‘Barbie’: Ken Has Never Been Barbie’s Boyiend. He’s Her Gay BFF.

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• KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT
• JAKE'S STORY OF BEG GAY RAL ATRALIA
• IT'S ONLY 25 YEARS SCE BEG GAY STOPPED BEG ILLEGAL ATRALIAWHEN TASMANIA CRIMALISED HOMOSEXUALY ON 1 MAY 1997, BEME THE LAST ATRALIAN STATE TO DO SO. TODAY, LGBTIQ+ ADVOT THERE SAY THERE’S STILL WORK TO BE DONE, PARTICULARLY TO PROTECT ATRALIANS WHO ARE TRANSGENR AND TERSEX.PUBLISHED 1 MAY 2022 7:34AMUPDATED 1 MAY 2022 8:09AMBY SARAH MNRSOURCE: SBS NEWSIMAGE: POLICE LEAD GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST RODNEY CROOME AWAY OM PROTTS AT SALAMAN MARKET 1988. (SUPPLIED / ROGER LOVELL, THE MERCURY (SUPPLIED BY RODNEY CROOME).)THE LATE 1980S WERE TOUGH FOR RODNEY CROOME. AGED HIS 20S AND NOT LONG AFTER G OUT AS GAY, HE CID TO BEE AN LGBTIQ+ ADVOTE HIS HOME STATE OF TASMANIA.“I DISVERED THEN, THAT BEE I WAS GAY, I LIVED A POLICE STATE,” HE SAYS.HE RELLS GOG TO A GAY MUNY MEETG AND LEARNG NOT TO E HIS SURNAME AS POLICE RMANTS ULD BE HIDN WH THE GROUP. HE WAS ALSO TOLD POLICE ULD BE WAG OUTSI TO ADD ATTEN’ R REGISTRATN PLAT TO THEIR SO-LLED “PK LIST”.TASMANIA'S STATE LAW AT THE TIME STILL CRIMALISED HOMOSEXUALY, MEANG SEX BETWEEN MEN WAS PUNISHABLE BY MORE THAN 20 YEARS PRISON. THE RT OF ATRALIA HAD CRIMALISED .POLICE ATTENDG A GAY LAW REFORM STALL AT HOBART'S SALAMAN MARKETS 1988. SOURCE: AAP / ROGER LOVELLTHE LAST TIME A PERSON WAS CHARGED WH HOMOSEXUALY OFFENC TASMANIA WAS THE MID-1980S, MR CROOME SAYS, BUT THE LAW “WAS STILL ED AS A JTIFITN BY THE ERNMENT AND OTHERS TO DISCRIMATE”.THE WORST EXAMPLE ME 1988 WHEN HE AND A SMALL GROUP OF ADVOT SET UP A STALL AT HOBART’S INIC SALAMAN MARKETS. THEY WERE ARMED WH NOTHG BUT A TABLE AND A PETN AND WERE ASKG PEOPLE TO SIGN SUPPORT OF CRIMALISG HOMOSEXUALY.“WHEN THE HOBART CY COUNCIL FOUND OUT WE WERE THERE, THEY LLED THE POLICE AND HAD ALL ARRTED,” MR CROOME SAYS.“THERE WERE MORE THAN 130 PEOPLE ARRTED OVER SEVEN WEEKS … THE BIGGT ACT OF GAY RIGHTS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ATRALIAN HISTORY.”POLICE LEAD GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST RODNEY CROOME AWAY OM PROTTS AT SALAMAN MARKET 1988. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / ROGER LOVELL, THE MERCURY (SUPPLIED BY RODNEY CROOME).RICHARD HALE, A FOUNDG MEMBER OF THE TASMANIAN GAY LAW REFORM GROUP, WAS ARRTED TWICE DURG THAT TIME.“WE NEVER KNEW OM WEEK TO WEEK EXACTLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN … AND SOME PEOPLE WERE TREATED QUE ROUGHLY,” HE SAYS.“WHEN YOU’RE THE PADDY WAGON BY YOURSELF … OR YOU WERE HELD A POLICE CELL FOR A LONG TIME AND YOU DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS GOG TO HAPPEN NEXT, THOSE THGS WERE QUE SRY.”THERE WERE MORE THAN 130 PEOPLE ARRTED OVER SEVEN WEEKS … THE BIGGT ACT OF GAY RIGHTS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ATRALIAN HISTORY.RODNEY CROOMEANTI-GAY RALLI NTUED TO THE 1990S TASMANIA, MR CROOME SAYS. HE ATTEND SOME ULVERSTONE, A TOWN ON THE STATE’S NORTH AST, TO UNTER MONSTRATE.“HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WOULD GO ALONG AND LISTEN TO HATRED AND BILE ABOUT . I REMEMBER HEARG THOSE PEOPLE SHOUTG, ‘KILL THEM! KILL THEM!’”“ULVERSTONE WAS LABELLED AS ‘ATRALIA’S MOST HOMOPHOBIC TOWN’ THE TERNATNAL PRS.”HOW THEY WON THE FIGHTIN THE EARLY 1990S, TASMANIA’S UPPER HOE REJECTED LEGISLATN TO CRIMALISE HOMOSEXUALY, SO MR CROOME TOOK THE BATTLE TO THE UNED NATNS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMTEE.“IT WAS THE FIRST SUCH SE OM ATRALIA AND THE FIRST SE ABOUT CRIMALISATN BROUGHT TO THE UN OM ANYWHERE THE WORLD,” HE SAYS.IN APRIL 1994, THE UN LED MR CROOME’S FAVOUR, BUT THE BATTLE WASN’T OVER; HE’D NEED TO NVCE CANBERRA.GAY ACTIVISTS PROTTG HOBART AUGT 1988. SOURCE: AAP / ROGER LOVELL“WE ASKED THE FERAL ERNMENT TO E S POWERS UNR THE FERAL NSTUTN, PARTICULARLY TERMS OF OBSERVG TERNATNAL TREATI, TO ENACT A LAW THAT WOULD OVERRI THE TASMANIAN LAW,” HE SAYS.“BUT THAT DIDN’T VALIDATE THE TASMANIAN LAWS PLETELY, THE ONLY BODY THAT ULD DO THAT WAS THE HIGH COURT, SO AFTER THE FERAL LAW WAS PASSED, WE WENT TO THE HIGH COURT.“AFTER THAT, THE TASMANIAN ERNMENT KNEW THE GAME WAS UP. THE LIBERAL ERNMENT AT THE TIME ALLOWED A NSCIENCE VOTE, AND THE LAW WAS CHANGED.”RODNEY CROOME, CENTRE, AT A 1997 PRS NFERENCE FOLLOWG THE SUCCSFUL PASSAGE OF GAY LAW REFORM TASMANIA'S UPPER HOE. SOURCE: FACEBOOK / EVOLUTN PUBLISHG, AQUA ATRALIAN QUEER ARCHIVMR CROOME SAYS HE AND OTHER ADVOT HAD BEEN NNG “NOT ONLY A MPAIGN FOR LAW CHANGE BUT A MPAIGN TO CHANGE HEARTS AND MDS”.“WE WENT OUT AND SPOKE TO EVERY GROUP THAT WOULD LISTEN TO : SERVICE CLUBS, UNN BRANCH, SCHOOL GROUPS, SPORTG GROUPS; WE WENT ACROSS TASMANIA AND MA OUR SE.”MR HALE WAS AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHEN THE FAL VOTE HAPPENED ON 1 MAY 1997.“IT WAS THE EVENG, AND WAS THE END OF A NE-YEAR MPAIGN,” HE SAYS.“THERE WAS GREAT RELIEF. I’M A B SHIVERY JT THKG ABOUT .”IT PASSED BY JT ONE VOTE.LASTG IMPACTLYNN JARVIS IS THE CEO OF WORKG IT OUT, TASMANIA’S ONLY DITED LGBTIQ+ SERVICE AND TN PROVIR. IT WAS TABLISHED AS A DIRECT RULT OF THE LAW CHANGE TO CRIMALISE HOMOSEXUALY.DR JARVIS SAYS YOUNGER PEOPLE TASMANIA’S LQBTIQ+ MUNY ARE OFTEN SURPRISED WHEN THEY LEARN ABOUT THE STATE’S HISTORY.RODNEY CROOME AT SALAMAN MARKETS 2004. SOURCE: AAP / LIBBY SUTHERLAND“IF YOU’RE A YOUNG PERSON NOW, I’M SURE 25 YEARS AGO SOUNDS LIKE ANOTHER LIFETIME AGO.“WHAT PEOPLE WENT THROUGH TO GET THAT REFORM WAS HORRIFIC … THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE VIEWS OF A WHOLE MUNY.”NOW, SHE SAYS, “WE HAVE AS A RULT SOME OF THE MOST PROGRSIVE LEGISLATN AND PROTECTNS PLACE OF ANY STATE OR TERRORY ATRALIA, AND SOMETIM THE WORLD”.IN 2017, 63.6 PER CENT OF PEOPLE TASMANIA VOTED ‘Y’ ATRALIA’S POSTAL VOTE TO LEGALISE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, ABOVE THE NATNAL TOTAL OF 61.6 PER CENT.THE FOLLOWG YEAR, TASMANIANS WERE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO APPLY TO HAVE HISTORIL NVICTNS FOR HOMOSEXUAL ACTS REMOVED OM THEIR CRIMAL RERDS.POSIVE CHANGE HAS ALSO E FOR TASMANIA’S WIR LGBTIQ+ MUNY, TRANSGENR WOMAN AND ADVOTE MARTE DELANEY SAYS.IN 2004, SHE BEGAN MEETG WH SUCCSIVE TASMANIAN ATTORNEYS-GENERAL, LLG FOR CHANG THE STATE’S BIRTH CERTIFITE LEGISLATN.MARTE DELANEY HAS FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF TRANSGENR ATRALIANS. SOURCE: SUPPLIED“15 YEARS LATER, RULTED PROBABLY THE WORLD’S BT AND MOST CLIVE BIRTH CERTIFITE LAWS,” SHE SAYS.TASMANIA NOW MAK GENR ON BIRTH CERTIFIT OPTNAL AND REMOV THE REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSGENR PEOPLE TO HAVE SURGERY ORR TO HAVE THEIR GENR REGNISED.WORK TO BE DONEDPE THE WS, THOSE WORKG WH THE LGBTIQ+ MUNY AGREE THERE’S STILL MORE TO BE DONE.MR CROOME, WHO WAS NAMED TASMANIAN OF THE YEAR 2015, WOULD NOW LIKE TO SEE THE STATE BAN GAY NVERSN PRACTIC. ADVOT ALSO AGREE MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SUPPORT TRANSGENR AND TERSEX PEOPLE THE STATE.READ MORE'HAVE A SHRED OF EMPATHY': COVERAGE OF KATHERE DEV' MENTS IS HARMFUL, TRANSGENR ADVOT SAY“A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE STILL FEEL DISTRSED ABOUT LIVG AS THEIR TE SELV OUR MUNY,” DR JARVIS SAYS.LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE ARE STILL ED AS A “POLIL WEDGE” NATNAL BATE TOO, SHE ADDS, REFERENCG RECENT ARGUMENTS ABOUT TRANSGENR WOMEN'S PARTICIPATN SPORT.“THE LIV OF LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE ARE STILL EQUENTLY BATED THE PUBLIC DOMA AND I WOULD JT LIKE TO REMD EVERYBODY THAT THAT HAS REALLY SER NSEQUENC ... ON THE HEALTH AND WELLBEG OF THE MUNY.”MR CROOME AGRE. RODNEY CROOME TODAY. HE SAYS MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT ATRALIA'S TRANSGENR AND GENR DIVERSE MUNY. SOURCE: SBS NEWS / SARAH MNR“OF URSE, WE’RE THE MIDST OF AN ELECTN MPAIGN, WHERE THE LIV OF SEXUAL AND GENR MORI ARE AGA BEG ATTACKED, PARTICULARLY TRANS AND GENR DIVERSE PEOPLE,” HE SAYS.“I THK ’S IMPORTANT THAT WE RELL THE MPAIGN [TO CRIMALISE HOMOSEXUALY] TASMANIA, AND THE SUCCS OF THAT MPAIGN, TURNG TASMANIA AROUND, TO GIVE HOPE AND SPIRATN FOR DOG THE SAME THG AGA TO THE FUTURE.”SIMONE-LISA ANRSON IS THE TASMANIAN REPRENTATIVE FOR INTERSEX PEER SUPPORT ATRALIA AND WANTS FURTHER LEGAL REFORMS TO SUPPORT THOSE WHOSE SEX CHARACTERISTICS DO NOT NFORM TO FEMALE OR MALE STEREOTYP.“TO STOP NON-NSENSUAL SURGERI ON FANTS, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE THAT HAVEN’T BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH RMATN ABOUT WHAT THE SURGERI ARE AND WHAT THEY DO TO THEIR BODI,” SHE SAYS.READ MORE'MY PARENTS REJECTED ME FOR BEG GAY'MERRAN NEWMAN IS THE CHAIRPERSON OF PFLAG TASMANIA (PARENTS, FAI AND IENDS OF LBIANS AND GAYS), AND SAYS THERE ARE STILL NEEDS THE MUNY GOG UNMET. THE ANISATN SUPPORTS PEOPLE LIVG RAL PARTS OF THE STATE.“SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT JT LGBTIQ+, SOME PEOPLE ALSO HAVE A DISABILY, OR THEY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH DISTRS, OR THEY’RE LONELY. WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THOSE PEOPLE SOMEHOW. WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, AND WE DON’T ALWAYS KNOW.”‘RABOW ISLAND’IN 2008, HOBART CY COUNCIL OFFICIALLY APOLOGISED FOR THE ARRTS THAT BEGAN AT SALAMAN MARKETS, ROLVG “THAT ACTNS SUCH AS THE WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGA”.TASMANIA POLICE ACKNOWLEDG ON S WEBSE “TASMANIA WAS THE LAST STATE TO CRIMALISE MALE-TO-MALE RELATNSHIPS,” AND SAYS “THIS HAS LEFT A LEGACY OF STIGMA AND DISCRIMATN THAT TASMANIA POLICE SEEKS TO ADDRS”. THE FORCE NOW EMPLOYS LGBTI LIAISON OFFICERS, HAS ENURAGED OFFICERS UNIFORM TO TAKE PART THE TASPRI PARA SCE 2015, AND SAYS HAS “A STRONG MMENT TOWARDS HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSY OUR MUNY”.THE YELLOW LE MEMORIAL AT SALAMAN MARKETS PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE 130 PEOPLE ARRTED 1988. SOURCE: SBS NEWS / SARAH MNRTHE TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY APOLOGISED FOR LAWS CRIMALISG HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVY AND THEIR IMPACT 2017."MANY TASMANIANS HAVE NTUED TO SUFFER OM DISTRS AND DISADVANTAGE AS A RULT OF THE CRIMALISATN OF NDUCT THAT IS NOW ACCEPTED AS LAWFUL,” THEN-PREMIER WILL HODGMAN SAID.THERE IS HOPE THE MUNY THAT UNR NEWLY-APPOTED STATE PREMIER JEREMY ROCKLIFF, THGS N ONLY IMPROVE.MR ROCKLIFF VOTED FOR MARRIAGE EQUALY AND HAS BEEN A SUPPORTER OF OTHER PRO-LGBTIQ+ LAWS. LAST YEAR, WHILE MISTER FOR MUNY SERVIC AND VELOPMENT, HE ANNOUNCED GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE MUNY, SAYG “ALL TASMANIANS SHOULD BE TREATED WH DIGNY AND RPECT – REGARDLS OF THEIR RELATNSHIP STAT, SEXUALY, GENR INTY OR TERSEX CHARACTERISTICS”.MR CROOME SAYS HE’S PROUD OF HOW FAR THE STATE HAS E SCE HIS WORK BEGAN.RECENTLY, ULVERSTONE, ONCE LABELLED ‘ATRALIA’S MOST HOMOPHOBIC TOWN’ AND WHERE THOSE ANTI-GAY RALLI WERE HELD, HE ATTEND A RABOW FLAG RAISG.“IT WAS AWFUL, AND YET NOW ULVERSTONE, THEY RAISE THE RABOW FLAG. HOW N ANYONE NOT BE PROUD OF THAT?”QLIFE PROVIS ATRALIA-WI ANONYMO LGBTI SUPPORT AND N BE REACHED THROUGH S ONLE CHAT SERVICE OR ON 1800 184 527.WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR STORY WH SBS NEWS? EMAIL SHARETAGSLIFEREMEND FOR YOU
• BEG GAY IN ATRALIA: ARE WE REALLY OK WH IT?

KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIENDBARBIE’S BELOVED BEARD?FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE QUTNED WHAT ROLE KEN REALLY PLAYS BARBIE’S LIFE. BUT THE TTH IS PLA SIGHT: KEN’S NOT BOYIEND MATERIAL. AT LEAST, NOT FOR BARBIE.BARRY LEVTFREELANCE WRERPUBLISHED JUL. 21, 2023 4:35AM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST/GETTYIT’S BARBIE WEEK AT THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED, CELEBRATG THE DOLL’S POP-CULTURE HISTORY, OUR FAVORE BARBIE MEMORI, AND A CERTA MAJOR MOVIE. READ ALL OF OUR VERAGE HERE!“SHE’S EVERYTHG. HE’S JT KEN.” THAT’S THE TAGLE FOR THE WILDLY ANTICIPATED BARBIE MOVIE, DIRECTED BY GRETA GERWIG AND STARRG MARGOT ROBBIE AND RYAN GOSLG. THE IMPLITN IS CLEAR: COME FOR BARBIE, AND STAY FOR BARBIE… BUT KEN HAPPENS TO BE THERE TOO.KEN HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS NOTHG BUT BARBIE’S HUMAN ACCSORY, BUT WASN’T ALWAYS THIS WAY FOR THE POOR MISUNRSTOOD DOLL. WHEN KEN WAS FIRST TRODUCED 1961, HIS FIRST MERCIAL TRIED TO POSN HIM AS BARBIE’S EQUAL AND, UNMISTAKABLY, BOYIEND. “GET BOTH BARBIE AND KEN AND SEE WHERE THE ROMANCE WILL LEAD!” THE MERCIAL PROMISED.SCE THEN, LIKE BARBIE, KEN HAS UNRGONE UNTLS TRANSFORMATNS AND FASHNS. BUT AS TIME WENT ON, KEN FOUND HIMSELF AN AFTERTHOUGHT. TOYMAKERS MATTEL NEVER GAVE HIM THE SAME KD OF BACKSTORI AS BARBIE—WHILE SHE’S HAD OVER 200 REERS, KEN HAS HAD JT SOME 40-ODD PROFSNS. (AN CREDIBLE AMOUNT OF JOBS FOR A PERSON, SURE. BUT FOR A DOLL? EMBARRASSG.) BARBIE HAS STARRED LOTS OF VIO GAM AND MORE THAN THREE DOZEN FILMS; KEN HAS HAD A MAJOR ROLE A MERE HANDFUL OF THEM. BUT THERE’S ONE KEY REASON WHY KEN IS ALWAYS LAGGG SIGNIFINTLY BEHD BARBIE AND 'S A LOT EPER THAN THE DOLL’S SEEMG LACK OF POPULARY: KEN HAS BEEN MISST. HE’S NOT BARBIE’S BOYIEND. HE’S BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.DPE MATTEL’S SISTENCE THAT BARBIE AND KEN ARE A HAPPY ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP, THERE’S PLENTY OF SPECULATN ABOUT KEN’S SEXUALY. EVEN IF HIS MAKERS CLAIM HIM TO BE STRAIGHT, THERE’S MOUNTG PROOF TO THE NTRARY. PERHAPS THE MOST DISPUTABLE EVINCE THAT KEN IS FACT BOTH A MEMBER OF THE QUEER MUNY AND BARBIE’S BTIE, NOT BOY TOY, OM A RATHER SURPRISG PLACE: 2010’S TOY STORY 3.IN TOY STORY 3, BARBIE AND KEN PLAY A SURPRISGLY LARGE ROLE. THEIR TRODUCTN TO THE FILM IS TGED WH ROMANTIC TENSN. WHEN THE PAIR MEET, THE FILM VOK A MON TROPE: A ROMANTIC NEEDLE DROP HS THE MOMENT THE LOVERS LOCK EY. IN THIS SE, ’S “DREAM WEAVER” BY GARY WRIGHT. AS FAR AS BARBIE AND KEN ARE NCERNED, THEY’RE THE ONLY ON THE ROOM. “I LOVE YOUR LEG WARMERS!” KEN TELLS BARBIE. “NICE AST,” SHE BANTERS, WH HEAVY EMPHASIS ON THE FIRST SYLLABLE. BEFORE THGS GET TOO HEATED, THEY LOCK ARMS AND WALK OFF TOGETHER. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / GETTY LET’S BE HONT—SPE THE ROMANTIC OVERTON OF THE SCENE, THEIR BRIEF EXCHANGE TELLS EVERYTHG ABOUT HOW THEY SEE EACH OTHER. KEN DON’T MENTN ANYTHG ABOUT BARBIE’S BODY, STEAD HIGHLIGHTG HER LEG WARMERS. BUT BARBIE IS UNSUBTLY TRYG TO SCE KEN JT TWO WORDS. SHE’S AFTER KEN, BUT KEN IS AFTER SOMEONE WHOSE CLOTH HE N ADMIRE.SURE, LATER THE FILM, KEN AND BARBIE SAY “I LOVE YOU” TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SAYG EACH WORD OF “I LOVE YOU”—SO SOMEONE DIFFERENT N SAY “LOVE” EACH TIME, AS KEN EXPLAS. HE MENTNS OFFHAND THAT HE HAS EVERYTHG EXCEPT SOMEONE TO SHARE WH. BARBIE AND KEN EVEN NUZZLE THEIR NOS TOGETHER. Y, THERE’S FELY LOVE BETWEEN IENDS—BUT THROUGH ALL, THERE’S NOT A HT OF SEXUAL CHEMISTRY.LOOK, I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THKG—SIR, THIS IS TOY STORY; WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU EXPECTG? IF YOU LOOK AT OTHER ROMANC THE ANCHISE—WOODY AND BO PEEP, AND JSE AND BUZZ—THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT THERE’S REAL LOVE THERE BETWEEN THE SENTIENT TOYS. THEIR PASSN FOR ONE ANOTHER TRANSCENDS MORE THAN SIMPLY BEG TERTED EACH OTHER’S OUTFS. THE SAME NNOT BE SAID OF THE MATTEL DOLLS. THAT’S MA EVINT WHEN KEN FALLY GETS AN OPPORTUNY FOR TIMACY WH BARBIE. “THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS,” HE TELLS BARBIE WHEN THEY FALLY GO TO HIS DREAMHOE TOGETHER, HAVG PARENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD CLUTCHG THEIR PEARLS. BUT FEAR NOT: KEN SIMPLY TAK BARBIE TO… HIS WALK- WARDROBE. ANY SEMBLANCE OF ROMANCE MAK WAY FOR IENDSHIP, WHEN THE PAIR JUBILANTLY PESE KEN’S OUTFS. AND STEAD OF DOG SOMETHG WILD LIKE KISSG BARBIE, KEN PUTS ON A FASHN SHOW FOR HER STEAD. THE FILM WON’T SAY , BUT A POST-CREDS PUNCHLE ABOUT KEN’S HANDWRG, PLETE WH HEARTS AND STARS SURROUNDG HIS NAME, TELLS WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW.THE HEAVILY IMPLIED NATURE OF KEN’S GAYNS TOY STORY 3 HARKENS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD’S TRADNAL GAY BT IEND-TYPE CHARACTERS. IN THE HAYS CO ERA, EXPLIC REFERENC TO HOMOSEXUALY WEREN’T ALLOWED, SO CHARACTERS LIKE VAN BUREN (FRANKL PANGBORN) 1937’S EASY LIVG, KIP (DAVID WAYNE) 1949’S ADAM’S RIB, OR ADDISON (GEE SANRS) 1950’S ALL ABOUT EVE STEAD WERE IMBUED WH EFFEMATE CHARACTERISTICS, OFFERG A GLIMPSE OUTSI OF HETERONORMATIVY WHOUT EXPLICLY BEG QUEER.NONE OF THE CHARACTERS WERE THE SAME—SOME WERE TTY, OTHERS SWEET. SOME HAD ULTERR MOTIV, AND OTHERS OFFERED UNNDNAL SUPPORT. BUT EACH OF THE GAY BT IENDS WAS TRSILLY FED BY THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT IENDS. WE NEVER REALLY LEARNED MUCH ABOUT THEM AS DIVIDUALS. THEY LIVED ON THE MARGS, FLHG OUT THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS, HARDLY HAVG A PURPOSE WHOUT THEM; THAT PORTRAYAL REMAS TE TODAY. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO / THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTOS BY GETTY / WARNER BROS. DES LATER, 2010, THE GAY BT IEND WAS ALL THE RAGE; TEEN VOGUE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS TO PROCLAIM THE GBF AS THE SUMMER’S MT-HAVE ACCSORY. BUT UNLIKE THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH CENTURY, TODAY’S CEMA, THE GBF IS ALLOWED TO BE OPENLY GAY. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY STILL BARELY REGISTER AS PEOPLE WH CHARACTER TRAS BEYOND THEIR RELATNSHIPS WH THEIR STRAIGHT UNTERPARTS. IN MOVI LIKE MEAN GIRLS (2004), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006), EASY A (2010), NO STRGS ATTACHED (2011), AND ISN’T IT ROMANTIC (2019), GAY IENDS EXIST ENTIRELY THE ORB OF THEIR FEMALE IENDS. IT’S SUCH A STRONG TROPE THAT EVEN PERSISTS QUEER ROMANTIC EDI: 2020’S HAPPIT SEASON FDS JOHN (DAN LEVY) OFFERG ADVICE AND SNARKY ONE-LERS TO HIS LBIAN BTIE LI OF MEANGFUL CHARACTER VELOPMENT.IN TOY STORY 3, THE SAME IS TE OF KEN. HIS EXISTENCE PENDS ON AND CIRCULAT AROUND BARBIE. IN BARBIE, KEN HAS FOUND SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNRSTANDS HIM. HE DON’T GET ALONG WH THE OTHER TOYS, WHO MOCK HIM FOR BEG A “GIRL'S TOY.” BUT BARBIE LOV FASHN, JT LIKE HE DO. “NO ONE APPRECIAT CLOTH HERE, BARBIE,” KEN LAMENTS TO BARBIE, ABOUT THE OTHER TOYS’ TREATMENT OF HIM. “NO ONE!” BUT BARBIE DO, AND FOR KEN, THAT’S LIFE-CHANGG.THERE ARE PLENTY OF REASONS WHY THE FILM WOULDN’T OUTRIGHTLY STATE THAT KEN IS HOMOSEXUAL. NOT ONLY DO DISNEY SELF HAVE A PLITED HISTORY WH QUEER CHARACTERS, BUT KEN AND BARBIE ARE ALSO THE PROPERTY OF MATTEL, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN STEADFAST ASSERTG KEN’S HETEROSEXUALY. THAT’S NEVER BEEN CLEARER THAN 1993 WHEN THE TOY PANY TRIED TO REIGNE KEN’S POPULARY MATTEL’S SOLUTN? EARRG MAGIC KEN. EARRG MAGIC KEN WAS A FIERCER, FELY MORE QUEER KEN THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS VERSN OF THE DOLL HAD BLEACHED BLON HAIR, A PURPLE LEATHER VT (!), A PK-PURPLE MH TOP (!!), AND OF URSE, AND EARRG THE “GAY EAR”. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL: AROUND KEN’S NECK WAS SOMETHG THAT ANY ACTIVE PARTICIPANT OF THE QUEER SCENE THE ’90S REGNIZED STANTLY—A CK RG (!!!).THE EARRG MAGIC KEN TURNED BARBIE’S BOYIEND TO AN OUT-AND-PROUD HOMOSEXUAL RAVER. MATTEL, OF URSE, VEHEMENTLY NIED ANY CLAIMS THAT KEN WAS GAY, LET ALONE THAT HE HAD SOMETHG AS PREPOSTERO AS A CK RG AROUND HIS NECK. AS LISA MCKENDALL, FORMER MANAGER OF MARKETG AND MUNITNS, SAID AN TERVIEW ABOUT THE DOLL, “WE’RE NOT THE BS OF PUTTG CK RGS TO THE HANDS OF LTLE GIRLS.”REGARDLS OF MATTEL’S TENTNS, ’S HARD TO NY WHAT THE EYE N SEE. DPE THE NAME, CK RGS AT THE TIME WERE ED AS A FASHN ACCSORY AND A SIGN OF FIANT QUEERNS AND SEX POSIVY. AS A RULT, GAY MEN BOUGHT THE DOLL DROV, AND SPE MATTEL ULTIMATELY RELLG THE DOLL AND WIPG AWAY ANY TRACE OF EARRG MAGIC KEN, WAS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE KEN AS ANYTHG BUT THE GLOR HOMOSEXUAL HE WAS BORN TO BE OM THEN ON. MATTEL SPENT THE NEXT UPLE OF S TRYG TO RETA KEN’S MORE HETERONORMATIVE, MASCULE IMAGE, BUT THE VEIL WAS LIFTED, AND THERE WAS NO GOG BACK. PHOTO ILLTRATN BY KELLY CAMERO/THE DAILY BEAST/PHOTOS BY GETTY/WARNER BROS. THOUGH MATTEL DON’T SEEM TO BE WILLG TO SAY KEN IS ACTUALLY GAY, THE KEN DOLLS OF RECENT YEARS SEEM TO REALLY LEAN TO KEN’S QUEERNS. THE YASSIFITN OF KEN IS CLEARLY UNRWAY. WHILE THERE IS NO WAY TO “DRS GAY,” THERE ARE SEVERAL DOLLS THAT SEEM TO SUGGT OTHERWISE, SUCH AS:FASHNISTA KEN #193, WHO LOOKS VERY EXCED TO TELL YOU ABOUT HIS NEW OBSSN, TROYE SIVAN;TRAVEL KEN DOLL, WHO HAS A SATCHEL PERFECT FOR BATHHO AND A PURPLE OVERNIGHT BAG THAT LERALLY PROCLAIMS HE’S “EXTRA;”KEN LOOKS DOLL, SERVG “I’M GONNA GIVE YOU A MAKEOVER”-TYPE REALNS WHILE SPORTG BLACK PLEATHER PANTS;THIS KEN, WHO WEARS THE LEAST HETEROSEXUAL DOUBLE NIM IMAGABLE.WHILE I HAVE A FEELG THE NEW BARBIE MOVIE WILL PUT THE WORK TO NVCE THAT KEN IS A HETERO DU WHO LOV NOTHG LIFE MORE THAN BARBIE HERSELF, THE WRG’S ALREADY ON THE WALL: KEN IS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, BARBIE’S GAY BT IEND.KEEP OBSSG! SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED NEWSLETTER AND FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK, TWTER, INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.READ MORE OF OUR BARBIE VERAGE HERE. BARRY LEVT

He’s Barbie’s gay bt iend. The film won’t say , but a post-creds punchle about Ken’s handwrg, plete wh hearts and stars surroundg his name, tells what we need to heavily implied nature of Ken’s gayns Toy Story 3 harkens back to Hollywood’s tradnal gay bt iend-type characters.

In the Hays Co era, explic referenc to homosexualy weren’t allowed, so characters like Van Buren (Frankl Pangborn) 1937’s Easy Livg, Kip (David Wayne) 1949’s Adam’s Rib, or Addison (Gee Sanrs) 1950’s All About Eve stead were imbued wh effemate characteristics, offerg a glimpse outsi of heteronormativy whout explicly beg of the characters were the same—some were tty, others sweet. But each of the gay bt iends was trsilly fed by their relatnships wh their straight iends.

Des later, 2010, the gay bt iend was all the rage; Teen Vogue even went so far as to proclaim the GBF as the summer’s mt-have accsory. But unlike the first half of the 20th century, today’s cema, the GBF is allowed to be openly gay. In movi like Mean Girls (2004), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Easy A (2010), No Strgs Attached (2011), and Isn’t It Romantic (2019), gay iends exist entirely the orb of their female iends.

JAKE'S STORY OF BEG GAY RAL ATRALIA

” But Barbie do, and for Ken, that’s are plenty of reasons why the film wouldn’t outrightly state that Ken is homosexual. ), and of urse, and earrg the “gay ear”. ) Earrg Magic Ken turned Barbie’s boyiend to an out-and-proud homosexual raver.

Mattel, of urse, vehemently nied any claims that Ken was gay, let alone that he had somethg as prepostero as a ck rg around his neck.

IT'S ONLY 25 YEARS SCE BEG GAY STOPPED BEG ILLEGAL ATRALIAWHEN TASMANIA CRIMALISED HOMOSEXUALY ON 1 MAY 1997, BEME THE LAST ATRALIAN STATE TO DO SO. TODAY, LGBTIQ+ ADVOT THERE SAY THERE’S STILL WORK TO BE DONE, PARTICULARLY TO PROTECT ATRALIANS WHO ARE TRANSGENR AND TERSEX.PUBLISHED 1 MAY 2022 7:34AMUPDATED 1 MAY 2022 8:09AMBY SARAH MNRSOURCE: SBS NEWSIMAGE: POLICE LEAD GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST RODNEY CROOME AWAY OM PROTTS AT SALAMAN MARKET 1988. (SUPPLIED / ROGER LOVELL, THE MERCURY (SUPPLIED BY RODNEY CROOME).)THE LATE 1980S WERE TOUGH FOR RODNEY CROOME. AGED HIS 20S AND NOT LONG AFTER G OUT AS GAY, HE CID TO BEE AN LGBTIQ+ ADVOTE HIS HOME STATE OF TASMANIA.“I DISVERED THEN, THAT BEE I WAS GAY, I LIVED A POLICE STATE,” HE SAYS.HE RELLS GOG TO A GAY MUNY MEETG AND LEARNG NOT TO E HIS SURNAME AS POLICE RMANTS ULD BE HIDN WH THE GROUP. HE WAS ALSO TOLD POLICE ULD BE WAG OUTSI TO ADD ATTEN’ R REGISTRATN PLAT TO THEIR SO-LLED “PK LIST”.TASMANIA'S STATE LAW AT THE TIME STILL CRIMALISED HOMOSEXUALY, MEANG SEX BETWEEN MEN WAS PUNISHABLE BY MORE THAN 20 YEARS PRISON. THE RT OF ATRALIA HAD CRIMALISED .POLICE ATTENDG A GAY LAW REFORM STALL AT HOBART'S SALAMAN MARKETS 1988. SOURCE: AAP / ROGER LOVELLTHE LAST TIME A PERSON WAS CHARGED WH HOMOSEXUALY OFFENC TASMANIA WAS THE MID-1980S, MR CROOME SAYS, BUT THE LAW “WAS STILL ED AS A JTIFITN BY THE ERNMENT AND OTHERS TO DISCRIMATE”.THE WORST EXAMPLE ME 1988 WHEN HE AND A SMALL GROUP OF ADVOT SET UP A STALL AT HOBART’S INIC SALAMAN MARKETS. THEY WERE ARMED WH NOTHG BUT A TABLE AND A PETN AND WERE ASKG PEOPLE TO SIGN SUPPORT OF CRIMALISG HOMOSEXUALY.“WHEN THE HOBART CY COUNCIL FOUND OUT WE WERE THERE, THEY LLED THE POLICE AND HAD ALL ARRTED,” MR CROOME SAYS.“THERE WERE MORE THAN 130 PEOPLE ARRTED OVER SEVEN WEEKS … THE BIGGT ACT OF GAY RIGHTS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ATRALIAN HISTORY.”POLICE LEAD GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST RODNEY CROOME AWAY OM PROTTS AT SALAMAN MARKET 1988. SOURCE: SUPPLIED / ROGER LOVELL, THE MERCURY (SUPPLIED BY RODNEY CROOME).RICHARD HALE, A FOUNDG MEMBER OF THE TASMANIAN GAY LAW REFORM GROUP, WAS ARRTED TWICE DURG THAT TIME.“WE NEVER KNEW OM WEEK TO WEEK EXACTLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN … AND SOME PEOPLE WERE TREATED QUE ROUGHLY,” HE SAYS.“WHEN YOU’RE THE PADDY WAGON BY YOURSELF … OR YOU WERE HELD A POLICE CELL FOR A LONG TIME AND YOU DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS GOG TO HAPPEN NEXT, THOSE THGS WERE QUE SRY.”THERE WERE MORE THAN 130 PEOPLE ARRTED OVER SEVEN WEEKS … THE BIGGT ACT OF GAY RIGHTS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ATRALIAN HISTORY.RODNEY CROOMEANTI-GAY RALLI NTUED TO THE 1990S TASMANIA, MR CROOME SAYS. HE ATTEND SOME ULVERSTONE, A TOWN ON THE STATE’S NORTH AST, TO UNTER MONSTRATE.“HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WOULD GO ALONG AND LISTEN TO HATRED AND BILE ABOUT . I REMEMBER HEARG THOSE PEOPLE SHOUTG, ‘KILL THEM! KILL THEM!’”“ULVERSTONE WAS LABELLED AS ‘ATRALIA’S MOST HOMOPHOBIC TOWN’ THE TERNATNAL PRS.”HOW THEY WON THE FIGHTIN THE EARLY 1990S, TASMANIA’S UPPER HOE REJECTED LEGISLATN TO CRIMALISE HOMOSEXUALY, SO MR CROOME TOOK THE BATTLE TO THE UNED NATNS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMTEE.“IT WAS THE FIRST SUCH SE OM ATRALIA AND THE FIRST SE ABOUT CRIMALISATN BROUGHT TO THE UN OM ANYWHERE THE WORLD,” HE SAYS.IN APRIL 1994, THE UN LED MR CROOME’S FAVOUR, BUT THE BATTLE WASN’T OVER; HE’D NEED TO NVCE CANBERRA.GAY ACTIVISTS PROTTG HOBART AUGT 1988. SOURCE: AAP / ROGER LOVELL“WE ASKED THE FERAL ERNMENT TO E S POWERS UNR THE FERAL NSTUTN, PARTICULARLY TERMS OF OBSERVG TERNATNAL TREATI, TO ENACT A LAW THAT WOULD OVERRI THE TASMANIAN LAW,” HE SAYS.“BUT THAT DIDN’T VALIDATE THE TASMANIAN LAWS PLETELY, THE ONLY BODY THAT ULD DO THAT WAS THE HIGH COURT, SO AFTER THE FERAL LAW WAS PASSED, WE WENT TO THE HIGH COURT.“AFTER THAT, THE TASMANIAN ERNMENT KNEW THE GAME WAS UP. THE LIBERAL ERNMENT AT THE TIME ALLOWED A NSCIENCE VOTE, AND THE LAW WAS CHANGED.”RODNEY CROOME, CENTRE, AT A 1997 PRS NFERENCE FOLLOWG THE SUCCSFUL PASSAGE OF GAY LAW REFORM TASMANIA'S UPPER HOE. SOURCE: FACEBOOK / EVOLUTN PUBLISHG, AQUA ATRALIAN QUEER ARCHIVMR CROOME SAYS HE AND OTHER ADVOT HAD BEEN NNG “NOT ONLY A MPAIGN FOR LAW CHANGE BUT A MPAIGN TO CHANGE HEARTS AND MDS”.“WE WENT OUT AND SPOKE TO EVERY GROUP THAT WOULD LISTEN TO : SERVICE CLUBS, UNN BRANCH, SCHOOL GROUPS, SPORTG GROUPS; WE WENT ACROSS TASMANIA AND MA OUR SE.”MR HALE WAS AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHEN THE FAL VOTE HAPPENED ON 1 MAY 1997.“IT WAS THE EVENG, AND WAS THE END OF A NE-YEAR MPAIGN,” HE SAYS.“THERE WAS GREAT RELIEF. I’M A B SHIVERY JT THKG ABOUT .”IT PASSED BY JT ONE VOTE.LASTG IMPACTLYNN JARVIS IS THE CEO OF WORKG IT OUT, TASMANIA’S ONLY DITED LGBTIQ+ SERVICE AND TN PROVIR. IT WAS TABLISHED AS A DIRECT RULT OF THE LAW CHANGE TO CRIMALISE HOMOSEXUALY.DR JARVIS SAYS YOUNGER PEOPLE TASMANIA’S LQBTIQ+ MUNY ARE OFTEN SURPRISED WHEN THEY LEARN ABOUT THE STATE’S HISTORY.RODNEY CROOME AT SALAMAN MARKETS 2004. SOURCE: AAP / LIBBY SUTHERLAND“IF YOU’RE A YOUNG PERSON NOW, I’M SURE 25 YEARS AGO SOUNDS LIKE ANOTHER LIFETIME AGO.“WHAT PEOPLE WENT THROUGH TO GET THAT REFORM WAS HORRIFIC … THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE VIEWS OF A WHOLE MUNY.”NOW, SHE SAYS, “WE HAVE AS A RULT SOME OF THE MOST PROGRSIVE LEGISLATN AND PROTECTNS PLACE OF ANY STATE OR TERRORY ATRALIA, AND SOMETIM THE WORLD”.IN 2017, 63.6 PER CENT OF PEOPLE TASMANIA VOTED ‘Y’ ATRALIA’S POSTAL VOTE TO LEGALISE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, ABOVE THE NATNAL TOTAL OF 61.6 PER CENT.THE FOLLOWG YEAR, TASMANIANS WERE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO APPLY TO HAVE HISTORIL NVICTNS FOR HOMOSEXUAL ACTS REMOVED OM THEIR CRIMAL RERDS.POSIVE CHANGE HAS ALSO E FOR TASMANIA’S WIR LGBTIQ+ MUNY, TRANSGENR WOMAN AND ADVOTE MARTE DELANEY SAYS.IN 2004, SHE BEGAN MEETG WH SUCCSIVE TASMANIAN ATTORNEYS-GENERAL, LLG FOR CHANG THE STATE’S BIRTH CERTIFITE LEGISLATN.MARTE DELANEY HAS FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF TRANSGENR ATRALIANS. SOURCE: SUPPLIED“15 YEARS LATER, RULTED PROBABLY THE WORLD’S BT AND MOST CLIVE BIRTH CERTIFITE LAWS,” SHE SAYS.TASMANIA NOW MAK GENR ON BIRTH CERTIFIT OPTNAL AND REMOV THE REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSGENR PEOPLE TO HAVE SURGERY ORR TO HAVE THEIR GENR REGNISED.WORK TO BE DONEDPE THE WS, THOSE WORKG WH THE LGBTIQ+ MUNY AGREE THERE’S STILL MORE TO BE DONE.MR CROOME, WHO WAS NAMED TASMANIAN OF THE YEAR 2015, WOULD NOW LIKE TO SEE THE STATE BAN GAY NVERSN PRACTIC. ADVOT ALSO AGREE MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SUPPORT TRANSGENR AND TERSEX PEOPLE THE STATE.READ MORE'HAVE A SHRED OF EMPATHY': COVERAGE OF KATHERE DEV' MENTS IS HARMFUL, TRANSGENR ADVOT SAY“A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE STILL FEEL DISTRSED ABOUT LIVG AS THEIR TE SELV OUR MUNY,” DR JARVIS SAYS.LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE ARE STILL ED AS A “POLIL WEDGE” NATNAL BATE TOO, SHE ADDS, REFERENCG RECENT ARGUMENTS ABOUT TRANSGENR WOMEN'S PARTICIPATN SPORT.“THE LIV OF LGBTIQ+ PEOPLE ARE STILL EQUENTLY BATED THE PUBLIC DOMA AND I WOULD JT LIKE TO REMD EVERYBODY THAT THAT HAS REALLY SER NSEQUENC ... ON THE HEALTH AND WELLBEG OF THE MUNY.”MR CROOME AGRE. RODNEY CROOME TODAY. HE SAYS MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT ATRALIA'S TRANSGENR AND GENR DIVERSE MUNY. SOURCE: SBS NEWS / SARAH MNR“OF URSE, WE’RE THE MIDST OF AN ELECTN MPAIGN, WHERE THE LIV OF SEXUAL AND GENR MORI ARE AGA BEG ATTACKED, PARTICULARLY TRANS AND GENR DIVERSE PEOPLE,” HE SAYS.“I THK ’S IMPORTANT THAT WE RELL THE MPAIGN [TO CRIMALISE HOMOSEXUALY] TASMANIA, AND THE SUCCS OF THAT MPAIGN, TURNG TASMANIA AROUND, TO GIVE HOPE AND SPIRATN FOR DOG THE SAME THG AGA TO THE FUTURE.”SIMONE-LISA ANRSON IS THE TASMANIAN REPRENTATIVE FOR INTERSEX PEER SUPPORT ATRALIA AND WANTS FURTHER LEGAL REFORMS TO SUPPORT THOSE WHOSE SEX CHARACTERISTICS DO NOT NFORM TO FEMALE OR MALE STEREOTYP.“TO STOP NON-NSENSUAL SURGERI ON FANTS, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE THAT HAVEN’T BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH RMATN ABOUT WHAT THE SURGERI ARE AND WHAT THEY DO TO THEIR BODI,” SHE SAYS.READ MORE'MY PARENTS REJECTED ME FOR BEG GAY'MERRAN NEWMAN IS THE CHAIRPERSON OF PFLAG TASMANIA (PARENTS, FAI AND IENDS OF LBIANS AND GAYS), AND SAYS THERE ARE STILL NEEDS THE MUNY GOG UNMET. THE ANISATN SUPPORTS PEOPLE LIVG RAL PARTS OF THE STATE.“SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT JT LGBTIQ+, SOME PEOPLE ALSO HAVE A DISABILY, OR THEY HAVE MENTAL HEALTH DISTRS, OR THEY’RE LONELY. WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THOSE PEOPLE SOMEHOW. WE HAVE TO KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, AND WE DON’T ALWAYS KNOW.”‘RABOW ISLAND’IN 2008, HOBART CY COUNCIL OFFICIALLY APOLOGISED FOR THE ARRTS THAT BEGAN AT SALAMAN MARKETS, ROLVG “THAT ACTNS SUCH AS THE WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGA”.TASMANIA POLICE ACKNOWLEDG ON S WEBSE “TASMANIA WAS THE LAST STATE TO CRIMALISE MALE-TO-MALE RELATNSHIPS,” AND SAYS “THIS HAS LEFT A LEGACY OF STIGMA AND DISCRIMATN THAT TASMANIA POLICE SEEKS TO ADDRS”. THE FORCE NOW EMPLOYS LGBTI LIAISON OFFICERS, HAS ENURAGED OFFICERS UNIFORM TO TAKE PART THE TASPRI PARA SCE 2015, AND SAYS HAS “A STRONG MMENT TOWARDS HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIVERSY OUR MUNY”.THE YELLOW LE MEMORIAL AT SALAMAN MARKETS PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE 130 PEOPLE ARRTED 1988. SOURCE: SBS NEWS / SARAH MNRTHE TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY APOLOGISED FOR LAWS CRIMALISG HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVY AND THEIR IMPACT 2017."MANY TASMANIANS HAVE NTUED TO SUFFER OM DISTRS AND DISADVANTAGE AS A RULT OF THE CRIMALISATN OF NDUCT THAT IS NOW ACCEPTED AS LAWFUL,” THEN-PREMIER WILL HODGMAN SAID.THERE IS HOPE THE MUNY THAT UNR NEWLY-APPOTED STATE PREMIER JEREMY ROCKLIFF, THGS N ONLY IMPROVE.MR ROCKLIFF VOTED FOR MARRIAGE EQUALY AND HAS BEEN A SUPPORTER OF OTHER PRO-LGBTIQ+ LAWS. LAST YEAR, WHILE MISTER FOR MUNY SERVIC AND VELOPMENT, HE ANNOUNCED GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE MUNY, SAYG “ALL TASMANIANS SHOULD BE TREATED WH DIGNY AND RPECT – REGARDLS OF THEIR RELATNSHIP STAT, SEXUALY, GENR INTY OR TERSEX CHARACTERISTICS”.MR CROOME SAYS HE’S PROUD OF HOW FAR THE STATE HAS E SCE HIS WORK BEGAN.RECENTLY, ULVERSTONE, ONCE LABELLED ‘ATRALIA’S MOST HOMOPHOBIC TOWN’ AND WHERE THOSE ANTI-GAY RALLI WERE HELD, HE ATTEND A RABOW FLAG RAISG.“IT WAS AWFUL, AND YET NOW ULVERSTONE, THEY RAISE THE RABOW FLAG. HOW N ANYONE NOT BE PROUD OF THAT?”QLIFE PROVIS ATRALIA-WI ANONYMO LGBTI SUPPORT AND N BE REACHED THROUGH S ONLE CHAT SERVICE OR ON 1800 184 527.WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE YOUR STORY WH SBS NEWS? EMAIL SHARETAGSLIFEREMEND FOR YOU

As a rult, gay men bought the doll drov, and spe Mattel ultimately rellg the doll and wipg away any trace of Earrg Magic Ken, was near-impossible to see Ken as anythg but the glor homosexual he was born to be om then on. Though Mattel don’t seem to be willg to say Ken is actually gay, the Ken dolls of recent years seem to really lean to Ken’s queerns.

While there is no way to “drs gay, ” there are several dolls that seem to suggt otherwise, such as:Fashnista Ken #193, who looks very exced to tell you about his new obssn, Troye Sivan;Travel Ken Doll, who has a satchel perfect for bathho and a purple overnight bag that lerally proclaims he’s “extra;”Ken Looks Doll, servg “I’m gonna give you a makeover”-type realns while sportg black pleather pants;This Ken, who wears the least heterosexual double nim I have a feelg the new Barbie movie will put the work to nvce that Ken is a hetero du who lov nothg life more than Barbie herself, the wrg’s already on the wall: Ken is, and always will be, Barbie’s gay bt obssg! Meet Jake, a young gay Atralian who grew up a ral untry town. When I first realised I was gay.

BEG GAY IN ATRALIA: ARE WE REALLY OK WH IT?

I like to say to people that I realised I was gay right after I first had sex wh a du. Growg up, never occurred to me that I was gay.

I gus I jt wanted to prove to myself that I was okay wh beg gay. For many years, I’d believed that people my town wouldn’t tolerate anyone gay. When I heard ments like ‘Oh, that’s gay’ or ‘Ha!

I thought they hated homosexuals.