In a few weeks, two and a half hours in Washington D.C. may decide arguably the greatest civil rights struggle of our time. In late April, proponents and opponents of same sex marriage are gearing up for the Supreme Court to hear four separate cases from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee appealing against a Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision which upheld bans in those states on same sex marriage.
Last year, the Supreme Court stopped short of extending marriage equality to all US states but nonetheless struck down the Defence of Marriage Age, a 1996 federal law passed under the Clinton Administration which refused state sanctioned same sex marriages from being recognised under federal law – a particularly mean spirited piece of legislation that among other things denied the spouses of US army veterans access to their pensions and forced Edith Windsor, a 83-year-old New York widow to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in estate taxes after the death of her wife which she wouldn’t have been charged if she had been married to a man.
Since the historic Windsor decision, same sex couples can now marry in 36 states out of 50. Gay and lesbian Americans can even get married in Alabama, despite attempts by a particularly bigoted state Chief Justice to stop judges from issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples – in violation of a federal court ruling.
On the one hand, this is a momentous sign of how far we have come in such a short time. I remember when I came out less than a decade ago, the idea of same sex marriage seemed radical – like legalised marijuana – something that would only ever happen as a strange social experiment in countries like the Netherlands. Now, you can get married just about everywhere – New Zealand, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Spain, South Africa, even in strongly religious countries like Mexico and Argentina, and even on Australian soil if you happen to be marrying a Brit at the British consulate.
On the other hand, I can help but think how depressing it is to think same sex couples in Alabama can marry but LGBT couples in Australia still can’t. As well as continuing to deny same sex couples marriage equality, we also force transgender people who are legally married to heterosexual spouses to get divorced in order to have their chosen gender legally recognised. How fucked up is that?
Thankfully, there are still signs of progress. Last Sunday, the AFL hosted its first ever pride match, at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval. The preseason Pride match – sponsored by NAB as part of the NAB Challenge Cup –between the Sydney Swans and Fremantle Dockers saw the 50 arc, the goal post pads and the goal umpire flags decorated in rainbow colours. It was the first time the AFL has held an officially sanctioned football game commemorating gay pride, after openly gay VFL player and campaigner Jason Ball helped organise his own Pride match between his club Yarra Glen and Yarra Junction last year. For those who care, the Swans beat the Dockers by 39 points.
This Thursday, Melbourne Queer Film Festival kicks off with its opening night screening, and of course the opening night after party. Unlike most film festivals, where film buffs, critics and filmmakers sit around nursing a glass of cheap wine and arguing about the merits of the latest Hal Hartley film, MQFF’s opening and closing nights are punctuated by after parties where you literally walk out of the cinema and into the dance floor where a dj is usually spinning Whitney Houston and George Michael. In between there’s also over 160 films to see from all over the world. The largest queer film festival in Australia, and the second largest film festival of any kind in Melbourne, MQFF this year celebrates a momentous occasion, its 25th anniversary. Sadly, after a staggering 16 years, the festival also bids farewell to its legendary festival director Lisa Daniel. For the full program and to snap up tickets, visit mqff.com.au.
This Saturday, Trough X returns to Collingwood’s sex-on-premises venue Club 80 for a men’s-only night which promises dancing, debauchery and plenty of dark corners and clothing optional antics that is the closest thing to the Berghain you’ll find. DJs Stereogamous (aka Paul Mac and Johnny Seymour) will be on the decks with Gavin Campbell, DJ Kiti and That Fahri Guy.
Years back when the original Trough Faggot Party first began, they were held in the sweaty dungeon below Inflation Nightclub in a laneway next to Bar 20 so the hipsters and the bears would sit around smoking cigarettes with the strippers and passing around amyl. According to those who frequent Trough X, not much has changed except geography. For details and presale tickets, visit troughx.com.
Sydney gay party promoters In The Dark are back with their almost-monthly gay and lesbian R&B and hip hop night Swagger. Next Saturday March 27, Swagger returns for a homage to ’90s at the Bottom End. While the Djs have yet to be announced, I can only assume from the party photos this will basically involve kids born in the ’90s twerking and lip-syncing all the words to Salt N Pepa’s Schoop and TLC’s No Scrubs. And there’s nothing wrong with that. For details visit facebook.com/swaggerparty.
