Gay men on WA council

Wednesday, May 31, 1995 - 10:00

Gay men on WA council

By Leon Harrison

PERTH — In a postal vote which concluded on May 6, two openly gay candidates have been elected onto the Vincent Town Council in WA.

Gay activist Brian Grieg, representing Mt Hawthorn, received the second highest number of primary votes in his ward (1099) to win a four-year term. John Hyde, a theatre director who stood in North Perth ward, polled 500 primary votes and came third to win a two-year term.

According to Grieg, he was not elected specifically by a gay vote. "Some of my strongest support came from senior citizens who were keen to see some younger people on the council", he said.

Grieg added that changing social attitudes towards gay men and lesbians, and the benefits to the gay community of seeing public figures who were out about their sexuality, were more significant than the level of the gay vote.

From GLW issue 189