Gay Brisbane stays dry

Brisbane’s GLBT venues and organisations survived the Queensland floods mostly unscathed, while gay newspaper QNews did not miss an issue despite losing power and their distributors and printers flooding.

QNews managing director Ray Mackereth told the Star Observer the paper’s 18-year record of never being late remained.

“Our printers went back to their offices Wednesday afternoon to print the paper then they got out fast,” Mackereth said.

“Our distributors were underwater so we went out with volunteers to distribute to places that weren’t underwater on Wednesday, and on Monday we did the rest.”

With many staff at Queensland’s GLBTI community organisations on leave or evacuated from their buildings, QNews organised a billeting system for community members washed out of their homes.

Mackereth said the response had been heartwarming, with hundreds more offers of help being made than was needed.

“People opened up their hearts and doors,” he said. “Even the pets played nicely together, we heard from one place.”

Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC) general manager Paul Martin said the organisation had been told it would be flooded, but sandbagging doors and moving equipment upstairs proved unnecessary.
“Because the flood height was a metre or so lower than anticipated, we weren’t affected in our street,” Martin said.

“We’ve got staff ringing around all the venues and groups at the moment just to see how people are.

“The clubs and pubs in the Fortitude Valley area aren’t affected, but we haven’t had a chance to check in with the sex venues yet.”

QAHC is offering a range of services to assist community members affected by the flood, including a GLBTI-friendly volunteer clean-up service, and a relief fund to support community members reluctant to seek assistance from mainstream organisations.

QAHC is not taking an administrative fee and any leftover funds will be put into the Premier’s Flood Relief Fund.

info: Visit www.qahc.org.au/floods