Fighting homophobia on campus

Fighting homophobia on campus

By Will Williams

CANBERRA — An anti-homophobia speak-out was held at the University of Canberra on July 30. Part of the Queer Market Daze festival organised by the Rubber Rose Ranch queer club, the speak-out celebrated sexual diversity and freedom of choice.

The speak-out heard poetry and speakers from the sexuality departments of the Canberra Institute of Technology and Australian National University, the UC student association, Rubber Rose Ranch, Jellybabies (ANU's queer club), Quirk (a gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender publication) and Resistance. The crowd listened appreciatively until a representative from the Catholic church was booed off the platform for describing non-heterosexuality as "inherently evil" and "perverse".

Over the past two years there have been five gay bashings reported on UC. A sexuality department is yet to be established on the campus, making the fight for gay and lesbian rights even harder.

"If the UC administration had any commitment to stopping the hate-bashings and educating students on this issue, it would pay for the employment of a sexuality officer and the establishment of a sexuality department", UC Resistance member Nick Soudakoff explained. "Resistance plans to run in the student association election with this demand as part of our platform", said.

From GLW issue 284