Homophobia rises again
Mardi Gras chair David Imrie received a string of abusive and threatening phone calls last week after it was announced New Mardi Gras was to be partially funded by the NSW Government.
And hundreds of irate Daily Telegraph readers and a few wellwishers left their comments on the paper’s website last week, also blasting the decision to spend taxpayer money on the 30-year-old event that injects an estimated $30 million into the Sydney economy every year.
I had not anticipated any of this, but it does show that homophobia is alive and well and it reinforces our purpose, Imrie told Sydney Star Observer.
I guess what surprises me most is that even the people on the homophobic fringe would prefer that the NSW Government did not invest in income for the NSW economy, did not invest in building the economy simply because it is something that they are bigoted against. It’s bizarre, it’s like the dark ages.
But Imrie said the abusive phone messages would not deter him or the organisation from pushing forward to produce a 2009 festival stronger than any previously seen.
And, he said, the comments only reaffirmed the reason for Mardi Gras’ existence.
But it was not only Daily Telegraph readers who reacted strongly to the funding move. NSW Opposition leader Barry O’Farrell has also blasted the decision.
If [NSW Premier] Mr Rees wants to prioritise funding, some of the announcements he’s made in the recent days would be further down the list for most people of this city and state, O’Farrell said.
But in a political tug-of-war, Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon issued a statement condemning O’Farrell’s comments.
If the leader of the opposition cannot publicly declare his party’s support for the Mardi Gras it sends a damaging message about the Liberal’s policy stance on relationship equality and other key sexual diversity rights campaigns, she said.
The religious right faction in the Liberal party was active in the recent local government election, and its members including upper house MP David Clarke still wield considerable power.
New Mardi Gras and Events NSW will work together to encourage greater national and international participation in the parade by developing new marketing strategies through Tourism NSW. There are also plans to secure broadcast coverage of the event again.
The exact funding amount is unknown, but Sydney Star Observer understands it is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and will help further cement the organisation’s profitability which has been declining since its 2002 collapse.
The event only survived thanks to a financial and community rescue package put together by ACON, the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, Queer Screen, Pride and Sydney Star Observer.
James – You wont understand homosexuality unless you actually open up your mind up and take on board what we say to you when we reply to your comments like when I said to you being gay is not a choice, because your coming across to me as a professional aggravator which you rightly label Piers Ackerman. It seems your purposly adding comments like claiming homosexuality is a lifestyle because you know full well that we wont agree with you and someone will post a comment back disagreeing which you want, then you will then comment back saying its a lifestyle – Do you see where im comming from when I state you seem like a professional aggravator ? Its like your playing a game with us and getting off on it. I look forward to your response James.
Andrew – thanks for re-writing my post to make it clearer.
I have contacted Piers Ackerman on numerous occasions on numerous topics. He has replied, but his responses are as expected. He is a professional aggravator.
Just because I don’t “get” the homosexual lifestyle doesn’t mean that I’m your enemy.
James people DONT choose to be gay. James if your not gay and you assume straight people think homosexuality is unnatural, then why do you often vist this website ? Are you just trying to start an argument because you have nothing better to do with your time ?
So James likes his Bibles thumping and his homosexuals flaming.
“Surely we can disagree with each other without resorting to bashings?” James, only one side of this “disagreement” is bashing people up- guess which one? I think you mean to say “Surely we can disagree with you without resorting to bashings”.
If you sincerely have a problem with these sorts of threats being published why don’t you write to the editor of the Daily Telegraph and tell him how you as a heterosexual Christian who doesn’t approve of homosexuality thinks its wrong for him to allow these sorts of comments on his paper’s website.
I’m not gay and I’m certainly no fan of the gay lifestyle, but urging gays (or anyone for that matter) to be bashed is totally out of line. Surely we can disagree with each other without resorting to bashings?
But let’s be frank here; most straight people think that homosexuality is unnatural, wrong, and gross. When people who are percieved in this fashion start talking about adopting kids, getting married, and pretending to be normal, well, it raises the hackles in people. I’m not saying this is right or wrong, I’m just saying it as it is.