Title
"Gay People to Fight for Radical Change of Society"
Description
Newspaper article on NHC published in Communist newspaper Tribune.
Source
Tribune (Sydney, NSW)
Publisher
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/236920536?browse=ndp%3Abrowse%2Ftitle%2FT%2Ftitle%2F1002%2F1975%2F08%2F26%2Fpage%2F25601705%2Farticle%2F236920536
Date
26 Aug., 1975
Format
[Text in Image]
GAY PEOPLE TO FIGHT FOR RADICAL CHANGE OF SOCIETY
MELBOURNE: The National Homosexual Conference held at Melbourne University on August 16 and 17 exposed sexism in the Gay Liberation Movement, and mobilised gay men and women to fight for radical change in Australian society.
Papers presented at the conference argued that liberation of homosexual men and women will not be achieved through law reform of the repeal of discriminator laws. The oppression of homosexuals springs from a male-dominated, repressive, conformist society which forces men and women in to rigid sex roles.
Socialists delegates stressed the need to form alliances with those groups working to overthrow the capitalist system which as a vested interest in subjugating women and which profits from the consumer-orientated nuclear family.
The direct material support to NSW Gay Lib. by the then progressive leadership and rank and file BLs was given as an example of why homosexual women and men should support progressive forces seeking social change.
Women at the conference decided to form a separate lesbian movement - apart from Gay Liberation and the Campaign Against Moral Persecution. The women see this as a positive move - providing women with a place to work for their own liberation - rather than as splitting the homosexual movement as a whole. Women who wish to continue to work with men can, of course, do so. In other workshops: The Coming Out group stressed the need for gay workers to be active members of their unions, and seek support form them against job discrimination; the Homosexuals and the Left group elected state convenors who would organise further local meetings to provide opportunities for dialogue and political action.
The conference, which was attended by about 600 men and women decided that there would be a national mobilisation of homosexuals on May 10, 1976, to commemorate the death of Dr. Duncan. Resolutions included a demand that Federal and State governments declare their opposition to all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation, acknowledgement of the rights of lesbian mothers and homosexual father to bring up their children without interference from the state; that homosexual groups be allowed to adopt children; that in view of the extreme persecution of homosexuals in Chile by the military junta, homosexual men and women should participate in protests on September 11, and support for homosexual men and women in Mexico.
GAY PEOPLE TO FIGHT FOR RADICAL CHANGE OF SOCIETY
MELBOURNE: The National Homosexual Conference held at Melbourne University on August 16 and 17 exposed sexism in the Gay Liberation Movement, and mobilised gay men and women to fight for radical change in Australian society.
Papers presented at the conference argued that liberation of homosexual men and women will not be achieved through law reform of the repeal of discriminator laws. The oppression of homosexuals springs from a male-dominated, repressive, conformist society which forces men and women in to rigid sex roles.
Socialists delegates stressed the need to form alliances with those groups working to overthrow the capitalist system which as a vested interest in subjugating women and which profits from the consumer-orientated nuclear family.
The direct material support to NSW Gay Lib. by the then progressive leadership and rank and file BLs was given as an example of why homosexual women and men should support progressive forces seeking social change.
Women at the conference decided to form a separate lesbian movement - apart from Gay Liberation and the Campaign Against Moral Persecution. The women see this as a positive move - providing women with a place to work for their own liberation - rather than as splitting the homosexual movement as a whole. Women who wish to continue to work with men can, of course, do so. In other workshops: The Coming Out group stressed the need for gay workers to be active members of their unions, and seek support form them against job discrimination; the Homosexuals and the Left group elected state convenors who would organise further local meetings to provide opportunities for dialogue and political action.
The conference, which was attended by about 600 men and women decided that there would be a national mobilisation of homosexuals on May 10, 1976, to commemorate the death of Dr. Duncan. Resolutions included a demand that Federal and State governments declare their opposition to all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation, acknowledgement of the rights of lesbian mothers and homosexual father to bring up their children without interference from the state; that homosexual groups be allowed to adopt children; that in view of the extreme persecution of homosexuals in Chile by the military junta, homosexual men and women should participate in protests on September 11, and support for homosexual men and women in Mexico.
Language
English