LOOKING BACK ON ONE HELL OF A YEAR!

By Clementine Mills

As 2016 glitters on the horizon let’s take a look at some of the triumphs and tribulations that 2015 has elicited for our fabulous rainbow clan. From Politics to People and Culture!

POLITICS

THE GOOD

On May 22nd Ireland agreed to legalise same-sex marriage after a landslide public referendum proved that 62.07% of Irish folk voted in favour of equality. The amendment to the constitution was given legislative effect in October and LGBTQI lovebirds have been marrying left right and centre since November. Onya Ireland!

 

We will all remember June 26th and the nationwide legalisation of same sex marriage in the USA. I was at Glastonbury when it happened – no phone, no internet, no clue what time of day it was – I just saw a sea of rainbow profile pics the next time I snatched five minutes to check FB at the WiFi tent and everything clicked into place. It honestly felt like a revolution was starting (might have also had something to do with the cheap cider and Pussy Riot but hey)

 

THE BAD 

Watch your back Putin cos there’s a new homophobic kid on the European block. Recently appointed Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro gave his queer citizens a stealthy punch to the gut when he removed children’s books featuring same-sex couples from the city’s schools. Just days later he kicked them again, while they were down by banning the Venice Pride parade. Even Elton John stepped in to call for mercy and Brugnaro basically told him to eff off and called him “haughty” **entire gay community roll up their sleeves **

 

Remember that time Turnbull showed his fervent support of same-sex marriage? Then remember that time he had that shotgun promotion to PM and suddenly had all this power to change things? Well after the red herring euphoria that mounted in the wake of Abbott’s abortion from Parliament House had dissipated, we discovered that Turnbull wasn’t quite putting his money where his mouth was (his hand must have got lost on the way to his mouth and deposited the cash into advancing WestConnex instead.) He promised us equality but he’s given us a plebiscite. As Sally Rugg eloquently explains the poll is a load of bells and whistles poorly disguising a load of old bollocks. The marriage equality bill is progressing at the rate of a sloth on Ketamine and at the end of 2015, our throats are sore from screaming the same shit that we were screaming at the end of 2014. Someone pop on some Morrissey and pour me a gin, I’m feeling broody.

THE UGLY

Just weeks before the Irish referendum brought LGBTQI rights spinning into the twenty-first century, a grotty handful of Tasmanian politicians were hell bent on dragging them kicking and screaming back to the dark ages, all in the name of – yep, you guessed it – God. By early May a legislation enabling religious schools to exclude children of “a different faith” had passed Tasmania’s Lower House. On top of conveniently exempting these secular schools from the anti-discrimination act, this legislation would leave a gaping loophole for bigotry to waltz through at its leisure and deny gay kids (and kids with same-sex parents) education on religious grounds, armed with the cowardly logic that such a lifestyle doesn’t correlate with their faith. Well, dickheads, you might want to google what’s been happening in Ireland – historically one of the most religiously devout countries in the world – and see for yourself that they give exactly zero fucks about your Old Testament bullshit; your “religious grounds” are obsolete. Evolution called: we’re all waiting for you.

 

There are still 79 countries in this world where homosexuality is illegal and anyone found existing under the LGBTQI umbrella can be legally imprisoned; In 10 of these countries they can be legally killed. That’s how much work there is still left to do.

THE FABULOUS

In October, Victoria’s Labour party pushed through a bill to change the law to recognise both partners of same-sex couples as equal adoptive parents. Minister for Equality Martin Foley condemned the Victorian government’s outdated legislation, stating that that once the bill gained legality, the change would provide “much-needed certainty for many children and their parents who currently live in a legal haze in terms of their relationships with the people they love.” Foley for PM! Might as well apply Marty, everyone’s having a go!

 

In August the progressive activist group GetUp! sent glitter bombs to every Coalition MP who opted against the free vote on marriage equality. It was the perfect light-hearted crime until one Liberal MP mistook his crafty parcel as an actual bomb and called every man and his dog to come save him. 6 police cars, 6 fire trucks, 1 hazmat unit and 1 bomb squad later everyone witnessed the most anti-climactic but easily the most fabulous bomb dismantling ever. What’s the bet that MP felt like a prize twat? Checkmate.

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

THE GOOD_ HOLLYWOOD

It seems that Hollywood is finally expanding the blinkered parameters that have contained our community on the silver screen for so goddamn long. With films like Freeheld and Carol portraying powerful, humanising stories with A List actors at the helm, it’s pretty hard not to get excited for what pop cultural progress 2016 could hold for the queer community. Carol in particular has been accruing stellar reviews and Oscar murmers and the resounding message from pleasantly surprised critics is that it is a beautiful love story that just happens to be between two women. Hallelujah! The pennies slowly start to drop.

 

Coming out is always going to be a daunting prospect, but 2015 has shown that we have entered a new realm of millennial bravery/comfortability/refusing to give any fucks when it comes to owning your identity. It’s exciting new terrain that has seen a plethora of very visible, very high profile people find the courage to come out – in whatever shape or form – with pride. Michael Angelakos, Holland Taylor, Caitlyn Jenner, Miley Cyrus, Jussie Smollett are just a handful of those who have each lifted a middle finger to conformity by omission this year and have made it known that they stand happily and unapologetically within the LGBTQI entourage.

 

THE BAD

In May the Australian series of reality TV show Married At First Sight aired on our tellies. The premise is exactly as insane as you’re imagining – two heterosexual strangers meet at the altar and through a series of lavish experiences and ridiculous manipulations have to decide if they have managed to shoehorn their way into love and will remain married or if they will go their separate ways. All the while, people in loving, committed same-sex relationships nationwide are made achingly aware of their lack of access to such a luxury. The message? We value a gimmick more than we value your love. Tasteless doesn’t even cut it.

 

THE UGLY

In 2015 American evangelist Pat Robertson outdid himself as Lord of the Nutjobs. According to Pat and his dogmatic counterparts, it’s been a bloody busy year for us sneaky gays. When we weren’t tending to our regular administrative tasks of polluting morality and eating babies, we were causing droughts in California and dragging the value of the US stock market down to our own hellish depths. Phew! Thank God it’s NYE already, you guys must be knackered! I suggest you all find yourself a large pina colada and take a well deserved rest from all that devil’s work.

 

THE FABULOUS

A group of university lads from Warwick, England rose to internet fame when photos from their nude calendar shoot went viral. You heard me: hot naked rowers. But they’re not getting their kit off just to flaunt their attractiveness to the world; these dead set legends started the calendar back in 2009 as a way of raising money for their rowing club but also to fight homophobia in sport, with a huge percentage of their proceeds going to Sports Allies. Their 2016 calendar is available to buy online or you can just have a perv on their Instagram feed – even I spent an embarrassingly long time looking at their perfect bottoms.

Gay doritios became a thing! The perfect rainbow snack to fuel you between Mardi Gras commitee meetings and vogueing practise.

Happy New Year Beauties!