SBS: Commission of inquiry into LGBTIQ+ hate crimes in NSW formally launched

ABC News: NSW Police apologise for removing Mardi Gras advocate from parade

Star Observer: Homage, Pilgrimage and Protest: Why Sydney’s Mardi Gras Parade Should Go Back to the Streets

Star Observer: Mardi Gras 78ers Committee Calls On NSW Police To Apologise To Barbara Karpinski

Star Observer: NSW Police Eject Mardi Gras ’78er From Sydney Cricket Ground Over Anti-Putin Poster

ABC RN: God Forbid: Sydney's Mardi Gras - the complexities of Pride and faith

ABC NEWS: Mardi Gras parade participants set for a proud, loud night for all the world to see

Vogue: From then to now: A Mardi Gras '78er and a first-time attendee, in conversation

A member of the ’78ers and a Mardi Gras novice discuss how things have changed since the first march 44 years ago, the gay experience now and then, and why Sydney Mardi Gras is the best pride event in the world.

Read the entire article on Vogue.

10 News: Sydney Mardi Gras 45th Anniversary - 78ers Talk Police Brutality And LGBTQ Solidarity

June 24th, 2023 is the 45th anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Ahead of Mardi Gras 2022, Channel 10 News sat down with the 78ers, who were the first people to march in Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, an iconic Australian LGBTQIA+ event.

Watch the segment below, or click here to view on YouTube

SMH: ‘Less political, less sexual’: Has big business taken over Mardi Gras?

Salon78: Gay Lib Comes Out 1972

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. focused 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.

Star Observer: Gay Liberation Turns 50 (Robyn Kennedy)

Newsletter - January 2022

View this email in your browser January 2022 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 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 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 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 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 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) 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. 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). 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 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. 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.

Newsletter - December 2021

View this email in your browser December 2021 In this December, end of year round up edition of the First Mardi Gras Inc. Newsletter, we have: Karl Zlotkowski and Diane Minnis on 78ers in the 2022 Mardi Gras Parade Ken Davis on Mardi Gras Daytime Protest, 5 March 2022 Karl Zlotkowski on Protest the Religious Discrimination Bill Robyn Kennedy on InterPride General Meeting and World Conference Diane Minnis on Christmas at the Colombian – with lots of photos Photos from the Launch of Toby Zoates’ book: Punk Outsider Lance Day’s Tribute to Peter Binning on his passing Rosie Pentreath on her new OUTcast Podcast Rebbell Barnes and Bill Ashton on How to get your 78ers and CAMP badges Calendar of Events. Diane Minnis In the next few weeks, the Mardi Gras 78ers Committee will send out emails with a survey to register to march in the 2022 Parade. You can also volunteer for the 78ers tent at Fair Day and request a 78ers t-shirt if you don’t already have one. 78ers who are Lifetime Members of Mardi Gras will receive this email from SGLMG and First Mardi Gars Inc. will also broadcast this email to all 78ers on our list. You may get it twice…but we want to make sure that the information gets to all 78ers for whom we have contact details. In recent weeks there have been problems with some 78er members of Mardi Gras not receiving offers of tickets in the stands at the SCG. We have been making representations to Mardi Gras to have email addresses corrected and emails resent. If you still do not have one of these seating offers, and you are a Mardi Gras member, let us know at info@78ers.org.au.   However, there will be seats in the stands for all who march in the Parade in addition to those you have booked. Members of the elected Mardi Gras 78ers Committee are: Sue Fletcher, Helen Gollan, Penny Gulliver, Diane Minnis, Richard Riley and Karl Zlotkowski.   Karl Zlotkowski and Diane Minnis 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Secretary and Co-Chair Last year I took part in the Pride in Protest (PiP) organised daytime “Take Over Oxford Street March” on the day of the Mardi Gras Parade. This was a bit like 24 June 1978, with a militant daytime street march, and a larger night-time parade. This year, some 78ers are attending the open planning meetings for a daytime protest rally on the day of the Mardi Gras Parade – Saturday 4 March 2022. The meetings are attended by PiP members, people from Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR), young independent activists as well as a few of us veterans of LGBTIQ struggles. The key demand of the rally is opposing the Religious Freedom Bill along with demands around transgender rights, queer refugees, police, decriminalising sex work and Black Lives Matter. A number of 78ers will march in this daytime protest rally, others will join the Mardi Gras Parade and some of us will do both. This seems to be the way things are going around the world – with unofficial protests alongside large official Pride celebrations.   Ken Davis 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair   On 5 December 2021, 78ers once again joined a rally to protest against the Federal Government’s Religious Freedom Bill. This Bill was introduced late in the last sitting of the year, and has now been referred to an Inquiry. Some of the more contentious elements have been removed (including the so-called “Folau Clause”) but even in its current form it remains a threat to all secular minorities. It has rightly been described as a Religious Discrimination Bill, and would effectively give licence to bigots to discriminate, if their prejudice is grounded in “faith”.  It also threatens to over-ride State anti-discrimination legislation, setting back the gains of decades of struggle. Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) organised the rally against the Bill and two rallies earlier in the year, with another scheduled for the new year. On 5 December a crowd of several hundred assembled in Taylor Square, including a staunch band of 78ers with the “78ers - Still Out and Proud” banner. I spoke first, on behalf of the 78ers, with the aim of linking the current struggle against discrimination with the struggles of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Other speakers – Federal Greens Senator Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Lydia Shelly from the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, CARR’s April Holcombe and Drag Race Down Under star Etcetera Etcetera – rallied the crowd before the noisy march down Oxford Street to Hyde Park, led by CARR and the 78ers. A full video of the rally can be found here: https://fb.watch/9JweueANTT/. The text of my speech follows. It should be clear that my intention was to underline the place of our group within the community and its history, and our intention to continue the struggle we began 50 years ago.   “I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land, and their elders, past and present. I also acknowledge the elders of my own community – our community – some of whom are here today. These people have struggled against discrimination and bigotry for over 50 years.  nd that bigotry and discrimination stemmed from the views of ‘people of faith’, who use their religion as both a shield and a sword. In 1978 these people gathered here, in this place, to start a peaceful protest down Oxford Street. That “Mardi Gras’ ended up with a riot in the Cross, police violence and mass arrests. Those arrested were brought here, to that police station, and some were bashed in the cells. And those who did the bashing probably went to church the next day. It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now. In 1978 these people were aware of the activities of Anita Bryant, a right wing Christian who led a campaign to roll back anti-discrimination provisions in the employment of teachers in Miami. Her slogan was “Save our Children”. Her campaign succeeded. Her motivation was her profound religious belief. In 1978 a similar initiative in California (the “Briggs Initiative”) failed, after a sustained campaign of resistance by gay groups in the USA. And one of those rallies in San Francisco was the first time the rainbow flag was ever flown. The Sydney rallies in June 1978 were part of an International Day of Solidarity with those same protests in California. The first Mardi Gras was part of a global campaign to resist the right to discriminate on the grounds of religious belief. It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now. These people led the struggle that created our community in the 1970’s, but that struggle against bigotry was not over. In the 1980’s these people struggled against the wave of vilification and abuse directed at our community by ‘people of faith’. HIV/AIDS was not our fault. It was not a punishment sent from God. But ‘people of faith’ believed that it was, and believed they had a right to say so. It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now. In 1989 the Reverend Fred Nile led a march of so-called Christians up this street to ‘cleanse’ our community. And these people met him just over there, at the head of the street. Our own Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence stood by to bless his ragged crowd and all was good will until someone started chanting “Bring on the lions!” We shouldn’t have done that, but it’s hard not to give a bit back when you’re insulted and vilified by self-appointed guardians of public decency who hide their bigotry behind a shield of faith. It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now. Then in the 1990’s we marched down this street, all carrying whistles, to protest against a wave of homophobic violence against our community, and the lack of police action to deal with it. We had to organise our own security patrols. That violence was carried out by people who’d grown up believing that our community was fair game. Homophobic violence, like discrimination in education, employment, health care and aged care all stems from a belief that some people are entitled to different rights from other people, simply because they believe. The supporters of this bill want a law to allow them to do unto others what they would not want done to them, simply because that fits with their ‘ethos’. These people, the elders of our community, have struggled against this idea all their lives.  And they will continue to fight, with you. It wasn’t right then, and it isn’t right now. Kill this bill!”    Karl Zlotkowski 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Secretary InterPride’s 2021 General Meeting and World Conference was held November 6-8 and November 11-14, 2021. The annual event was again held online due to COVID, with members of First Mardi Gras Inc. participating in a number of sessions. This year’s workshops included a focus on the impact of colonisation. Workshops included Decolonising sexual identities, Resurgence of 2Spirit/Indigenous LGBTQIA in Canada and Pushing back against colonial era anti-LGBTQIA policies and laws in Global South. Auntie Esther Montgomery from the First Nations LGBTQIA Elders Coalition was a speaker in the Global South workshop. Robyn Kennedy was a speaker on the panel, Intergenerational Pride: Youth and Seniors. Together with Co-President Julian Sanjivan, Robyn also presented during the second Plenary session on the outcomes of the stakeholder engagement project. The project, conducted over 12 months, aims to inform the development of a new Strategic Plan for InterPride. A joint networking meeting was held between members in Oceania and Asia. This provided an opportunity to share information on activities and issues across both regions. A key feature of the General Meeting and World Conference was presentations by bidding cities for WorldPride 2025. Bidding cities were Kaohsiung Pride (Taiwan) and Capital Pride (Washington, USA). After completion of the voting process, WorldPride 2025 was awarded to Kaohsiung Pride. WorldPride 2025 will be the first to be held in Asia.   Robyn Kennedy 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member Christmas at the Colombian was our first opportunity in 21 months to get together as a larger group. The first floor bar of the Colombian Hotel has been revamped and we enjoyed drinks, finger food and catching up face to face. We also enjoyed singing some of the early 1980s Gay Liberation Quire songs led by David Abello on guitar. The raffle that First Mardi Gras Inc. has run during the year was drawn by SGLMG Board member Giovanni Campolo-Arcidiaco and FMG Inc. Associate Members Alice Anderson and William Brougham. The winners were: Giovanni Campolo-Arcidiaco, Betty Hounslow and Leonard Watson. Thanks to Rebbell Barnes for leading the organising effort for Christmas at the Colombian and to Bill Ashton for supplying a number of fun lucky door prizes.   Diane Minnis 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair My friend, 78er Peter Binning has passed away aged 76, only eight weeks after being diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. Peter was a warm and generous friend. He had a presence about him and put on the best parties! Peter was born in Poland towards the end of World War II and smuggled out as a baby to England. He was adopted at three months of age by an English couple who later migrated with Peter to New Zealand. Peter had a very colourful life travelling the world as an opera singer and in recent years sang in opera dinner cruises on Sydney Harbour. Eight years ago, Peter lost his partner Declan. His well-attended funeral at Marrickville Town Hall was a tribute to his life in opera. Peter loved a good time and was a fun person to know. He will be sadly missed by all his many friends.   Lance Day 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Member If you’re looking a new queer podcast, I launched @OUTcast Podcast recently. It’s a bit like Desert Island Discs, but all the guests telling their life stories are queer – and there’s less music! Season 1 features fascinating and empowering interviews and coming out stories from the most inspiring LGBTQ+ people from all over the world, including a transgender vicar, Nigerian refugee fleeing conversion therapy, a queer sex worker, and a leader in the British Royal Air Force. Check us out at: https://outcast-podcast.zencast.website/   Rosie Pentreath First Mardi Gras Inc. Volunteer during the 40th Anniversary year 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 to PO Box 1029 Glebe NSW 2037. 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. Calendar of Events Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Extraordinary General Meeting – Thursday 23 December 2021 Coastal Twist Arts and Cultural Festival – 19-23 January 2022 https://coastaltwist.org.au/whats-on/events/ First Mardi Gras Inc. General Meeting – 4pm, Saturday 22 January 2022, by Zoom Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Annual General Meeting – 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 First Mardi Gras Inc. Salon78: Fiftieth Anniversary of Sydney Gay Liberation – 3pm, Saturday 19 February 2022, Colombian Hotel (Covid permitting) and Zoom, RSVP: info@78ers.org.au Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Fair Day – 10am-9pm, Sunday 20 February 2022 Mardi Gras Daytime Protest – 1pm, Saturday 5 March 2022, Oxford Street Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade – Saturday 5 March 2022, Sydney Cricket Ground Broken Heel Festival, Broken Hill – 24-28 March 2022 and 8-12 September 2022. https://www.bhfestival.com/festival-tickets Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras – 12 March 2022 (https://waggamardigras.com/ Rainbow on the Plains Festival, Hay – March 2022 (dates to be confirmed), http://www.haymardigras.com.au/ Newcastle and Hunter Pride Festival – has been rescheduled to October 2022, see website for details https://newcastlepride.com.au/ Please check links closer to the advertised dates for confirmation of events.

Star Observer: ‘Trojan Horse For Hate’: Sydney Rallies Against Religious Discrimination Bill

Newsletter - November 2021

View this email in your browser November 2021 In this November edition of the First Mardi Gras Inc. Newsletter, we have: Diane Minnis and Sandra Gobbo on the Mardi Gras Constitutional Changes Donald McPherson on Brisbane Pride Fair Day Diane Minnis on the Protest Perrottet demonstration Photos of our November Social Lunch Details of our Christmas at the Colombian event – Sunday 12 December Rebbell Barnes and Bill Ashton on How to get your 78ers badges, Raffle tickets and CAMP badges Calendar of Events. Diane Minnis Constitution Review Committee webinar – 1 November 2021 A 16 member Constitution Review Committee (CRC) has been working since August 2021 on updating the Constitution of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The committee includes members from a variety of backgrounds including 78er Ross Aubrey and former Mardi Gras Board members: Jane Marsden, Liz Dods and Greg Small. The process was led by SGLMG Company Secretary Charmaine Belfanti. On Monday 1 November 2021 Charmaine and the CRC hosted a webinar for Mardi Gras members – outlining the main changes and answering some, but not all, of the questions posed by participants.   Proposed changes The stated aim of the review was that the current Constitution is the result of a series of piecemeal amendments over many years. It does not reflect the responsibilities SGLMG have under the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC Act 2012) and Australian Corporations Law (Corporations Act 2001). The advertised main changes to the Constitution include: updates to reflect new requirements of the ACNC Act and Corporations Law to protect charity status a new preamble which tells the story of our struggle, protest and celebrations since 1978 an expanded Board, with 9 members up from the current 8, with 5 elected and 4 appointed to bring varied skills, experience and representation a First Nations representative on the Board, whether elected or appointed a policy requiring the Board to have 40% representation of people who identify as women, 40% representation of people who identify as men, and 20% for under-represented diversity groups, including transgender and non-binary people. Some other gems that emerged during presentations and responses to questions were that: the board appoint a single Chair, rather than Co-Chairs the Chair of Directors must preside as chair at a General Meeting currently members with at least 5% (around 100) of the votes can request a general meeting and 2 members can propose a resolution. But now the number of members who can propose a resolution is at least 5% (around 100) of the votes.   My thoughts I don’t mind the Board being expanded to 9 members, but I do have a real problem with having 4 of them appointed. This is a recipe for domination by a small group and is antidemocratic. As a Board Member of New Mardi Gras in 2004, I moved a motion that the Board comprise 50% women and 50% men. The motion was not carried and made me pretty unpopular with the boys club. So I applaud the move to increase diversity on the Board, especially to address the persistent underrepresentation of women. During the webinar, I asked a question on how the policy would work to have the Board comprise 40% women, 40% men and 20% including transgender and non-binary people. The response was wishy-washy, along the lines that the new Board would need to adopt the policy before it could be put into effect. As a veteran of the ALP Affirmative Action campaigns in the 1990s, it is pretty obvious that this policy is not going to be enforced. It is wishful thinking that any change in Board diversity will happen without rule changes and quotas. Similarly, there were no compelling reasons presented, other than that it’s the usual way companies are run, to have a single Chair. Currently, the Board determine its leadership roles and, after the formation of New Mardi Gras in 2003, there have almost always been Co-Chairs. This has increased women’s representation in leadership and allowed for effective partnerships that benefited the organisation. Comments were made by the Company Secretary that a single Chair of Directors allows for succession planning and they *might* have a Deputy Chair….though this is not in the proposed Constitution. The proposal that the Chair of Directors must preside as chair at a General Meeting is just cloud cuckoo land stuff. Almost none of the Co-Chairs I have seen in action have had the skills and knowledge of the meeting procedures to effectively chair a large, contentious general meeting. The proposal to increase the number of members who can propose a resolution at a member-called general meeting from 2 to around 100 is another clearly anti-democratic move. At the webinar several mainstream activist members of Mardi Gras were asking questions indicating their opposition to many of the key changes proposed. This has continued on Facebook. Given this, it doesn’t look like this new constitution will be passed by the 75% of members present at the General Meeting that considers it.   Diane Minnis 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair   Discussion following the Webinar Following the webinar, a members group was created on Facebook called the SGLMG Constitution Review Forum. This allows members to express concerns, opinions and ask further questions, given that hardly any answers were provided during the webinar. Discussions started in a lively manner with issues raised regarding the new Constitutional preamble which some saw as historically inaccurate and unnecessarily gentle in its language. Some have questioned why this review is necessary. Given that the Constitution was updated in 2015 to cover the legal requirements under the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits and Commission (ACNC Act 2012) and Australian Corporations Law (Corporations Act 2001). There are ongoing discussions on the page, with animated debates on issues such as increasing the number of board members and the increase of terms for directors from 2 to 3 years and 3 terms (both measures were already voted down at previous AGMs). Questions have been raised regarding the number of proxies still not being addressed in the review. The change to allow proxies to be directed to non-members is seen as unnecessary. The issue of quotas has also been discussed. Interestingly the Constitution Review Committee has suggested that the Board have 40% representation of people who identify as women, 40% representation of people who identify as men, and 20% for under-represented diversity groups, including transgender and non-binary people. This appears to be a rather clumsy attempt at inclusion and diversity. It would appear that the intention of the Board had been to have the constitutional reform moved as a single resolution at the General Meeting which was to be held on 1 December. However once it was pointed out to SGLMG that the proposed meeting date coincided with World Aids Day, the meeting date has been changed and is yet to be announced. I would encourage all 78ers who are members of SGLMG to join the Facebook forum. At the time of writing there has been very little interaction between the forum and the Constitution Review Committee. However members have been assured that there will be answers provided to all questions raised, and that the members’ concerns will be noted prior to the General Meeting at a new date to be set.   Sandra Gobbo 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Member Brisbane Pride March, Saturday 30th October 2021. Video clip: Facebook. On Saturday 30th October 2021 I attended the Brisbane Pride March and the Brisbane Pride Fair Day – wearing my 78ers t-shirt of course! I boarded the senior’s bus provided by The Queensland Council for LGBTI Health (QC). Half way down the march I exited the bus and joined the QC marching group on foot. On 24 August 2021, the Committee of Brisbane Pride Incorporated had decided to allow Queensland Police Officers to march in this year’s Brisbane Pride Festival Rally and March. But they requested that officers not march in uniform. Despite an apology from the Queensland Parliament for historic wrongs, the Queensland Police Service is yet to acknowledge or apologise for their past acts. The Pride Fair Day was well represented by different public service organisations including Police and Corrective Services. There were other stalls with commercial companies but it was great to see so many community care organisations as well as aged care groups. The Pride Fair Day was also a great opportunity to see all the varied members of our community from youngsters to elders. Sadly, I left early as the sun was very hot indeed!   Donald McPherson 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Member A couple of hundred people gathered in front of Sydney Town Hall for the Protest Perrottet demonstration on Sunday 31 October 2021. The event was organised by Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR). The 78ers banner was there in support, along with 78ers Richard Thode, Diane Minnis, Barry Charles, Karl Zlotkowski, Wanda Kluke and Diane Fieldes. Speakers included CARR’s April Holcombe and Patrick Wright, Green’s City of Sydney Lord Mayoral candidate Sylvie Ellsmore, LGBTIQ activist and nurse Julia, and Alex King from the Macquarie University Queer Collective.  The speakers focused on Premier Dominic Perrottet’s religious conservatism and how this may increase the likelihood of the Religious Discrimination and the Education (Parental Rights) Bills being passed in NSW. After the speeches and chants, including No bigotry, no way We're gonna fight you, Perrottet, we marched through the city to Parliament House. The next event from CARR will be a Protest Against the Religious Freedoms Bills demo on Saturday 4 December, 1pm Taylor Square.   Diane Minnis 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair Join us for the first large in-person event that First Mardi Gras has held in more than 18 months. In between lockdowns, we held a couple of lunches and a picnic, but this is our first opportunity to get together as a larger group. We will be returning to the first floor bar of the Colombian Hotel and providing some entertainment and finger food. You can enter from the Oxford street door and take the lift up, so that you don’t need to struggle up the stairs. You can buy your own drinks and we are asking for a small entry fee to help cover costs of the event. There will be lucky door prizes and don’t forget to bring change to buy raffle tickets and badges. 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. 2021 Raffle We have opened up raffle ticket sales so that you can order by email. First make your payment, using the bank details in the 78ers badge article above, and then email your name and number of tickets. We will then email you a photo of your ticket numbers and your name on the ticket stubs. The raffle will be drawn just prior to the 2022 Mardi Gras Parade.   Rebbell Barnes and Bill Ashton 78ers and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Members Calendar of Events First Mardi Gras Inc. General Meeting – 4pm, Saturday 20 November 2021 by Zoom Protest Against the Religious Freedoms Bills – 1pm, Saturday 4 December 2021, Taylor Square Fruitopia Fair Day, Lismore – Sunday 5 December 2021 https://tropicalfruits.org.au/events/fruitopia-fairday Christmas at the Colombian – 5-8pm, Sunday 12 December 2021 RSVP: info@78ers.org.au Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Extraordinary General Meeting – Thursday 23 December 2021 Coastal Twist Arts and Cultural Festival – 19-23 January 2022 https://coastaltwist.org.au/whats-on/events/ Broken Heel Festival, Broken Hill – 24-28 March 2022 and 8-12 September 2022. https://www.bhfestival.com/home Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras – 12 March 2022 (https://waggamardigras.com/ Rainbow on the Plains Festival, Hay – March 2022 (dates to be confirmed) http://www.haymardigras.com.au/ Newcastle and Hunter Pride Festival – has been rescheduled to October 2022, see website for details https://newcastlepride.com.au/ Please check links closer to the advertised dates for confirmation of events.

SBS: NSW LGBTIQ+ hate crimes inquiry welcomed by survivors and advocates

Newsletter - October 2021

View this email in your browser October 2021 In this October edition of the First Mardi Gras Inc. Newsletter, we have: Diane Minnis and Ken Davis on the First Mardi Gras Inc. AGM and Annual Report Barry Charles on the European Pride Organisers Association AGM Robyn Kennedy on the upcoming InterPride AGM & World Conference April Holcombe on the online forum: Why the Religious Discrimination Bill is so dangerous Diane Minnis on the online forum: The global fight for LGBTI rights: No right-wing backlash! How to get your 78ers badges, Raffle tickets and CAMP badges Rebbell Barnes and Bill Ashton on our next Social Lunch – Sunday 7 November Survey for Adults with Same Sex Parents Calendar of Events. Diane Minnis A lively group of members attended the First Mardi Gras Inc. Annual General Meeting, held by Zoom on Saturday 9 October 2021. It was great to have a number of regionally-based members taking part in the meeting. The following Management Committee members were elected at the AGM: Co-Chairs: Diane Minnis and Ken Davis Secretary: Karl Zlotkowski Treasurer: Richard Thode Committee Members: Maree Marsh, Robyn Kennedy, Bill Ashton and Rebbell Barnes. Barry Charles stood down from the Committee and his role as Secretary to concentrate on managing our membership applications, renewals and records. Many thanks to Barry for his committed work as Secretary, contributions to the newsletter and representing us at meetings of international LGBTIQ organisations. We look forward to continuing to work with you Barry. And welcome to new Committee member Bill Ashton, who is keen to focus on fundraising and events.   Diane Minnis and Ken Davis 78ers and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chairs In the Co-Chairs report, we noted that it has been a difficult year and there are threats to our rights in Australia and from authoritarians around the world. September and October 2020 marked the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ visibility in Australia. And we held three online Salon78 Forums this year.  The Mardi Gras Parade in stadium mode made the best of a bad situation. We rallied against the NSW Education (Parental Rights) Bill and state and federal religious freedoms bills. Thanks to the photographers and videographers who allowed us to use their work. Download the 2021 Annual Report. The Association of European Pride Organisations (EPOA) held their AGM on 25 September 2021. First Mardi Gras Inc. as an associate member sat in on the Zoom, which was hosted by Madrid Pride. The Spanish Minister for Tourism recorded a welcome to the participants. It was very interesting see how things are going with Pride organisations throughout Europe. Each city reported on how they had celebrated pride through the difficult circumstances of 2020-21. Amsterdam had no canal parade but hosted a seated stage show outdoors in a park which was broadcast live on the net. Belgium held a series of smaller events over 4 weeks which were Covid manageable. Hamburg spread smaller events over 2 weeks and focused on a Human Rights Conference. While these cities scaled back activities; Vienna, Magdeburg and Geneva had large scale almost normal events. Others delayed or postponed Pride to September. London intended to go ahead with a large parade but due to Covid it was cancelled at the last minute. Of great concern was that many cities reported an upsurge in anti-queer violence across Europe. The situation in Poland and Budapest is very troubling as the governments and the church join forces to attack and wind back hard won advances. Cities that will host future European Pride events outlined their preparations. Belgrade, working in a hostile social environment, is nevertheless holding EuroPride 2022 in September. They reported that at least the media was not negative when the event was announced and they have the support of the Serbian Tourist Board. It remains to be seen if they can get the necessary organisation together. They will not have a website up until April 2022. Valetta (Malta) is well advanced with plans for 2023. They will hold major events in Il Fosas Square – a stunning location. They have a full program mapped out already including a 2 day HR Conference with the Topic “Equity at Work”. The Government has already chipped in E300,000. Thessaloniki 2024. They were originally awarded the 2020 EuroPride but the dreaded Covid-19 killed that. They want a highly political event to change things in their society. Since their original bid there has been a shift politically in their region. The local mayor is now not in favour and the Greek Tourism Minister who was originally enthusiastic has been more subdued lately. At the end of the meeting issues were raised about the relationship between EPOA and InterPride. EPOA remains concerned that InterPride is planning to support annual World Prides which would affect the viability of EuroPride. This reflects the debate at the October 2020 InterPride AGM over an application from Montreal Pride to hold a 2024 World Pride which would have had implications for the viability of Sydney 2023. Further annual World Prides have since been proposed. We reported on this in October 2020 Newsletter. Negotiations will continue through the year as EPOA say they find InterPride a sluggish and unresponsive organisation. It was reported that Copenhagen/Malmo were “unhappy” with aspects of InterPride over World Pride 2021.   Barry Charles 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Member Just a reminder to register for the InterPride online Annual General Meeting and World Conference. You can participate in a wide range of workshops and caucuses including women, trans, non-binary, elders, black and people of colour. I will be co-presenting on the outcomes of the Stakeholder Engagement Consultation to inform development of a new Strategic Plan and will be a member of the panel on Intergenerational Pride: Youth and Seniors. Here is the registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-annual-general-meeting-world-conference-tickets-164419137065 There is no fee for member organisations of InterPride, such as First Mardi Gras Inc., and a small fee for non-members. Members of our Oceania region (Region 20) will be meeting online with members from Asia (Regions 18 and 19) during the conference at 6pm Sydney time on Thursday November 11. If you would like to participate please let either myself, Diane Minnis or Russell Weston know.   Robyn Kennedy 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member robyn.kennedy@interpride.org Speakers at this online forum hosted on 7 October 2021 by Macquarie Socialists and Macquarie University Queer Collective were: Karen Pack, former Christian educator, sacked for her sexuality Karl Zlotkowski, Secretary of First Mardi Gras Inc. April Holcombe, Co-Convenor of Community Action for Rainbow Rights Amy Lamont, member of Macquarie Socialists. The Religious Discrimination Bill could be put to federal parliament at any time; activists need to be ready to resist on the streets. It’s worth reminding ourselves that legalised discrimination against LGBTI people is an ongoing injustice, with or without this bill designed to make it worse. That’s why hearing from Karen Pack and Karl Zlotkowski at this forum was so immensely instructive and moving. Pack recounted the shame she felt as a young person, and the pride and self-worth she developed over time through accepting her sexuality. Her sacking by the Christian college at which she was teaching is despicable. Laws enabling this discrimination are already on the books and should be scrapped. Pack’s story usefully rebuts the LGBTI-lobby narrative about how we can “fix” the Religious Discrimination bill: these institutions already have too much power! Her point that most ordinary Christians are pro-LGBTI reminds us that class divisions and political interests underpin the right-wing backlash waged under the banner of ‘religious freedom’. Only the richest, most privileged religious institutions are really waging this attack. It is so heartening to hear that someone so cruelly mistreated as Karen Pack refuses to be cowed or silenced, but fights on. Karl Zlotkowski, a 78er from the first Mardi Gras, laid out just what a fight it has been to get to where we are today. At every point, enshrining anti-discrimination rights in law has been a battle, and right-wing forces have tried to overturn them almost immediately or halt the next advance. Much respect to the veterans of our struggle for fighting against even greater odds and carrying those lessons into the movements today. I made the argument that, since the Religious Discrimination bill is a battle by the right, we must show maximum resolve through street protest. Any compromise or attempt to reason with the powerful will only send the message that we are weak. Mass resistance, angry and defiant, will undermine their confidence that there is political mileage to be made in waging culture war’s that are only supported by a minority of people. The Macquarie Socialists and Queer Collective who put this on should be commended for such a useful and rousing event. Their efforts, recounted by Amy Lamont, at Macquarie Uni to discuss LGBTI issues as a student body – despite the opposition of the university-appointed student ‘council’ – help lay the groundwork for protests against the Religious Discrimination bill as we draw closer to its passage in parliament.   April Holcombe Co-Convenor of Community Action for Rainbow Rights Sydney-based Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) and Melbourne’s Rainbow Rebellion held an online forum – The global fight for LGBTI rights: No right-wing backlash! – on Saturday 16 October 2021. The 85 attendees, mainly from Sydney and Melbourne, heard from three excellent international speakers. They all talked about the right-wing backlash against LGBTIQ rights and how it developed and is impacting in their countries. Sherry Wolf, a New York-based union organiser and socialist, traced the origins of the right-wing backlash in the United States. Opposition grew from around 2010, when women and the LGBTIQ community won new rights and made legislative gains. Now with the rise of the Trumpian far right, laws against trans participation in sport and access to bathrooms are being pushed through in state after state. Currently there are 23 bills in state legislatures against trans kids’ activities in schools. US politicians have landed a despicable blow against reproductive rights in the state of Texas, completely outlawing abortion after six weeks. The most aggressive attacks are on the trans members of our community, but also on other LGBTIQ folk, women and people of colour. Racial disparities in law enforcement and sentencing are readily apparent.  Brazilian activist Virginia Guitzel, a transwoman, writer and education worker; also traced the history of the right-wing backlash in her country. In June 2013 there were progressive and workers demonstrations. Marriage equality and trans rights were won and the media portrayed LGBTIQ and trans people more positively. But the far right began organising and Bolsinaro was elected President in 2019. Virginia noted that the One Nation bill in NSW is similar to Bolsinaro’s attacks on trans people in Brazil. Covid has sharpened the divide between rich and poor and increased discrimination against the LGBTIQ community, women and people of colour. Brazil has the highest rate of murders of trans people in the world and 80% are black trans people. In the UK, Laura Miles is a trans and LGBTIQ activist, writer and former academic. The right there is weaponising attacks on trans rights as a wedge against women’s and LGBTIQ rights. In 2015-16, the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Equality led to better access to trans health services and self-declaration of trans status for birth certificates. Seventy percent of survey respondents supported this and the Tories initially also supported these measures. But with the right wing backlash, including from some radical feminists, they changed their position. Even the progressive press in the UK now publish anti-trans articles. In Hungary, Poland, other countries in Eastern Europe and in Malaysia; right- wing, populist, authoritarian regimes are using attacks on trans people against LGBTIQ and gender rights. In Russia, legislation has been passed against discussing LGBTIQ issues in sex education and trans people can no longer get driver’s licenses as they are classed as mentally ill. However, in the UK, most young people, feminists, women’s organisations and unions are trans inclusive. The attacks on trans people are to divide the working class and benefit the top 1% as our community doesn’t conform to gender roles and the traditional family under capitalism. With their so-called "Religious Discrimination" bill, the Liberal government in Australia is back on the warpath against LGBTI rights. Our historic victory for marriage equality in 2017 showed we have the majority on our side. But since then, the conservative right has been determined to turn back the tide of progress. All three speakers called for grass roots organisation and mass protests to oppose these bigots and their actions. Activists in these countries are not taking these attacks lying down. They are organising ordinary people to get out on the streets, demand their rights and beat the bigots back. And we need to continue to be grass-roots activists and join in the next CARR demo: Protest Perrotet at 12pm on Sunday 31 October 2021 at Sydney Town Hall.   Diane Minnis 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair 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. 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. 2021 Raffle We have opened up raffle ticket sales so that you can order by email. First make your payment, using the bank details in the 78ers badge article above, and then email your name and number of tickets. We will then email you a photo of your ticket numbers and your name on the ticket stubs. The raffle will be drawn just prior to the 2022 Mardi Gras Parade.   Rebbell Barnes and Bill Ashton 78ers and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Members The book on CAMP pioneers being produced by 78ers and original members of CAMP NSW, Robyn Kennedy and Robyn Plaister, is nearing completion with $30,000 having been raised through grants and donations so far. The book brings to life the vital role that CAMP activists played in inspiring and initiating a social movement that continues to this day. Individual members of CAMP from each state branch tell their own stories and highlight their lived experiences, including the life-changing support their community offered at a time when lesbians and gay men were despised by much of society. Their stories also convey the excitement of protest and change. This 300 page large format book includes newly commissioned professional portrait photographs of CAMP members from across Australia, together with rare archival images and detailed accounts of the challenges and achievements of each state CAMP branch. Funding has enabled the engagement of a professional photographer, graphic designer, copy editor, payment of photo rights and associated costs. Raising sufficient funds to meet these costs is a great achievement but after a year’s work, we face a shortfall for printing costs. All donations welcome via GoFundMe page: gofundme.com/f/help-commemorate-the-camp-pioneers   Robyn Kennedy 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member Join us for a Social Lunch at midday on Sunday 7 November at the easily accessible Terminus Hotel. We book tables on the light and airy upstairs balcony. The meals are reasonably priced and allergies are catered for. The Terminus Hotel is at 61 Harris St Pyrmont. There is a light rail stop, with lift access, nearby in John Street Square. The 389 bus runs from Park St near Town Hall and stops across the road from the hotel. RSVP to: info@78ers.org.au.   Rebbell Barnes and Bill Ashton 78ers and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Members Right: 6 June 2021 lunch. Photo from Diane Minnis' phone. Here is a request from Adèle (she/her), a year three psychology student at Erasmus University Rotterdam. "For my bachelor’s thesis, I am conducting research on the psychological well-being of adults (18+) that were raised by different and same-sex couples. "Therefore, I’m looking for people 18+ who were raised by different or same-sex parents to take this survey. However, I’m having trouble finding people raised by same sex parents which is why I’m reaching out in hopes that you can help me reach more people. "Data is collected anonymously! It should take around 15 to 20 min. so to compensate, at the end of the survey you can indicate if you would like to enter yourself in a raffle to win one of two 15$ vouchers. "I would appreciate it so much if you could share this with people who you think would be willing to participate or pass the message along. Please let me know if I can give you any more info at: lavergne.adele@gmail.com." The survey can be taken in English, French, or Dutch :) https://erasmusuniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_095LMRhewKwwGWi?fbclid=IwAR1uhbDxwrY_XqtEbr-pe9Fcq2lmnskfRsyQqFP6EcjbvZuInx5J5JdAKeE Calendar of Events OUT in the OPEN Festival, Shepparton – 28 October to 7 November 2021 http://outintheopen org.au/ Social Lunch – midday, Sunday 7 November 2021, Terminus Hotel, Pyrmont, RSVP to info@78ers.org.au Protest Perrotet – 12pm, Sunday 31 October 2021, , Sydney Town Hall Fruitopia Fair Day, Lismore – Sunday 14 November 2021 https://tropicalfruits.org.au/events/fruitopia-fairday First Mardi Gras Inc. General Meeting – 4pm, Saturday 20 November 2021, by Zoom Coastal Twist Arts and Cultural Festival – 19-23 January 2022 https://coastaltwist.org.au/whats-on/events/ Broken Heel Festival, Broken Hill – 24-28 March 2022 https://www.bhfestival.com/festival-tickets Rainbow on the Plains Festival, Hay – March 2022 (dates to be confirmed), http://www.haymardigras.com.au/ Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras – March 2022 (date to be confirmed), https://waggamardigras.com/ Newcastle and Hunter Pride Festival – has been rescheduled to October 2022, see website for details https://newcastlepride.com.au/ Please check links closer to the advertised dates for confirmation of events.

Star Observer: ‘Coming Out In The 1970s Was Fraught With Barriers And Challenges’

Newsletter - September 2021

View this email in your browser September 2021 In this September edition of the First Mardi Gras Inc. Newsletter, we have: Details of the First Mardi Gras Inc. AGM on 9 October 2021 Virginia Mansel Lees with a Call for Interviewees for a video on Forty Years Since the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality in Victoria Karl Zlotkowski on Campaigning against Anti-LGBTIQ Bills Robyn Kennedy on New CAMP Badges Available! Rebbell Barnes on how to get your 78ers Badge and Raffle tickets Diane Minnis with a Tribute to Kaye Shumack on her passing Invitation you to an online discussion about God Save The Queen, the new book by Dennis Altman Calendar of Events. Diane Minnis First Mardi Gras Inc. members at the 2020 AGM. Screenshot montage: Sallie Colechin. The Annual General Meeting of First Mardi Gras Inc. will be held at 4pm on Saturday 9 October 2021 – by Zoom. All Members and Associate Members should have now received the meeting notice, associated documents and Zoom link. At the AGM, you’ll hear reports about what FMG Inc. has been doing over the past year. Even more importantly, you’ll have the chance to ask questions and put forward your ideas about what our community association should focus on in the future. And it will be a great opportunity to catch up with other members! If you are interested in working with us on our Committee or in a Working Group, please give one of us a call: Diane 0411 213 019, Ken 0417 398 167.   Diane Minnis and Ken Davis 78ers and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chairs Hume Phoenix Inc. is an LGBTIQ organisation that spans both sides of the border between Victoria and New South Wales. In the last round of Midsumma funding there was a call-out for activities that would celebrate the Forty years of Decriminalisation of Homosexuality in Victoria. We applied and were successful in this round of funding. The main activity that we are undertaking will be the interviewing of gay men and Drag Queens who lived through both eras of the legislation. The interviews will be made into a video that will then be launched on the 26 November 2021 in Beechworth. There will be a ceremony locally where the hall will be decorated with memorabilia from our communities that highlight the struggle to achieve recognition. Interviews will be undertaken by Virginia Mansel Lees, and the videographer will edit the interviews into a video. All materials will then be lodged with the Australian Queer Archives that are now located at the Victorian Pride Centre. Because this is Victorian government grant money, you need to have lived at least part of your life during this time in Victoria in order to be part of the video project. If you are interested in being interviewed and/or would like more information, please make contact with Virginia: Email: vmansellees@yahoo.com.au, or Mobile: 0438282146. I look forward to speaking with you and being able to share this project and the associated events that Hume Phoenix Inc. has been funded for.   Virginia Mansel Lees First Mardi Gras Inc. Associate Member 78ers will by now have heard that Mark Latham’s Parental Rights Bill has moved one step closer to a vote in the NSW Parliament, possibly after sittings resume in October. But worse, the recommendations of the parliamentary committee (chaired by Latham himself) have gone even further than the original One Nation draft legislation.   Update from Equality Australia One Nation’s proposed bill threatens to harm trans and gender diverse students by denying their existence and preventing teachers and counsellors from supporting them. It would allow parents to withdraw their child from a class or program which tells them LGBTIQ+ people are just like everyone else. The committee’s report – supported by all the committee members except for Labor’s Anthony D’Adam and the Greens’ David Shoebridge – goes even further than One Nation’s harmful bill. It includes proposals that are likely unlawful, and a direct attack on the safety of trans and gender diverse young people, lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer students, and teachers who support them. It recommends a number of regressive and discriminatory policy changes, including: Prohibiting students from confidentially coming out as transgender to their teachers or school counsellors Banning trans students from participating in high school sports teams that align with their gender Requiring trans children to undergo full medical transition to be able to use toilets, change rooms or accommodation where they feel safe requiring parental consent for any discussion of matters concerning gender or sexuality. We already know that almost one in every two trans and gender diverse young people will attempt to take their own life, and many are subject to bullying and unfair treatment at school. If these policies were implemented, they would make schools even less safe and place trans students’ lives at risk. Every student in NSW should have the opportunity to reach their potential, to learn with their peers, and feel a sense of belonging in their school. That’s why we must come together to call on the State Government to stand up to One Nation and disregard the recommendations of this report, and on our Parliament to join together to vote this harmful bill down. Equality Australia is encouraging us to join a letter writing campaign to resist this legislation.   Click to write an email: equalityaustralia.org.au/ignoranceineducationbill/   Support from Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 78ers should be particularly pleased that our Mardi Gras organisation is actively supporting this campaign. SGLMG now have a Memorandum of Understanding with Equality Australia, and have confirmed their willingness to work closely with other community groups to support campaigns of this kind. This time that support took the form of a formal email from the CEO of Mardi Gras, Albert Kruger, urging all members to sign up to the Equality Australia letter writing campaign. Albert, and the Mardi Gras Board, should be commended for this unequivocal position. This is the Mardi Gras we want to see – taking a lead on issues impacting our community.   Community Action for Rainbow Rights online forum Sydney’s Community Action for Rainbow Rights, together with Melbourne-based Rainbow Rebellion, are holding their next event in their campaign against the Federal so-called "Religious Discrimination" bill. They assert that the Liberal government in Australia is back on the warpath against LGBTI rights. Our historic victory for marriage equality in 2017 showed we have the majority on our side. But since then, the conservative right has been determined to turn back the tide of progress. Here are the details of the online forum: Online forum: The global fight for LGBTI rights: No right-wing backlash! Saturday 16 October 2021 at 1pm (2) [FORUM] The global fight for LGBTI rights: No right-wing backlash! | Facebook   Karl Zlotkowski 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member The Pride movement in Australia started well before 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. Over fifty years later, 78ers and original members of CAMP NSW, Robyn Kennedy and Robyn Plaister, 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. As part of fundraising and promotional efforts for the upcoming book, exact replicas of the original CAMP badge have been produced. Badges are available for $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.   Robyn Kennedy 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member First Mardi Gras Inc. has produced a new batch of 78er badges. They cost $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 your badges email your name, postal address and the number of badges required to info@78ers.org.au. Then make your payment by funds transfer. Alternatively, you can post a cheque. At left, Mannie De Saxe wearing our new 78ers badges that Michael Fenaughty sent him as a lockdown gift. With lockdown, we have opened up raffle ticket sales so that you can order by email. First make your payment, using the bank details in the 78ers badge article above, and then email your name and number of tickets. We will then email you a photo of your ticket numbers and your name on the ticket stubs. The raffle will be drawn just prior to the 2022 Mardi Gras Parade.   Rebbell Barnes 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Committee Member 78er Dr Kaye Shumack has recently passed away. Kaye was a visual artist, academic and an activist who was part of the original Elsie Women’s Refuge Collective. In a Sydney Morning Herald tribute, Kaye was remembered as: ‘A much loved sister, cousin, aunt, partner-in-life, friend and colleague. Artist, Scholar, Educator, Change Maker, who cherished our natural world.’ We remember Kaye as an activist for women’s and lesbian and gay causes and a fighter for social justice. She was quiet and serious and also funny and down to earth. After working at Elsie Women’s Refuge, Kaye went on to a distinguished academic career. With a background in photography, visual communication design and media production; Kaye’s research explored relationships between people, space and place through uses of mapping methodologies and visualisations. Kaye became a Professor and Director of Learning and Teaching, and the Director of International in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts, at Western Sydney University. In 2015, she received a University Award for Teaching Excellence. Kaye regularly exhibited her artwork and was featured in the Queerography Group Show at the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in February-March 1994 and many other shows over the years. Kaye’s drawing practice explored traces and motifs from the urban landscapes of Sydney’s public spaces. Kaye came along to a couple of 78ers meetings in 2016 and 2017 and joined the exuberant 78er contingent in the 40th Anniversary Parade. Afterwards she sent a message: “Congrats on such a successful night for the organisers! Saw people there haven't seen for many years.” Kaye was not able to join the 2019 Parade but was happy to receive her 78ers t-shirt. After her retirement from Western Sydney University, Kaye joined the National Art School MFA 1 drawing cohort in 2020. It was in mid-2020 Kaye found that she had advanced cancer and took time off to manage treatment and pain. In a tribute to Kaye, the National Art School wrote: “We’re thankful for the opportunity to know Kaye and pleased that thanks to her generosity, she will be remembered through the Kaye Shumack Sunflower Drawing Prize, an annual award of $3,000 for an MFA Drawing graduate whose work contributes to broadening awareness of social issues.” As 78ers, we remember Kaye as an activist committed to social justice, involved in the tumultuous events of 1978 and as someone who wanted to continue celebrate our communities’ achievements.   Diane Minnis 78er and First Mardi Gras Inc. Co-Chair  Scribe Publications and Readings invite you to a discussion about:   GOD SAVE THE QUEEN the strange persistence of monarchies by 78er Dennis Altman in conversation with Judith Brett   12.30pm Thursday 30 September, Online via Zoom RSVP: joshua@scribepub.com.au/ 03 9388 8780 Calendar of Events First Mardi Gras Inc. Annual General Meeting – 4pm, Saturday 9 October 2021, by Zoom The global fight for LGBTI rights: No right-wing backlash! online forum – 1pm, Saturday 16 October 2021, Rainbow Rebellion and Community Action for Rainbow Rights (2) [FORUM] The global fight for LGBTI rights: No right-wing backlash! | Facebook OUT in the OPEN Festival, Shepparton – 28 October to 7 November 2021 http://outintheopen org.au/ Fruitopia Fair Day, Lismore – Sunday 14 November 2021 https://tropicalfruits.org.au/events/fruitopia-fairday Broken Heel Festival, Broken Hill – 2-6 December 2021 https://www.bhfestival.com/festival-tickets Coastal Twist Arts and Cultural Festival – 19-25 January 2022 https://coastaltwist.org.au/whats-on/events/ Queer Arts Festival: Queer & Visible, Wollongong – 2022 (dates to be confirmed),https://www.facebook.com/wollongongqueerartsfest/ Rainbow on the Plains Festival, Hay – March 2022 (dates to be confirmed), http://www.haymardigras.com.au/ Wagga Wagga Mardi Gras – March 2022 (date to be confirmed), https://waggamardigras.com/ Newcastle and Hunter Pride Festival – has been rescheduled to October 2022, see website for details https://newcastlepride.com.au/ Please check links closer to the advertised dates for confirmation of events.