Meet the Politician campaigning on Grindr

By Samuel Leighton-Dore

Tired of vanilla, missionary-position politics, The Australian Sex Party are out to shake things up and make a real difference.

“Our party offers the Australian public a real alternative to the bitter, adversarial and divisive politics practiced by the three major parties,” says Australian Sex Party Federal Leader and Victorian MP Fiona Patten.

“Our team is ready to offer ideas for a better, more inclusive society. We reject the politics of fear and acrimony and believe Australians can call bullshit quicker than anyone on earth when it comes to their politicians. So we won’t be distracted by the negativity of Labor, Liberal and the Greens, we only care about what is right, just and good for the country as whole.”

The Australian Sex Party might mean business – but they’re not about to rule out the chance for some fun along the way. Just ask Robin Bristow, the Queensland architect and equality activist running for federal parliament under the ASP banner this election and pushing for some much-needed legislative reform for Queensland’s LGBTQI+ community.

Not only is Bristow passionate about challenging the dangerously outdated Gay Panic Defense law, he’s fighting to reintroduce nudist beaches to our Sunshine State – and using Grindr to campaign for votes (and blowies).

Heaps Gay recently caught up with Bristow to chat all things sex, nudity, politics, and being really fucking queer. But first, some fun facts about the Australian Sex Party:

Well, they are one of the few very political Parties with a female leader, Fiona Patten, and have previously run a number of diverse candidates including Melissa Star, Christian Vega, Angela White & Zahra Stardust. Oh, and another fun fact: Angela White and Zahra Stardust are not only interesting and articulate intellectuals with degrees in gender studies, but their most memorable contribution to Australian political history is most likely the fact that they were the first two parliamentary candidates ever to make a lesbian-sex video together.

1. What would people be surprised to learn about the QLD Sex Party?

I think it would be the calibre of our Senate Candidates. In NSW we are represented by Prof. Ross Fitzgerald, secularist, broadcaster, historian, biographer, journalist and social and political commentator. In VIC our lead candidate is Dr Meredith Doig who is a professional company director and President of the Rationalist Society of Australia and in Tasmania we have Dr Francesca Collins who is well respected in the field of Psychology. All serious, mature (can I use that word?), well respected candidates who are passionate about the policies of the Australian Sex Party.

2. I’ve previously written about some of the fucked up laws still being enforced in QLD (Gay Panic, Sodomy age of consent). How would the Sex Party work to overturn them?

The recent positive changes made to the QLD State Law regarding Civil Unions came about as an election promise by Labor made good. I think media campaigns, street protests and behind the scenes pressure can have the desired effect but there ain’t nothing harder to deal with than a Queensland Politician. These guys are heaps unpredictable and “progressive” is not a word they like to use frequently up here so it makes the job of bringing about meaningful social change so much harder.

3. I see that you’ve been receiving some vocal support on Grindr. That must be a first for political campaigning in Australia?

Advertising on Grindr has been used in past Australian Federal election campaigns but, unlike me, I don’t think Adam Bandt was offering blow-jobs in exchange for votes when he advertised on Grindr. People are now telling their friends about me which is going to be good for my votes …and my sex life.

4. As someone who enjoys the odd all-over sun-bake, tell us about your push for nude beach legislation?

40 years ago saw South Australia legislate its first legal nude beach and Queensland still remains the last State in Australia to legalise clothing optional beaches. So when the police started to arrest friends of mine sunbathing in the nuddie on the local unofficial nude beach here in Noosa it made me see red. We started working with other interested groups, including the QLD Chamber of Commerce, in writing a submission to the QLD Parliament which was duly delivered to the QLD Attorney General. During that time we also had a lot of media attention because nothing sells a newspaper faster than a great big headline that says “Sex Party on Nude Beach”. So it was with huge disappointment that we heard the other day from the QLD Police Minister that they were not changing the law because the law was there to protect Queenslanders. So there everyone in the rest of Australia – we are protected in QLD and you ain’t. Suck it up princess. This matter is way from over.

5. Why might the QLD Sex Party resonate with LGBTQI+ voters?

We are so fucken queer it’s ridiculous. Unlike the other political parties who have a few token Dykes and Queers we are all a bit gay in the Sex Party. And of course Fiona Patten.

6. My partner’s from QLD and we sometimes joke that Queenslanders often appear frowning. Do Queenslanders have enough sex?

Ask me after the elections.

7. Give us your best elevator pitch. Why should our readers vote for you?

I think we have reached a point in Australian Politics where we see that the progressive change we dreamt of cannot be delivered by any of the traditional parties. Fiona Patten, Australian Sex Party Leader and lone MP in the Victoria Parliament has achieved so much meaningful change in her short political career that we now have an amazing example of how one person on their own can make such a big difference. It would be an honour for me to follow in her footsteps and I hope people will give me that chance come election day. Oh yes and as a guy on Gindr said “ Def voting for you. Not only I like your thinking, but u sexy too.”