Sydney queer culture has been steadily eroded into a towering, homogenised dullness over the last decade.
The process has gained considerable momentum over the last two years and I could sit here and whine about the lockout laws being the death knell, but that would be far too convenient.
And inaccurate.
Sydney seems to be suffering from a violent ebb of ideas and community growth. I feel like it’s got a lot to do with poor community leadership more than any government or venue restrictions.
Considering how the lockout laws have so utterly captured the atrophied imaginations of countless swathes of hipster idiots, it’s devastating to slowly come to realise the tiny scope through which they, and our community leaders, view the city. They see Sydney and place a beating heart in the centre of it, forgetting the other parts, the vitals, the extremities. Ignoring it all while glumly staring at what used to be a great, thriving queer community and wringing their hands.
This mourning is driven by an understandable nostalgia. By all means, be wistful, but don’t be a mastubatory twat who contributes nothing by stymieing all possibilities of rebirth for the sake of your precious memories. Your yearning for great things past shouldn’t be obstructing great things future.
Just because Oxford Street has withered and died doesn’t mean it needs to drag the rest of us down with it. There is no point trying to revive something that had been steadily declining in quality and choice for the last decade, eroded by politics, poor planning and straight immigration.
What about Parramatta? What about the west? Have we become so myopic in our view of gay culture that we’ve collectively decided it can only exist on one or two streets?
Some of our community leaders, who I believe like to think of themselves more as monarchs than public servants, have allowed this to happen because of their greed and short-sightedness. Instead of bickering over the pathetically small piece of power they own, like a pack of deranged seagulls shredding a box of soggy chips, perhaps it’s worth considering that Oxford Street is not the be-all and end-all of queer community hubs, despite its history.
Neither is Newtown, for that matter. In fact, nowhere is, which means we’re lucky enough to be able to build anywhere, and I feel the west is largely ignored for a whole host of bullshit reasons.
Two of the biggest objections to catalysing community growth in Parramatta are both so devoid of logical thinking I can’t believe they’re wielded as a serious argument against this expansion.
Objection 1: “Parramatta is too far away.” Well there you are, congratulations on proving yourself to be the centre of the universe. Too far for whom, precisely? Do you think queers don’t live in the west? Do you think you’re better than them, that you’d deign to visit them and improve their lives, like some kind of righteous emissary?
Objection 2: “The ethnic groups and different cultures there will make it difficult to establish a safe space.” I don’t even know how to begin to address this unbelievably insipid, entitled and idiotic declaration. There is a world outside of yourself – perhaps were you to remove your head from your arse, you might actually see it.
Queer culture should exist across the city, not originate from some magical, ordained point in the middle of Oxford Street. Stop treating that street like the canal that birthed all of queer culture – that shit has been barren for ages.
Let’s start looking out instead of in.
This Week:
On Wednesday October 26, throw on your neons because Birdcage is throwing a black light UV rave at Slyfox in Enmore. Performers/DJs include Mowgli May, Nicholas Birdcage, Bassline Becstar, Shiho Sparkle Hooper and more to be announced. Free entry.
On Friday October 28, All Outpresents Halloqween at Slyfox. The fabulous Max Black is offering a “monster prize” for the scariest outfit. DJs are James Tobin, CKDJ [below], Astrix Little and DJ Tiny. Drag King Snea Kers will also be performing. Tickets are on sale now.
On Saturday October 29, head on down to The Shift Club for Undead. Undead is a fundraiser for Unharm, a grassroots organisation campaigning for safe, positive and ethical drug use. It’ll be a party for politics, fun, sexy demons and killer dress-ups. The DJs are Ben Drayton, Steve Sonius, Gemma and HipHopHoe.Performers include Glitta Supernova, Willow Darling and Matt Stegh.
