Letters – Sydney (1053)

NMG #1

The Mardi Gras campaign this year is “Say Something” and Ignatius Jones inviting the most prominent in the land in politics is, in my view, to be congratulated.

While I do not subscribe to some of the political views of those invited, that does not mean I don’t want to see them in the parade. If anything, it is the main reason why I would want to see them in our parade.

Let them see that we are a strong community that has masses of support across the wider population.

In a state election year it will be interesting to see who takes the invite up and shows their support for a community that still has so much to fight for.

— Pete

NMG #2

Ignatius Jones, how dare you, how very dare you. Inviting Princess Pinocchio the puppet Premier and Julia Gillard, both who have an appalling record on human rights, to the 2011 Parade.

This is the Premier who, as the minister in charge of the Pope’s visit, tried to ban any t-shirt a Catholic may have found offensive, until legally challenged by some lesbians.

PM Julia Gillard firmly believes that marriage is strictly between a man and a woman, and in so denying gay people equal rights to heterosexual people.

Ms Gillard changed the Centrelink pension laws to the detriment of gay couples without the consideration of a grandfather clause.

On the surface we as a community are considered by the Gillard Government as being first rate tax payers but second rate citizens. The recent rush to judgement by Julia Gillard of Julian Assange being guilty of an”illegal act”without trial or any current Australian law having been broken demonstrates that this woman will bend to a foreign power at the expense of the human rights of an Australian citizen.

As for Tony Abbott being in the parade, you cannot be serious. This man is toxic to gay sensibilities.
Mr Jones you have an opinion of ‘hey,it’s a party and you are all invited’.

May I suggest a bit of thought be engaged before issuing invitations and making such statements. Mardi Gras is a celebration of gay culture, not a parade to invite everyone to.

Having non-gay-friendly participants in the parade is not representative of the community and poses the danger of turning the event into a battleground between the gay community and the homophobes.

— Ron

NMG #3

If Mardi Gras’ 2011 artistic director, Ignatius Jones, thinks inviting homophobic politicians to march in next year’s parade is a good idea, he is seriously wrong and out of touch.

Julia Gillard is a conservative homophobe. And while Kristina Keneally’s government does a good impression of the Titanic, she is desperate for any publicity.

The political leaders of the this state and nation have the power to stop all forms of discrimination.

Instead they choose to nuture it. They have no place at Mardi Gras.

If this kind of arse-kissing is what Mardi Gras has become, then it can go to hell in a handbag for all I care.

— Aaron

NMG #4

How can you support this monstrous idea. Keneally and Gillard in the parade. Never.

The political parties have no right and should not be seen to be promoting themselves or their parties at the gay community’s expense.

The only reason Keneally would go in the parade is to promote the Labor Party and the upcoming election.

The gay community has sunk to such lows now. Has become so despicable. Would do anything for equality and acceptance.

You have lost your integrity, self respect and pride in yourselves.

— John

NMG #5

Hillary Clinton has marched in the New York Pride Parade – I’d like to see Kristina Keneally march in Mardi Gras.

Keneally has been far more active than any other previous state Labor leader advancing gay and lesbian rights, introducing:

(i) a state partnership scheme,
(ii) surrogacy rights
(iii) same-sex adoption

Recently her Attorney General, John Hatzistergos has taken up the call for national recognition of transgender/genderless people.

Most impressively, she spoke very candidly on her support for adoption. It was a long way from the usual carefully crafted statements political leaders tend to make on the issue.

— Ben

OBJECTIFIED

Why is it many believe it’s fair game to criticise and objectify the muscular and athletic men and women of the GLTBI community?

Over the years I have heard nearly everything to put down and denigrate, and seen a lot of physical violence and unwanted attention toward those who choose to develop and maintain their bodies in peak form.

It’s time people stopped and thought about their actions when they criticise, bully and harass.  These are real people with emotions and feelings. Yes, some are arrogant, yet there are many  who are decent, have integrity and are respectful. Just because they choose to maintain their body in a form they want to does not mean anyone has the right to treat them any differently, nor does it give anyone permission to treat them like a piece of meat for their own lustful gratification.

Yes it’s human nature to look and admire, and many who keep fit appreciate the attentionyet there are boundaries which need to be kept and respect to be shown.  If you see signs of discomfort and irritability due to your attention be respectful and move on. I’m far from being physically fit and I’m definitely no Ben Cousins. Yet I have friends who are fit and hot and these friendships have developed through being respectful.

So instead of having a good bitch or throwing yourself at a person you deem to be ‘perfect’ say hello, show respect and keep within appropriate boundaries and you may be pleasantly surprised.

— Ashley

THANKS CLOVER

There was a time when Oxford St was known as ‘the golden mile’.

It should be now known as ‘the blood splattered mile’.

Take an early morning walk any Saturday or Sunday. Stroll up the street before the council arrives to hose the pavements down and you will find the footpaths marked by trails and often pools of blood punctuated by shattered beer bottles. This is further evidence of the violence spawned by a binge drinking culture which is spiralling out of control and which is endangering the safety and amenity our local communities.

Clover Moore and her council should be commended for their efforts to restrict the trading hours of bad operators, a move which has been overruled by a moribund state government, pandering to the demands of the Australian Hotels Association and other sections of the liquor industry who continue to make huge profits on the back of this dysfunctional social  epidemic.

It would be interesting to see what political donations the state Labor and the Liberal parties have received from the AHA over the years., it has been very obvious the Liberal councillor Shane Mallard and the Liberal Candidate in the upcoming State election Adrian Bartells have been singing from a song sheet provided to them by elements of the highly profitable Liquor industry. What political donations have or will Bartells receive from the liquor industry in his run to stand against Clover in March next year ?

Anyone who has enjoyed a drink in the ambient environs of any of the dozens of the small bars which have sprung up around the inner city knows Clover Moore is not trying to close the city down at midnight. It was after all  her initiatives as State MP which have allowed the small bars to open.

The terminal state Labor government and the Liberal Party have blood on their hands, the rest of it is dripping onto the footpaths of our local streets.

Thank you Clover for once again acting in the interests of the community and against powerful vested interests and their shameless political mouthpieces — in this case the state Labor and Liberal parties.

— Chris