Been There Done That

28 Feb 2017

Mardi Gras, M.Mitcham, K.Carpenter, Dusty.S, C.Bono, L.Reed, Mars

Uncategorized

Gordon is taking a well-earned rest, so Chris and Phil are holding the fort.

As we prepare for the annual Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, we remind ourselves of the 500 brave “78-ers” who took on the might of the NSW Police Force, the state government and social attitudes of the day some 40 years ago, when they marched through the streets of Sydney, buoyed by the earlier Stonewall riots in New York, seeking gay equality, legal recognition and public respect.

Having birthday anniversaries around this time are Matthew Mitcham who, as an out-and-proud gay man, stunned the fans with his diving performance in the 2008 Olympics, and a celebratory kiss poolside with his boyfriend, in the full public gaze. Other anniversaries at this time are Karen Carpenter and Dusty Springfield – both of whom had their own devils which led to their respective downfalls. Other birthdays are celebrated for Chaz Bono – who has finally found his true self – and Lou Reed – who survived the social maelstrom of the 70s in the US, and gave us the ground-breaking song ‘Walk on the Wild Side’, exploring gender diversity and sexual freedom.

We discuss the engineering and ethical problems for the team who will be leaving our fragile planet on a one-way trip to explore Mars circa 2026 – our modern-day explorers.

Plus some trivia and mirth and much more ….