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LGBTIQ opinions and in-depth reads
“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 …
As Brisbane Arcade turns 95, tributes for gay philanthropist James Mayne
The recent 95th birthday celebrations for the Brisbane Arcade highlight the many contributions of gay Brisbane philanthropist gay Dr. James Mayne, writes Destiny Rogers. Born into a wealthy Brisbane family, Dr Mayne worked at the Brisbane Hospital from 1891 until 1904, first as Resident Medical Officer and then as Medical Superintendent. He donated his salary …
The day I met Queensland’s ‘moral guardian’ Rona Joyner
Friend to Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen and founder of the Society To Outlaw Pornography (STOP) and the Campaign Against Regressive Education (CARE), Rona Joyner was a force to be reckoned with in the Joh era. Although Mrs Rona Joyner held no elected office or government appointment, in a situation peculiar to Queensland, she wielded more power …
Mardi Gras in Bullamakanka: Celebrations reach all the way to the outback
Thanks to the wonders of the internet, previously isolated gay communities in rural hamlets can now participate in their own small way in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. QN Magazine’s regional Queensland correspondent Pearl of the Outback explains how. Mr Humphries recently hosted something the young folks call a Mardi Gras Watch Party. …
Qld’s final convictions for homosexual offences
In a fond remembrance of the lead player, Pearl of the Outback shares a personal perspective of a once notorious Queensland incident, a story reminiscent of the acclaimed Brokeback Mountain, but one which contributed to profound change in Queensland laws. A young man from the bush, notorious for his convictions for homosexual offences, eventually found …
‘Sashay, you play’: Meet Queensland ‘gaymer’ Jack Foulstone
After the first gayming float joined the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade this month, QN Magazine contributor Wanda D’Parke asked Cairns entertainer Jack Foulstone about how he started as a gaymer, and how video games are helping LGBTIQ people find community. Dear Reader, Twenty-five-year-old Jack (pictured) moved from Grafton, New South Wales to …