Last Monday night, as I filed this column, I joined the rest of the LGBT community in sitting on the couch watching ABC 24 and waiting with baited breath to see if Malcolm Turnbull’s coup would be successful, or if Tony Abbott would limp on as Prime Minister.
Like most of us, I couldn’t help but relish the schadenfreude of the #libspill.
Firstly, there was the idea that Abbott’s chaotic approach to marriage equality – first promising to consider a cross bench bill and then sabotaging a partyroom debate by inviting Nationals MPs to join the Liberal partyroom, and after dismissing the idea of a plebiscite then announcing the only way forward was to put the matter to a vote – might have been the catalyst for his downfall.
Secondly, there was the irony that Abbott’s Prime Ministership would be one of the briefest and most ineffective in Australian political history. After constantly attacking Labor for its fickleness which switching leaders, the Liberals in the end proved just as willing to knife a sitting first term Prime Minister, and in the end Abbott was Prime Minister for just under two years – less than Julia Gillard whose legitimacy and integrity he constantly attacked. His government passed the few pieces of legislation of any since 1971.
Finally, there was the idea that his successor Malcolm Turnbull is by all accounts a man who ideologically is diametrically opposed to Abbott. Along with having previously support carbon pricing and being a Republican, Turnbull is also well known to support same sex marriage, which is unsurprising considering the former millionaire banker holds the electorate of Wentworth in Sydney – which takes in the original gaybourhood of Oxford St.
Of course, to become leader, Turnbull has had to sign agreements with the conservatives within his party pledging not to backflip of the Coalition’s existing policy so we might still have to wait till after the next election before we see the issue of marriage equality put to a vote – either in Parliament or at the polls.
After that though, all bets – and gloves – are off.
CLOSET, Thursgay and Snatch & Grab are back with Yass Qween which returns on the Grand Final Eve public holiday Friday October 2 for another monster party. Moving to the bigger, better venue of Brown Alley from 10pm till sunrise, Yass Qween will pack out three rooms with more than 20 DJs and performers and eight hours of house, disco, hip hop and techno. Among the huge bill are The Operatives (the DJ collective behind Espionage and Let Them Eat Cake), the band GL performing a DJ set, Waxo Paradiso’s Simon TK along with Salvador Darling, Mafia, Mimi, JLAW, Brooke Powers, Ruby Slippers, Cunningpants, Leather Locklear, Sloppy Spice, Luke Agius, Jennifer Loveless, Renee Delay. Presale tickets are on sale now. Early birds have already sold out. First release are selling fast at $20+bf. Visit facebook.com/yassqween for full details.
