Living Out Loud: A History of Gay and Lesbian Activism in Australia

by Graham Willett

From law reform to the Lesbian Sex Wars, from Young Gays to Grey Gays, via demos, drag and dancing, for 40 years, Australian lesbians, gay men and their friends have struggled to change the way homosexuals are treated and thought about in Australian society. And they have been remarkably successful. Laws dating back to the times of King Henry VIII, once enforced with the lash and the noose and endorsed by the mass of right-thinking citizens, have been repealed in all states and territories. After the breakthrough in South Australia in 1972, efforts to remove unjust laws only ended with the victory in Tasmania 25 years later. But even before that was achieved, demands for full legal equality had moved onto the public agenda and seem now to be within grasp.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, Australia, History, Gay

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2000

Reviews

[Kaykay]

Really interesting book! As the title suggests, it focusses on activism and activist groups more than other popular culture changes or events, and also specifically on gay and lesbian work rather than queer movements, as the discussion in the final chapter notes.

I used it as part of a unit plan for discussing Queer History in Australia, and while I found it to be a good starting point, the activism focus needs to be supplemented by other sources, especially considering what would be most engaging for a high school audience.