Atralia has long had a gay beach subculture but they haven't always been safe spac | Gary Nunn | The Guardian

Contents:

• ‘MEN WERE STTERG EVERYWHERE’: QUIRY HEARS OF STRG OF VLENT CINTS AT SYDNEY GAY BEATS
• NSW POLICE LOSE URT BID TO EXCLU STT JOHNSON KILLG OM GAY HATE QUIRY
• INQUIRY HEARS OF VLENCE AT GAY BEATS
• ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC
• NEWSTLE FAY OF GAY HATE CRIME VICTIM JOHN RSELL WA ON FAL REPORT
• MAN WARNED OF GAY BEAT 'DANGER': QUT
• MAN ACCED OF HISTORIC MURR A SYDNEY PARK WOULD ALLEGEDLY 'SET UPON' GAY MEN, URT HEARS
• FOUR OTHER GAY-HATE CRIM BEG VTIGATED BY NSW POLICE AFTER STT JOHNSON MURR CHARGE
• MAN’S FURY OVER ‘PRAVED’ TOILET ACT SPARKS BATE OVER GAY BEATS
• NSW ERNMENT ANNOUNC QUIRY TO SYDNEY'S UNSOLVED GAY AND TRANSGENR HATE CRIM, MURRS
• PARLIAMENTARY QUIRY TO GAY AND TRANSGENR HATE CRIM TO REMEND HEARG NEWSTLE
• NSW POLICE ENABLED GAY HATE MURRS

‘MEN WERE STTERG EVERYWHERE’: QUIRY HEARS OF STRG OF VLENT CINTS AT SYDNEY GAY BEATS

Men at a popular Sydney gay beat had to stter when a r reered towards them “like was on a kangaroo shoot”, an quiry has r’s headlights and an apparent spotlight were blazg as the r drove at men at Rhcutters Bay Park Sydney’s east the 1990s. “It was a by Saturday night and men were stterg everywhere, nng like the dickens, ” Barry Charl said on 72-year-old longtime gay rights activist was givg evince at the New South Wal Special Commissn of Inquiry to LGBTIQ hate is vtigatg historil hate crim agast the queer muny, particularly a wave of gay hate homicis and other crim Sydney durg the Aids epimic of the 1980s.

“While as a young man om Punchbowl ( Sydney’s wt) I had no ia how to fd a gay bar, beats were somethg I uld fd, ” he equented them between 1969 and 1998, visg at least 40 different on around sex was mostly anonymo and wordls, as the majory wanted to get over and done wh as quickly as possible.

“Hangg around for longer than necsary was dangero, bee you knew you uld be apprehend, or were danger of vlence and some men were at risk of beg exposed as gay. A bid by New South Wal police to exclu a high-profile killg om a gay hate quiry has been ath of US mathematician Stt Johnson is one of dozens of s unr the spotlight at a special missn of quiry to spected gay hate crim Sydney between 1970 and 27-year-old died after he was punched at a gay beat on Sydney’s northern beach. In the latt velopment, Stt Phillip Whe plead guilty to throwg the punch that ultimately ed Johnson to fall to his month, jtice Robert Beech-Jon dismissed “what appears to be an absurd suggtn [by police] that Dr Johnson killed himself” when sentencg Whe to ne years past newsletter promotnafter newsletter promotnNSW police had argued Johnson’s ath was outsi the current quiry’s terms of reference on the basis the matter was not unsolved, the man rponsible for his ath intified as gay and a sentencg judge did not fd the ath to be motivated by gay the quiry’s missner, jtice John Sackar, on Tuday led s terms of reference were much wir and answers to qutns such as how and why Johnson died were still not urt did not make a fdg beyond reasonable doubt that Whe was motivated by gay hate, but did not le out the possibily, he is due to hand down his fal report next month.

NSW POLICE LOSE URT BID TO EXCLU STT JOHNSON KILLG OM GAY HATE QUIRY

Media verage of the early years of the HIV epimic ntributed to the high level of vlence agast the LGBT muny NSW the 1980s, an quiry has pots:An quiry is vtigatg spected gay hate crim mted over 40 years NSWIt hears Grim Reaper ad mpaign 1987 had a "particularly damagg" impact of LGBT peopleMedia verage of the HIV epimic drove vlence agast the muny, the quiry is toldThe special missn of quiry is vtigatg spected hate crime aths between 1970 and 2010, which rema unsolved, and was tablished this year followg remendatns om a parliamentary quiry. This week's public heargs are explorg the social, legal and cultural factors affectg the LGBT muny the 40-year Mackie, peak LGBT group ACON's director of policy, strategy and rearch, today gave evince that the 1987 Grim Reaper advertisg mpaign was signed to put HIV "on the agenda" but had a "particularly damagg" effect on gay said "alienated" those wh HIV bee didn't clu rmatn about how HIV was transmted, safe sex practic or what to do if you were HIV Mackie said was such a major mpaign that still ronat the Atralian psyche said at the time whipped up "hysteria" and rulted many people perceivg gay men themselv as Grim Reapers, while rhetoric the media and om some policians also didn't help. "The quiry was also shown a 1993 ACON report which followed creasg reports of police and uncil surveillance at gay beats between 1988 and showed police practic sometim volved "punishment by spectacle", where beat ers were not only arrted but "ma an example of" ont of members of the report said some police practic were "unnecsary", cludg stanc Albury, Penrh and St Marys where offic had allegedly rmed spects' fai or employers that they had been apprehend at a beat.

Beat ers have reported hourly patrols by several police vehicl, vert patrols on foot, the wrongful "banng" people om the area for 28 days, rogatory personal ments, threats to e pepper spray, e of unnecsary force, arrt whout charge and other homophobic behavur.

INQUIRY HEARS OF VLENCE AT GAY BEATS

Communy Actn Agast Homophobia (CAAH) is mpaigng to end harassment of men Sydney beats and will provi onle rmatn for beat ers to bee better rmed of their rights when approached by police. (PR HANDOUT IMAGE PHOTO)Men at a popular Sydney gay beat had to stter when a r reered towards them "like was on a kangaroo shoot", an quiry has r's headlights and an apparent spotlight were blazg as the r drove at men at Rhcutters Bay Park Sydney's east, the 1990s. "It was a by Saturday night and men were stterg everywhere, nng like the dickens, " Barry Charl said on 72-year-old long-time gay rights activist was givg evince at the NSW Special Commissn of Inquiry to LGBTIQ hate is vtigatg historil hate crim agast the queer muny, particularly a wave of gay hate homicis and other crim Sydney durg the AIDS epimic of the 1980s.

ATRALIA HAS LONG HAD A GAY BEACH SUBCULTURE BUT THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS BEEN SAFE SPAC

Dcribg himself as a "beats queen", Mr Charl said he was aware that vlence agast gay men at beats was occurrg before the equented them between 1969 and 1998, visg at least 40 different on around Sydney. "Hangg around for longer than necsary was dangero, bee you knew you uld be apprehend, or were danger of vlence and some men were at risk of beg exposed as gay, " he Charl listed a strg of vlent acts he wnsed or experienced at beats, tellg the quiry he managed to sprt over the footbridge away om the r at the Rhcutters Bay cint.

NEWSTLE FAY OF GAY HATE CRIME VICTIM JOHN RSELL WA ON FAL REPORT

Another time an adolcent boy h him wh a tree saplg om the park, which was later the scene of a bashg murr of a gay outled his years of activism, notg a gay solidary Sydney rally phed the marchers back and began arrtg people after they cid to lay a wreath at the war memorial, to memorate gay and lbian service people. "Durg the early 1980s, the gay muny's growg visibily and nfince also meant growg vlence agast he rejected opns that the advent of HIV/AIDS gave rise to more anti-gay vlence wh beg ed as an exce or jtifitn. Before homosexualy was crimalised (1984 New South Wal all the way through to 1997 Tasmania), some beach areas beme “beats” – venu where gay men uld discreetly hook up bee society offered few spac for them to meet and be timate.

Police are now offerg a $1m reward for rmatn leadg to nvictn – after ially, accurately, nyg the area was a October 2018, Waverley uncil announced a memorial monument will be built at the cliffsi Marks Park, south of Bondi, followg the homophobic attacks and murrs of men at this Atralian beach culture, Murphy says, remas more nservative than beach like Sg Spa, “where there are cktails, DJs and parti right on the sand”. ” The profsnal surfer Barton Lynch explaed was mon to ll someone “faggot” or “poofter” when they didn’t tch a wave – homophobic language he has avoid sce his brother me out.

The uple, who n the blog, ce nudist beach such as Ltle Congwong at La Peroe (an unofficial nudist beach which police have prevly raid), Lady Jane and Obelisk beach Sydney, Port Douglas’s Turtle Cove rort and the “world famo” Kgs Beach at Byron uple say the associated non-nformy and liberatn of nudist beach often make them popular wh gay people: “As gay people, our eedoms were somewhat rtricted. Peter Rsell and Donnah Hannah, partners of 37 years, are wag on the fal report of the NSW quiry to gay hate crim which has re-vised the ath of Peter's brother, John Rsell, 1989.

MAN WARNED OF GAY BEAT 'DANGER': QUT

The partner of Stt Johnson, whose naked body was found at the bottom of a Sydney cliff almost 30 years ago, says he warned his lover about the dangers of gay beats. "In 1982 I received a letter tellg me that an associate of me had been murred a beat the Blue Mountas and this had ma a profound effect on my views on beat e, " Michael Noone said on Thursday at the third ronial quiry to Mr Johnson's said that while Mr Johnson "wasn't terted gay beats", he neverthels utned him about the potential for "ser danger" fishermen found the 27-year-old's body at the bottom of Manly's North Head December mathematician's belonggs were disvered 10 metr back om the cliff edge, not far om a beat where the qut prevly heard groups of "bashers" would set upon gay men.

A March 1989 ronial qut led the Amerin's ath was a a send qut 2012 returned an open fdg after the possibily was raised he had been murred as part of a "gay hate" killg spree Sydney durg the late the third qut, Mr Noone was also qutned over a letter he received London om Mr Johnson who revealed he had thought about mtg suici by jumpg off the Goln Gate Bridge 1985. A 77-year-old man is on trial the Supreme Court after pleadg not guilty to murrg Raymond Keam a Sydney park nearly four s pots:Stanley Early is acced of allegedly murrg Raymond Keam 1987Mr Keam was found a park known for beg a gay beat Sydney's RandwickThe urt was told Mr Early was part of a group who would "set upon" gay men at nightStanley Early was arrted Augt 2021 what police alleged was a gay-hate crime based on a false perceptn of Mr Keam's sexual body was found face up the grass Randwick's Alison Park on the morng of January 13, 1987 wh var juri, and a post-mortem examatn later revealed he had died om a bra an openg statement, Crown prosecutor Ken McKay SC had argued there was evince that prr to the alleged murr the Victorian man had on ocsn been part of a group who had "set upon" men the park late at night bee they believed them to be the time of Mr Keam's ath the acced went by the name Stanley "Spir" Sutton and lived a boardg hoe oppose the park.

It's a vlent slice of Sydney history — gay men beaten parks, hurled off cliffs or vanishg om the cy's streets s barely probed by horrific crim were dredged up aga this week when police charged a man over the 1988 murr of Stt 27-year-old's ath was the most high-profile gay hate attack Harbour Cy events that lead to his smashed body beg found at the base of cliffs near North Head were examed three ronial quts. (Supplied: Johnson fay)NSW Police Mister David Elltt this week nced " was a time where people were slightly dismissive of hate crim and where was too easy to make exc or to move on" are four other gay murrs that fell through the cracks the late Warren Ross Warren, a news prenter om Wollongong, was last seen at Darlghurst 1989. A iend found his r keys two days later on a rock ledge below a cliff at Marks Park, Tamarama; was a well-known gay beat — a place men met for sual sex — which Warren floated the ia that Warren staged his own disappearance and four days later nclud he accintally fell to the sea.

MAN ACCED OF HISTORIC MURR A SYDNEY PARK WOULD ALLEGEDLY 'SET UPON' GAY MEN, URT HEARS

His body was never 2005, then-puty roner Jacquele Milledge characterised the vtigatn as "grossly aquate and shameful" and said Warren was "a victim of homici" year, the NSW Upper Hoe mtee quirg to gay and transgenr hate crim between 1970 and 2010 received evince police officers lookg to Warren's disappearance chose to "sile" the mtee heard that 2001, former NSW Police Detective Sergeant Steve Page found major issu wh the way Warren's se was Detective Sergeant would go on to form Strike Force Taradale, which intified lks between Warren's spected murr and many other gay killgs. (Supplied)Raymond Frerick Keam's body was found lyg the grass at the northern end of Alison Park Randwick on January 13, 44-year-old father-of-two, who had a black belt karate, was beaten to right troer pocket was pulled out and the glove box and boot of his r, parked 40 metr away, were ransacked, their ntents strewn around the said the Alison Park public toilets were a well-known gay beat and men who were perceived to be gay were often the victims of ser asslts and robberi the time, the ma spect was a man who intified as gay and lived oppose the park where Keam was found.

FOUR OTHER GAY-HATE CRIM BEG VTIGATED BY NSW POLICE AFTER STT JOHNSON MURR CHARGE

Authori believed he told other men, who were prevly volved the robbery and asslt of gay men the park, that child molters were equentg the Alison Park charg were laid relatn to Keam's Rsell John Rsell's ath 1989 was rerd as "misadventure".

William AllenWilliam Allen was found ad his Newton Street home on December 29, 1988 wh several head juri which he staed the prev eveng Alexandria was driven by a passg motorist who spotted him wh blood over his hands and retired school teacher, who worked at Newgton College, said he was bashed and kicked to the ground by "a uple of Aborigal boys" who then took his keys and the time of his murr, he was unr vtigatn for cultivatg and sellg nnabis to young mal for sex and was known to equent a gay beat at Alexandria were no clear spects, but NSW Police noted the circumstanc around his ath were siar to the later murr of Richard Johnson 1990, which led to the nvictn of the "Alexandria Eight", who bashed him to retrospectively vtigated the eight offenrs — aged 16 to 18 — but did not have enough evince to charge anyone wh Allen's murr. Sharg a screenshot of the post to the “Marrickville Rantg/Complats” page, she mocked the man sayg he had “accintally happened across a ‘beat’” — public plac where gay men meet for sex.

MAN’S FURY OVER ‘PRAVED’ TOILET ACT SPARKS BATE OVER GAY BEATS

”More CoverageOne man who attend beats on a “semi-regular basis” told SBS, “It’s simply bee a part of gay culture and some men — spe beg able to fd someone nearby on Grdr to f**k the fort of their own home — prefer to go cisg at a beat bee that’s what turns them on. The NSW ernment has announced an quiry to btal hat crim mted agast members of Sydney's gay muny over 40 pots:The quiry will have the power to pel wns to prent evinceLiberal MP and gay man Shayne Mallard said was an emotnal dayHe said there was evince of at least 88 gay and transgenr murrsIn July 1989, 25-year-old newsrear Ross Warren disappeared om Sydney's eastern r had been parked on a street near the popular gay beat Marks Park, and his keys were found at the bottom of a cliff closed his se jt three weeks later, whout lotg his is spected to be among the dozens of men murred  Sydney through the 1980s and will form the basis of a judicial quiry announced by the NSW ernment on Wednday. (Supplied: Marton Dobras-Vcze)"The crim took place at a time when many the muny thought gay and transgenr people were sick, perverted or crimals, " chief executive Nilas Parkhill said.

NSW ERNMENT ANNOUNC QUIRY TO SYDNEY'S UNSOLVED GAY AND TRANSGENR HATE CRIM, MURRS

"Details about the ntent of the quiry, cludg s terms of reference, are yet to be month a memorial was unveiled at Marks Park Tamarama, the se of many spected murrs, to acknowledge and honour the victims of gay hate 4 Nov 2021Thu 4 Nov 2021 at 1:20am, updated 4 Nov 2021Thu 4 Nov 2021 at 3:29am. Police overlooked “pellg evince” of homophobia the btal 1989 Sydney murr of John Gordon Hugh, the New South Wal special missn of quiry to LGBTQ+ hate crim has an quiry scribed as a world first, this week’s heargs foc on seven aths prevly reviewed by NSW police’s strike force Parrabell , 45, was disvered ad his Potts Pot un May 1989.

Kathleen Heath, unsel assistg missner Jtice John Sackar, on Tuday told the quiry that Hugh was a gay man and low-level dg aler whose sexual orientatn was known to his iends and acquatanc, cludg Jon. “It n be hypothised that Mr Hugh’ stat as a gay person ma Mr Jon perceive him as a target that would be ls protected by police and by the urts, ” Heath told the quiry.

PARLIAMENTARY QUIRY TO GAY AND TRANSGENR HATE CRIM TO REMEND HEARG NEWSTLE

Reviews of topsy reports for Paynter and Payne, recently nducted by forensic pathologist Dr Lda Il, were prented to Il reported some ncerns wh the qualy of Paynter’s postmortem examatn, she found that his juri were nsistent wh the impact of a no evince of suici, or that Paynter was LGBTQ+, Heath prented proof of his high blood alhol level, the fact that the stairse at that time had no barrier and the time of his ath around said the possibily of the Tathra headland havg an outdoor gay beat – a place where same sex-attracted men gather for sexual and other ntact – was vtigated.

The submissn of L Peterk, a ral-based gay man who onted the quiry November, noted that outdoor beats are mon regnal no evince of a beat was found at the place where Paynter’s body was found, Heath ’s former brother--law Terry Forster submted a statement that Payne privately me out as gay about a year prr to his submted that the primary e of Payne’s ath was Fournier’s gangrene, a life-threateng bacterial fectn of the reports on Paynter and Payne should be remend to the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriag orr for ath certifit to be rrected, Heath Paynter’s se, was remend his e of ath be rerd as “multiple juri staed a fall om a height the settg of alhol toxitn”.

Pictur: Simone De PeakThe chair of a parliamentary quiry to gay and transgenr hate crim  NSW says an upg report will remend the quiry ntu after the state electn to nduct heargs regnal muni, cludg Newstle.

NSW POLICE ENABLED GAY HATE MURRS

Submissns to the legislative uncil quiry allege multiple s of homophobic vlence the Hunter as well as biased nduct by members of the jtice system  the reference perd of 1970 to 2010. Submissns to the quiry clu one report om a muny group claimg a seri of attacks at a gay beat Lake Macquarie between 2011 and 2015 were not acted upon by police, cludg verbal threats, men throwg fireworks and one man beg h over the head wh a tail cints of street harassment and asslt  Newstle sce 1990, one as recent as Allen Gee, a lecturer soc-legal studi who has nducted rearch on anti-gay vlence the Hunter, said he supported the quiry ntug bee was “impossible” to quantify historic rat of vlence teh regn as cints were generally not reported to police. ”One applint to the quiry said they were punched “by a man who was targetg anyone that was walkg to the door of a gay nightclub” Newstle 1990.