A History of Gay and Lesbian Activism in Australia
From law reform to the Lesbian Sex Wars, from Young Gays to Grey Gays, via demos, drag and dancing . . . For forty years, Australian lesbians, gay men and their friends have struggled to change the way homosexuals are treated and thought about in our society. And they have been remarkably successful.
Laws dating back to the times of King Henry VIII, once enforced with the lash and the noose and endorsed by the mass of right-thinking citizens, have been repealed in all states and territories. After the breakthrough in South Australia in 1972, efforts to remove unjust laws only ended with the victory in Tasmania twenty-five years later. But even before that was achieved, demands for full legal equality had moved onto the public agenda and seem now to be within grasp. The medical profession has abandoned is support for electro-shock therapies to cure homosexuality. Among the churches, clergy who hold age-old attitudes of condemnation are widely dismissed, even by their own, as cruel and out-of-touch. Trade unions routinely defend their gay and lesbian members' rights and lifestyle. The points of view of homosexual men and women are now part of mainstream media.
In transforming society, lesbians and gay men have also transformed themselves, with the old attitudes of fear and self-loathing gone. Gay Pride is now a powerful force in the lives of millions. The communities that have been forged along the way are a significant part of Australia's rich multicultural mix - and major players in the economy. 'Living Out Loud' is the first full-length account of this remarkable movement and the first to attempt a national perspective. Lively, thoughtful and often surprising, this is the story of people who changed a society.
