Letters to the Editor

WHAT DEALS?
I’ve long enjoyed Andrew M. Potts’ work, but have to say I was mystified and disappointed by his front page article ‘Greens marriage sell-out’ (SSO 1011).
It seems Andrew is more upset with the Greens for introducing the Marriage Equality Bill than he is with everyone else for voting against it. He hints darkly about “deals” being done, without giving any indication (or evidence) of what those deals might be.
In his first sentence he questions the Greens’ commitment to a bill which they introduced, and yet later reports that all five Greens senators voted for the bill, with no support from any other party.
The bald facts are that the Greens used some of their very limited parliamentary time to introduce a gay marriage bill, and every senator from every party except the Greens refused to support it.
It’s time to stop making excuses for the ALP — those who say they support gay marriage should have the guts to turn up and vote for it. Until they do, we can thank the Greens for once again being our only supporters in Parliament.
— Richard
NOT GOOD ENOUGH
If Sydney Star Observer didn’t raise questions then we would all just be reading things after the event that have been verified in triplicate.
Since when did the Greens own the gay press?
I for one am sick of all the harping on about this article. Why the hell didn’t the Greens respond to SSO’s question? Any Greens person could see that this question, if left unanswered, could result in a negative piece in the paper.
Seriously I reckon SSO is doing its job, and raising questions that need to be asked.
Finally the Greens denied, but only after the article appeared. Not good enough, Greens.
— Jo

FALSE TOLERANCE
Watching Tony Abbott on 60 Minutes, it’s nice you have time to go surfing and riding bicycles, Tony.
And Tony, when Liz Hayes asked you about homosexuality, how big of you to say that you always try to treat even people like us as just that — people.
Spare me the false attempt at tolerance — we can see right through you.
— Rodger
CHOICE NEEDED
In response to Jack and his letter re Tony Abbott for prime minister (SSO Letters 1011).  Everything you say about Tony Abbott can be applied to Kevin Rudd, ie, same God, same infallible pope, therefore same prejudices.
The only differences are 1) the speedos and  2) no interviews outside church every Sunday.  As a gay man I need another choice. Who will stand up?
— Tony
PARENTS’ LOSS
I read with horror that Pinkboard is closing many of its areas of publication from the end of March,  specifically, for me, the classifieds parenting section.
There are many rainbow babies who owe their very existence to this facility.
Where will potential parents go to find the other half of their specific GLBTQI DNA mix? The gay and lesbian community will be impoverished by this act.
— John
FRAGILE ABBOTT
What on earth have all the chefs, waiters, painters, pilots, nurses, doctors, scientists, secretaries, athletes, actors, singers, researchers, authors, plumbers, builders, politicians, police, diplomats, bus drivers, lawyers, accountants, newsreaders, Olympic gold medallists, sons, daughters, uncles, aunts and Mums and Dads done to Tony Abbott to make him feel so personally threatened?
Someone so obviously fragile surely doesn’t have the ticker for the top job in the land.
It smacks of the mad neighbour who calls police to complain about a couple fornicating in their home next door — “You can see them with these binoculars…”.
— Patrick
No more greasing
Saturday evening [March 6] after dinner, mate and I took newfound friend (22) from South Africa on a quick venue walk.
Up and down — Bookshop, Arq, Stonewall, Colombian, Shift, Palms. OH OH! Stopped by the doorman, asked if I had been drinking. Told I could not enter.
Light came on for my mate (47), you’re too old (58). Never happened before — been there many times.
Laughed and moved on to The Oxford — enjoyed a restorative light beer in very lively company and  moved on to party at EQ.
Yes, I’m old, but my pink dollars have the same value as anyone else’s and actually, because of hard work and good luck, I have a lot more of them to splash around — and do.
I hope Palms management is made aware of this and clarifies one way or the other.
— Michael
ABBOTT’S FEARS
I feel threatened by Tony Abbott. I feel threatened by the idea that someone who feels threatened by gay people could become the national leader.
My sense of the right order of things includes an expectation that potential national leaders don’t have irrational fears, and that they aim to unify rather than add to attitudes that marginalise.
Reports that he feels threatened by homosexuality, make him sound insulated from the real world.
— Craig
MACHO ABBOTT
So ‘super-macho’ Tony Abbott feels ‘threatened’ by homosexuals. Tch tch.
It would be interesting to know just what happened when Abbott was in residence in that all-male hothouse Catholic seminary back in his formative years. I’m not suggesting he was actually involved in gay sex, but it’s possible he witnessed something which affected him in such a way as to ‘threaten’ his moral compass to the extent that he has been over-compensating ever since.
His addiction to macho sports, his hyper-masculinity, his penchant for stripping down to the (almost) buff at every opportunity: any psychiatrist would have a field day with all of this.
Not that I’m suggesting that he’s a closet case. Heaven forbid. We’ve got enough riff-raff reluctantly claiming to be gay without inviting hyper-active politicians.
— Noel
A1 PARTY
After 25 years of attending many different parties, Sleaze and the Mardi Gras party have not been on my list for the last two years.
I would prefer to remember the fantastic parties of the early years, the fabulous old Beresford, the gutter,the fab costumes and the out-of-this-world DJs, who played ‘real dance music’! The last two years, I have been a participant in the parade, which is a whole lot of fun with friends.
The only parties I want to attend are the recovery parties, the best being at Phoenix on Monday morning. Just A1 DJs, Paul Heron, Mike Kelly and other local and international DJs. What a fantastic ‘people party’ of all the recovery parties like Indulgence, Toybox,and  Martxa coming together.
I sincerely congratulate Johan Koury and the Phoenix Rising team for putting on an A1 party. What beautiful people to dance and have fun with! Best fun I’ve had in yonks!
— Katee
NEGLIGENT
It’s disappointing, unfair and bordering on criminally negligent that Centrelink reduces the pensions of same-sex couples, while not recognising them in the same way as their heterosexual counterparts.
Shame on Kevin Rudd and the federal Government.
— Stuart
GREAT ASSET
With Tasmania promoting itself as a gay tourist destination, having a hung parliament can only be an asset.
— John
Pleasure, Darling
What a pleasure it was to read Verushka Darling’s letter (SSO 1012).
I, for one, think we all could benefit from hearing such an obviously lucid, intelligent, switched-on queer voice more often.
If I may be so bold, I would like to suggest to the powers-that-be at SSO that Verushka Darling be encouraged to contribute to your paper on a regular basis.
— Franc