update re kiss in
Oct. 11th, 2005 07:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quiregrrlplease see my email below which i just sent to a bunch of people. i don't know if it means the date will be changed...but just stay tuned
the message has probably been spread to far and wide for the date to be changed now but anyway here are my ideas:
howdy,
my name is annaliese and i only just joined this list to contribute my thoughts on the idea for the kiss-in in response to the homophobia at the courthouse hotel. please forgive me if i repeat things already covered on this list.
it was my email that was forwarded on by michael west that included the suggestion of a kiss-in to counteract the courthouses homophobia.
i would really like this action to happen but i would prefer it to happen with a bit more organisation and clear direction.
i think that having the kiss in at 6:30pm would not achieve any great visibility or awareness in the broader queer community about the homophobia at the courthouse.
strategically i think we need to bring this issue to the attention of the queer media, possibly mainstream media and the patrons of oxford street. i don't think that this will be achieved through kissing in front of the minimal number of early evening drinkers. by bringing this issue to the attention of the media and wider queer community it will put more pressure on the courthouse to be accountable and affect change within their venue to ensure these incidents do not continue to occur.
i also think that further research is required. i have so far spoken to one of the managers of the courthouse and plan on speaking to the licensee to discuss what expectation they have of security staff...and also to find out if any reprimands have already occured. i have spoken with one of the managers and his attitude was very dismissive and patronising (no pun intended.) saying we should not believe everything we read in the papers.
i am also seeking to speak with mitzi and wyness so we have a better understanding of exactly what occurred.
i envision that at the same time as the kiss in we have people (preferably people who don't wish to be a kisser, so as not to waste any lips that are consensual) outside in taylor square and also inside the venue distributing a simple leaflet that explains why we are having the kiss in and in particular why we are trageting the courthouse.
we need to send a message loud and clear, not just to the courthouse, but to every venue and every person in the community that homophobia and especially violence will not be tolerated.
my other concern with the date chosen is that the cricket is on that day and the time scheduled for the kiss in is the time when patrons will be arriving from the cricket after a full day of drinking in the sun. there is obviously a major safety concern in relation to this action due to it being an action about homophobic violence. i want to make clear to anyone participating in this action that they need to be aware that they are putting themselves in a potentially dangerous situation. while, as queers, we face that threat of violence everyday it would be very easy for this particular situation to escalate.
i am not trying to intimidate people into changing the date through fear, rather i want everyone who is there to be there in full awareness of the risks they are taking.
i feel that we need more time to organise this action. for these reasons:
we need to organise:
1. people to be there
2. spreading the word informally to get people there
3. writing and sending media releases
4. creating a leaflet to be distributed
i do believe we need to get this action happening before it is out of the public consciousness though so the sooner the better - but it needs to be a realistic sooner. my suggestion is the following thursday or friday.
my strongest concern is the time chosen. at 6pm we will not have an audience -which is my main aim so as to bring attention to the wider queer community.
my idea was to target not only the venue and patrons of the courthouse but the bouncers and regular oxford street patrons. this would be, in my opinion, better achieved at a later time of the evening.
my plan was also not to inform the media or venue until the night of the action so we would register a genuine response from patrons and staff alike...instead of them just putting on their queer friendly staff for that one night. the media should not be reporting this action until after the event - when we have witnessed that geunine response. this way we would have a real indication of the feleing of the courthouse staff and venue and could continue our campaign and creating a broader awareness of homophobia and it's impacts with each action.
in summary -
i want to change the date of the action to either thursday 20th or friday 21st of october. i want the action to start later...at least 9pm for the kiss in...with the leafletting happening up and down oxford street targetting taylor square from 7:30pm.
annaliese constable
0401 671 339
aconstable@acon.org.au
Annaliese Constable
aconstable@acon.org.au
Youth Development Officer
ACON Sydney
9 Commonwealth Street,
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010
FREECALL: 1800 063 060
Direct Line: 02 9206 2076
Fax: 9206 2069
the message has probably been spread to far and wide for the date to be changed now but anyway here are my ideas:
howdy,
my name is annaliese and i only just joined this list to contribute my thoughts on the idea for the kiss-in in response to the homophobia at the courthouse hotel. please forgive me if i repeat things already covered on this list.
it was my email that was forwarded on by michael west that included the suggestion of a kiss-in to counteract the courthouses homophobia.
i would really like this action to happen but i would prefer it to happen with a bit more organisation and clear direction.
i think that having the kiss in at 6:30pm would not achieve any great visibility or awareness in the broader queer community about the homophobia at the courthouse.
strategically i think we need to bring this issue to the attention of the queer media, possibly mainstream media and the patrons of oxford street. i don't think that this will be achieved through kissing in front of the minimal number of early evening drinkers. by bringing this issue to the attention of the media and wider queer community it will put more pressure on the courthouse to be accountable and affect change within their venue to ensure these incidents do not continue to occur.
i also think that further research is required. i have so far spoken to one of the managers of the courthouse and plan on speaking to the licensee to discuss what expectation they have of security staff...and also to find out if any reprimands have already occured. i have spoken with one of the managers and his attitude was very dismissive and patronising (no pun intended.) saying we should not believe everything we read in the papers.
i am also seeking to speak with mitzi and wyness so we have a better understanding of exactly what occurred.
i envision that at the same time as the kiss in we have people (preferably people who don't wish to be a kisser, so as not to waste any lips that are consensual) outside in taylor square and also inside the venue distributing a simple leaflet that explains why we are having the kiss in and in particular why we are trageting the courthouse.
we need to send a message loud and clear, not just to the courthouse, but to every venue and every person in the community that homophobia and especially violence will not be tolerated.
my other concern with the date chosen is that the cricket is on that day and the time scheduled for the kiss in is the time when patrons will be arriving from the cricket after a full day of drinking in the sun. there is obviously a major safety concern in relation to this action due to it being an action about homophobic violence. i want to make clear to anyone participating in this action that they need to be aware that they are putting themselves in a potentially dangerous situation. while, as queers, we face that threat of violence everyday it would be very easy for this particular situation to escalate.
i am not trying to intimidate people into changing the date through fear, rather i want everyone who is there to be there in full awareness of the risks they are taking.
i feel that we need more time to organise this action. for these reasons:
we need to organise:
1. people to be there
2. spreading the word informally to get people there
3. writing and sending media releases
4. creating a leaflet to be distributed
i do believe we need to get this action happening before it is out of the public consciousness though so the sooner the better - but it needs to be a realistic sooner. my suggestion is the following thursday or friday.
my strongest concern is the time chosen. at 6pm we will not have an audience -which is my main aim so as to bring attention to the wider queer community.
my idea was to target not only the venue and patrons of the courthouse but the bouncers and regular oxford street patrons. this would be, in my opinion, better achieved at a later time of the evening.
my plan was also not to inform the media or venue until the night of the action so we would register a genuine response from patrons and staff alike...instead of them just putting on their queer friendly staff for that one night. the media should not be reporting this action until after the event - when we have witnessed that geunine response. this way we would have a real indication of the feleing of the courthouse staff and venue and could continue our campaign and creating a broader awareness of homophobia and it's impacts with each action.
in summary -
i want to change the date of the action to either thursday 20th or friday 21st of october. i want the action to start later...at least 9pm for the kiss in...with the leafletting happening up and down oxford street targetting taylor square from 7:30pm.
annaliese constable
0401 671 339
aconstable@acon.org.au
Annaliese Constable
aconstable@acon.org.au
Youth Development Officer
ACON Sydney
9 Commonwealth Street,
Surry Hills, NSW, 2010
FREECALL: 1800 063 060
Direct Line: 02 9206 2076
Fax: 9206 2069
