It is now 50 years since the formation of the first openly gay and lesbian groups in Australia.
Marching down George Street, Sydney (1981); Photo Credit: Robert French
It took a lot of courage for those first women and men to stand up and not only to publicly self identify as homosexual but to then declare that they were neither sick nor sinful and to demand that gay male sexual behaviour no longer be regarded as criminal.
But, who were they? Today, two generations on, many of those brave women and men are all but forgotten. Sydney’s Pride History Group has created this List of Pioneer Names in order to maintain memory of them.
For the most part, the list is based on published sources such journals like CAMP Ink and the Sydney Star as well as the minutes of organisations like CAMP NSW, and on the memories of those who were involved. Some names have been withheld because we believe membership of their organisations remains sensitive.
Do you know a pioneer who should be added to the list? We invite past members of these pioneering organisations who may wish to have their names included, to Contact Us. Conversely, if you wish to have your name removed, please also get in touch. This is not a definitive list but the beginning of an on-going project for the Group.
SYDNEY LGBT PIONEER NAMES PROJECT (1965 - 1990)
Explore our records of LGBT pioneers from Sydney’s past over four key periods.
RECONSTRUCTING THE 1971/72 CAMP INK FRONT COVER
Who were the brave and inspirational pioneers who appeared on the front cover of CAMP Ink in the early 70s?