Author Topic: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia  (Read 338570 times)

Offline Kerry

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #690 on: April 08, 2010, 03:00:16 am »

Jason
Sydney

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Offline Kerry

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #691 on: April 09, 2010, 02:32:36 am »

Nicole
Sydney

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Offline Kerry

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #692 on: April 09, 2010, 02:34:52 am »

The Difference Team
Sydney

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Offline Kerry

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #693 on: April 09, 2010, 02:37:37 am »

John Mangos
Sky News Presenter
Sydney

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Offline Monika

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #694 on: April 09, 2010, 04:57:08 pm »

Kate & Adrian
Outback NSW

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Love this pic!

And I want to be wherever they are - looks beautiful and very relaxing!

Offline Sason

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #695 on: April 09, 2010, 06:04:49 pm »
I agree Monika. Looks a little like the Twist farm, doesn't it?   ;D

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Offline Kerry

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #696 on: April 09, 2010, 08:11:39 pm »
On first viewing I agree that, yes, the image conjured-up by Kate and Adrian does appear idyllic - Arcadian, even.

However, IMHO there's more to this pic than first meets the eye.

Kate's message reads, "There are no closets in the country." Well, um, yes there are. I would venture to say that closets in country (outback) New South Wales (NSW) are more the rule than the exception.

And Adrian's, "It's OK to be gay in the country," is deluded in the extreme. And it's a lie, too, given the enormous number of documented gay and lesbian suicides in rural areas of Australia.

I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade here, but rural areas in Australia where gay and lesbian people are openly accepted are few and far between. In fact, I can only think of two such places off the top of my head - Lismore in NSW and Daylesford in Victoria. And the acceptance in those two towns only exists because of the large numbers of cashed-up, affluent, G&L tree-changers who have moved to those towns from Sydney and Melbourne, respectively. The locals have been forced to accept the new arrivals because they've brought new wealth and affluence to their previously grim, hick towns.

I don't know what the story is behind Kate and Adrian's submission to thisisoz.  Are they gay or straight? Are they brother and sister? Husband and wife? Are they urban gay tree-changers with rose-tinted spectacles? Did they lose a much loved GL relative to suicide, prompting them to become involved in thisisoz?  Guess we'll never know. Certainly, this has been one of the most thought provoking thisisoz  image for me.
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Offline Sason

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #697 on: April 12, 2010, 04:42:28 pm »
What's a tree-changer, Kerry?

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Offline Monika

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #698 on: April 12, 2010, 05:40:11 pm »
On first viewing I agree that, yes, the image conjured-up by Kate and Adrian does appear idyllic - Arcadian, even.

However, IMHO there's more to this pic than first meets the eye.

Kate's message reads, "There are no closets in the country." Well, um, yes there are. I would venture to say that closets in country (outback) New South Wales (NSW) are more the rule than the exception.

And Adrian's, "It's OK to be gay in the country," is deluded in the extreme. And it's a lie, too, given the enormous number of documented gay and lesbian suicides in rural areas of Australia.

I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade here, but rural areas in Australia where gay and lesbian people are openly accepted are few and far between. In fact, I can only think of two such places off the top of my head - Lismore in NSW and Daylesford in Victoria. And the acceptance in those two towns only exists because of the large numbers of cashed-up, affluent, G&L tree-changers who have moved to those towns from Sydney and Melbourne, respectively. The locals have been forced to accept the new arrivals because they've brought new wealth and affluence to their previously grim, hick towns.

I don't know what the story is behind Kate and Adrian's submission to thisisoz.  Are they gay or straight? Are they brother and sister? Husband and wife? Are they urban gay tree-changers with rose-tinted spectacles? Did they lose a much loved GL relative to suicide, prompting them to become involved in thisisoz?  Guess we'll never know. Certainly, this has been one of the most thought provoking thisisoz  image for me.
I guess I thought their messages to be more about their own personal beliefs about how things should be, rather than them trying to present actual facts. Just like when people write messages like "we are all equal". In a perfect world maybe, but that´s not the reality. But I would also read a statement like that to mean that it´s more an expression of personal beliefs than anything else.

Too bad about the situation in outbacks of Australia; Kerry! :-*


Offline brianr

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Re: Celebrating Diversity & Challenging Homophobia
« Reply #699 on: April 13, 2010, 04:28:38 am »
What's a tree-changer, Kerry?
tree change – a relocation from the city to a rural area for a lifestyle change