Gillard supports ChillOut
Victoria’s queer regional festival ChillOut has received a message of support from Australia’s prime minister for the first time in its 16-year history.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard sent the message to organisers, wishing the upcoming four-day festival well.
“From small beginnings back in 1997 in beautiful Daylesford, [ChillOut] has become a remarkable public event dedicated to celebrating gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer pride within a unique rural setting,” Gillard said.
“Like its older big city cousins Mardi Gras and Midsumma, ChillOut is about building community and welcoming diversity, at the same time raising money for some wonderful causes and giving a boost to regional tourism as well.
“I hope the success of this festival will be a symbol of pride for everyone involved.”
Since 1997 ChillOut has raised more than $100,000 for local charities and is thought to boost the local economy by $8 million a year.
ChillOut president Michael Brady told the Star Observer the festival was pleased to have the PM’s support.
“We’re rapt about that, it’s a real switch of attitudes in the Labor Party to start supporting LGBT events like they have, so we’re really hoping this might be the start of a bigger change,” he said.
Brady said an action-packed long weekend is in store for March 9-12, saying ChillOut’s signature events, including Carnival Day, the dance party and the bush dance, are set to be highlights.
Brady said his fingers were crossed for sunny weather and organisers expect crowds of 20–25,000.
“We’ve had heavy rain for the past two years and [crowds will] depend a lot on the weather, which is something out of our control, but a lot of our events are indoors so ChillOut will go on regardless,” he said.
Carnival Day on Sunday, March 11 is the biggest day of the festival, with cabaret icon Paul Capsis set to perform, along with GH dance troupe Boylesque and alt-country band Sal Kimber and the Rollin’ Wheel.
The inaugural ChillOut race day at the NMIT Kyneton Park racetrack on March 10 is also set to be popular.
Brady said the festival has the support of locals, saying past fundraising efforts have helped win the community over.
“Our funding of the anti-bullying program that goes into all the local primary schools has been particularly welcome,” he said. “If we can stop one teenage suicide from homophobic bullying, the whole community wins.”
This year ChillOut will support the local State Emergency Services branch.
INFO: Tickets for events are on sale now. www.chilloutfestival.com.au
As a lesbian who lives and works In this tiny community I’m really happy that our ChillOut festival has received the support of all levels of government. For me its a community of less than 3000 people that organises a festival that punches above its weight and I love it!!
you people are pathetic. She is at least doing something the other side are not doing. mending bridges so Jack has a tendency to vote Liberal and all their deceitful ” tell them nothing” policies till we get elected. Ben is also a Liberal. I can see what party this comment page is being dominated by. AT LEAST JG gave a conscience vote unlike Abbot who says you will vote what I say about gay marriage, Him with his split marriage living with the secretary rumours not being denied. GOOD CATHOLIC MAN.
Gillard has one priority- herself!
I guess she wants to regain the gay vote. You don’t have my vote Gillard.
yup
There is no end to just how devious and sneaky this woman is.
She is so NOT trusted by anybody and with good reason.
Some spin freak told her this might look good.
I can’t stand her arse and the dumb-fuck hairdresser bf
WHAT A JOKE!
Labor has every reason to be worried about the polls
The party is over
It’s just waiting it out until its ova rova
Gillard is not genuine. This is sly, and shows Gillard is a fake.
First Gillard attends Australian Christian Lobby conferences, commits millions to their programs, but now sends Chillout a letter with all the sleaze of a con artist? We had to pay $30,000 before she even had dinner with us, but even then she desperately tried wiggling out of it.
Gillard is trying to implement the Christian Lobby Internet Filter, while yelling at those wanting to marry to look up lessons in the Bible! And don’t get me started on the banning us from inclusion in the Federal Equal Opportunity Act.
Gillard needs to condemn some of the recent flyers we have seen by the ACL, saying homosexuals are taking a little girl’s mother and father away. She needs to stand tall, with pride, before I take her seriously.
This letter to Chillout is about dirty spin, the art of saying one thing and doing another.