Greek and Gay turns 18
This year Melbourne’s Greek and Gay celebrate their 18th birthday with a dance party, but the group started as a support network for gay Greek men who needed to talk about issues with other people from the Greek community.
“There are certain things that do come up in our talks, such as the kind of responses people might have from their parents or from people within Greek culture, which is quite different from the sort of responses our Anglo peers get,” long-standing Greek and Gay member Louie Sakellaris told Star Observer.
Sakellaris said the group has changed a lot since its inception, citing gay marriage as a topic of frequent discussion and one with certain expectations from the Greek community.
“As a Greek we think, oh my god, do we have to start planning our weddings? What’s going to go into a Greek gay wedding?” he explained.
The Greek and Gay Network expanded 11 years ago to include a girls group, and Sakellaris said they are currently soliciting interest for a gender diverse group.
Immigrate, Greek and Gay’s birthday party, is on this Saturday, 22 June from 9am at Spirit Station Pier in Port Melbourne.
Info: www.greekandgay.com
