Gay Rights

We finally caught up with the film Milk, which I’d been wanting to see for ages – because I think Sean Penn is a great actor, and because I was moved and inspired by the TV doco about the wonderful Harvey. Even more so by the movie!

What a hero! And how brilliant he was – judging from his articulate speeches, his quick mind in political debate, and his grasp of both principles and strategy. It seems that for him the principles were the strategy.

It was also an education for me in the history of gay rights in the US. I didn’t know it in anywhere near so much detail before.

I’m better acquainted with what has happened in Australia, and I’m glad to say the tide of discrimination and prejudice is turning. For instance we now have a majority of Australians thinking same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Pity the Federal Government doesn’t yet agree! In many areas there’s still a way to go, but we’re getting there. (Details in Wikipedia.) Which is no reason to slacken off in pushing for reform!

Recently I attended a human rights meeting in our locality, one of many held all over the country by the National Human Rights Consultation Committee to gather information about what Australians want in regard to rights of all kinds. It was very well set up, the large number of participants grouped in tables of six. One person at ours was an Aboriginal man who had been victimised by police with no redress. He was outside a hotel and went to help a woman who was in some kind of trouble (he didn’t say what), the police were called and promptly assaulted and arrested him. A clear case of racist assumptions. He was further attacked at the police station. At his court case the woman herself gave evidence in his favour, and he was freed. He has been trying ever since to get some kind of compensation from the police, as a matter of principle. This kind of thing happens often to Indigenous people. Not to mention that his health has suffered as a result! No-one will help, no-one wants to know.

Another man at our table told us of his disabled wife who often needs help walking. One day she managed to totter down to the local shops only to be mugged by some young teenagers. He knew the boys; said they came from affluent families. His agenda was not only the right to safety on our streets, he was even more concerned about the right of children to be taught proper discipline and values.

I’d invited my 18-year-old gay friend but he said he was uncomfortable about speaking out in public. Pity! He wouldn’t have had to. We all conferred at our tables and wrote down our conclusions on big sheets of butcher paper which were gathered up at the end to be taken away and considered. There were opportunities for people to speak, and several did, eloquently, on all manner of issues, but it wasn’t required.

One lesbian lady pointed out that lesbians tend to get lumped in with gay men on gay rights issues, or with women on feminist issues, whereas they are in fact a special category with their own specific needs.

I did raise some issues of gay rights in our group and they were duly noted on our butcher’s paper – but I can’t speak first-hand. It was good to learn that people still have time to put in individual written submissions and I am encouraging my young friend to do that.

He lives in a small, homophobic locality, is fairly isolated and would like some friends his own age – just mates to hang out with and talk to over coffee about mutual (non-sexual) interests. He breeds labradoodles, he loves photography and jewellery, has done silversmithing and goldsmithing courses, is a whiz at Mac computers … but straight guys tend to back off, assuming he’s got designs on them! And he has encountered a lot worse that that, too, but has become wiser about staying safe. Sad that he has had to!

I am also wishing I’d thought to invite him to see Milk with us. It’s just about finished in cinemas here, but there is one more opportunity; otherwise will have to make sure he sees the DVD when it’s out. It’s one of the few movies I could see again myself any time.

Meanwhile, I think I’ll just trot out my HUG badge and post it permanently on my page here, with a link to an explanation. (There, it's done.) Consciousness raising is one small way I can contribute!

I Just Became an Honorary Gay

My friend Collin Kelley, Atlanta poet, playwright and journalist (whom I met in Texas in 2006 at the Austin International Poetry Festival) just bestowed this honour on me. And yes, I’m serious, it is an honour!

Following the global jubilation and relief at Barak Obama’s election, many were disappointed at the passing of Proposition 8 which declares that legal marriage can only be between a man and a woman, effectively banning gay marriages, which had been happening in the State of California. Whilst a State issue, it obviously has much wider implications.

Collin blogged about this disappointment, I wrote a comment in support and signed it Heterosexual Unafraid of Gays. I adopted this moniker 20 years ago when my son David started at university. On Orientation Day he encountered a club for gays, which also had badges for heterosexual well-wishers.

 

(This is twice as big as actual size.)

HUG, they explained, is an acronym for Heterosexual Unafraid of Gays. And wearing it can create an opportunity for conversations about that! When I saw David’s badge I requested one for myself too, and I still treasure it.

I think I might start wearing it more often. As an honorary gay, I think this privilege also carries responsibilities!

In Australia too, there is urgent need for reform. While it hasn’t been put to the popular vote, our politicians have so far refused to legalise gay marriage.

Good on you Collin for blogging about it, getting people thinking and reminding this person of her principles. The first (though not the only) thing to do about injustice is to speak up!

Post-script: The badge is now in my sidebar with a link to this post, as a way of raising awareness of this issue. Click on the "gay rights" tag to see more posts on the subject. This one is particularly pertinent.