The Secret History of Atralia's Gay Diggers | SBS Voic

Contents:

• GAY SYDNEY GUI | AN LGBTQIA+ GUI TO SYDNEY
• DRAMATIC GRDR ENUNTER AT A PARK ADDS CHAPTER TO SYDNEY’S GAY HISTORY
• THE SECRET HISTORY OF ATRALIA'S GAY DIGGERS
• SYDNEY GAY TOURS
• GAY LEGENDS OF SYDNEY FEATURED ON OXFORD STREET AHEAD OF SYDNEY WORLDPRI 2023

GAY SYDNEY GUI | AN LGBTQIA+ GUI TO SYDNEY

In a sense, lonial Atralia was found on homophobia. It is certa that Phillip, generally regard as a product of the European Enlightment, uld not have forseen that such a society would prise regnised muni of gay men and lbians. After all, the ncepts of homosexualy and ‘the homosexual’ were not to be nceived for another 81 years and gay liberatn lay a further 100 years beyond that.

It is not until the late 19th century that we have evince of the rise of a nascent male homosexual subculture, particularly Sydney.

The ‘Cleveland-street prosecutn’ is a reference to a celebrated raid on a London homosexual brothel 1889. This applied particularly to homosexual men. In the words of historian Garry Wotherspoon, homosexual men were ‘nghty, sick and sful’, and wh regard to the latter, generally rema so.

DRAMATIC GRDR ENUNTER AT A PARK ADDS CHAPTER TO SYDNEY’S GAY HISTORY

In 1958, the Police Commissner Col Delaney, a vout Catholic wh secury service nnectns and a homophobic obssn, claimed that ‘homosexualy was Atralia’s greatt menace’. The police force took s cue om the Commissner and the post-war perd saw a crack down on homosexuals, wh police even actg as agents provotr at regnised beats. The ‘mp’ muny, as homosexual men me to self-intify, referred to them as ‘pretty policemen’ or ‘lily law’.

Then, 1969, Ivy’s Birdge opened Taylor Square and that marks the begng of Oxford Street as Sydney’s gay ‘Goln Mile’, as other venu opened durg the 1970s. However, society at large, the stereotype of homosexual men as high-pched, limp-wristed queens persisted. Psychiatrists the 1950s and 60s me to see homosexual men as subject to illns and need of help.

THE SECRET HISTORY OF ATRALIA'S GAY DIGGERS

By 1973, the medil profsn began to shift s attu, assisted by the claratn of the Royal Atralian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists that homosexualy was no longer a mental illns, the first such body the world to do so.

By then, another phenomenon had risen Atralian society; gay liberatn.

The Homosexual Law Reform Society of the Atralian Capal Terrory was set up Canberra for some months 1969; however, while homosexual people were members, the spokpeople were heterosexual. There were no real publicly intified homosexuals (though people the arts and theatril profsns were whispered about or sniggered at). It was, therefore, somethg of a shock to most Atralians to read The Atralian newspaper of 10 September 1970 of the formatn of an anisatn, Campaign Agast Moral Persecutn Inrporated (CAMP Inc), dited to removg the stigma that society attached to homosexualy.

SYDNEY GAY TOURS

The name was liberately chosen to give an Atralian flavour to the anisatn, as ‘mp’ was a word of self-scriptn wh the homosexual muny while ‘gay’ was not. John had e out of amic psychiatry where, as a stunt, he had difficulti rencilg the tablished medil view of homosexualy as an illns wh the realy of his own life. ) They both looked to the formatn of a small group that would be knowledgeable about current thkg on homosexualy and be able to rpond publicly, puttg forward an rmed gay viewpot.

On 6 Febary 1971, the first public gatherg of homosexual men and women took place a small church hall Balma, then the heart of Sydney’s unter-culture. Most activy was rried out the var subgroups ncerned wh law reform, married gays, relign and social activi. Que early on Sydney, John Ware stated that would be years before we saw the first homosexual monstratn Atralia.

GAY LEGENDS OF SYDNEY FEATURED ON OXFORD STREET AHEAD OF SYDNEY WORLDPRI 2023

He was facg a right-wg challenge om well-known homophobe, Jim Cameron, followg ments Hugh had ma favour of homosexual law reform. The monstratn was bright and cheerful and marked an important tone the history of gay liberatn. They had bee dissatisfied wh the ‘reformist’ approach of the anisatn and, July 1971, formed themselv to a gay liberatn cell wh CAMP.

The more radil polics and ias of the Gay Liberatn Front the Uned Stat had already begun to e to Atralia. In January, Sydney Gay Liberatn (SGL) clared self a separate anisatn.

Th began the polil diversy of the gay movement Atralia. By March 1972, a Gay Liberatn Front had been formed Melbourne and gay liberatn groups were tablished on mp and other state pals.