In our anniversaries, we feature items about John Inman best known for his portrayal of Mr Humphries in the BBC TV comedy “Are you being Served?”.  Born on 28 June 1935, he died on 8 March 2007.
UK comedian Matt Lucas was born on 5 March 1974, and is best remembered for the irreverent TV series “Little Britain”.
Someone less well-known is Angela Morely who was born on 10/3/1924 as Wally Stott and became a famous and popular musician, composer and orchestra conductor for the BBC, before transitioning in 1972, continuing her musical profession with musical compositions for Hollywood block-busters. She died 14 January 2009 and is honored in a plaque.

We also talk about the forthcoming Melbourne Queer Film Festival which includes an expose on the radical and provocative still-photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who died on 7 March 1989, being born 4 November 1946, seen here with Patti Smith.

From the international press, we learn that equality comes with small steps – this time, we are told that a US airline has replaced their limited gender option when making a travel booking, with an extra field to allow travellers to opt out of the binary description. Also in the US, it is some 50 years since the Stonewall Riots in New York, when the local gay community rose up against the police force’s unjust practices. Since then many gay voices have rallied to drive political agendas to seek equality for our communities, as there is much more to be obtained – irrespective of what has already been achieved.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #846 – First broadcast on 5 March 2019   

The post Our Rainbow World … appeared first on Been There Done That.

From international sources, we learn what happened when a lesbian waitress in US was denied a tip for being gay and how she calmly obtained justice; and in Disney TV a gay character turns around a homophobic situation with wise words.  The President of the US (POTUS) professes ignorance of his administration’s proposal to launch a global campaign to decriminalise homosexuality.   And a researcher at the University of Montreal, Canada has concluded that gay dads make great fathers.

In our anniversaries, we feature items about UK soul singer Dusty Springfield (died 2/03/1999) who suffered with her sexuality; Lou Reed (Walk on the Wild Side), US rock musician (who was born 2/03/1942 and died 27/10/2013) – who endured reparative ECT treatment for his depression and latent homosexuality. We also talk about US film screen legend Elizabeth Taylor (born 27/02/1932) who befriended many gay film stars and was a great support to fellow film star Rock Hudson in his final years, living with HIV AIDS. This lead to her philanthropy for AIDS Research. Also having a birthday at this time is gay Matthew Mitcham Australian Olympic diver (born 2/03/1988).

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #845 – First broadcast on 26 February 2019   

The post All that glitters … appeared first on Been There Done That.

In view of the recent report that Grindr intends to conduct a 5-year survey of users’ attitudes and preferences of body imaging in current advertising and social media, we note that even the classical artists and sculptors showed many body types in their works, and our modern eyes identify our modern preferences – and these types can also be seen on the Mardi Gras Parades. We wonder if they are healthy examples of body types, creating unreal expectations or body shaming in the younger generations.

From international sources, we learn about the increase in rates of crimes against the LGBTIQ communities in Washington DC, since the advent of President Trump and his winding-back of laws intended to protect gay citizens. Fortunately, other state laws are being enacted to ban gay conversion therapy in more US states. In the UK, it is reported that a gay author slammed Amazon for stocking a book promoting gay conversion therapy – raising the concept of what is free-speech?

In our anniversaries, we feature items about local character actor Barry Humphries (born 27/2/1034), gay US author, poet and critic Felice Picano (born 22/2/1944), and we note that passing on 22/2/1987 of gay US painter, printmaker, photographer Andy Warhol – who opened our eyes with his modern expressions of art.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #844 – First broadcast on 19 February 2019   

The post Eye Candy on the screen and on the streets … appeared first on Been There Done That.

From international news sources we learn:
Germany has formally recognised that there are more than two genders, and is now providing a third descriptor ‘Other’ for those who don’t conform to the binary;
Meanwhile, gay father-singer Ricky Martin has a new husband and a new-born daughter Lucia;
In Canada, a Catholic priest says that Satan designed the rainbow flag!
In Malaysia, a gay male couple are dragged from their car and assaulted in a homophobic attack;
French scientists have announced a potential treatment to destroy hidden HIV cells; &
In the US, gay Ellen DeGeneres is named as the most-admired person.

At this time of the year, we safely observe the rich-men as they tempt Nature sailing from Sydney to Hobart in a yacht race which has seen more than it’s fair share of fatalities over the years, since the race was first held in 1945.

Also at this time of the year, we recall that in 1901 Australia is proclaimed a Commonwealth on 1^st January – a day fit to be our National Day?

On 3 January 1888, the paper drinking straw is patented, and having been displaced by the plastic replacement, is now back in favour as a benign and ecological appropriate option.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #838 – First broadcast on 8 January 2019   

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We note the anniversaries of cyclone Tracy, which devastated Darwin in 1975, and the three weeks of extensive and catastrophic bushfires in New South Wales in 2001, and wonder if history is just repeating?

Phil reminds us that it is less than 30 years since primitive intra-networks evolved into the World Wide Web with the development of the http commonality protocols which made multiple PC inter-connectivity possible.

We keep changing our Prime Ministers (or losing them). In 1967, PM Harold Holt went swimming at treacherous Cheviot Beach Portsea, and he never returned and was presumed drowned. And in 1975, after the collapse of the Labor Party and Prime Ministership of Gough Whitlam, the alternative government of Liberal Malcolm Fraser was sworn in with a 55-seat majority – leading to a long period of political stewardship by the Liberal-LNP Coalition. The current political circumstances indicates the forthcoming federal election may end in another flip-swap.

From the Anniversaries Book, we recognize the birthday of Simon Helberg (not gay) – star of ‘Big Bang Theory’ and faux-gay-bro to the character Raj. In real life, Simon is an accomplished pianist musician and starred in the recent film about operatic Florence Foster Jenkins. Another past-celebrity whose birthday we acknowledge is gay (Sir) Noel Coward – English aesthete, playwright, composer, director, actor and singer; and we note the passing of gay (Sir) Nigel Hawthorne – best known for his role in the BBC political comedy series ‘Yes Minister’.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #835 – First broadcast on 18 December 2018  

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As we again come to December, we reflect upon two major interlocked events in the gay history of Melbourne – the unwanted arrival of AIDS in Australia in 1982 and the horror which it wrought, and the raising of a gay community radio station on 1 Dec 1993 to provide a voice for our community and to be a safe space in which to confirm our sexuality, in the face of the agony of the AIDS scourge.

We remember the fallen friends on World AIDS Day 1 December, and  we examine the progress of management of the disease and the miracles of modern medicines which now offer safety and a normal life for many. From the press, we can tell of the reductions of rates of infection by AIDS locally in Western Australia and also in UK, with the advent of PrEP medication, and even Prince Harry is promoting regular testing.

We recall the early days of JOY – rather than the biological family where homophobia, ignorance and discrimination was common, we had JOY– our logical family; our own gay radio station. JOY provides the opportunity and tools to reach with a world-wide voice, to champion our rights and hopes. And thanks to our gay pioneers, volunteers, supporters, allies and staff, JOY has blossomed and matured over the past 25 years.

Our recent local State elections cause us to gasp, as the results roll in. In many ways, the peasants are revolting – in a democratic way.

From the Anniversaries Book, we celebrate the birthdays of Bette Midler and Britney Spears, and note the passing of Mathew Shepard – victim of hate crime – now safe in the National Cathedral, Washington. USA.

From the international press we report of a decision by San Marino for passing civil union legislation, as the first step to full equality, and we commiserate with our gay cousins in Taiwan, who failed to be acknowledged in a recent plebiscite for their gay rights.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #832 – First broadcast on 27 November 2018

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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.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #830 – First broadcast on 13 November 2018

The post Battles won and lost … appeared first on Been There Done That.

Our gay icons having birthdays at this time are Senator Penny Wong – a fiercely combative representative of our community in the Federal Parliament, and well-respected for her role in the gay-marriage debates; and Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress k.d.lang. – another no-nonsense member of the gay community, who champions gay-rights causes.

From the international press we tell of a Pride Parade in Taiwan where nearly 140,000 marched in support of gay rights and same-sex marriage, topics which will be foremost in next year’s local elections and associated referenda. The Kenya High Court has announced that it will make a ruling next 22 Feb 2019 on legalising homosexuality after being pressured by the example of India doing the same earlier this year. Both countries were using British Colonial laws which gay-rights groups want overthrown. Elsewhere in the world, gay-rights are being abandoned with changes proposed by extreme-right-wing governments in Ukraine, Brazil and Tanzania.

We consider the positive effect of the recent Invictus Games for maimed warriors which reminded us all of the horrors of recent wars and the need to respect all the returnees. This has been an opportunity for the current generations to reflect and consider their own good fortune, in blissful ignorance of the echoes of earlier wars which faded as those generations died. Next week will see the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice of World War I – “the war to end all wars” on 11 Nov 2018 and Red poppies for Remembrance.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #829 – First broadcast on 6 November 2018

The post Horses and soldiers get muddy boots … appeared first on Been There Done That.

From our Anniversaries Book, we review the work and life of Gore Vidal – influential gay US social and political commentator, author, playwright, and essayist – born 3/10/1925, and died at 86 years on 31/7/2012.

Other anniversaries include the first broadcast of ABC TV in November 1956, and the desertification of the Asian Aral Sea – drained of its water for irrigation, and declared in 1990 as the worst ecological disaster.
Another sign of impending ecological damage is the expected loss of the world’s largest living organism – a huge underground root system which sends up thousands of clone Aspen trees, but which is unable to sustain itself as the new shoots are being eaten by feral grazing deer and other animals. Natural balance has been disturbed to the point of collapse.

From the international press we tell of a report that Chelsea Manning has undergone elective medical procedures to confirm her selected gender.
This contrasts with US Presidential proposals to re-define gender as birth-gender, ignoring the circumstances that trans and intersex people find themselves – often later in life – when gender-confusion is recognised. This can be distressful when the assigned sex and gender do not match the person’s gender identity or there are variations in sexual characteristics which do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies.

We also report on a UK proposal to alter the circumstances in which HIV positive gay men can seek parenthood.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #828 – First broadcast on 30 October 2018

The post The good … and the not-so-good appeared first on Been There Done That.

More importantly, we note that Mathew Shepard’s ashes are to be interred in Washington’s National Cathedral, some 20 years after his death. His place in modern society is being respected and honoured, despite being a graphic example of human behaviour of homophobia and hatred.

Our near-neighbours Malaysia have reviewed their colonial laws and decided to repeal the barbaric death penalty, and we compare this to the recent action by India to repeal the colonial law which criminalised gay sex.

The anniversary at this time of the political reunion of West and East Germany is recalled, and we note that the public are still readjusting their expectations of their society. Locally, we consider the turmoil of our own political parties as they juggle and jostle in throes of self-destruction. Where will it end up, we ask?

It was 45 years ago that the Sydney Opera House was opened by The Queen, and now we have a visit by Prince Harry and his newly pregnant wife. We wonder if the royals are acceptable alternatives compared to some international leaders, despots, demagogues, tyrants or dictators? We are distracted by the recent actions to commercialise the sails of the Opera House for the purposes of promotion of gambling, and we wonder if we in Melbourne are too genteel by comparison.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment (where appropriate) by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #826 – First broadcast on 16 October 2018

The post Be kind to all the animals … and to humans. appeared first on Been There Done That.