Help The Australian Queer Archives Document This Election

The Australian Queer Archives have been diligently documenting Australia’s queer history since 1978, but this election, they need your help.

With the federal election only days away, Australians are awash with various pieces of campaign ephemera. But before you dump those how-to-vote cards into the nearest bin at your polling place, take a second and consider if what you’re holding could be an important piece of this country’s queer history.

Star Observer got the Australian Queer Archives to dig up some of their queerest pieces of campaign material to remind you of the importance of documenting queer history, and how powerful our community can be at the polls.

Australia’s first openly gay candidate, David Widdup, stood in the federal election of 1972, running for the inner-western Sydney seat of Lowe, that just so happened to be held by Prime Minister Billy McMahon, who was widely rumoured to be a homosexual.

Widdup leaned into the queer angle, cheekily describing himself as the  “acknowledged homosexual candidate”, and running with the slogan “I’ve got my eyes on Billy’s seat!”

Widdup was also a prominent member of CAMP, travelling across the country to help found local branches.

Although his 218 votes weren’t enough to get him the Prime Minister’s seat, his campaign was excellent publicity for CAMP.

Pauline Pantsdown wasn’t Australia’s first political drag queen. In 1992, Shane Tonks ran for the state election in Victoria as Barbra Quicksand, looking to “divorce the lesbian and gay vote from the ALP”.

While she was running her campaign, Barbra still found time to perform with fellow drag queen, Miss Candee, which the pair did for over 30 years.

Some of their collection are a bit more recent, such as these stickers made by Labor for the Yes campaign as part of the 2017 marriage equality postal vote.

The archives have also got condom packs from the Greens with, complete with “how to vote” cards, emblazoned with “sick of being screwed by the major parties?”

Nothing about us without us

The Archives are looking for any election material from openly queer candidates, as well as statements around LGBTQIA+ issues, and they’re calling on you to help them gather it.

They don’t just mean the friendly stuff, either.

“We do collect a range of material being produced by other parties that might be critical, so the Australian Christian Lobby or Binary Australia, so not just political parties, but also kind of lobby groups,” said AQA Committee Member Nick Henderson.

“Most places or most individuals will probably throw these sorts of flyers out as soon as they get them in their mailbox, or even when they’re picking them up at the election booth. So it can be a bit hard to track these down after the event.”

Henderson also spoke about the importance of community control in regards to the preservation of materials.

“While there are other institutions, say, the state libraries or National Library to preserve material relating to electoral campaigns, that can be a bit hit and miss and the engagement of queer community,” he said.

“I think there is a different framing when we see the sorts of material that might come in, or the sorts of commentary that will receive in addition to that material.

“There has been significant shifts and increasing animosity by different parts of the community towards us and ensuring that we document that as well is really key.”

Post material to the Australian Queer Archives at: PO Box 2124 St Kilda West, VIC 3182; or email them on: mail@queerarchives.org.au.