GAY SOLIDARITY CIRCULAR NUMBER 7d

Formerly Gay Solidarity Group (Established in 1978) PO Box 1675
Preston South Vic 3072
Australia
e-mail: josken_at_josken_net

LGS HOME PAGES: http://www.josken.net

ISSN 1446-4896

CIRCULAR NUMBER 4 - 4 SEPTEMBER 1986
GAY SOLIDARITY GROUP

THE RECENT ATTACK ON THE ALBION STREET AIDS BUS, ITS WORKERS, AND THE STREET BOYS IN DARLINGHURST ROAD, IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE RECENT INCREASE IN ANTI-GAY VIOLENCE. THE BASHERS ARE OUT FOR BLOOD — OUR BLOOD —AND WILL ONLY BE STOPPED BY FIRM, UNITED ACTION ON OUR PART. ANY STRATEGY WE DEVELOP TO END THESE BASHINGS SHOULD AIM FIRST TO PREVENT THEM FROM TAKING PLACE, RATHER THAN SIMPLY CLEANING UP THE MESS AFTERWARDS. THIS MEANS COUNTERACTING ANTI - GAY ATTITUDES IN OUR COMMUNITY GENERALLY, AND ANTI-AIDS HYSTERIA IN PARTICULAR. WE SHOULD AIM TO LOOK AT OURSELVES. AT PRESENT, LESBIANS AND GAY MEN LIVE IN A STATE OF FEAR.

WE NEED TO REGAIN OUR CONFIDENCE —SELF CONFIDENCE AND CONFIDENCE IN KNOWING WHAT OUR RIGHTS ARE.

YET WHAT CAN WE DO?

RELIANCE ON THE WORK OF THE POLICE GAY LIAISON GROUP IS A SELF-.DEFEATING STRATEGY. THE POLICE HAVE OFTEN THEMSELVES BEEN THE PERPETRATORS OF ANTI-GAY HARASSMENT ON THE BEATS. ALONG DARLINGHURST ROAD THE POLICE ARE DEFINITELY NOT THE FIRST PEOPLE TO TURN TO IN TIMES OF TROUBLE. IN MANY CASES THE POLICE WILL SEARCH THEIR RECORDS AND PULL OUT A WARRANT. AT BEST THE POLICE WILL PLEAD INABILITY TO FOLLOW UP ON POOFTER-BASHERS. THE WORK OF THE POLICE GAY LIAISON GROUP CAN ONLY BE A SECONDARY STRATEGY IN THE DEFENCE OF OUR RIGHTS.

WHAT WE NEED IS A STRATEGY THAT GIVES US —LESBIANS AND GAY MEN— POWER: ONE THAT PLACES NO RELIANCE ON OUTSIDE GROUPS AND ORGANISATIONS. ANY ORGANISATIONS THAT WE DEVELOP NEED TO BE ABOUT SELF-CONFIDENCE AND SELF-DEFENCE. AND IT HAS TO BE ORGANISED ON THE WIDEST POSSIBLE BASIS. THIS IS NOT ABOUT FACTIONS OR POLITICAL POINT SCORING. IT IS ABOUT LESBIANS AND GAY MEN GETTING TOGETHER AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SUCCESSFUL ANTI-VIOLENCE ORGANISATION.

WHAT IS NEEDED?

1. A NEW 'BUST CARD' THAT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND, WITH SELF DEFENCE HINTS AND POINTS ON THE BODY THAT MAY BE VULNERABLE AND WHERE SOMEBODY BEING ATTACKED MAY HAVE AN IMPACT.
2. POSTERS AND PAMPHLETS IN SAUNAS, BARS AND DISCOS WHICH HAVE SELF DEFENCE INFORMATION AND HINTS SUCH AS NOT LEAVING BARS ALONE.
3. ESTABLISHMENT . OF A VIOLENCE MONITORING GROUP TO KEEP TABS ON THE LEVEL OF VIOLENCE, AND TO HELP PEOPLE COPE WITH THE LEGAL SYSTEM. THIS INVOLVES A LOT OF ORGANISATION AND SKILLS THAT WE MAY HAVE TO LEARN, BUT IT IS ONE WAY OF TAKING THEM ON.
po box 380 broadway nsw australia 2007

LESBIAN & GAY SOLIDARITY PAGE

CURRENT NEWSLETTER AND ARCHIVE OF PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS

Mannie & Kendall Present: LESBIAN AND GAY SOLIDARITY ACTIVISMS

Mannie has a personal web site: RED JOS: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM

Mannie's blogs may be accessed by clicking on to the following links:

MannieBlog (from 1 August 2003 to 31 December 2005)

Activist Kicks Backs - Blognow archive re-housed - 2005-2009

RED JOS BLOGSPOT (from January 2009 onwards)

This page updated 18 SEPTEMBER 2014 and again on 26 APRIL 2017

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