Graham Willett

The Homosexual Law Reform Society (Canberra, 1969), the Daughters of Bilitis (Melbourne 1970), the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (Sydney 1970) - names that are largely unknown these days. But the movement that they founded spent its first decade in the streets, in the corridors of power, in the schools and the union and churches. Activists published newspapers and flyers and ran radio programs. They graffitied and pasted up posters. They lobbed eggs and lobbied. They danced and kissed in public; produced and wore badges.The Seventies were a decade of struggle for recognition, reform and respect. It was a decade that changed Australian society. When the NSW police attacked the first Mardi Gras in 1978, they were taking on forces that they barely knew existed. This book examines the often-overlooked first decade of lesbian and gay rights activism in Australia, when the foundations for our communities were laid.

In 2022, the Australian Queer Archives published a report commissioned by Heritage Victoria which lists and describes 100 places and objects of most significance to the LGBTIQ+ communities across Victoria. Stretching over nearly 200 years, and located in metropolitan, rural and regional Victoria, the 100 places and objects reveal a remarkably rich heritage which speaks to contemporary queer people but in voices very different to those we are used to. From grand old houses, to lapel badges, from early volumes of sex research, Dockland sheds and artistic productions, the report reveals a heritage about which too little has been known.

Most people have heard of the United States’ infamous ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, yet few know about Australia’s own history of LGBT military service. In Serving in Silence? lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender servicemen and women share their personal stories for the first time. The book explores the emotional stress they experienced hiding their sexuality or gender identity under official bans, as well as the challenges facing those who have served openly in the last 25 years. Tracing the ADF’s transformation to the inclusive organisation it is today, Serving in Silence? also highlights the pivotal role of military service in the lives of many LGBT Australians and how they have served their country with distinction.

In this, the latest in the Gay and Lesbian Perspectives series, researchers explore the rich history of queer Australasia, uncovering photographic records of small-town male intimacy, cases of police entrapment, the mysterious suicide pact of Charles Marks and Edward Feeny, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization's attempts to grapple with "persons with serious character defects," and previously unexamined political and cultural expressions of gay/lesbian/queer activism over the last four decades. The result is an original and important contribution to understanding a history that is all too often shrouded in secrecy. (Series: Gay and Lesbian Perspectives - Vol. 7) *** ..". this book] offers an intelligent and attractive perspective on homosexualities 'down under' that engages the local and the specific. No broad and vague concepts of 'queer', but rather factual and valuable articles that offer something to learn and to think about." -- Australian Historical Studies, 45, 2014 'Intimacy, Violence, and Activism is an excellent book, especially for those seeking to compare Australasian Gay and Lesbian history with that of their own nation. For non-academic readers, this book is a superb start to understanding key aspects of Australasian history of the gay and lesbian movements.' From Committee on LGBT History, Spring 2015 Vol. 28:2/Vol. 29:1 ? ? ? ?