Letters to the Editor

WHERE’S THE GUIDE?
I wonder if your team has any knowledge as to why there seems to be a dearth of Mardi Gras guides on the streets and in G&L venues? In directing people to the guide, I have had several tell me they can’t find them anywhere. It seems that as of today, the Brighton is the only venue with any left.
My partner and I are keen theatre / festival attendees; and the only way to get the full run down is not on the net, but with a guide in your hand.
We were told by New MArdi GRas at the launch that in excess of 15,000 (perhaps it was 17,000) were to be printed and distributed. I ask the open ended question -“ where are they? Who is responsible for printing and distribution? and could the person with the fetish for keeping thousands of copies off the streets please let me know where to obtain an illicit one?
It is my task to keep Team Sydney Club members up to date with events and activities for available to our community, and it seems I am not the only person receiving flack from our member clubs (representing approx 2300 sports people) in this situation.
With your exhaustive contacts in the print / publishing media, perhaps you could follow this up and let me know what answer New Mardi Gras can provide to assist our members.
-” Wally

PROPERTY ENVY
In the other gay mag issue 415 there was a letter from James of East Hills labelled Bugger off.
It was given great prominence, even bold letters and a caption. James seem to be very envious of all residents of the areas mentioned in his letter.
I wonder has he ever strolled among the leafy pretty streets of the two areas taking note of the hugely diverse groups who live in these streets.
He is wrong in assuming we bought in these areas so we could live a permanent disco life.
He seems to want to deny us the right to complain and to try and prevent the hoons and troublemakers coming into our residential areas bashing and destroying the nice atmosphere we usually live in.
Or does he only linger under the disco ball of the noisy, brash, often dangerous Oxford St?
James, we don’t tell you how East Hills should be run. If we want to make our homes and area safer we will do so. Now I return the compliment. You bugger off.
-” Fred

CREDIT PLEASE
I just have to respond to the letter from Norrie mAy-Welby. She says that gay people are worse off under the Rudd Labor government.
Hello! Is anybody home?. This government has removed 80 pieces of federal law that discriminate against gay people -” see page nine of the same edition of the Sydney Star Observer and also page 18 for some enlightenement.
Life is not all black and bleak Norrie, light is glimmering in many corners – your negativity is not becoming of the so called progressive mind that you claim to have.
Give credit where it is due. The Rudd Government has given gay people at least 80 more reasons to be thankful for the removal of Howard and his conservative gang of troglodytes.
-” Rauli

QUESTIONS REMAIN
So Mr Neal is officially behind bars for 18 years. But a number of questions remain unanswered. If he has been charged with deliberately trying to infect others with HIV, didnt his partners deliberately allow themselves to be infected?
How easy it is to blame someone who is a blatant -˜gift giver’? Unless the sexual act was in fact rape, how can one intentionally or deliberately infect or attempt to infect without the victim agreeing to unsafe sex?
If none of his -˜victims’ were willing to have unsafe sex with him -” regardless of what he may have said -” no one would have been infected.
Obviously many gay men are still willing to risk their health with those of unknown status or with those that lie, or there would not have been 133 notifications in the first six months of last year (129 for prevoius year six months).
How could anyone be so naive as to think they would not become infected when they were attending a -˜conversion party’?
While it cannot be denied that he broke the law by not disclosing his true status, it is obvious that many others must be doing the same judging be the above figures.
-” Brian

WEDDING BELLS
On behalf of the council, Bruce Notley-Smith, the openly-gay mayor of Randwick, congratulates a Maroubra couple on their 50th wedding anniversary in this week’s Southern Courier. What about his owne wedding?
­-” Stuart

SENIOR SPLIT
It is indeed sad that senior gays and lesbians feel forgotten by the Rudd Government and its removal of the laws that discriminate couples.
I have great sympathy for thier postion and extend to them my thoughts.
However I think it is important to point out that in any change there are always people who feel like they have missed out.
That doesn’t mean there should be an uprising and attempt to slow down or stop these changes.
Those who feel forgotten by the absence of a grandfather clause in the legisaltion should, I think, be looking for ways around the legislation like everyone else in their position does -” not trying to put the reforms that will benefit the majority of the community in jeopardy.
We have fought too hard and for too long to get these reforms in place, and to see them under threat because of the actions of a minority withon the minority would be a shame.
Yes, I agree there should have been a grandfather clause in the legislation, but the fact is one was not included.
That isn’t a licence to bag out the libby groups that fought on our behalf for the change, and certainly not reason enough to put those changes in jeopardy.
It is times like these I wonder where the concept of community -” one that was established thanks to years of persecution and oppression ­-” has disappeared to.
-” Aaron

PLAYING POLITICS
Shame on Noel Tovey and other senior members of the gay and lesbian community for attempting to stymie the legislation that will finally give us the financial and legal equality we have been seeking for so long.
To want to slow down the flow of progress for the sake of a handful or relationships is, in my opinion, selfish and something to be ashamed of.
Hang your heads now, for if this legislation fails because of your actions you can guarantee finding a lynch-mob on your doorstep the following morning.
-” Joseph

NOVEL IDEA
A reality show for drag queens? RuPaul, you have hit on a great idea and I for one hope Australian television (Come on Foxtel) picks up this show and screens it to a broad audience.
Sure, we’ve seen similar competitions at local pubs and clubs for years, but harnessing it, moulding it and taking it to a broader audience is pure genius.
-” Graeme