Pride Line vox pops, file 2

Prideline_2023-03-06_1817.mp3

00:00:34.596

Hi, I am a straight, white middle aged woman and I have marched in the Mardi Gras parade twice. And I'm very proud to support my LGBTQIA+ friends and colleagues. And there's just a lot of to be proud about being yourself. That's all. Thank you.

Prideline_2023-03-07_1215.mp3

00:01:13.512

Hello. Um, I came out as bisexual 3 years ago. I found it, well, I didn't find that out early. I found that out, like, a couple of videos I saw on YouTube and talking about it because, because like, I knew I was a little bit, like, a little bit , you know. Not influence but had a fancy to girls and I didn't know, like why, or how that can be possible in that, like, I've learned all my life that you could be gay or not gay. So like I knew I was definitely not. but I still had a thing, like a feeling towards men. So, yeah.

So, there's many YouTube talking about being bisexual and I finally, like, understood who I was through other people's stories and experiences, and I came out to my friends. So that's my story. Alright, bye.

Prideline_2023-03-07_1631.mp3

00:01:48.612

My name is Hassan. I'm 38 years old. I'm a Palestinian Australian. I came out in 2000 and I think 2000 initially, and then later to my family. And I've been involved in campaigns across the time. For equal age of consent in 2003, equal recognition of parenting in 2008, equal recognition of same sex relationships and federal law in 2008, marriage equality in 2017, and I now work at Equality Australia.

One of my memories of how much things have changed is the sign above Victoria Rd in Sydney at around Gladesville used to have a sign that said Rd closures Mardi Gras parade. And I remember driving into town and that was one of the few signs of visibility that was available during, when I was growing up, I think around 2003 or 4 when I was at university. And last week we had World Pride and there was Pride flags across the city. Incredible to have seen how much has changed and how much more visible we are from that time.

Prideline_2023-03-11_1058.mp3

00:00:08.496

Proud to be an ally with queer children.

Prideline_2023-03-15_1406.mp3

00:00:26.136

I'm the first openly vice captain of my high school. And seeing the evolution of our rights transcend upon anything they would have guessed decades ago is something I find really astounding. So I hope this can get somewhere. Happy Pride.

Prideline_2023-03-16_1925.mp3

00:03:37.082

Hi. I am in the phone booth with my best friend, Maylise, who just gave her testimony to the the Pride Line. And she shared something about being, me being the first person she ever came out to that I had quite frankly, not forgotten. But I knew that I was one of the first. I didn't know I was the first. So that was a very special move, moving moment.

And I thought I would get on this line and talk about how I think I'm in love with some, a girl but, but she doesn't love me back. But I don't think that that's what I'm going to talk about, I'm going to talk about queer love between friends and the the shared experience of that community between friends.

And I think, archives and exhibitions and institutions try to make queerness some kind of like big, um, some kind of big community, as if we all know each other and we all, I mean, literally have fucked with each other or something and it's, I don't think it's that.

I think we all have little pockets of love and friendship, and I think the queer love that I've experienced is the most moving so far, in my very short life, is the friendships that I've had with people who share the same sexuality with me and make me feel so safe and proud to be who I am and I remember the one, I've been very lucky to grow up in a community where I felt like, when or if I came out, I don't actually think I ever really came out, but I knew that I would be accepted and I feel really lucky about that.

But the one time that I did, really, have an argument, maybe with someone. Was with my grandpa in Morocco. And we, we argued about queer people having children and I was 12 and I didn't really don't think I realised I was gay at the time, but I was defending the people that had get shown me love in my life in Sydney and on Gadigal land and I was defending them, and wanting him so bad, to understand what it was to feel that kind of love and that kind of freedom.

And then in 2018? He passed away during Mardi Gras, and I was standing in the parade and there was a parade going by with some Lady Gaga song. And yes, not all gay people love Lady Gaga. But some Lady Gaga songs playing and I knew he had passed away and it was really sad, but it was also, I feel, a marker in my life where I knew that those arguments maybe might not happen again for a younger generation. And that was quite a realisation for me as much as I remembered him and respect him and love him. And yeah. [Arabic spoken]. And thanks for listening.

Prideline_2023-03-17_1457.mp3

00:00:41.364

I just had a nice weekend, was in Sydney with my girlfriend and she took me to King Princess and honestly there was more queer girls there than I saw at Mardi Gras two weeks ago.

It made me feel really loved and loved being queer and being around so many people that love themselves and celebrate and yeah, very emotional. And it's it's nice to be queer and it's nice to have such a good girlfriend and that I love, yeah, that's all I have to say.

Prideline_2023-03-18_1319.mp3

00:01:17.364

Well, where do I start? My Pride story. It's not really a major one. I grew up kind of, internally homophobic, I'll say. And then, cause a lot of people around me were very religious and I have family members that were gay, but I was more, um, just in denial of myself.

And I didn't want to be that way, so I also went to church? I went to church with my mates and did, you know, the whole thing, doing the activities and youth camps and everything.

But in the end, you know when I grew up. Came out to the fam and everyone was pretty supportive, which I'm grateful for. I feel really lucky. Yeah, all that did for me when I was younger was just make me question myself, question a lot of things, and now it's given me the most open mind. So, yeah, I'm grateful for that journey. That's my story. Nothing major.

Now I'm with my beautiful darling who I will be marrying in the future. So yeah, I'm gonna have myself a wife. Yeah, that's it.

Prideline_2023-03-25_1022.mp3

00:03:24.626

Hi, I'm a trans woman who was born and raised in Sydney. I'm very proud of who I am and who I've become and other people and organisations that are supporting me along the way, I want to particularly shout out 2010, who did a lot for me.

One thing I do want to say, is that I got Covid in June 2022 and I spent seven weeks in bed. There's no pre-existing condition, but seven weeks unable to get out of bed very much. I had splitting headaches. I couldn't focus on anything, my whole body ached. I couldn't stand up for more than a few minutes. I had to drop out of life for seven weeks and it was terrifying. I was so far from a cold that it was essentially, it was essentially all in my brain. It didn't even resemble a cold.

So under these circumstances, seeing an event like World Pride makes me feel nothing, or even a sense of disgust at the disregard for the reality of this pandemic. That, that is necessary, the way that it's being held. When I think about Pride, queer side, one of the things that people think of the most is the Aids era and sense of community that that sprung up and how people bound together to look after each other while the government failed them. And here we have people who are going along with that same government failure, without even pausing to think about the crisis on par with Aids that is currently unfolding.

So, I feel neither nothing at best or disgusted at worst at what is happening around this event. And I've been so alienated and I feel jealous even of people who lived through the AIDS crisis because when I hear their stories about feeling a sense of community, and being looked after. You know, I I don't see any of that now and all I can think of is that queer, it's just become nothing but a marketing demographic, that was in basically permanent quarantine for the foreseeable future, watching everyone else have a party.

While this virus spreads that I cannot afford to get, and truthfully, no one can afford to get. This is along with the climate change and extending racism, probably being the moral issue of our time. And I'm pleased to be able to go on the historical record at the state library of an institution I really respect as someone who is saying no, and is saying this is hurting us. Your your pride should should be ashamed. Thank you.

Prideline_2023-03-26_1407.mp3

00:01:39.144

Hi please don't contact me about this project further. Um, my name is Kai. I'm a teenage boy, and I'm bisexual and transgender male.

And I have a really crush on a boy who's straight. His name is Cohen and he's so awesome. He's a skater boy, he he's cheeky. He gets in a lot of trouble at school, but he's not a bully. And I like that about him. But I know that he cares for me and everything and all my friends think he's bicurious, but you can't assume anything. But he's one of my best friends and I feel like we have so much great experiences together. But there's still that romantic tension, so I don't know if he feels the same as me. And I don't know if I should make a move or not and I only have two weeks left with him at this school that I'm at.

But I really love him and I doubt he'll ever hear this unless he goes to this exhibition, but seriously? I'm brutally in love with you, Cohen. And you know who this is if you ever hear this. And I love you so much. And you made my life better since I came to high school. Bye Cohen. And bye everyone and I'm so glad you accept me for who I am.

Prideline_2023-03-29_1417.mp3

00:01:04.764

I arrived in New Zealand from the Philippines, November 2012. Couple of years later I just started to explore everything that Auckland had to offer and went to different places and explored different aspects of the gay life. And it was just so freeing. And now, in 2023, I'm here in NSW Library with my boyfriend for the first time. And it's been great. There's so much to see and do, Oxford St for sure this weekend. Just bummed out that I couldn't make it to Mardi Gras or the Pride Parade, but hopefully next year, if I'm lucky. Everything looks so nice over here and everyone seems to be very welcoming. I hope it stays that way. Even after I'm gone.

Prideline_2023-03-19_1622.mp3

00:03:07.164

I know when I first came out as trans. I felt a lot of deep shame and embarrassment about who I was and what that meant and what that could possibly mean for me going forward.

And over the years, I've definitely come to, not only accept, but embrace that about myself and I am incredibly proud to be who I am. And I'm incredibly proud to be part of such a beautiful community that deeply cares for each other and cares to do the right thing and the kind thing to which, it's not always easy.

And, for me, having pride, a lot of that is about being out and visible for those who are unable to, for whatever reason. I think it's easy for people to not always understand why anyone within, you know, not just trans people, but lesbians, gay people, pansexual people, asexual people, you name it. It's not always clear why someone would want to stay closeted. Um.

But I think that, I think regardless, it doesn't make anyone less. And it doesn't mean you're not true to yourself. Um, yeah.