A
Call To Action In
AUSTRALIA'S GAY CAPITAL
by Richard Solash
It is often characterized as one of the
world’s most gay-friendly cities, but Sydney, Australia’s
image has been tarnished in recent months due to a reported
upsurge in the incidence of hate crime. Carl Harris,
coordinator of the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project
(AVP. www.avp.acon.org.au),
says that between November 2007 and mid-January 2008,
the rate of homophobic violence nearly doubled. The
AVP, and its parent organization, The AIDS Council of
New South Wales (ACON. www.acon.org.au),
argue that police indifference is exacerbating the situation.
Increased attention in the Australian
media to gay-targeted hate crime has come in the wake
of the December 3, 2007 attack on Craig Gee and his
partner Shane Brennen, which left the former with a
broken leg and a shattered jaw. According to ACON’s
website, police discouraged the pair from making a statement
and failed to adequately investigate the attack. Gee’s
case, they charge, is one among many recent examples
of police negligence concerning attacks on gays.
The Surry Hills police, who responded
to the attack on Gee, deny any wrongdoing. They cite
alcohol, not homophobia, as the catalyst for the increase
in crime, pointing to a trend that affects all of those
who frequent the Darlinghurst area and especially Oxford
Street, once Sydney’s version of New York’s
Christopher Street. The Sydney Morning Herald recently
described Oxford as “a strip dominated by 24-hour
beer barns,” and the Chamber of Commerce has also
expressed concern at the generally diminishing level
of safety in the area.
ACON insists that gays have been targeted
specifically and that law enforcement has not adequately
responded. "We need the police to ask people, ‘Do
you think this crime is related to your sexuality?’"
urges CEO Stevie Clayton.
Paul Carey, Acting Assistant Commissioner
of the regional police, argues that things are more
complicated: “It can be very difficult for police
officers to ask a victim whether they believe a crime
was motivated by homophobia, or if it is a hate-related
crime, especially if the victim has not voluntarily
stated their sexuality. It is a sensitive topic that
can lead to allegations of police making inappropriate
assumptions about someone’s sexuality.”
ACON is encouraging community members
to express their concerns to the authorities and has
filed a complaint with the state ombudsman against the
Surry Hills police. They have also opened a Safe Place
at 60 Oxford Street where people can seek refuge if
necessary. The center also serves to facilitate the
reporting of gay-targeted crime to better respond to
incidents.
Despite the recent concerns, the city’s
reputation for tolerance has not been broken, maintains
Scott Abrahams of the gay newspaper, The Sydney Star
Observer. In his estimation, Darlinghurst’s GLBT
community has not been made to live in fear. "The
majority of the city’s residents still support
the gay community and will continue to do so. Just stay
alert, take care of your mates, and don’t do anything
silly," he advises.
Marcus Bourget, chairman of Mardi Gras,
agrees: “I think it’s safe to say that the
gay and lesbian community [of Sydney] is one of the
most integrated into mainstream society that I’ve
ever experienced. There are issues that need to be addressed,
but I don’t think that a few homophobic idiots
who cruise around Oxford Street on the weekend should
detract from the hospitality of what is by far the majority
of this city.”
Mazz Image, an Australian artist and
part-time Sydney resident, says that some progress has
already been made in making the neighborhood’s
nightlife safer. “There is now increased communication
between bars and clubs. Managers working in late-night
venues are keeping in touch with each other by walkie-talkie
radio and the communication is monitored by local police.
As soon as there are any disturbances or potential problems
developing, the situation can, and does, get addressed
promptly.”
Image adds that while some of the “Golden
Mile” (Oxford Street) gay establishments have closed,
including The Pop Shop and Mephisto, others have not
been scared away. Aussie Boys, House of Priscilla, and
The Bookshop have all stayed, and Daily Male has even
relocated back to Oxford Street. “Perhaps the media
hype about the recent increase in homophobic attacks
around Sydney is what’s needed to encourage the
return to a stronger commitment to our community.”
At press time, in the weeks leading
up to February’s Mardi Gras, the continent’s
most elaborate gay celebration, a series of peaceful
yet poignant protests were held. Nighttime vigils, rallies,
and community gatherings served to galvanize the GLBT
locals as well as the large numbers of foreign visitors
turning up, as they do each year, to celebrate in Sydney.
[Published:
April, 2008]
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