Letters

Letters

Musical Opinions
It always strikes me as pointless, all those letters that generally complain about music after parties.
I would probably be the one to complain most to mates as they all consider me a music Nazi for good reason.
Do people really believe there is some magic musical formula that will please all the punters (or even most) all of the time ?
Not possible. We just need to accept, “Hey, it wasn’t my cuppa tea”, and move on.
Just as we all have different opinions on who we are attracted to, such it is with music opinions too.
Who’d be a DJ? Sheesh.
— Pete
LOVING SYDNEY
Sydney once again proved it is a fabulous city to live in for all, including us seniors in ‘our week’.
This time it’s thanks to ACON and Queer Screen, who provided us well ripened folk, for a mere gold coin donation, Dot’s chosen assortment of delicious tiny cakes, moreish chicken sandwiches, fresh strawberries and a fancy selection of teas drunk from real china cups and saucers, all served by a bounty of beautifully presented drag queen volunteers.
This afternoon tea followed a double feature of superbly chosen movies at a matinee on Saturday at the Chauvel cinema.
Also impressive was a fine introduction by ACON president Mark Orr, on ageing, and a personal story from Ross Duffin, who launched an excellent book, Ahead of Time: A Practical Guide to Growing Older With HIV.
There is soooo much good stuff we as a community in Sydney do, and get to do. I love this city!
— Ulo
REVISED THINKING
I’m glad Tony Abbott’s revised his thinking about homosexuality and is committed to giving gays protections under anti-discrimination legislation — although that remains to be seen as he’s not the PM.
However, the supposed Liberal principles of individual rights are thrown out the window by Abbott when it comes to same-sex marriage and adoption.
Not to mention his support for the regulation of wage-earners strangely labelled WorkChoices.
Perhaps the Liberals should split into a Liberal and a Conservative party and Abbott can lead the second one.
— David
COURTING VOTES
Amazing. Now not just Labor but also Liberal are courting the pink vote by pretending to be gay-friendly.
Look at the audience, darlings. Abbott tells the queer audience of a queer radio station that he’s in favour of rights for same-sex couples.
He tells a nationally broadcast television show that he is threatened by homosexuality, and that statement is relayed through all the mainstream media. And did he retract that statement on a national broadcaster?
Don’t be fooled, kiddies.
— Rory
BRUNO #1
I am a staunch advocate for gay rights but I loved this film (‘Lawsuit over Bruno’, SSO 1014).
We do need to stand back and laugh at ourselves at times, but anyone who knows the history of the character should realise that the real joke is on ‘straight’ society. It’s done using the same premise as Little Britain — to use extreme characters to highlight the ridiculousness of people’s reactions to people who are different from them.
What changes stereotypes is when we all become more visible — not just the brave flamboyant ones who have led the way for us in the past.
— Dean
Bruno #2
Why sue Bruno, assuming the production were heterosexual (maybe they weren’t), when we do such a great job making stereotypes of ourselves in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Yes, we do it in fun. Yes we have a great sense of humour.
And sure, we can laugh at ourselves at our own expense, which is better than others laughing at our expense. But are we sending mixed messages when the outcome is very similar?
I thought the movie was hilarious as I do know shallow, stereotypical gay men.
Some who live around me perfect it to an art and appear to be proud of it. If they looked in the mirror, they’d see Bruno.
What is Michael J. Boyd afraid of? So many people looking in the mirror and finding themselves stereotypically ‘Bruno’?
We have so much to learn about winning friends and influencing people if we are serious about equal rights.
But if you say Bruno is bad for casting stereotypes in Australia, the mainstream will only point to Mardi Gras.
— Fletcher
Bruno #3
Give me a break! That movie was hilarious because it reflected so badly on the rednecks by playing up to their homophobia, ignorance and lack of intelligence.
The people instigating this class action are obviously just attention-seeking, and for them to say they’re doing it on behalf of the GLBT community is embarrassing. Please don’t act on my behalf on this one! I think it’s you guys who are giving us a bad name by sounding like a couple of bitchy sour-faced old queens!
— Carrie
Bruno #4
Um… I thought that the whole point of equality is that we should be able to be the brunt of a piss take. Let’s face it — there are so many aspects of gay culture that are so silly and there n lies the joy of our culture. I am the first gay man to say on a daily basis what a stupid poofter I can be. This is as embarrassing to the Australian gay community as the recent Nova FM debacle in Qld. What next? Are all the bogan mother and daughter mallrats with tuckshop arms, exposed thongs and bum cleavage with welcome mats going to sue Kath and Kim?
— Adam
Bruno #5
Oh great, another self-appointed group claiming to act on behalf of the whole of gay Australia. Do they represent anyone other than the five or so people involved in the group?
I bet Michael Boyd doesn’t know that Sacha Baron Cohen studied history at Cambridge and wrote his thesis on the American civil rights movement — or that he actually worked as a male model for quite some time.
Speaking as a Cohen fan, the Bruno movie is probably his least funny project to date.
However, some of the things Cohen did with the (originally very different) Bruno character on Da Ali G Show were pretty brave.
It took pretty big balls for him to go to a neo-Nazi death metal festival in 2000, pretending to be a gay reporter from Austrian TV, to ask skinheads if they have a message for the Austrian gay community, or if there are “any skinheads who aren’t gay” without a security team to step in if they decided to bash him or he needed to be whisked away.
The truth is that most of the stereotypes in the Bruno movie are ones that have been perpetuated by people within our own community, not heterosexuals.
— Andy

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2 responses to “Letters”

  1. “Let’s be honest here- if you don’t take drugs or aren’t interested in back-room sex why on earth would you want to go to the Mardi-Gras Party?”

    Really Michael?

    I’ve been to a number of Mardi Gras parties and not taken drugs or had back room sex. I enjoy a few drinks, as do most of my friends. It’s an amazing party with a global reputation, intended to represent the culmination of the festivities. I preferred it how it was, as does nearly everyone I know.

    Tarring all party goers with the same brush only feeds negative stereotypes – the kinds favoured by hostile police operations and loopy religious opponents.

    New Mardi Gras – please bring back the old format.

  2. Congratulations New Mardi Gras on splitting the Parade night from the Party night. It is a sign of maturity that we recognise that circuit queens don’t represent our community anymore than any other part. Let’s be honest here- if you don’t take drugs or aren’t interested in back-room sex why on earth would you want to go to the Mardi-Gras Party? Might I suggest, post parade, we now have a ‘Fair Night’- a night-time version of Fair Day that would cater to the rest of us! Let’s book out the entire fox studios environs- charge a modest entry fee to give mardi gras needed funds- and have one great post- parade street party. We could utilise the restaurants, the pub, the bars and the streets for a friendly and fabulous all night celebration that would entice those alienated by the circuit queens/body fascists back to the essence of Mardi Gras. What an amazing night that could be!!!!!!