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LGBTIQ opinions and in-depth reads
The 11 greatest homophobes of all time
The greatest homophobes of all time include people from ancient times till our own. Homophobes generally don’t limit their animosity to men who conjugate with other men. Their malice extends towards anyone who doesn’t fit the sexual and gender norms of the day. Therefore lesbians often suffered prejudice and persecution throughout history despite the relative …
Trans parents: ‘If a man gives birth, he’s the father’
By Ruth Pearce, University of Leeds The UK’s High Court has ruled that Freddy McConnell, a transgender man who gave birth to his child, does not have the right to be registered as a “father” on his child’s birth certificate. McConnell, who is transgender, has indicated his intention to appeal. At present, people who give …
A Glossary of Identity and Gender Terms
Sometimes confused by the plethora of identity and gender expressions used these days? The rainbow communities are a glorious and diverse coalition of genders and sexualities. We’ve compiled this glossary of identity and gender terms to help out. As some humans become more open-minded to the diversity of human experience, minorities feel better able to …
Domestic and family violence can happen to anyone
Domestic and family violence (DFV) can affect anyone, including people in previously healthy relationships. Senior Constable Ben Bjarnesen received a Churchill Fellowship to conduct research into enhancing the Queensland Police Service (QPS) response to domestic and family violence. He also has personal experience of an unhealthy relationship. Ben shares his own story and offers advice …
By Jove, what a gay old time it was
‘A gay old time’ once meant either just a light-hearted moment or a lewd adventure, depending on the circumstance. Adults used the word as code, enabling them to speak of ‘distasteful’ subjects in the presence of innocents. Old newspaper clippings demonstrate the general public understood both meanings despite the regular bleatings that gays ‘stole’ a …
‘She liked her own sex — and they liked her’
In September 1906, Constable Donnelly of Brisbane arrested William Edwards on a warrant from Victoria for burglary. The policeman already knew Edwards, a popular and personable barman at a city pub. Donnelly made the acquaintance of the short, slightly built Bill Edwards 14 months before. However, in all that time, he never suspected, until informed …
No hurry to claim Alan Jones as our own
Alan Jones is, many people believe, a misogynist. Yet the most common word used for him by online detractors is arguably the most misogynist in the English language. Similarly, people usually scathing of homophobia don’t hesitate to call Jones a ‘bitter old queen’. What do we do about a man who brings out the worst …
Voyager disaster survivor dreamed of owning a Roller
As a kid, Royce Dunbar collected Matchbox Rolls Royce’s – toy cars – and dreamed of owning a real one. Perhaps a childish notion but dreams can come true and after an eventful life, including surviving the Voyager disaster, Royce ultimately owned a Roller. Born in Western Australia during World War II, he enlisted in …
The lesbian love letters of an American First Lady
Rose Cleveland served as First Lady for her unmarried brother for fourteen months in the 1880s. Although history remembers her as First Lady to President Grover Cleveland, she deserves recognition in her own right and for her great relationship with the love of her life, Evangeline Whipple. A new book Precious and Adored: The Love …
Jesus never mentioned homosexuality, nor Paul hell
Martyn Iles of the Australian Christian Lobby and Israel Folau like to discuss the Bible. Although neither is a minister of religion, they are two of the most prominent Christians in Australia today. When they discuss the Bible or the teachings of Jesus Christ, they both invariably mention homosexuality. So one might assume a preoccupation …
Laurie Deane: Living Treasure of Queensland
Most readers will not know the name Laurie Deane. However, most over 25 years of age, know of Dame Sybil von Thorndyke, legendary founder, hostess and director for forty years of Brisbane’s Annual Queens Birthday Ball, now the longest running gay event in the world. A sensationalist tabloid once breathlessly reported that Laurie Deane lived …
Friends of Dorothy: Judy died 50 years ago today
Judy Garland, the gay icon once called the ‘The Elvis of Homosexuals’, died on this day in 1969. Gay mythology long connected her funeral with the Stonewall riots and therefore the birth of the Pride movement. Gay historians however, dismiss the connection. One explained the rioters “were not the type to moon over Judy Garland …
Pearl of the Outback and fashion beyond the black stump
Pearl of the Outback, our regional correspondent, takes us back to Bullamakanka and a colourful local identity. Mr Humphries is the doyen of women’s fashion out in the never never, beyond the black stump. Avid readers will recall the gent I previously christened Mr Humphries. For the uninitiated, he is a VERY gay blade who …
‘Renewal begins with us’: The way forward under re-elected Coalition government
Rodney Croome is a long-time LGBTI equality advocate. As a strategist in numerous campaigns for equality, Rodney says our community can still make change and meet threats under the re-elected coalition government. I won’t sugar coat the election result: Australia has the most socially and religious conservative government in a generation. Many leading Liberal moderates …
Gay Erasure: F***, Fight or Fluke: Gayme of Thrones Pt 2
The history of monarchs often reveals stark evidence of gay erasure. In Part One of this series we looked at earlier English kings. In this instalment of Gayme of Thrones we hark back to the Greek poet Sappho and then examine Edward II of England. Despite the earnest propaganda of monarchists, divine right has SFA …
Shayne Wilde: A Living Treasure of Queensland
In this internet age, ticking multiple ‘likes’ on Facebook apparently qualifies as activism. However, not so long ago, community members risked jail and physical violence to achieve the rights we enjoy today. Shayne Wilde was one of them, writes Bill Rutkin. The scope and magnitude of her contribution to homosexual law reform and anti-discrimination legislation …
LGBT Conversion Therapy: ACL wants to ‘pray the gay away’
Australian Christian Lobby Managing Director Martyn Iles claims banning LGBT conversion therapy discriminates against Christians. I read a blog article today. It was by Martyn Iles, Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby. It concerns his interview for a forthcoming 60 Minutes feature on LGBT Conversion Therapy. In the article, he defends the practice of …
‘Isolated and disconnected’: The private struggles faced by LGBTIQ carers
Carers are not highly visible in our communities. Their caring role often restricts their social activities. However, they are out there. My boss cares for a relative. I cared for a friend with a chronic condition who is now deceased and even four years later struggle to address the despair I felt. Fortunately, there is …
F***, fight or fluke: The British Gayme of Thrones
Despite the earnest propaganda of monarchists, divine right has SFA to do with who gets to plonk their entitled arse on a throne. The ascension of a British monarch usually results from one of the three Fs. Some get there by virtue of a F***, many have to Fight for it and others are mere …
Queensland couple Shannon and Justin open up about becoming foster carers
As a couple, Shannon Toner and Justin Smith wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in our society. They became foster carers and have been caring for children in need for nearly three years, writes Destiny Rogers. “More than 9,000 children in Queensland are in need …
Living Treasures of Queensland: Toye de Wilde
A number of extraordinary people blessed Queensland’s rainbow communities with their presence and efforts over the years. They worked to build a sense of community, to combat unjust laws and to protect us from a plague of biblical proportion. Over the coming months, Bill Rutkin OAM will profile the remarkable individuals whose efforts benefitted us …
Intersex soldiers and cross-dressing women at war
By Olivia Murphy, University of Sydney A documentary from the Smithsonian Institute, examining new DNA and physical anthropology evidence, suggests the famous cavalry officer Casimir Pulaski (1745-1779) might have been a woman, or intersex. Casimir Pulaski is a hero of the struggles for Polish and American independence. He is credited with saving George Washington’s life …