Been There Done That

17 May 2018

Anniversaries …

Activism, Anniversary, Community, Disasters, Gay, Homophobia, Icons, Lesbian, transgender

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On the 70^th anniversary of the proclamation of Israel as a separate State, we examine how this current unfortunate situation of conflict came to exist and to continue. On a happier note, we note that the first same-sex Jewish wedding since changes to the Marriage Act, has been conducted in an Australian synagogue, with the happy grooms receiving rousing applause from the assembled congregation.

We enlist the assistance of Phil and TV’s Myth Busters to unravel the cause of the disaster some 80 years ago, when the airship Hindenburg caught fire and crashed when landing 6/05/1937.

We note the roles of TV authors, producers and actors in the normalisation of gay characters and story-lines in ‘soapies’, as we celebrate the birthday of gay writer, director and producer Alan Bell (of “6 Feet Under” fame) for his strong voice for the GLBT community.

A gay icon from the sporting arena was Mark Bingham (born 22/5/1970), who on ‘9/11’ died in his failed attempt to thwart the crash of a hijacked passenger aircraft, initially aimed at the Pentagon, and after whom the international gay Rugby competition ‘Bingham Cup‘ is named.

On the eve of IDAHOBIT 17/5/2018, we remember that it was on that day 25 years ago in 1992 that the (UN) World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from the list of Diseases, and thereby declared war on ignorance and homophobia. IDAHOBIT shows the extent now of intentions to identify the other sections of our rainbow community which still are also pilloried and denigrated. We decry the stand being taken by Australian professional rugby union footballer Israel Folau and his religious message.

Birthdays are celebrated at this time for luminaries in our extended family – Miriam Margolyes (gay English/Australian – character actor on stage, TV & screen – Prof Sprout in Harry Potter films, and Aunt Prudence in Miss Fisher TV and her one-woman show “Dickens’ Women” in which she played 23 characters from Dickens’ novels; – and for gender-identity-buster Marlene Dietrich, German and US movie and stage star from the 1930s; and Cher (Bono / Sarkisian) the everlasting US singer and actress, icon for many gay performers, and mother of trans Chas Bono.