Gaystralia

Welcome to the land down under! 

It’s difficult to decide where to begin when talking about Australia. Of course there’s that quintessential image most of us have: A cowboy pulling up to a bar in the middle of the Outback - kangaroos hopping about and koalas in the trees - to dart inside for a quick Foster’s, which is Australia for beer (or so we’re told). In our image, however, that Cowboy is actually gay, meets you inside, and offers to “give you a ride” to the next town. You then hop into his big truck and drive off into the sunset. 

Well, I’m here to tell you that Australia is EXACTLY like that. Just kidding. 

While the Outback does stretch into infinity and there are places in “Oz” where it’s possible to see the curvature of the Earth because the land is so barren and so flat, the people are quite like Californians, the food is quite like what we eat at home, and - miraculously - not everyone lives “in the bush.” 

The cities - Sydney and Melbourne - are world-class, the beaches are otherworldly, the people are lovely, and the gay scene is one of the most vibrant in the World. Indeed, Gaystralia is all too fitting of a name. While gay marriage is not legal, civil unions are and gay couples enjoy every right and responsibility of heterosexual couples. The pace of change is rapid. Gay adoption bills and the “move toward marriage” is apparent and gay-related crimes are all but nonexistent. This from a nation that has a very rough record of dealing with minorities - particularly aboriginals. 

Sydney’s Mardi Gras, which rocks the city for weeks, draws gays and lesbians the world over and is arguably the largest gay pride celebration in the World. The city’s famed “gayborhood, “ which lines Oxford street, is abuzz seven nights a week. The drag queens are literally the greatest in the World; their almost nightly shows at venues like Stonewall and Arq draw hundreds of revelers who bask in such wonderment as “Going Gaga,” a 30-minute review of the reigning Queen of Pop. 

Having just settled into Australia (Sydney’s Oxford Street, even), this marks the first of a series of entries about all things “Gaystralia,” so watch this space. It’s gonna be great.