Queer Wars author Dennis Altman: Australia needs to listen to people on the ground first
AUSTRALIANS聽need to work with people that are here on the ground first in the push for LGBTI rights, according to acclaimed academic and gay rights activist Dennis Altman.
In his latest book , which was co-authored by Jonathan Symons, Altman explores the potential consequences that arise when Australia tries to impose arguments around LGBTI rights on non-western societies.
Altman believes we should think before advocating radical arguments in an international context.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge variety of ways in which sexuality and gender are acted out in different cultures, but there鈥檚 a limit to what can be done through that international fora,” he told the Star Observer.
鈥淗ow do we give support to groups that exist in countries where authorities can use our support to argue that it鈥檚 an instance of western imperialism?
鈥淲e need to work with people here on the ground first and listen to them, even though that can be difficult 鈥� there are many voices on the ground and often only the loudest are heard.鈥�
The Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF) recently put up a billboard inviting Russian citizens to watch the festival鈥檚 opening night film via Periscope, as a means to bypass the country鈥檚 anti-gay propaganda laws.
Altman highlighted this recent example to prove聽his point.
鈥淲e really have to be careful about how we do this stuff,鈥� he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great that MQFF are doing it but on the other side, having a billboard up in St Kilda can be in turn used by the Russian government as an example of 鈥榙ecadent westerners鈥� trying to impose on them.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more our government could do quietly 鈥� for example, I鈥檇 much rather [Foreign Minister] Julie Bishop quietly said to the Indonesian government, ‘look, Australia is concerned that there seems to be a growing wave of homophobia in Indonesia’.
鈥淚t would be much more effective if it was done privately and quietly.鈥�
Altman wrote Queer Wars with Symons as a way to explore LGBTI聽issues and the way they are negotiated through international relations.
鈥淎bout five or six years ago when John was at La Trobe we had a conversation about the international debate on whaling and that was one in which countries became increasingly polarised,鈥� he said.
鈥淛ohn asked if I thought the same thing was happening with sexuality, and we wondered how we鈥檇 get people interested in international relations to think about queer issues.鈥�
Altman said when addressing LGBTI rights overseas, individuals and groups must first think of the potential consequences.
鈥淲e need to think through the consequences of what we do, and about actually responding to what is possible for people who are in much worse situations, rather than just making ourselves feel good,鈥� he said.
Dennis Altman and Jonathan Symons will be discussion Queer Wars at Readings in Carlton on Monday March 21 at 6.30PM. .
I am an 50 year old queen named Mark and I will tell you the true reason why marriage equality and safe schools are out and not supported by our governments. Australia has gone backwards on LGBTI rights in the past 5 years, because of the rise of Islam and Asian migration within Australia! The Liberal party secretly support the rise of this because it supports there traditional political ideology of hating gay people and pretending to be racist, so that the real things that happen in Australia go unnoticeable! Why hate these groups, when they share the same values of the core beliefs of the Liberal party hey!?