Doug PollardFRESHLY DOUG THURSDAY FEBRUARY 18
Gay travel writer Michael Luongo
This week: bagging Mardi Gras (aka shooting fish in a barrel), equal love Ballarat, queer life in the Arab world, gay at the Winter Olympics, and the Green Room awards.
NEW MARDI GRAS
Last week we looked back at Pride. This week we look forward to Mardi Gras, and something of a storm that appears to be developing around the event.
They've also upset 78ers, animal rights queers, community groups by charging for Fair Day and Parade entries, local genderqueers by importing Amanda LePore as chef de parade when there are many eminently suitable locals, not to mention practically everyone by staging the Parade and the Party a week apart.
But we will talk to only one of the people put out by only one of their decisions, Rodney Croome, from Tasmanian Gay & Lesbian Rights.
SEND ME YOUR MARDI GRAS GRIPES
If you're ticked off with New Mardi Gras - or ecstatically happy - let me know now at freshlydoug@joy.org.au. Personally, I think it's degenerated into little more than a freak show for the straights and an opportunity for some corporates to pretend to be liberal-minded. Do you agree?
Or SMS 0427 JOY 949 / 0427 569 949, email ONAIR@JOY.ORG.AU , twitter @freshlydoug during the show
We asked New Mardi Gras if they’d talk to us but they failed to put up anyone by the deadline.
BALLARAT EQUAL LOVE
A rather more successful, and welcome march took place in Ballarat on Valentines Day. More than 200 people, mostly young, marched for equal marriage. Koby Drake is one of the organisers.
GAY LIFE IN THE MUSLIM WORLD
You won’t find many people marching for gay rights in Arab countries, but there is gay life there, if you know where to look. Author Michael Luongo did, and he’s written a book about it. “Gay Travels in the Muslim World,” a collection of gay men’s non-fiction stories recently translated into Arabic.
CLEAN MR MCCLEAN
As always between 10 and 11 I spend an hour with someone special. Today we talk to gay businessman and entrepreneur, and former member of the 3 Dimensions, Joe McClean. He joins us at 10.
THE REGULARS - MELBOURNE, SYDNEY, VANCOUVER
Andrew Potts from Sydney Star Observer and Southern Star tells us all about the gay house at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, and Cate the Green Renter is also in Sydney at a green renters conference, while Will Conyers has his faves in the Green Room awards here in Melbourne.
SMS 0427 JOY 949 / 0427 569 949, email ONAIR@JOY.ORG.AU or twitter @freshlydoug.
