Letters to the Editor
NOT BROKEN
I was extremely disturbed at the tone of the article by church minister Ron Brookman, who claims he “cured” his homosexuality (St George Leader 22/9/09).
Brookman equates his erstwhile “sex addiction” with “homosexuality” which is patently absurd since many heterosexuals also suffer “sex addiction”.
Although I do not doubt his good faith, I object to how his article presents homosexuality as a curable “aberration”.
I surmise Brookman is heterosexual and always has been. He has simply reverted to true form in finally realising that as a gay he was a square peg in a round hole. At least I hope this is so because no good would come of repressing his true (homo)sexuality.
Youth suicide rates in young gays are 14 times higher than in the youth population at large. One reason is the pressure gay youths face from the churches, who propound the hateful “aberration” theory (which of course leads to persecution, discrimination and bullying, sometimes to suicide, even murder).
Mr Brookman is not helping when he insists he was gay and that sexuality-change can work for everyone. Such uninformed theorising will further confuse and depress gay youths who might choose to follow Brookman and repress their true sexuality. The psychological consequences are obvious: suicide or self-harm.
I was born gay, Mr Brookman. And I am not “broken” as you say. You are welcome to believe God is fallible and creates faulty products. But I believe God is incapable of making mistakes. As such I belong to a growing “inclusive” Christian church that preaches God’s love for all. It is called the Metropolitan Community Church. And yes, we even take Communion!
I wish Mr Brookman well and pray that he has been heterosexual all his life. Because if he was born gay, things do not augur well for his future peace of mind.
— Ronnie
Prostate Cancer
I write in response to William’s letter (SSO 989) on the fact that there are no specific services for gay men in relation to prostate cancer or any other form of cancer for that matter.
I have worked in the men’s health area for over 16 years and have been advocating with my colleagues for specific services for gay men in a broad range of health areas such as cancer education and support. We have not been able to convince key mainstream health providers of the need for specific services.
I was asked by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia in 2005 to submit an education and support program for gay men, which I did, and I received no reply to my proposal.
Many gay men will need support for a wide range of illnesses and with cancer now affecting one in two men in Australia we need to develop specific services for gay men.
Heart disease, cancer, diabetes and suicide are some of the major killers of men in Australia, including of course gay men. Not HIV. We need to provide gay-friendly health and welfare services now and we have submitted a proposal on this to the federal Government as part of the recent national consultation to create a National Men’s Health Policy.
I do feel for William and all men out there dealing with cancer and other serious health issues without appropriate support. We are doing our best to try to change this dreadful situation.
— Greg Millan, men’s health consultant and executive member Australasian Men’s Health Forum
TOO PASSE?
I received an advert for Sleaze Ball from the Ticketek online mailing list (also see the website here: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/Show.aspx?sh=SLEAZEBA09).
Why is there no mention of the words ‘gay’, ‘lesbian’, ‘bisexual’ or ‘transgender’ anywhere in the advert? If not at least to invite GLBT members of the community to participate, then to tell the homophobes this is a queer-friendly space — stay away.
Sure, the words ‘New Mardi Gras’ are subtly used and there is a picture of three sporty-looking guys hanging off each other. But the picture is homoerotic at best and typical blokey mateship at worst. Unlike the posters in the queer press, there is no pretty bum on this ad.
Whose decision was it to market a NMG event to a mainstream audience as gay-in-camouflage? Isn’t there already enough queer invisibility in sport (and general life) for a NMG event to be added to the fold? Is gay too passé these days?
Please explain.
— Ghassan
Regarding the article by church minister Ron Brookman, who claims he “cured” his homosexuality (St George Leader 22/9/09): Is this person a psychologist or similar specialist on human sexuality and behaviour? If you are not Ron, then kindly shut (T.F.) up. Being part of a church, you are unfortunately in a position to influence the opinions and attitudes of many of the simple minded and naive in the comunity, which can be a a catalylist for homophobia and anti gay hate crime.
Yes, you may have been ‘gay’, however it is drawing a long bow to conclude this is a ‘curable aberation’. More likely scenario Ron: You, like the majority of humans, are bisexual, and you are simply repressing the homo side of your sexuality, because you cannot accept it. Simple…
Ghassan,
I remember back in the 90’s reading a similar letter to the editor in the SSO angry at the organisers of a dance space at sleaze or a mardi gras after party because they had been playing a song “3 is family”, an apparently highly offensive song about creating a nuclear heterosexual family!
I also remember a few years later when the old Mardi Gras had spent precious time debating whether or not bisexuals were welcome blah blah blah!
The old Mardi Gras died, horridly in debt etc.
Maybe sleaze would still be attracting attendances of 17000 but they don’t!
Who knows what the reasons are?
All I know is that when tickets were members only I felt extremely uncomfortable opening my mail from the old mardi gras with a “reminder” to think about who we invited to the party!
How would you feel if your straight friends left you off a yum cha invite because-“…well you know how you act sometimes….and my other friends feel oppressed that you are in the same restaurant as them on that one special morning”??
I don’t feel white-anting NMG with the suggestion that they are being duplicitous is that helpful. NMG produce great parties that raise funds for a world leading GLBT pride event, why can’t they share that with a wider community?
Because the rest of the Sydney GLBT community really aren’t coming out in huge numbers for Sleaze!
What should we do? Patrol the party and get security and police to remove straights that look like they might be getting out of control?
And then what? Extend that to the parade itself, throw out a spectator that disagrees with a message of a particular float and then snigger as the police haul them away?
One of the amazing and brilliant things about NMG is their ability to steer clear of the limiting dogmas of the old mardi gras behaviours(despite what the people on the messageboards/forums had to say re splitting of parade and party etc).
To William,
In case you missed my online reply to your letter last week (SSO 989), you can at least get some online help from this prostate cancer & gays support group:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/prostatecancerandgaymen/