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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From the international press, we learn of the sequel story and film to the highly successful film ‘Call me by your Name’ and the desire of the original actors to continue in their roles as same-sex lovers. Political pressures in Italy are restricting would-be GLBTQ refugees trying to enter Italy, if they are fleeing anti-gay countries. Meanwhile in Thailand, a marriage equality bill could make history (if it is implemented), by legalising same-sex marriage in a separate law rather than expanding the existing definition of marriage. Such a law could be subject to a change in status in the future.

We applaud the voters who ensured that Kerryn Phelps gained a valuable Independent seat in the recent 2018 by-election for Wentworth in Sydney, succeeding where the Liberal candidate failed. We reflect upon Kerryn’s political career, as well as her role in the medical profession, and as a prominent mover in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.

From the Anniversaries Book, we celebrate Anthony Callea’s birthday. At this time in 1859, Charles Darwin published ‘Origin of the Species’ – a controversial theory of natural genetics and evolution. Sir David Attenborough has taught the modern student about the world with the benefit of modern science and technology, and locally our own Harry Butler (died in 2015) did much the same from the Australian perspective and with the assistance of the indigenous communities.

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

Show #834 – First broadcast on 11 December 2018 

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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

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We compare the way two gay icons lived their lives by being discrete and non-controversial. The two icons both with birthdays this month are Ian Thorpe – our recent gold-medal winning Olympic swimming sensation. The other is the pop singer Cliff Richards – for over 50 years he has presented a clean image, only blemished by a recent unsubstantiated attack on his ‘niceness’.

At this time, we remember the horrific hate crime committed in 1998 on Mathew Shepard – killed at the age of 22 years for ‘being gay’. And we also remember that at this time in October 1944, when 800 innocent gypsy children were murdered in the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz.
In contrast, Switzerland has just outlawed expressions of homophobia and transphobia, including terms of imprisonment for breaches of this new law. We trust that the world is becoming more considerate and enlightened.

We chat about the innocent creatures in our Melbourne city zoo, and express our gratitude for the efforts in preserving species and respecting the dignity and living conditions of captive animals in open zoos.

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

Show #825 – First broadcast on 9 October 2018

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We chat about the modern recurrence of slavery in our society – unpaid and unjust enslavement in the 21^st Century, and here in Australia.

The recent volcanic activity around the rim of the Pacific Ocean highlights the fragility of the surface of Earth, the power and terror of volcanoes, their eruptions, ash, lava and earthquakes, which lead to uncontrolled effects upon our weather patterns, land masses and populations.

Fences are used to protect property, separate animals from people or keep people separated from each other. We talk about the longest fence in the world (1930), which divided Australia from North to South, to keep the scourge of feral rabbits from invading Western Australia. This same fence traversed indigenous country and split communities. Wrapped into this story is the tale of three juvenile girls, plucked from their northern homes to be trained as ‘domestic staff’, and retold in ‘Rabbit-Proof Fence’ – a must-see film. They escaped from their servitude and walked over 2400 km along the fence, back to their homes.

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

Show #818 – First broadcast on 21 August 2018

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Ignorance was also a factor with the realisation that there were plenty of gay people in the world, and we are grateful for authors like James Baldwin and Randy Shilts for their spirited explanation of the circumstance in which they found themselves, as they came out and coped with the society around them at that time, in the mid-to late 1900s, and the unfolding of the AIDS crisis. We note the ever-changing media landscape, with newspapers closing and being replaced with irresponsible social media.

We take a moment to sympathise with our northern hemisphere friends – who find themselves at the mercy of Mother Nature with disastrous bush fires, heatwaves and loss of life.  Is this the new normal, we ask? Is climate change really happening?

Opening the Anniversary Book, we have a chance to reflect upon some icons of our times, including gay Danish author Hans Christian Anderson, died 4/8/1875, a reclusive odd fellow best known for his fairy stories; and UK pop singer Geri Halliwell Spice Girl, born 6/8/1972; and Australian pop singer Vanessa Amorosi, born 8/8/1981.

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

Show #815 – First broadcast on 31 July 2018

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We also praise our fellow volunteer – the humble honey bee, as we celebrate World Bee Day. He is a tireless worker from sun-up to sun-down and we enjoy the benefits of his labours.

The National Sorry Day commemoration occurs on 26 May each year, and we don’t look proudly on our feeble efforts over the centuries to acknowledge and give due respect to the original inhabitants of this great land. We keep building new parliament houses, but they never have enough space for all those various ‘elephants in the room’ which have to be addressed.

Tristan Meecham (All the Queens Men) comes in for a quick chat about Rainbow Reviews where the Arts Centre Melbourne will generously offer free seats to LGBTI elders at performances and theatre shows. After each event will be an opportunity to discuss and reflect upon the performance and the social experience, and podcasts will be created as a record of the event and for those who weren’t able to attend.

We learn that Malta (see picture) is the most gay-friendly country in Europe, and that in SE Asia, oppressed GLBTI folk are deciding to show solidarity in the simple expression of a hug. And we discuss the role of hugging and touch – essential feelings in our lives – in the sporting arena and the changing attitude of masculine expression of feelings.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more, presented with some merriment by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #804 – First broadcast on 22 May 2018

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We note that some major catastrophes are made by natural causes; others by human error, as we discuss the great fire of 1906 which devastated San Francisco, and the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl in 1986 which will haunt the world for eons to come.

In gay news, we report on the Men-on-Men art show – part of Southern Hibernation in Melbourne in June; the birthday of gay artist Keith Haring (died 16/02/1990); and the gay-idols Barbra Streisand and Leslie Gore – 2 singers with anniversaries around this time.  We also report that Indonesia is getting tough on queer comics entering the country, while Thailand is introducing same-sex civil partnership – a positive step towards marriage equality.

From the US, we report that Armistead Maupin’s famous literary series “Tales of the City” is to be given a TV revival with a fresh cast and additional material, and is slated for release on cable TV.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more, presented with some merriment by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #801- First broadcast on 1 May 2018

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We could avoid the festivities and get away to some remote location?
Our work-mate Anne is doing just that – voyaging to Antarctica, to visit the driest continent on earth and view the penguins and seals in their natural environment. We have a chat with her before she leaves as she shares the excitement of the adventure.

We are reminded about gay Bob Brown, who has his birthday on 27 December (born 1944); the Greens politician (retired) and his fight for the Tasmanian environmental wilderness. Also sharing a birthday on 27 December (but 1822), was Frenchman Louis Pasteur, biologist and chemist, who devised a theory of ‘germs’, which led him to propose the concept of purification of germ-laden matter by using a technique he called ‘Pasteurisation’ and vaccination for humans.

We are also reminded about the Tsunami which devastated the Indonesian province of Aceh in 2004 with massive loss of life and property.

Listen to these stories and more, with some merriment – presented by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

First broadcast on 26 December 2017

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Our final story of nature vs man covers the 1993 repairs made in space to the orbiting Hubble Telescope so that it could examine the heavens in great detail. Since then, earth-based technology has allowed scientists to delve deeper into the past when viewing far-distant galaxies. Closer to home, the uncontrolled bush-fires around Canberra in 2003 resulted in the Mt Stromlo Observatory and Telescope being destroyed, but fortunately it was returned to service within a year.

Listen to these stories and some merriment – presented by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

First broadcast on 5 December 2017

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