THE SSO A-Z GUIDE TO QUEER SYDNEY

U IS FOR

Ugly Betty Of course Ugly Betty’s nephew is gay, claimed The Advocate in response to the network’s denials about television’s most fabulous 12-year-old, Justin Suarez. But whether Justin is or isn’t hardly matters, as the seamless integration of gay sensibility has made the fashion-themed soap opera a favourite for those who grew up a little bit different.

With a wink and a nod, Mode magazine’s bitchy gay assistant Marc St James offered advice to Justin on being different from the other kids at school: Be who you are, wear what you want -“ just learn how to run really fast. It’s subversive and mainstream and escapes all the criticism of shows in its wake like Queer As Folk or Will & Grace.

Lest one think the show is just about subtext, a transsexual character, played by the ?-hot Rebecca Romijn, will be revealed in the coming weeks and two characters will face parental rejection based on actual or perceived sexual orientation. Such overt references and the now-weekly affirmation for self-acceptance have confirmed Ugly Betty as the queer-friendliest program on television.

Un-Australian What is un-Australian? Well, according to recent newspaper reports, all manner of sins. Building toll roads is un-Australian. As is bagging your mates, WorkChoices legislation and people who don’t understand the game of soccer. And it’s on the rise, people. In 1995 there were merely 68 newspaper references to people or actions being un-Australian. By 2006 that had risen to 571 references.

Bearing in mind how reluctant John Howard -“ or Kevin Rudd for that matter -“ is to give proper rights to GLBT people, you might have thought being gay was un-Australian to the point of treachery. And yet wasn’t there a drag queen riding a giant stiletto at the Olympic Games closing ceremony? What about Dame Edna’s worldwide appeal? And what does Priscilla The Musical being a hit on the Sydney stage tell us? Well, that even if being gay isn’t Australian, a man dressing up in a bra and stockings is the height of patriotism.

But in the end surely anything an Australian does is Australian. So rejoice as you spend all your wages on Oxford Street, vomit into the gutter and drive yourself home -“ for you, and the many like you, are doing your bit for the sunburnt country.