Anzac’s gay -˜desecration’
An advertisement for a gay Anzac Day party in Melbourne drew criticism from the state’s RSL branch for juxtaposing a naked man in a slouch hat with the Shrine of Remembrance.
David McLachlan, Victorian RSL president, told the Herald Sun the ad for an event at the Peel Hotel was a desecration of the Anzac Day memory.
But Don Rowe, president of the NSW branch, said he believed it was enough for the hotel to apologise and remove the ad, adding the NSW branch was just as protective of the Anzac War Memorial in Hyde Park.
Anyone who wants to use a photo of the memorial or inside the memorial has to get permission from the trustees to ensure it’s treated in a respectful way, he said.
Rowe pointed out this rule was not about banning the image of the Shrine of Remembrance or War Memorial entirely.
If it’s just straight advertising on posters, that wouldn’t be very good, but if it’s used to promote Sydney or the park or Anzac Day then it’s okay, he said.
Certainly some discretion is needed to ensure the dignity of the building is upheld.
Rowe said the RSL did not wish to prevent gay and lesbian party attendees from enjoying Anzac Day celebrations, and invited them to take part in the national tradition.
The message is not only a commemoration. After it’s over there’s usually a footy game or a racing game, you go down to the pub and meet your mates, he said.
Rowe said the gay-related ads in NSW that play on Anzac themes, such as ACON’s Two Up Ya Bum condom reinforcement campaign, hadn’t caused concern.
People can be more jovial and relaxed with the traditional celebrations like two up, he said.
Our diggers used two up as a form of entertainment; the difference is our war memorial is a sacred symbol of those who’ve lost their lives.
ACON CEO Stevie Clayton agreed the Victorian ads were clearly in poor taste and disrespectful -“ something they sought to avoid in their own Anzac Day-themed campaigns.
In our -˜Up Ya Bum’ campaign, we developed different sub-campaigns for all kinds of holidays, including Anzac Day, to keep it fresh in people’s minds, she said.
We started with a brief that said there was no way we were going to design a campaign that’s going to be disrespectful.
Clayton said the ad plays on two up because it’s loosely linked to Anzac Day but not a symbol used for those who died in war.
By keeping it really light and focusing on things you do on Anzac Day that aren’t about the actual act of remembrance, you could hardly think it’s offensive to anyone.
Meanwhile, Jiro Takamisawa, the surviving partner of WWII veteran John George, told The Sydney Morning Herald he planned to take his fight to secure a war widow’s pension to the UN Human Rights Committee.
Takamisawa’s 20-year relationship with George, whom he nursed through the final stages of heart disease, would qualify him for a widow’s pension were it not for his gender.
All appeals to government and the Veterans’ Review Board were rejected.
We are not going to pursue the case in Australia because we wouldn’t win -“ the legislation is black and white on its application to the opposite sex, Takamisawa told the Herald.
The case could take several years and even if successful may not have any impact.
In a similar case lodged in 2003 by Edward Young, also a surviving partner of a veteran, the UNHRC found Australia violated its obligations by denying Young a widow’s pension on the basis of his sex or sexual orientation.
Despite the recommendation by UNHRC that Australia amend legislation to prevent such discrimination, the Howard government ignored the findings.
Human rights commissioner Graeme Innes said his inquiry into discrimination against people in same-sex relationships would include pensions and he expected it to be tabled before parliament in June.
