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Freed from the thrall of theocrats
Is Australia ready to see Anthony Callea kiss another man?
I have two different interests in the outing of Anthony Callea by radio announcer, Vic Lorusso.
The first I can’t talk about, at least not here now. All will be revealed if I can be bothered writing some Rupert Everett-style memoir, and if anyone else can be bothered reading it.
The second is the changing nature of outing.
According to a spokesperson for Lorusso’s station,
"Vic had no idea that it (Callea’s homosexuality) wasn't common knowledge."
It seems the more comfortable mainstream Australia grows with LGBT people, the less sensitive it is to the need for closets and the less heed it pays them.
As a result, entirely through inadvertency, the likelihood of outing is increased.
This is the opposite of what many LGBT people living 20 years ago would have expected.
Back then the hope was that improving attitudes to sexual diversity would make outing ever less likely by 1. reducing the number of closeted LGBT people and 2. reducing the number of straight people who out others from malice, for revenge or because of prejudice.
This two dimensional view of social progress may still accurately predict where outing in Australia will end up.
But the route we take to get there is proving far more complex (and interesting).
Exactly how complex, will be determined by the response to the news about Callea.
He is an extremely popular performer in the same mature female demographic Liberace went to extraordinary lengths to keep the truth from (although Callea is popular for different reasons).
He’s also making a strong bid for a younger female audience.
Will these groups reject him? Will he ever again be asked to perform at both Carols by Candlelight and the New Year’s Eve concert?
If Callea’s outing isn’t successfully smothered by his publicists first, and if it's true that he's in a same-sex relationship, there’s one sure way he can preserve his image and sales.
Unveil his boyfriend and their shared love for the whole nation to see.
As was so clearly demonstrated by the raptuous reception given to former Big Brother housemate David Graham and his then-boyfriend, Sherif, if straight Australia can’t have handsome, likeable straight guys to idolise, it’s happy to settle for handsome, likeable gay guys in love.
Is Australia ready to see Anthony Callea kiss another man?
I believe it is.
***
In other news,
Tim Wilson from Australia’s leading conservative think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs, argues that granting same-sex couples entitlements in key areas of federal law is a moderate reform that conservatives can support, unlike say the public recognition of same-sex relationships through marriage.
He also outlines why, by reaching out to gay Liberals and centre right moderates, it is a smart political move for the Federal Government in an election year.
It’s good to see conservative thinkers putting forward a case for a long overdue reform and liberating debate on reform from the clutches of those who say “no” to everything.
I’m disappointed that Wilson didn’t go deeper into the conservative fiscal and social arguments for change: the points about welfare dependence, wealth creation and social cohesion I made in the IPA journal last year.
But what matters now is that discrimination against same-sex couples is being seriously debated in conservative circles for the first time in a decade.
If this ground-breaking debate leads to reform it will not only be same-sex couples who benefit.
It will be a Liberal Party freed from the thrall of theocrats.
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Comments
"The first I can’t talk about, at least not here now. All will be revealed if I can be bothered writing some Rupert Everett-style memoir..."
Subtle ;-)
Rodney,
Thanks. I take your comments re my article, but it is hard to squeeze too much in 700 words.
Plus, that was your article, I was trying to make an alternate point - that reforms in favour of recognising same-sex relationships is a conservative position.
The arguments on economic and social benefits are also sound. As you are probably aware there were good articles on this in The Economist on two seperate occassions.
Still thanks for commenting on my article.
Tim, Sorry if my comments seemed ungracious. I guess I feel that conservatives need to hear compelling specifically-conservative arguments for reform. I'm talking about more than just "it doesn't have to scare the horses". It's the best way I see for the grip of religious ideologues to be weakened on this issue. Perhaps I'm over-estimating the influence of these ideologues? Perhaps I'm under-estimating the power of basic ideas like fairness? But I've seen too much hatred in Tas and beyond to take anything for granted.
Re: Will Callea ever again be asked to perform at both Carols by Candlelight and the New Year’s Eve concert??
Don't know about NYE... but Vision Australia *has* invited him to perform again this year, in fact they've gone one better and asked him to be the official 'Ambassador' for the 2007 carols.
Bravo Anthony and Vision Australia!
Sorry. I guess I feel that conservatives need to hear compelling specifically-conservative arguments for reform.
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