Gay school for the young
Recently I acquired a new friend who is just 19-years-old (born 1991, the year I was completing my HSC).
Although most times he doesn’t act as though he is just 19, there are things that pop up that get me laughing. Full of energy and enthusiasm, he jumps from place to place like my puppy. They make a great team, though it’s sometimes confusing — which one peed in the corner?
Is there such a big difference? Do all the age-bracketed feel the same way? Would a 60-year-old look at me in a similar fashion?
I have to thank Foxtel. Without reruns, many of our youth wouldn’t have experienced the original Bionic Woman, Gilligan’s Island, Bewitched, and I Dream of Jeannie.
Then there is the internet where you are able to YouTube almost anything. The past is just a finger away, but do we really need to hold on to the past at all? Should we only focus on the future?
I often sit with his friends and feel like an historian, filling in the gaps of stories, where things were originally, who did what way back when, who was who.
It got me thinking. Is there an opportunity for our younger generation to learn about our community and its amazing past? Is there a chance to sit with some of our elders and learn how difficult they had it and how they came through as the amazing people they are now? Is it up to them to ask questions or should there be some sort of resource that is available to them?
It could be a fabulous adult education course. I could see how the first day of school would go now.
Morning lessons: Mardi Gras, Dawn O’Donnell.
Midday: Purple Onion, Ken’s Karate Klub and the rainbow flag.
Afternoon: John Waters and his movies.
There would be guest speakers sprinkled throughout the semester and students would receive a Pink Diploma at the end of the eight-week course.
Until the course is up and running I’m trying to pass on as much of my knowledge as I can, until I hit a stump. Then I will have to gay him forward to someone else.
Now to meet the 19-year-old at Café 191. I hope he knows it. Do you know how many times 19 goes into 36?
Gary, it must be hard being the only gay activist in the village. Or perhaps it seems that way when you outrage the gay community by supporting Fred Nile on two counts, the first being an attempt to raise the age of consent to 18, the second being an attempt to limit the Muslim population of Australia to 1%. Both of these were led by a man who had a homophobic, bigted and racist agenda. Gee Gary, not much of an activist for gay muslims are we? You bigot.
Gary,
Your comments reek of ignorance at best. Whilst I respect the fact that others have gone before me and their efforts have contributed to my living life as an openly free gay man.
Directly referring to your point about liberty many of us still don’t have that. We are not allowed to marry and still in Queensland it is illegal for males under eighteen to have have sex with another guy.
Whilst some of the hard work has been done, we still have a long way to go for equality!
Attitudes such as these don’t help in that process. It’s okay to have a track record however I ask you today what are you doing about this?
Whoa you are 36?? Lookin good!!
Oh Oliver I can’t even manage my shopping list each week.
But what I am is somebody who has the courage to stand up and fight for what I believe.
Most people don’t have this courage because they are too busy complaining about things on forums like this.
Are you one of these people Oliver ?
Oh Gary. You so have to be the great Manager of all Homosexuals in Australia, dont you?
Oliver your comment was supercilious.
It doesn’t deserve a further engagement from the grown up folks.
But I will say this to you Oliver homosexuality will never be completely accepted.
It is up to all of us to change this misconception.
This is called activism,Oliver.
Try it some day instead of putting others down with a track record on gay rights issues.
Gary, no matter what age you are. Humans always struggle. In 2010 Gary, Is homosexuality completely accepted? Activists are all talk.
maxi – you are such a cougar!
One can never forget their past because that is where their memory is kept.
We can’t teach Gen Y about the activism of yesteryear because the kids today did not have the same struggles as us oldies had.
It’s not gay school that’s needed,it’s a respect for us “old poofs” who did all the hard work in the 70’s & 80’s so all of young one’s could live your lives with liberty.
Acon’s Walk of Fantabulous Curiosities for this year’s Mardi Gras at Newtown was an invaluable educational event for me, a 20 year old. I had no idea about all this history and how our gay story unravelled.
A gayducation that’s more all encompassing is a brilliant idea and something that I think is really needed.
You should never feel like “an historian.” 36 is not old. 19 only goes into it 3 times.