Pitching in for fire relief

Many volunteers from the gay community are taking part in the Victorian fire relief effort and those on the ground include embattled bisexual football trainer Ken Campagnolo.

Along with members of Bi-Victoria, he has been dropping supplies, including toiletries, generators and food, to fire-torn towns.

More than 1800 homes have been lost in the fires and the death toll stands above 200.

Campagnolo, a former volunteer firefighter who has been in dispute with the Department of Sustainability and Environment in the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal over claims he was bullied and repeatedly called a poofter, said he felt helpless when the fires hit.

-œThe day of the fires, all I could do is sit in the swimming pool and watch all the smoke, he said.

Campagnolo has been in the headlines for taking the AFL, among others, to VCAT claiming he was sacked as a trainer from the Bonnie Doon Football Club because he was bisexual.

Pushing that aside, he said he and others have been driving around Whittlesea, Kinglake, Kinglake West and Toolangi to help the movement of relief supplies through the area.

Campagnolo, who lost three friends in the fire and had 14 friends lose their homes, said he had been communicating between victims and some of the authorities sent in to help.

Last week Campagnolo’s case against Benella and District Football League was postponed for further evidence and is due to head to mediation, leaving only two cases still before VCAT -” against the Bonnie Doon Football Club and the DSE.

Campagnolo had taken out 12 cases for discrimination against organisations including the AFL, VFL, Benalla and District Football League, Bonnie Doon Football Club and the DSE and said he feels at the end of his tether.

-œIt wasn’t worth reporting the crime in the first place -” I lost my job, I lost my house, I lost everything.

-œMy advice to anyone else is … don’t try and do the right thing.

-œWhen the fires are over, I’ll worry about that later. I’ve got more important things than my case at VCAT.