In the 1990s, after many efforts to raise awareness and secure equality, the Australian society had become relatively open not only to the gay community but also towards the weighty issues they had been facing, such as the spreading of a disease that came to be known as AIDS. The country’s health policy started from the grassroots up, right after the first Australian death from AIDS occurred in Melbourne back in July 1983. While the disease was not even making it in the news in Africa in the Americas, headlines the likes of “gay cancer”, “gay pneumonia” and “gay plague” were a daily phenomenon until the official acronym, “Gay-Related Immune Deficiency” (GRID), was established and in a sense pushed gay people off the grid.
At the same time the disease was spreading rapidly in the rest of the world; in Australia, the taming of AIDS had been swift, however, the “grid mentality” had infected public opinion equating sex between two men with HIV.
It was in fact at the Victoria AIDS Council (VAC), an egalitarian community located in South Yarra which up to this day, offers support to the city’s gays, where the first meetings of the Greek and Gay Support Network took place. Taking part in a support group for young gay people at the VAC for those aged between 15 to 21 seemed like a good way for young Greek gay people to connect with the broader community. An Italian gay group that had been running at the VAC for a long time before the Greek and Gay one, helped with the establishment in 1995. The only publicity they would receive was through the gay press of the time.
Meanwhile, an anonymous article appeared in Neos Kosmos, inviting Greek gays to participate in the newly born movement.
The first meeting did take place but finding an identity was not a walk in the park. There was no one at the helm of the group and very few people could be recognised as the instigators of the group. Up until that point, people would just come in, identify as Greek and exchange ideas. Within the group itself there were several conservative voices of Greek origin telling them off; they were questioning the need for such a group to exist, questioning why the gays of Greek background had to set themselves apart from the rest of the Australian gay movements, networks and support groups.
Time has proven, however, that the need for such a group, where homosexual individuals of the same ethical and religious background can come together, was and is imperative, not to mention supporting such groups. Four of the movements ambassadors explain why:
Maria Katsonis, ambassador for beyondblue, senior executive at the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, author of the memoir ‘The Good Greek Girl’:
“My view is that it is still difficult to be Greek and LGBTI in 2016, irrespective of generations, because of our cultural norms and the stigma associated with being gay. Compare the number of ‘out’ models in the general community with the absence of visibility in the Greek community. Younger generations of Greeks still need support to navigate the cultural minefield of being Greek and LGBTI. For this reason, Greek and Gay has a valuable role to play, not least of which is fusing together our cultural and LGBTI identities so we can be authentic at all levels.
“By the way, I’ll be at the 21st celebration with my 80-year-old uncle and 75-year-old aunt who are looking forward to a ‘horo’ (dance) with a twist.”
Helen Apostolopoulos, member of the Greek Australian Lesbians (GALS):
“In May 2002, the Greek-Australian Lesbians (GALS) support group was created. I have been a member of the GALS for more than a decade and a significant number of girls approached me during these years. I think support groups are needed in terms of reaching out to us. On a social level, these groups need to exist. There are a lot of girls that haven’t come out and are still in the closet and we are here to support them in any way. The girls’ group is very discreet, we don’t advocate gossip, it’s a discreet and confidential group, we don’t exchange our real names in the group but just a phone number and I have many girls calling me for support. The members’ number of the group is quite steady and we are preparing our own website. I do believe that the younger generations are more open-minded and they are ready to come out. I have nieces and nephews that are open-minded. Since there is no acceptance from our religion, they will never be able to progress to a certain point. Our parents know about us and about our sexual preferences. They don’t care up to the point it won’t be known within the Greek community. We don’t push them to come out, and one of the main principles of the group is confidentiality and above all respect.”
Alex Bartzis, Health Promotion & Community Development Officer at Queensland AIDS Council, studied Business at the University of New South Wales and Political Science at The University of Queensland:
“I personally have never been to a Greek and Gay support group though have heard of them. Though born in Greece as I had more of an Anglo/Dutch upbringing after age two, I may not have needed them.
“I think though some young gay men raised in strong Greek families in Australia may still need them, though maybe not as much as in the past because there is more online support etc. While the Anglo-Saxons don’t need them anymore (because apparently it’s easier for them to come out and proud), Greeks, Arabs, Italians etc gays, are still struggling mainly because of their religion and the social stigma within their ethnic community. I am culturally Anglo-Saxon much more than Greek, I can imagine if I was raised in Greece by my family there until say age 16 and then moved Australia, I would need more support to come out, including from Gay and Greek groups. Having said that, my Dutch mother was still not completely accepting when she found out I was gay at age 16.”
Theodore Timothy Tsipiras, Officer of Senior Voices Project, a group that addresses the challenging issues of HIV and aging, and works for Living Positive Victoria:
“I think it’s very important that we build on support groups in our community. As much as the younger generation has it easier, there is a lot that can be learnt through intergenerational communication. People are quick to think that support groups are much like other social media platforms, like screaming in a forest, people think that they’re not being heard. A lot of the time, as I’ve experienced in support groups for people living with HIV and survivors of child abuse, there is always someone there to have a chat… this is incredibly important to have these channels. If one person is able to get their thoughts out, or have the opportunity to learn something from someone who is completely unlike them, we are securing a healthier wider community. One thing that we need to do is encourage the younger generation to engage with these social groups.”
Greek and Gay’s 21st birthday dinner dance will take place on Saturday 25 June at Stars International Reception, 1C Bell Street, Preston, at 7.00 pm. For more information on the group and event details, visit www.greekandgay.com or the Facebook page www.facebook.com/greekkaigay. To purchase tickets, visit www.trybooking.com/179144