Letters to the editor

Letters to the editor

NEW PHRASE

I am a fag haggy type of guy who likes women as well as gay and hetero guys. I would like to set the record straight and have come up with a conceptual term of endearment, nag hag, for a guy who enjoys the company of men and women whatever their gender preference.

A nag hag isn’t necessarily a social butterfly and he respects the options and the differences of someone like me or someone more well known such as Carson Kressley, one of the hosts from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy who is now hosting How To Look Good Naked, or someone like Trinny or Susannah who host How To Undress A Woman.

-” Layne, Surry Hills

OVERKILL

With the introduction of special laws that require registration of placards, T-shirts and pre-approved protest rights, Morris Iemma has exposed himself as an ultra-conservative willing to buckle at every request made by the church. Will the Premier be allowing the use of these special laws to stop the church demonstrating at gay and lesbian events?

This is a double standard and is fundamentally against Australian democratic principles. This is just another example of the government bowing to the needs of the neoconservative religious right wing.

Pity the NSW Police Commissioner, Andrew Scipione, couldn’t enact special powers when we were being violently attacked for being gay. This reeks of double standards and hypocrisy and is clearly designed to stop anyone voicing their opinion to the Catholic Church.

-” Brett, Surry Hills

WHAT FREEDOM?

Even God must be smirking right now at the ultimate irony of gay taxpayers subsidising a medieval religious organisation that probably burnt homosexuals at the stake with witches and which, to this day, still denounces us as dirty deviant sinners undeserving of sacred love.

To add insult to injury we don’t even have the democratic right to wave a protest banner in self-defence. So much for freedom.

-” Brent, Erskineville

OH, THE IRONY

The actions of the Iemma government in relation to this World Youth Day are appalling. First they throw unbelievable amounts of money into an event which is being staged by the wealthiest organisation in the world, which could well afford to pay for the whole event on its own.

Now they have effectively gagged any legitimate (as in freedom of speech) protest or criticism that may occur. (Next they will probably extend that to anyone who has the gall to criticise their performance in government.)

It is ironic, however, to note that similar censorship applied in Nazi Germany, in which the major participant in this World Youth Day was also a participant.

What chance do gay and lesbian rights have under such a regime?

-” David, Potts Point

WHAT DEMOCRACY?

My tax dollars contributed to the construction of a stadium and facilities to hold the Olympic Games and other major events.

In organising the Catholic World Youth event the NSW Government and the Catholic Church decide that the Olympic facilities are not appropriate and select Randwick Racecourse.

My tax dollars are now to pay for the movement of livestock and compensation to the racing industry. Local residents have restricted access to their homes.

The NSW Government gives the Pope permission to disrupt the CBD on a business day. Inner-city residents have restricted access to their homes and business.

The NSW Police are now given heightened powers so that if I wear my God loves me and he knows I am gay MCC T-shirt I will be arrested and fined $5,500 should a Catholic find my T-shirt annoying.

What I find really annoying is that the Catholic Church is exempt from homophobic vilification as set down in the anti-discrimination laws, is exempt from paying taxes, but is being granted a lot of money collected from taxpayers. As a gay inner-city resident I am not only restricted in movement within my own neighbourhood, I am arrested if a Catholic finds me annoying.

Welcome to Sydney, the gay capital of the southern hemisphere situated in the democratic country of Australia.

-” Ron, Surry Hills

NOT ACCEPTABLE

The letters pages (SSO 925) were awash with sad missives from the religious.

As an atheist who does not communicate with invisible gods, spirits, etc, I exhort all freethinking, rational gays, lesbians and friends to protest at the imminent Catholic World Youth Day. Support the No To Pope Coalition or the Sydney Atheists, etc in voicing our strong objections to this obscene taxpayer-funded display of medieval mumbo-jumbo, and  let it be known that the Catholic Church’s stance on our human rights, condoms, abortion, etc, etc is unacceptable.

-” Colin, Potts Point

MY CONFESSION

If I wore a T-shirt that said From Hitler Youth to Holy Father, would I be acknowledging good career decisions or causing annoyance?

Mr Iemma, please explain.

-” Garry, Darlinghurst

CHANGES HAPPEN

Ute from Waverley (SSO 924), how astute of you to recognise that seeing musical theatre is different from attending a concert!

You paid your ticket to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show -“ not the Paul Capsis or iOTA show -“ which would be a concert/cabaret where you’d be guaranteed they appear to entertain you. Artists are not simply cast in a role because they’re a celebrity. They happen to be very skilled at what they do and right for the role that is part of the story you’re going to see and be involved with.

Similarly chosen is the person who would cover (understudy) in the event the primary actor is not appearing due to an eight-show week -“ plus training and rehearsals that run over months and sometimes years of a show season. This is somewhat more strenuous than many concert performers’ tour schedules which usually go for three or four weeks.

I happened to see Riff Raff’s cover and Frank Hansen play Frank-N-Furter. I was thrilled to the hilt with their performance as well as that of the entire cast (Thomas Webb, you rocked my world).

Similarly, with Simon Pryce and Roy Weissensteiner who cover for Mr Warlow, they both do phenomenal presentations of Phantom of the Opera -” not the Warlow Theatre Ghost Show.

As you noted, you were informed of a cast change on the night and they do announce this also for other theatre shows -” if you frequent the theatre you’d know this. Some artists are contracted to work only a number of shows per week, which is relayed at point of sale.

I think you should apologise, Ute, then head to your local store where you can buy both classics on DVD for something like 10 bucks and get to see the same cast perform every time you turn it on.

-” Ethan, Kings Cross

GOODBYE, GOLD’S

Recent letters to you from Simon and Paul present rational and balanced views of the abysmal treatment Gold’s members received at the hands of the operators.

We also joined as foundation members -” in our case about eight months before the gym opened -” and have been members since. We experienced the gradual running down of the gym’s facilities which Simon and Paul documented, and about which we chose to say nothing in view of the anecdotal evidence that any suggestions for improvement, no matter how politely put, would be met with a response that was passive-aggressive at best and hysterical and shrill at other times. We experienced that aggression and hysteria first-hand last week when attempting to secure repayment at short notice of unused membership fees.

By contrast, your correspondent Andy, in addition to impugning Simon’s motives, lauds Gold’s as a reliable and benevolent company in the [gay] community. Has it occurred to Andy that supporting so-called charitable causes has the effect of also promoting one’s business? Also, kindness starts in the home. Where is the wisdom in spending money on charitable causes and hiring DJs to play loud aggressive trance when the money could have been used to better provide basic gym services, such as hot (not lukewarm) water for showers, a non-leaky change room and exercise machines that functioned properly?

We will henceforth be forever suspicious of gay businessmen seeking to set up gyms that purport to cater for the gay community.

-” Rob and Ed, Ryde

ROLE IS CLEAR

For many years, since the 2002 insolvency of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG), many people have questioned the relevance and sustainability of New Mardi Gras (NMG), the parade, the festival and the parties. Many feel that Mardi Gras has had its day, and that it no longer actively contributes to the development, cohesion and benefit of the gay and lesbian population.

Having been a member of SGLMG and NMG for over a decade, and having watched its growth, prosperity, then its collapse and re-birth, it is wonderful to see it once again reach prosperity in this 30th year of the parade. The relevance and sustainability of Mardi Gras is now abundantly clear.

I commend David Imrie and the administration of NMG for rising to the challenge of rebuilding this important organisation, and particularly for their growing focus on supporting other important community organisations such as Queer Screen.

It is heartening to see groups within our community working together. Recently ACON and BGF have taken on the Luncheon Club, and NMG has assisted Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and now Queer Screen. Congratulations to all involved on your great work and community spirit.

-” Trent, Enmore

NAME WARNING

A warning, mainly to trannies, but including all members of the community: all people working with minors or in aged care, as we know, have a police check. This is good to try to stop people with a history of assault getting new blood.

But any legal name change is given to your employer. Why? As a trannie it is painful and hurtful. If you have had the full operation and in NSW your old name is not on your birth certificate, the AFP still puts your old name down.

By all means check all names, but there is no need to tell everyone, unless it’s just for spite, or religious fundamentalism.

-” Kimmi, Potts Point

NOT QUITE THERE

I quite enjoyed Lyndon Barnett’s story The liberal leanings of Israel (SSO 925) for its tireless approach to showing us how wonderful Israel truly is. In fact, after reading this article, I can’t see why anyone in the region would be complaining about illegal housing estates, the Golan Heights, or anything else. Israel is the place to be!

Well, to be fair, Israel, at least in terms of accepting the LGBTIQ community, goes much further than any of the surrounding states, which they should be congratulated on, although, at the recent World Pride Conference held there, it seems we gays were great at allying the major religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) who combined to get the gays out. In fact, if memory serves, they said that killing someone on the basis of being gay is fine in God’s eyes. Take that, you gays!

Until Israel takes a more liberalised approach to more issues, other than free airfares for same-sex partners, I’m afraid that at least in my eyes it’s not the place I’ll be spending my pink dollar for many years to come.

-” James, East Hills

NOT CONFUSING

In response to Confusing stance (SSO 925), I would like to congratulate Rev. Karl Hand of Metropolitan Community Church for making a stand against a religious leader who was a former member of the Hitler Youth. To be a member of this organisation, Pope Benedict and his family must have supported the Nazi regime and therefore the murder of countless Jews and gays.

What Pope Alice and the Raelians claim may appear bizarre to most of us, but to my knowledge has caused no one any harm.

As Pope, Benedict is now the leader of a patriarchal religion steeped in tradition, a religion that opposes, among other things, abortion and condoms.

Under this regime, Catholics and gays are still controlled by a Nazi mentality. By his policies on the ban of the use of condoms, Benedict promotes the eradication of an entire gay population under the guise of AIDS. Much more subtle than a gas chamber, don’t you think?

If Matthew Boniface is an example of the so-called faithful of Metropolitan Community Church Sydney and one of the long-term members who has obviously by his own words contributed to splitting this church into so-called factions, Rev. Karl Hand is better off without him and them.

Money isn’t everything, but I put my money on Rev. Karl Hand. I’d rather support a church that stands on the side of righteousness, any day. That seems closer to the truth of the gospel in my book. I don’t find that confusing at all.

­ -” Renee, Sydney

 

 

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