Simon Copland, Author at Star Observer /author/simon-copland Setting Australia’s LGBTI agenda since 1979 Wed, 05 Jul 2017 05:07:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 /wp-content/uploads/2023/02/starobs.png Simon Copland, Author at Star Observer /author/simon-copland 32 32 Mardi Gras’ “shameful” moment /opinion/mardi-gras-shameful-moment/147319 /opinion/mardi-gras-shameful-moment/147319#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2016 07:21:30 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=147319 The video of a Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras official confronting the organiser of a pro-refugee float last weekend has gone viral. Simon Copland pens his thoughts on why this was not only a "shameful" display, but also ironic.

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The “new” marriage equality strategy is bound to be a failure /opinion/the-new-marriage-equality-strategy-is-bound-to-be-a-failure/141679 /opinion/the-new-marriage-equality-strategy-is-bound-to-be-a-failure/141679#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2015 09:38:33 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=141679 When Australian Marriage Equality announced their new strategy on Monday to win over eight MPs that are needed in order to make marriage equality a reality, Simon Copland was sceptical. He explains why.

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Lumumba and Collingwood AFL drama more than just a casual homophobic incident /opinion/soapbox-opinion/lumumba-and-collingwood-afl-drama-more-than-just-a-casual-homophobic-incident/127578 Tue, 09 Sep 2014 08:36:34 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=127578 ON Friday, it was revealed that Collingwood player Heritier Lumumba was due to leave the club over a disagreement regarding a homophobic slur in the club. Lumumba complained over graffiti on ...

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Put on a fucking condom /opinion/soapbox-opinion/put-on-a-fucking-condom/113404 /opinion/soapbox-opinion/put-on-a-fucking-condom/113404#comments Sun, 01 Dec 2013 19:00:42 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=113404 EVERYWHERE I look, bareback sex seems to be new the new trend with gay men. On Grindr, Manhunt, Scruff and Gaydar men are often asking for “raw sex”. There are ...

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OPINION: Born this way? /opinion/opinion-born-this-way/111106 /opinion/opinion-born-this-way/111106#comments Tue, 15 Oct 2013 06:53:16 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=111106 Josh Hutcherson, star of The Hunger Games, said to Out Magazine the other day: “Maybe I could say right now I’m 100 percent straight. But who knows? In a fucking ...

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OPINION: Bring back Woolies’ vibrators /opinion/opinion-bring-back-woolies-vibrators/110359 /opinion/opinion-bring-back-woolies-vibrators/110359#comments Tue, 01 Oct 2013 08:44:58 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=110359 Complaints against the supermarket chain Woolworths have lead it to remove a vibrator it was stocking in its sexual health section. The complaints were pretty predictable – that stocking vibrators ...

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OPINION: Abbott is elected. Where to next? /opinion/opinion-abbott-is-elected-where-to-next/109292 /opinion/opinion-abbott-is-elected-where-to-next/109292#comments Mon, 09 Sep 2013 23:06:37 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=109292 Tony Abbott is our new Prime Minister. In what was a convincing (although not smashing) victory, Abbott has led the Coalition to at least three years in Government. The question, ...

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OPINION: Judge Abbott on what he does, not just what he says /opinion/opinion-judge-abbott-on-what-he-does-not-just-what-he-says/108550 Tue, 27 Aug 2013 07:10:48 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=108550 When thinking about Tony Abbott’s views on social issues it’s easy just to think about his gaffes. A couple of weeks ago was a great example. In Western Sydney the ...

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OPINION: Be careful you don’t accidentally elect a bigot /opinion/soapbox-opinion/opinion-be-careful-you-dont-accidentally-elect-a-bigot/108341 /opinion/soapbox-opinion/opinion-be-careful-you-dont-accidentally-elect-a-bigot/108341#comments Tue, 20 Aug 2013 07:02:01 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=108341   Preferences are probably one of the most obscure parts of our electoral system, yet also one of the most important. They can often make a major difference in who ...

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COMMENT: Don’t let us become political playthings /opinion/comment-dont-let-us-become-political-playthings/108067 Wed, 14 Aug 2013 04:46:16 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=108067   It is a significant victory. Even though it was only discussed for under two minutes, same-sex marriage took centre stage during the first election debate. Both Kevin Rudd and ...

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COLUMN: Election Update /opinion/soapbox-opinion/column-election-update/107776 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 01:35:47 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=107776 Earlier this year, I wrote a piece about my priorities for an election year. With a new Prime Minister, lots of policy changes, and a new election date, I thought ...

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OPINION: A sick joke /opinion/opinion-a-sick-joke/106880 Wed, 24 Jul 2013 04:02:14 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=106880 The following are Tweets from the account of Foreign Minister Bob Carr: “Meeting with members of #LGBTI community on making LGBTI rights a core foreign policy priority of Rudd Government” “I ...

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Government not queer-friendly enough /opinion/soapbox-opinion/government-not-queer-friendly-enough/106344 Mon, 08 Jul 2013 06:45:19 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=106344 Kevin Rudd is probably the most queer friendly PM Australia has ever had. But one of his first key decisions has shown that queering the Government still isn’t high on ...

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Istanbul! (Or how I managed to get caught in a Turkish queer march) /opinion/soapbox-opinion/istanbul-or-how-i-managed-to-get-caught-in-a-turkish-queer-march/105641 Wed, 26 Jun 2013 23:26:16 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=105641 More than any other city I have been to before, I think I was most anxious coming in to Istanbul. Not because there is something scary about the place, but ...

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Stereotypes: they’re everywhere /opinion/soapbox-opinion/stereotypes-theyre-everywhere/105325 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:45:07 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=105325 I am not what you would call your ‘stereotypical gay man’. I am not camp, I am the owner of a pretty decent beard most of the time, I have ...

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While we fight for same-sex marriage people are dying /opinion/soapbox-opinion/while-we-fight-for-same-sex-marriage-people-are-dying/104585 Mon, 03 Jun 2013 06:07:32 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=104585 Sometimes our focus on same-sex marriage surprises me. I have written about it many times, and people will probably know my views by now. But I was really surprised this ...

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Part of building reform is about broadening our movement /opinion/soapbox-opinion/part-of-building-reform-is-about-broadening-our-movement/104179 Wed, 22 May 2013 04:28:31 +0000 https://starobserver.com.au/?p=104179 I was very happy last week to see Benn Dorrington’s, We Need Reform, Not Rainbows story in this newspaper. This is a debate worth having, and I’m glad to see ...

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