Over the past 40 years, there have been some momentous victories for Australia’s LGBTIQ+ community. We've seen the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the allowing of same-sex couples to adopt, and recently the legalisation of marriage equality.
While these milestones are celebrated, there is still work ahead. Those who were there for the first Mardi Gras in 1978 – Peter de Waal, Titi Chartay, Steve Warren, and Kate Rowe, who are part of the 78ers - recently gave SBS Sexuality their best advice for the next 40 years.
What are the greatest things you’ve learnt over the past 40 years?
PETER
It is important to remain active because change need to happen, but also to maintain the changes that have happened.
TITI
The importance of working in coalition with other groups and organisations; you have to work with other like-minded people to get things done.
STEVE
The great things of the past four decades have been that standing up and participating in the community can actually change things and give a positive outcome. It’s worth every effort to stand up, be counted, and express your views.
KATE
One has to keep an open mind, that’s what I’ve learnt. As the society changes, the politics change. Like the AIDs crisis changed the way we did things, gay marriage will change things and the kinds of people that get involved.
Kate Rowe at the marriage equality yes vote Source: Supplied
How do we maintain our strength as a community?
PETER
Working together is one of the most important things. To have a similar minded group, and talk about issues. Get your strength from that.
TITI
This is about people contributing. If you can’t contribute your time and energy then contribute money, which is always an ongoing thing in terms of maintaining presence, whether it be maintaining websites, or the practical costs of organising things.
STEVE
Have conversations with family and friends and participate in community forums. If you have the opportunity, speak out, write letters to the editors, write to MPs or meet with them. All those conversations are really valuable.
KATE
In order to maintain strength, we have to continue to keep an open mind. What marriage equality showed was that in order to stay strong you have to be flexible and lateral enough to work together with people that you ordinarily wouldn’t in order to maintain that strength.
Peter De Waal (centre) at the marriage equality yes vote Source: Supplied
Now that we have marriage equality, what are other things we should be focusing on?
PETER
In the Western suburbs of Sydney there is a huge pocket of young people who are still very oppressed. One way of helping is to work closely with that group. Organise conferences or workshops in the area and get other organisations to reach out.
TITI
Providing a safe space for young people is critically important. We need to keep an eye out and support them so they can make their own choices of who they are and who they want to be. One of the important things was older people being mentors to me, so we need to be mentors to young people.
STEVE
There are still issues for our trans community, we need to make sure those prejudices are overcome. We need to stand up and promote their needs and acknowledge that they are a part of our community and they should not be treated less than any other person in society.
KATE
Drugs and alcohol are still a major problem in our community. People go to bars, take drugs and drink because that’s how they meet people and the damages aren’t really being addressed. I think within our broader community, we need more education not only with young people but older people too.
Steve Warren Source: Supplied
How do we remain resilient and stay positive?
PETER
Have comrades who are fighting for the same issues and have a close friendship with them. Reflect on where we have come from. Remember those hard times and look at how we dealt with them.
TITI
I am a great believer in maintaining a sense of humour. The right-wing bigots can be very absurd in what they say. One of the great ways of deflating them is to make fun, but also still take what they do very seriously as well. That’s what satire does, it pricks the bubble of pompous people running around spreading their ignorance.
STEVE
Link with your family and friends and make sure you have that support. Remember you are an important person – always keep that in mind.
KATE
Look at the past 40 years, see the struggles and how they’ve changed. It is because of those struggles that we’ve got what we’ve got today.
Titi Chartay Source: Supplied
If you could give one last piece of advice to the community what would it be?
PETER
Stay proud, stay strong, and don’t forget that very little has been gained by just sitting around. You need to be involved and play your part. Learn more about our history, I think it can tell us an awful lot.
TITI
It is by respecting our diversity and working together that we remain strong. I am a great believer in Emma Goldman’s quote “if I can’t dance, I don’t want to be a part of your revolution”.
STEVE
Celebrate who we are and support each other. Find ways to work together as a community and acknowledge that we do have diverse views and sexualities, and be more accepting and tolerant, even within our own community.
KATE
What I found in waiting for the marriage equality result was young people being themselves. There was no shame and they had their straight friends supporting them. I thought, that’s what 40 years of protest did. I feel proud that I was a part of that, but I don’t want it to get hagiographic, like somehow were gods, because we’re not. We were just people who had a rough time, stayed and kept fighting. I’m chuffed that people can reap those benefits. You’ll find that if you carry on then in 40 years people can reap the benefits of your hard work. That’s what passing it forward is about.
Follow the conversation on SBS Australia social #MardiGras2021 #WeRiseFor and via
The 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras live Saturday 6 March 6pm AEDT on SBS On Demand, or catch the full parade at 7:30pm on SBS and NITV.
