On a recent trip to Europe I trained it through the Kent countryside with lots of kids heading home after school. It was a pleasant surprise along the way to see nearly every station, packed with schoolkids, had a large poster reading 'Some people are gay. Get over it.' I daydreamed about an imaginary day when a similar campaign would be seen in Perth, but then I realised one of the Barnett Government's bills to ban everything would probably make something about it illegal. 

In London at the same time there was an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery called Gay Icons, in which a number of prominent GLBT types (Elton, kd, Billie Jean, Sir Ian McKellen...) named their icons and the gallery then hung photos of them. As an exhibition it was a tad underwhelming and some of the chosen ones were rather self-indulgent in their selections. (Billy Jean King’s parents?) But the huge posters all over London advertising the exhibition were a heart-warming sight. They spelt out very clearly for London’s millions of visitors: 'This is a gay-friendly town. Get over it.' 

It's true we've also come a long way here in Oz, but there's still plenty of room for improvement. Which leads me to the Wear It With Pride campaign being promoted by Sydney’s ACON. A very worthy idea that "aims to empower same-sex couples with information about their new rights" following the reform of 85 Commonwealth laws. Three big cheers for the campaign. Terrific idea. It is indeed a huge milestone, even if the majority of us would never in our lives have encountered most of those discriminatory provisions. Congratulations to ACON for taking the initiative and lobbying for the funds to run this campaign.

Just one thing bugs me, and that's the media reports about the people allegedly signed up to front the campaign: "Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Ruby Rose, Richard Reid, Dr Kerryn Phelps, Courtney Act, and Jess and Lisa Origliasso from The Veronicas... There has been no word from the Minogue sisters but sources say organisers are hopeful." Oh please. Please. Can't we just once manage without any Minogues? Not that their support isn't welcome, of course, but it's not as though noone knows Kylie and Dannii love "the gays".  

Who knows how complete this list is or whence it came, but where are the gay men? Particularly the gay men who are not dressing as women, shrieking for pop stars or gossiping about (gag) celebrities. There’s surely more to gay male life in the 21st century than having your hair done like Helen Shapiro (sorry Court boys but honestly...) and screaming for Kylie/Britney/Christina/Beyonce. Where the hell is the testosterone in this campaign? Did Ian Roberts say no, or is he long tired of being the poofter poster boy for masculinity?

If you really, truly, seriously can’t find any gay blokes, what about some other blokes? If straight but comfortable-in-his-own-skin Rugby League player Nick Youngquest has no fear of fallout from appearing on the cover of Britain’s Attitude magazine, then surely he’d be happy to front this campaign and send a message to homoblokes that it really is okay to be gay at last and doesn't mean you have to take Judy Garland appreciation lessons or learn to walk in heels. (Not that there's anything wrong with that if you must.)

The powerful institutions that keep so many men and women in the closet are still in operation: schools, mainstream media, political parties, professional sport, Hollywood... We continue to hand out awards for straight men playing gay guys while not one major Hollywood actor is out and proud. I'd say taking the hatchet to those closets of power is a lot more urgent than all the energy being expended on chasing marriage.

Hey, it’s early days. Maybe ACON will blow everyone away with the variety and calibre of people they manage to line up to support the campaign. I sure hope so. I just really want to see some diversity of role models for young gay men beyond pop tarts and Carson Cresley.

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Comments (3)

• |01:58 11-11-2009 Daniel Smith
  If, and I mean IF, one of the objectives of the Commonwealth Government, in providing funding to this campaign, was to generate political support among the gay and lesbian community, you would have thought it would have insisted that that some of the flag-bearers would appeal to the sub-section of the gay and lesbian community that is least likely to support it - ordinary looking, middle class gay men.
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• |02:55 11-11-2009 Aram
  Yeah. Get some big muscley older leather bears onto the line-up. That'd make this young gay man happy.
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• |04:16 11-11-2009 Brian Noll  - Great idea - are you nominating?
  Hey Gav - this campaign is about celebrities and community individuals - not just about celebrities.
  
  The media release on ACON's website lists Noel Tovey as also being onboard. http://www.acon.org.au/about-acon/Newsroom/Media-Releases/2009/52
  
  Seems like its not ACON's campaign, but the National LGBT Health Alliance, being coordinated by ACON on the Alliance behalf.
  
  Looks like the Daily Telegraph got its facts wrong on a bit of their media report.
  
  Anyway - kudos to the Alliance, ACON and all involved for doing something. Now we just need our testosterone filled men in the community to stand up and be counted as part of the campaign
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