In this January edition of the First Mardi Gras Inc. Newsletter, we have:
- Robert French, Diane Minnis and Ken Davis on Salon78: Gay Lib Comes Out 1972!
- Karl Zlotkowski on 2022 Parade – Time to Volunteer Again!
- Diane Minnis on Mardi Gras Daytime Rally, 1pm 5 March 2022
- Richard Thode on our Submission on the Religious Discrimination Bill
- How to register for InterPride’s Generational Racism Webinar, 10am, 23 January 2022
- How to register for Pride History Group’s online forum Documenting Lesbian & Queer Sydney: In Conversation with C. Moore Hardy, 3pm, 23 January 2022
- How to register for InterPride’s Pride Is A Protest | Closed Viewing Documentary, 7pm, 23 January 2022
- Sallie Colechin on the JOY FM Podcast – the First Mardi Gras
- Rebbell Barnes and Bill Ashton on How to get your 78ers and CAMP badges
- Calendar of Events.
Diane Minnis
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On 19 January 1972, Sydney Gay Liberation came out as an independent group at the Sex Lib Forum at Sydney University. Speakers at that forum included Germaine Greer, Liz Fell, Gillian Leahy and Dennis Altman. Dennis’ ground-breaking work, Homosexual Oppression and Liberation, had been published in 1971 in the USA and was about to have its Australian release.
At the forum, Dennis announced that Gay Liberation, which had started in July 1971 within CAMP Inc., was setting up as a separate group. Gay Liberation soon set up in other states and on many campuses.
While CAMP Inc. focussed on lobbying and education, Gay Liberation tended to be more activist, fun and confrontational. Gay Lib organised zaps, street theatre, ‘spraynting’ of slogans, demonstrations and hug ins – when showing same sex affection in public could get you arrested.
However, there was a big overlap of activists with a number involved in both CAMP and Gay Lib and some events were joint actions. Gay Lib organised the 1 July 1972 demonstration outside ABC Sydney Headquarters against the cancellation of a TV program on homosexuality and the gay liberation movement in Australia. But some CAMP Inc. people attended. The 12 November 1972 demonstration at St Clements, Mosman after the sacking of Peter Bonsall-Boone, was jointly organised by both groups.
The heyday of Sydney Gay Liberation was from 1972 to 1973. The group led efforts to hold the first ‘nationally’ organised Gay Pride Week from 9-15 September 1973 in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. Events included zaps, hug-ins, a poetry reading, demonstrations and a wreath-laying at the Cenotaph, Martin Place to honour homosexuals murdered in Nazi Concentration Camps.
First Mardi Gras Inc. is hosting this online Salon78 Forum to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Sydney Gay Liberation. Hear from activists Dennis Altman, Katy O’Rourke, Penny Gulliver and John Witte. Other participants in the heady events of 1972-3 will contribute during the Q&A part of the forum.
Come along and hear about this history of sometimes outrageous LGBTIQ+ activism – on Zoom – Saturday 19 February at 4pm. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/salon78-gay-lib-comes-out-in-1972-tickets-251768625737.
Robert French, Diane Minnis and Ken Davis
78ers and First Mardi Gras Inc. Member and Co-Chairs
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This year the Mardi Gras Parade will go ahead at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with arrangements very similar to those in 2021.
A COVID Safety plan will be in place, and vaccination certificates will be required for all parade participants and members of the audience. The SGLMG 78ers Committee is working to ensure that access to 78er priority seating will be strictly controlled, and that the needs of 78ers, especially those with mobility issues, are carefully managed.
78ers should by now have received an email inviting them to register for the parade. If you haven’t, please let us know!
SGLMG are now preparing the Workshop, and we plan to begin parade preparations at the beginning of February. his year the Workshop has moved to Mascot, very close to Mascot train station. As with the Parade, a COVID Safety plan will apply, including
Q Code check in, masks and distancing. Vaccination certificates or official exemptions will be required.
We are planning to schedule two mid-week work sessions to prep and paint this year’s round of placard slogans that highlight events from 1972, as part of our ongoing 50 Years of Visibility theme. The 1972 events are:
- January 1972 - Sydney Gay Liberation separate from CAMP NSW
- January 1972 - Gay Liberation Groups in other states
- January 1972 - Sue Wills & Lex Watson Co-Presidents of CAMP NSW
- May 1972 - Dr George Duncan murdered in Adelaide
- July 1972 - demonstration outside ABC Sydney - David MacDiarmid arrested
- July 1972 - Dennis Altman, ABC TV Monday Conference
- October 1972 - Sue Wills, Gabrielle Antolovich, Peter Bonsall-Boone, Peter de Waal on ABC TV Chequerboard
- November 1972 - David Widdup stands against PM Billy McMahon in Federal Election
- November 1972 - limited law reform in South Australia
- November 1972 - Demonstration at St Clement’s Mosman protesting Peter Bonsall-Boone sacking
- December 1972 - Melbourne Gay Liberation demonstration
We also have a suggestion that we include a reference to Number 96, which premiered in March 1972. If you remember any other events that you think we should include, please let us know!
If you’d like to volunteer for some sessions at the workshop, please email us at info@78ers.org.au.
Karl Zlotkowski
78ers and First Mardi Gras Inc. Secretary
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Several 78ers are continuing to join the open planning meetings for the rally to be held on the day of the Mardi Gras Parade – at 1pm on Saturday 5 March 2022. The meetings are organised by Pride in Protest (PiP) and people from Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) and young independent activists also attend.
78ers at the meetings were very keen to have the main demand of the rally our opposition to the Religious Freedom Bill. We suggested the slogan ‘Stop the Bigots Bill!’. We also supported the other demands around transgender rights, queer refugees, decriminalising sex work and Black Lives Matter. But we preferred ‘Fund Services Before Police’ to the demand ‘Fund Services Not Police’, which the majority at the meeting voted for.
It is important to work with a range of activists to build the Mardi Gras Daytime Rally as a political event to fight against pending anti-LGBTIQ+ legislation and for improved rights for our community.
The Mardi Gras Parade is an important celebration too, even in its stadium incarnation. It is a beacon to LGBTIQ+ people everywhere and part of the global stand against homophobia in an increasingly right-wing world.
Diane Minnis
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair
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First Mardi Gras Inc. has been active in the LGBTIQ+ protest against the Education (Parental Rights) Bill (Latham Bill) in NSW. Barry Charles delivering an impassioned and well-received address from the Sydney Town Hall steps to the first rally on 5 June 2021. We have been at all the protests since and we will continue to be there. 78ers have been very well received and these rallies, and our banner given prominence by the organisers.
Federally, the backlash to Same-Sex Marriage has been manifest in the Religious Discrimination legislation from the Morrison Government. This legislation has been in the offing since 2019 as it was part of PM Morrison's election agenda, despite strong recommendations against such a step by the Ruddock Inquiry in 2018. But it hasn’t quite got up yet.
Presumably as part of his pre-Election 2022 agenda, Morrison and his new Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash, brought forward the Religious Discrimination Bill and its contingent legislation in late 2021. It is now before the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, with submissions required on pretty short notice (by 7th Jan 2022) for hearing on 20th Jan and with a reporting date to the Senate of 4 February 2022.
The First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee decided to support and endorse the submission from Pride in Protest and the National Union of Students (NUS) Queer Department, rather than make a separate submission. This means that our logo appears on that submission. As part of the process we provided some minor edits to improve grammar errors and typos and these were accepted. As Ken Davis said, if we were writing the submission ourselves we might have approached it slightly differently, but it was pretty good – and time was of the essence given the tight close date.
Probably the best “taste” of the submission is its Summary:
Pride in Protest, First Mardi Gras Inc., and the National Union of Students (NUS) Queer Department oppose the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 and contingent pieces of legislation being implemented in part or in whole. This bill does nothing to serve religious minorities who it is alleged to protect, and instead only entrenches discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people, women, sex workers, and disabled people.
Accordingly we believe it should be withdrawn entirely from parliament without amendment or further debate, and failing that our view is that every MP should be urged to vote down this bill. Any attempt to amend this bill would be a concession to bigotry that would harm LGBTIQ+ people, amongst other minorities.
Richard Thode
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Treasurer
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The Generational Racism Webinar is a multigenerational discussion about systemic racism within queer spaces. This webinar is part of the Rainbow Racism Webinar series.
The hope is that by having these discussions, we weed out divisive tactics from the larger society that occasionally filters into our smaller marginalized community. This is an effort to evolve, learn, and validate lived experiences to better prepare for advocacy and activism.
Register here. (10am Sunday 23.1.22 AEDT) |
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Sunday 23 January, 3-4pm
This Sunday, Pride History Group is hosting an online discussion and visual showcase of Lesbian and Queer Lives in Sydney from the 1970s through to more recent times through the work of an extraordinary documentary artist.
In this upcoming event, we will be focusing on the work and contribution of C.Moore Hardy as she joins Pride History Group President and historian, Dr Shirleene Robinson in discussion.
C. Moore Hardy has made an outstanding contribution to documenting the history of the LGBTIQ+ community through her photography. Since the 1970s, her evocative and powerful work has particularly sought to capture those who have often been excluded from the historical record.
Event registration
All are welcome to attend this free event this Sunday, 23 January at 3:00PM. To register for the online event (held via Zoom) please follow the link below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kce6qpj4uGtaLERO6YN2VT1LCIj8ii_79?fbclid=IwAR2O0ppuXg408EKNNCbaWRi2u4ye8luHZBYIyx0LbJUQX2fY48_TwU8obN4
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. |
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InterPride is proud to showcase a complimentary live documentary screening, “Pride Is A Protest.”
We are joined by the creators of this documentary and will stream the film LIVE during the session. Registration is required. Two viewing opportunities are offered on Sunday, January 23, 2022: Register for 8:00 AM GMT here (7pm Sunday 23.1.22 AEDT). Register for 8:00 PM GMT here (7am Monday 24.1.22 AEDT). |
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JOY FM (94.9 Melbourne) have made a series of Podcasts for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
The first podcast features Sallie Colechin (78er - she/her), Sarah Levett (who marched in the Mardi Gras parade for the first time in 2020 - she/her) and Carole Mueller (who came out as trans later in her life, and is very active in Trans Gender Victoria - she/they). Jordan Johnstone did the interview, which flowed really well.
The discussion in the first one (Episode 1 - My first Mardi Gras) explores Sallie’s experiences as an organiser of the original events in 1978, the perspective of those who have come to the movement in the years since, and their hopes for future LGBTQI+ generations and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Questions include: What is your experience of being in the SGLMG?, What are your hopes for the next 40+ years for SGLMG?, and What advice do you have for future LGBTQIA+ generations?
You can listen to JOY FM live online via: https://joy.org.au/programs/podcasts/. We will let you know when the podcasts are scheduled to go to air.
Sallie Colechin
78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Member
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78er badges are $5 each and postage is $3.09 (total $8.09). If you want to order more than one badge, the postage is still $3.09 for up to five badges. To order badges, email your name, postal address and the number of badges required to info@78ers.org.au. Then make your payment by funds transfer. Please use your name as the reference for your deposit. Alternatively, you can post a cheque.
CAMP badges are $3.50 each plus $3.00 packaging and postage. To order and obtain pricing for multiple badges, contact Robyn Kennedy at rk.am@bigpond.com. Please include your name, address and number of badges requested. Banking details for direct deposit will be provided. |
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Calendar of Events
- First Mardi Gras Inc. General Meeting – 4pm, Saturday 22 January 2022,
by Zoom
- InterPride’s Generational Racism Webinar– 10am, Sunday 23 January 2022, online Register here
- Pride History Group’s online forum Documenting Lesbian & Queer Sydney: In Conversation with C. Moore Hardy – 3pm, Sunday 23 January 2022 Register
- InterPride’s Pride Is A Protest | Closed Viewing Documentary – 7pm, Sunday 23 January 2022, online Register
- Midsumma Festival, Melbourne – 23 January to 13 February 2022 Midsumma Festival - Midsumma Festival - Home
- Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Annual General Meeting – 11am, Saturday 29 January 2022
- First Mardi Gras Inc. Pre Mardi Gras Lunch – 12pm, Sunday 6 February 2022, Terminus Hotel, Pyrmont (Covid permitting), RSVP: info@78ers.org.au
- Community Action for Rainbow Rights Protest the Religious Discrimination Bill! Defend LGBTI Rights – 1pm, Saturday 12 February 2022, Town Hall
- First Mardi Gras Inc. Salon78: Gay Lib Comes Out 1972 – 4pm, Saturday 19 February 2022, by Zoom, Register
- Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day – 10am-9pm, Sunday 20 February 2022
- First Mardi Gras Inc. Pre Mardi Gras Gathering – 5pm, Thursday 3 March 2022, outdoor venue TBC (Covid permitting), RSVP: info@78ers.org.au
- Mardi Gras Daytime Rally – 1pm, Saturday 5 March 2022, Taylor Square
- Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade – Saturday 5 March 2022, Sydney Cricket Ground
- Gold Coast Pride Festival – 20 to 27 March 2022 HOME | GCRainbowcommunities
- Wagga Mardi Gras, Wagga Wagga – Saturday 12 March 2022 https://waggamardigras.com/
- Rainbow on the Plains Festival, Hay – March 2022 (dates to be confirmed), http://www.haymardigras.com.au/
- Broken Heel Festival, Broken Hill – 8 to 12 September 2022 https://www.bhfestival.com/festival-tickets
- Coastal Twist Arts and Cultural Festival – 27 September to 3 October 2022 https://coastaltwist.org.au/whats-on/events/
- Newcastle and Hunter Pride Festival – has been rescheduled to October 2022, see website for details https://newcastlepride.com.au/
- Fruitopia Fair Day, Lismore – has been postponed with new dates yet to be advised Fruitopia Fairday - Tropical Fruits
- Parramatta Pride Picnic, Parramatta – has been postponed with new dates yet to be advised Parramatta Pride Picnic — Rainbow Cultures
Please check links closer to the advertised dates for confirmation of events.
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