Been There Done That

15 Nov 2018

Battles won and lost …

Activism, Anniversary, Community, Gay, History, Politics

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This episode begins with our thoughts on Remembrance Day 2018, noting that our troops served in France and their memory is still being honoured by those devastated communities. We suggest that maybe Australia is moving towards a more mature attitude to veterans from all conflicts, not just the major wars. And on this centenary of the Armistice for WW1, we note that France and Germany find more in common these days.

We reflect upon the first anniversary of the successful YES Vote for our marriage rights and note that it was a tough and sometimes divisive period, but that we are most encouraged by the massive support achieved in the postal ballot and the goodwill expressed by our allies in the general community.

Locally, Michael Kirby says he will now wed his long-time partner on 11 Feb 2019, on the 50^th anniversary of their first meeting. In the US actor Michael C Hall, star of Dexter and Six Foot Under, says he is ‘not all the way hetero’.

From the international press we report of a decision by the Polish President Duda who says he would support a ban on gay propaganda, copying the 2013 move by Vladimir Putin in his crackdown on gays in Russia. Meanwhile, gay-rights are being abandoned in Tanzania as we learn that the public are telling the police where gays live, that some have been arrested and jailed, and many other gays have gone into hiding, in what seems to be the beginning of a terror campaign.

Gay icons having anniversaries at this time are Australian playwright and author Tim Conigrave, best known for his work ‘Holding the Man’; US actor Jodie Foster for her work in films like ‘Silence of the Lambs’; and the Russian Peter Tchaikovsky – composer of classical music for ballet and large orchestras – who died on 6 Nov 1883.