penalise trans students, their teachers and mentors, rolling back freedoms from discrimination in ways that echo Anita Bryant all those years ago. Indeed her kind are at it again in the USA today, with multiple anti-trans initiatives in the works in many states.
This attack on trans rights recalls the struggles we all faced in the 70s. Even though our community in 1978 had not yet acquired the ’T’, the butterfly – a trans symbol – was there on the iconic poster advertising the program for 24 June. Our struggle then, was theirs as well.
Next month, the 78ers will rally once again on 5 June and march in solidarity and opposition to all attempts discriminate against our community. Join us!
Defend LGBTIQ rights in NSW: No right to discriminate! demo – 1pm, Saturday 5 June 2021, Town Hall, Sydney
Karl Zlotkowski
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member
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We are currently in a fight over the Anti-Trans Latham Bill in NSW and soon to be introduced Federal legislation also by One Nation (see item above).
It is important to understand that these are part of a worldwide attack on LGBTIQ people by the conservative right especially in the USA.
This report is based on an analysis by Priya Krishnakumar for CNN.
Record-breaking year for anti-transgender legislation that would affect minors
No less than 33 states have introduced more than 117 anti-trans bills in the USA in 2021.
“The majority of bills would affect transgender youth; a group that researchers and medical professionals warn is already susceptible to high rates of suicide and depression.” The American Civil Liberties Union said this would "send a terrible and heartbreaking message" to transgender youth across the country.
The majority of these bills are in Red (Republican) States in the mid-west and south.
I believe it is essential to realise that these are not grassroots/religious institution driven initiatives. They appear to be a part of Conservative politicians’ campaigns to recruit voters by exploiting the ignorance and homophobia of rural and poorly educated Americans borne out of them having little or no interaction with trans people.
This reminds me of the earliest days of the gay rights movement. In the 50s and 60s the conservative politicians and media could peddle lies about gays and lesbians because the general community had very few visible homosexuals in their neighbourhoods to identify with.
After 50 years of Gay rights advancement and visibility, most people (except some isolated and religious communities) have some personal acquaintance in work/family with lesbians and gays. Where we have decriminalised homosexual acts and introduced non-discrimination laws and achieved marriage equality, the sky has not fallen in and we have achieved wider acceptance. But Transgender people are a small and less visible minority and can still be misrepresented and attacked.
Bans on participation in same-gender youth sport
Most of the current legislation is in this area. Thirty-one states in the U.S. have introduced bills that ban transgender athletes from participating in sports consistent with their gender identities.
"I think that these exclusionary responses are a solution in search of a problem," said Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, interim director of GLSEN, an LGBTQ youth advocacy organisation.
"There is no categorical dominance by trans athletes," she said. The politicians introducing these bills, when asked, could cite no substantial instances where this had been a problem worthy of legislation.
Gender-affirming health care for minors
This is a much more serious issue. Health providers across the world have been gradually and quietly and un-controversially helping Trans youth meet the challenges of reaching puberty and providing appropriate psychological guidance and health care.
“One bill in Alabama would make it a felony to give appropriate gender-identity health care to a youth”. Doctors who provide this care believe that “the treatment they provide to gender nonconforming or transgender youth can often be lifesaving”.
Just like Latham!
Other U.S. states have introduced anti-trans bills that target education.
“A bill in Arkansas says that schools must refer to students only by the sex, as listed on students' original birth certificates.
”Tennessee's legislature is currently debating legislation which would allow parents to opt their children out of curriculums that discuss LGBTIQ issues.”
The take-out
We are being asked to support efforts to fight the One Nation bills. Remember the oppressors always go after the most vulnerable and already marginalised group first. Any successful attack on the T in our LGBTIQ community opens us to an eventual attack on the whole.
Barry Charles
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Secretary
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The Salon78 forum: Why did Mardi Gras Move to Summer? Community vs Commercial Scene, originally scheduled during the busy Mardi Gras season, will now be held on Saturday 26 June 2021. This will be close to the anniversaries of the first three Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parades and the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969.
This year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first summer Mardi Gras in 1981. At this Salon78 forum, we will hear from Susan Ardill and David Abello on the tumultuous community debates about the move to summer. Murray McLaughlin will then speak about the changes to Mardi Gras that grew out of this major shift.
For the first time in 15 months, we will have an in-person event and we will Zoom the forum so others can participate. Join us upstairs at the Colombian and stay for a social drink after the forum and toast the anniversaries of the original Mardi Gras and Stonewall.
Salon78: Why did Mardi Gras Move to Summer? Community vs Commercial Scene
When: 3pm, Saturday 26 June 2021
Where: Upstairs at the Colombian Hotel, corner Oxford and Crown Streets, lift available
RSVP: For in-person or Zoom attendance info@78ers.org.au.
Diane Minnis
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair
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Oceania Pride is an informal gathering of Pride organisers and related LGBTQI organisations that has been meeting monthly since July 2020. Many attendees are members of InterPride, the global association for Pride organisers, but InterPride membership is not a requirement of participation. The group includes participation from across Australia, New Zealand and an increasing number of Pacific Island nations.
The meetings of InterPride Oceania always give updates on the global organisation and what is happening around the world, but the highlights of every meeting are the presentations by member groups and updates on their regional issues.
In March 2021 we heard from the Samoa Fa’afafine Association and at the April meeting we had presentations from Goulburn Valley Pride and Trans Pride Australia.
Samoa Fa’afafine Association
The Samoa Fa’afafine Association presentation from Alex Su’a detailed SFAs participation in and instigation of many initiatives in Samoa.
In November 2020, SFA held a sports day, themed Play Safe and Live More. In December 2020 they ran a 5 day event, Fa’afafine Week, to empower and inspire their community. It began on 1 December, with an opening ceremony and commemorated World AIDS Day with a candlelight service. Activities included a forum with presentations and speakers from civil society and government about relevant services; distribution of foodstuffs and goodies to club members, particularly those affected by COVID19 through unemployment, redundancies etc. A celebratory ball was the gala event.
Surrounding Fa’afafine Week was 16 Days of Activism for Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, from 25 November to 10 December 2020. The Fa’afafine population are very vulnerable to violence and rejection, often from within their own families.
In December 2020, SFA received a vehicle through the United Nations Development Program to assist in outreach work and enable them to reach rural and regional Fa’afafine communities.
Goulburn Valley Pride
The Goulburn Valley Pride presentation was by Damien Stevens-Todd and Deb Chumley. Centred in Shepparton, Vic, Goulburn Valley Pride has been going for 16 years. The Shepparton area has had continuing support groups for LGBTQI+ since 1996 when the Diversity Group was established by now Commissioner Ro Allen – Victoria’s first Gender and Sexuality Commissioner.
Goulburn Valley Pride has 300 financial members, and is run by volunteers and its activities are focused on peer support and advocacy. They average two social events per month and have a monthly article published in the Weekend Life section of Shepparton News.
In November 2021 they are putting on their 10th OUTintheOPEN Festival, which will run for 11 days. The main event is Carnival Day in the Queens Gardens on 6 November featuring food, theatre, forums, drag and lots of family fun. The Festival has proven to be very successful in boosting tourism for the city of Shepparton, with more than 500 visitors.
The volunteer group which runs Goulburn Valley Pride faces many challenges, including fatigue and lack of resources. But they continue with their advocacy and activism – fighting for recognition of equal rights, helping overcome the challenges faced by the LGBTQI+ community.
Currently they are directing energies towards an LGBTQI+ liaison and advisory group within Greater Shepparton City Council and embedding inclusive practice and policy, and provision of services.
TransPride Australia
The presentation from TransPride Australia was delivered by AJ Brown. TransPride Australia advocates for and promotes visibility of trans and gender diverse rights through events, education and advisory roles. They provide community connection through online spaces and public events. An important role is provision of support for family, friends and colleagues of trans and gender diverse people to become strong allies.
TransPride Australia holds regular social and educational and community events; the major ones being around Trans Day of Visibility and Mardi Gras. Trans Day of Visibility aims to promote living a life of acceptance for who you are for all. They also hold Trans Stories Sharing and workshops.
Whilst each Pride organisation is for a different group of people, there is a common thread of purpose which unites them, and indeed all of the Pride organisations in our diverse region. We all seek acceptance and inclusion, safety and good health outcomes, meeting housing and health needs and support and understanding for all in the community.
Deb Healey
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. member
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The Pride movement in Australia started well before the first Mardi Gras in 1978. In 1970 the national network known as CAMP (Campaign Against Moral Persecution) was founded in Sydney. The momentum of CAMP quickly spread to other States, fuelling the first LGBTQI rights marches and political campaigns for changes to oppressive laws and systems.
Fifty years later, some of the original members of CAMP NSW are compiling a book of newly commissioned professional portrait photographs of CAMP members across Australia, together with their personal stories of the impact CAMP had on their lives at the time. Our book is called Pioneers of Protest and Change in recognition of the vital role played by CAMP activists in beginning a social movement that continues to this day.
Thanks to ACON, we have been able to meet costs related to photography and interview transcriptions but we need to raise additional funds to cover the cost of book design and production. We hope you agree that the contribution of the people who started the Pride movement in Australia is worth commemorating. We would really appreciate your help in bringing this unique project to fruition. Everyone who donates $100 or more will get a special mention in the book! Donate $150 or more for a special mention and a free signed copy of the book!
gofundme.com/f/help-commemorate-the-camp-pioneers
All donations gratefully accepted!
Robyn Kennedy
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member
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| Join us for our June social lunch on Sunday 6 June, 2021 at 1pm upstairs in the Terminus Hotel, 61 Harris St Pyrmont. RSVP to: info@78ers.org.au. There is a light rail stop with lift access in John Street Square and the 389 bus runs from Park St near Town Hall and stops across the road from the hotel. |
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As we move out of Covid-enforced online events and onto in-person gatherings, the First Mardi Gras Inc. fundraising team are running a raffle with tickets being sold throughout the year.
We started selling tickets at the 78ers Dog Park Picnic on 2 May and will sell them at gatherings and events during the rest of 2021. The raffle will be drawn at the First Mardi Gras Inc. Annual General Meeting late this year.
Thanks to prize donors: Rebbell Barnes, Garry Case, Wanda Kluke and Mazz Image. |
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Tribute from ILGA Oceania
The Tonga Leiti’s Association, President Poli Kefu has died at the hands of murderer/s in the Kingdom of Tonga. Poli Kefu played a pivotal role in coordinating the Tongan Hub for our recent Human Rights and Law Reform Virtual Symposium held in February 2021 in Suva, Fiji. Poli was a humble gentle inspiring leader who displayed a proactive interaction with ILGA Oceania on its various projects and conferences.
We extend our sincere and respectful condolences to the family of Poli Kefu, the members of the Tonga Leiti Association, and all Poli’s colleagues and friends.
The Co-Chairs of ILGA Oceania, Vanessa Lee-Ah Mat and Ken Moala, with the ILGA Oceania Board, call upon the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga and the Tongan Police Authorities to identify the perpetrator/s of this heinous crime and bring the person/s to justice.
Throughout Oceania, members of ILGA Oceania still face violence and discrimination because of our sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or intersex status. For the majority, these issues are linked to broader issues of gender equality, autonomy over our bodies and lives, sexual reproductive health and rights.
We will miss you Poli for your pro-active, strong activism, your commitment and dedication to LGBTI issues and movement throughout the Kingdom of Tonga, the Pacific Islands and Oceania. ILGA Oceania will continue to stand up for human rights and social justice as we stand in solidarity against violence in all its form.
Tribute from Oceania Pride
Oceania Pride grieves with our friends and colleagues in Tonga at the news of the murder of Poli Kefu, President of the Tonga Leiti Association. Tonga is one of eight countries in Oceania that still criminalise homosexuality.This crime reminds us that small island nations are not immune to the extremes of LGBTIQ hate that destroys families and communities.
At the Mid-Year Meeting of InterPride on 9 May, Robyn Kennedy, InterPride Vice President Global Outreach and Partnerships, led a moment’s silence to pay our respects to Poli Kefu. We also paid our respects to the victims of recent homophobic murders in South Africa.
Tribute from Pride Cook Islands
Pride Cook Islands acknowledges the beautiful life and light of Poli Kefu. A gentle soul who has been taken from this world too soon.
We stand in solidarity with our friends, the Tonga Leiti’s Association, as they farewell their inspirational President. We share our love and prayers with the community in Tonga. |
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Carrying homemade signs with phrases like "Queers against Asian hate," hundreds of people marched in the Castro in solidarity with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in a show of solidarity following violent acts in the Bay Area and beyond.
The crowd gathered first in Harvey Milk Plaza for a rally to denounce such incidents, which many are labeling hate crimes. They include multiple incidents of AAPIs being beaten in the Bay Area, and the recent shootings in the Atlanta region that left eight people dead, including six Asian women.
The March 21 rally, organized by GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance with support from several other organizations, was an expression of the pain and fear the AAPI community is experiencing, as well as a show of unity between the LGBTQ+ and AAPI communities.
One of the most emotional speeches of the day was from Eugene Clifton Cha, a gay Korean man who shared his fear and disbelief upon hearing about the attacks in the Atlanta area last week. He encouraged everyone to take the time to mourn, check in with others, and take care of themselves, but also to allow themselves to be moved to action.
"As much as this is a horrific and unthinkable tragedy against our communities, and one we must grieve, mourn, and remember, we can't let a crisis go to waste," he said. "And at some point our pain must turn to resolve, to action, to change."
Other attendees commented on the intersection of communities of color.
"It's been a year of tumultuous change for everybody, and in 2020, we all came together for Black lives, and we're still here for Black lives," said Martin Muñoz, a gay Latinx man. "But with all the Asian hate and hate crimes that have happened, from March at the beginning of the pandemic, throughout the history of San Francisco, I mean it's due time that we're here for Asian lives."
Over the last year as the pandemic swept across the globe, former President Donald Trump and some of his supporters have repeatedly used racist phrases such as "kung flu" or "China virus" to describe the coronavirus and are accused of fanning anti-Asian sentiment. As the Los Angeles Times noted in a recent column, "California history bristles with violent attacks on Chinese individuals, including an outbreak of lynchings of Chinese residents in Los Angeles in 1871, and on Chinese neighborhoods in San Francisco and Los Angeles."
Several speakers drew parallels between today's climate of violence and hate, and other times in history when Asian people were victimized or scapegoated, such as the World War II-era Japanese internment camps and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) drew another parallel. "I am not a member of the AAPI community, but I am a Jew and I am a gay man. And I know what happens when society refuses to take responsibility for a pandemic, and decides to blame and scapegoat marginalized communities for supposedly causing pandemics to happen," he said.
"We know, as queer people, what happens when we get blamed and scapegoated for a pandemic," Wiener added. "That's what happened, and this was ground zero around HIV/AIDS, and the scapegoating and the attacks on our community that caused so many members of our community to die and so much violence to happen. So we need to stop that in its tracks."
March
After about two hours in the Castro, the group took to the streets and marched down Market Street toward Civic Center, carrying handmade signs such as "We are not silent." After the march made its way to Civic Center, the tone shifted to a more intimate feel, as the crowd diminished in size and several people sat down in the plaza for another set of speakers.
Cecilia Chung, a trans woman who works at the Transgender Law Center and is a San Francisco health commissioner, gave the crowd a brief history lesson on civil rights leader Kiyoshi Kuromiya. "He was born in the internment camp, he was an assistant for Dr. Martin Luther King, he was a delegate to the Black Panther convention, he also was one of the ACT UP movement leaders, and he founded organizations to advocate and fight for resources for people living with HIV," she said.
"But how many of you have heard of him?" she asked. No one responded. "Because why? Because our education in this country is fucked up."
Yuan Wang, a community organizer at API Equality Northern California, reminded those in attendance to stay involved in local organizations beyond just the day's rally and march. "Share your resources, your skills, and your time. We need you to find your role," she said.
Tyler Breisacher
Bay Area Reporter
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Same-Sex Parenthood Draws Unexpected Support in Hungary
Government moves against the LGBTQ community are meant to fire up voters in the run-up to elections next year, but they aren’t resonating with the majority of Hungarians.
Firms from Ikea to a Michelin star restaurant have signed up for a campaign in defense of same-sex parenthood in Hungary, bringing unexpected resistance to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
The Family Is Family campaign has enlisted 140 companies so far, up from 40 in February, in response to steps by Orban to effectively ban adoption for same-sex partners and enshrine in the constitution the idea that marriage is possible only between a man and a woman. The ranks include international giants such as Levi Strauss & Co. and WarnerMedia’s HBO, as well as small- to mid-sized local businesses.
The drive’s popularity is surprising even its organizers in a country where companies have long been wary of taking a stand against Orban. Hungary’s premier since 2010, Orban has sought to consolidate his hold over courts and civil society, and is embroiled in clashes with European Union leaders alarmed by his authoritarian turn.
“A lot of people are afraid, and many told me not to support this campaign,” said Hubert Hlatky-Schlichter, who owns Babel, a Michelin star restaurant in Budapest. He lives with his male partner and one day hopes to raise a child. “I’m not scared of any government sanctions, but honestly that would just make the campaign resonate more. This isn’t about politics, it’s about human rights.”
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Calendar of Events
- Coming Out in the 70s: Early Gay and Lesbian Activism in Australia Exhibition at the State Library – Saturday 28 November 2020 to 30 May 2021
- Defend LGBTIQ rights in NSW: No right to discriminate! demo – 1pm, Saturday 5 June 2021, Town Hall, Sydney
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June Social Lunch – 1pm, Sunday 6 June, 2021, upstairs Terminus Hotel, 61 Harris St Pyrmont, RSVP: info@78ers.org.au
- First Mardi Gras Inc. General Meeting – 4pm, Saturday 12 June 2021, by Zoom
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Out 'n' Proud Festival on Sunshine Coast – 19 June 2021 https://www.outnproud.com.au/
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Salon78 Forum: Why did Mardi Gras Move to Summer? – 3pm Saturday 26 June 2021, Upstairs Colombian Hotel, RSVP: info@78ers.org.au
- WorldPride Copenhagen – 14-21 August 2021 (subject to Covid and travel restrictions), bookings opened in April
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This Is Me Festival from Newcastle Pride – 5 August to 5 September 2021, 2021 Events - Newcastle Pride
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Broken Heel Festival – 9-13 September 2021, GET TICKETS HERE — Broken Heel Festival (bhfestival.com)
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Queer Arts Festival: Queer & Visible (Wollongong) – September 2021 (dates to be confirmed), https://www.facebook.com/wollongongqueerartsfest/
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Fruitopia Fairday (Lismore) – September 2021 (date to be confirmed) https://tropicalfruits.org.au/events/fruitopia-fairday
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Coastal Twist Arts and Culture Festival (Central Coast) – 1-4 October 2021 https://coastaltwist.org.au/whats-on/events/
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OUTintheOPEN Festival from Goulburn Valley Pride Inc. – 28 October-7 November 2021 Goulburn Valley Pride Inc. (gvpride.org) (see helpful Links for YOU on left of screen)
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Parramatta Pride Picnic – November 2021 (date to be confirmed), https://www.facebook.com/events/2317409255253273/
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Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras – March 2022 (date to be confirmed), https://waggamardigras.com/
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Rainbow on the Plains Festival (Hay) – March 2022 (dates to be confirmed), http://www.haymardigras.com.au/
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