It's only 25 years sce beg gay stopped beg illegal Atralia | SBS News

australian gay rights

Dpe the 1978 prott settg the scene for the evolutn of Atralian gay rights and one of the biggt LGBTQ+ celebratns the world, some hold ncerns rporat are edgg out the activism that once lay at the heart of Mardi Gras

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LGBT Rights Atralia: homosexualy, gay marriage, gay adoptn, servg the ary, sexual orientatn discrimatn protectn, changg legal genr, donatg blood, age of nsent, and more. * australian gay rights *

By The Numbers4% of Atralians scribed themselv as beg gay, lbian or bisexual78% of Atralians agree trans people serve the same rights and protectns as other Atralians66% of Atralians agree that young people should be able to accs healthre that supports them to live as their te selv.

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

People who are gay, lbian or bisexual are protected om discrimatn by law. The Sex Discrimatn Act mak unlawful to treat a person ls favourably than another person a siar suatn bee of their sexual orientatn. There are some limed exemptns. Example: It may be discrimatn for an employer not to promote an employee to a more senr role bee he is gay. Same-sex upl are also protected om discrimatn unr the fn of ‘maral or relatnship stat’ the Act. * australian gay rights *

Current statSce May 1, 1997Legal In 1997 the High Court of Atralia led that Tasmania's anti-gay laws were nsistent wh feral law, and Tasmania (the fal jurisdictn wh ntrary laws) was forced to crimalise by RegnHomosexual activy was ferally crimalized by the Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Act 1994, although some lol state laws remaed nsent until marriage Atralia? 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” worst example me 1988 when he and a small group of advot set up a stall at Hobart’s inic Salaman Markets. Tasmania now mak genr on birth certifit optnal and remov the requirement for transgenr people to have surgery orr to have their genr to be doneDpe the ws, those workg wh the LGBTIQ+ muny agree there’s still more to be Croome, who was named Tasmanian of the Year 2015, would now like to see the state ban gay nversn practic.

FACE THE FACTS: LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS AND INTERSEX PEOPLE

Explore our gay travel gui to Atralia featurg LGBTQ+ safety tips, gay rights , top ci & attractns, where to stay and more! * australian gay rights *

“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 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. Photograph: Glenn Campbell/AAPThe NRL and the NSW Teachers’ Feratn are among those reportedly cut om the para creasg mercialisatn of the prott and the cln of rporatns and polil parti which at tim are seen to work agast the terts of the LGBTQ+ muny remas an ongog source of tensn for the Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras.

Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Crics say the bill will further entrench discrimatory hirg practicAtralia has troduced a new ntroversial bill aimed at protectg relig people om "ncel culture" other thgs, would allow Catholic schools the right to fire teachers or expel gay stunts the name of "relig ethos" Mister Stt Morrison said the Relig Discrimatn Bill, if passed, would ensure protectn for relig people and anisatns, like church, to exprs beliefs. Equaly Atralia, a gay rights advocy group told the ABC earlier this week: "When… a nurse says to a patient wh HIV that their HIV is a punishment by God, for example…[that] uld nstute a statement of belief, would be protected unr the law unr this bill. The topic of relig discrimatn has been at the centre of several public bat recent years, particularly the wake of Atralia passg same-sex marriage legislatn triggered a ernment quiry - led by nservativ - to whether relig groups felt their right to exprsn was beg like gby player Israel Fol beg sacked om the natnal Wallabi si for sayg on his Instagram that "hell awas" gay people have also spurred the Atralian ernment was cricised earlier this year for awardg an Orr of Atralia honour to tennis player Margaret Court, who has publicly exprsed anti-gay state premiers at the time said Canberra should not have award her the Mr Morrison, a Pentestal Christian, has creasgly rid ncerns about discrimatn as "ncel culture".

Lbian, gay, bisexual, trans and tersex (LGBTI) people Atralia still experience discrimatn, harassment and hostily many parts of everyday life; public, at work and study, accsg health and other servic and securg proper regnn of their sex official documents. The anizatn’s choice of name was a nsc play on the term ed by many Atralian gays of the time to refer to themselv, “mp, ” a word that would rema age until the adoptn of the word “gay” om the Uned Stat gay liberatn movement to Atralian English 1972. The rt of the saw the appearance of three short-lived tl jog Camp Ink, the Sydney Gay Liberatn Newsletter (1972-1973) which beme Gay Lib News (1973-1974), and Red and Lavenr: Newsletter of the Socialist Lbians and Male Homosexuals, published om 1976 until 1978.

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 SHARETAGSLIFETOPICS

In 1982, s tle changed to simply The Star (1982-1985), followed by the Star Observer (1985-1986), Sydney’s Star Observer (1986-1987), Sydney Star Observer (1987-2014) and the ntemporary Star Observer, at The 1980s saw the addn to the Atralian gay prs scene of a journal om the Sydney Gay Wrers Collective, Inversns, published 1980 and 1981, and the first issue of an annual serial, Atralia and Beyond: a gay and lbian gui to Atralia & New Zealand, which would rema prt until 1991. In 1992, the Atralian Gay and Lbian Law Journal began publitn, and would rema existence to the twenty-first century, changg s tle to the Atralasian Gay and Lbian Law Journal after 1993 and to the Gay and Lbian Law Journal startg 2001.

While the motn on this pot did not rry, tert remaed as to “whether the law should attach crimal nsequenc to all physil sexual acts between male homosexuals and whether Christians were unr a duty to support the matenance of existg laws” (Report 1971: 1. While the Commtee favored retag the laws limg offensive behavrs, remend that “the provisns of the Victoria Crime Act 1958, which renr crimal those homosexual acts mted private between nsentg mal of 18 years or olr, should be repealed. The full text of that speech was reprted his 1979 llectn of wrgs Comg Out the Seventi unr the tle “Fom on Gay Liberatn “and offers a unique wdow to how the ias and tes of the then-new gay liberatn movement were beg exprsed wh an Atralian ntext.

Its preface c the work of Aled Ksey and quot the Wolfenn Report om the UK as a amework for the then-recent visibily of homosexualy as a social issue, then exprs ncern that chang the social environment towards homosexuals may tempt many people to choose homosexual rather than heterosexual (and Scripturally sanctned) norms of behavr. The “Remendatns” sectn of the Report lls upon what terms “practicg homosexuals” to cease their activi and strs the threat that the homosexual movement pos to Wtern society before llg for reforms the area of the homosexualy laws of Atralia (towards a greater uniformy) and police practic and the availabily of psychologil rehabilatn. In the same year, on the other si of the ntent, homosexualy beme a subject of bate and discsn the state of Wtern Atralia when a bill was troduced to the Legislative Assembly to amend the sectns of the Crimal Co related to homosexual acts.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* AUSTRALIAN GAY RIGHTS

Out of the boardrooms and to the streets: is the Sydney Mardi Gras puttg rporatns before prott? | Sydney Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras | The Guardian .

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