今日吃瓜

The first time I visited Parramatta was when I聽was thirteen years old. It was during a time in聽the late nineties when teenagers were using聽pagers and public telephones to communicate聽with each other.

I had a long fringe, wore baggy pants聽and a silver chain necklace that I purchased from聽Paddy鈥檚 market.

That day, I was probably a very easy聽target because I was rolled within minutes of exiting聽Parramatta Station.

After my parents divorced, my mother moved into聽housing commission on the other side of Parramatta聽Park. I harboured a lot of shame growing up within聽the lower socio-economic parts of the Parramatta聽LGA. And I definitely was not proud of being a queer聽Korean from the Western Suburbs.

‘If you Are聽From Here, You Will Always Be One Of Us’

However, there is聽an unspoken code out here in the West: 鈥渋f you are聽from here, you will always be one of us.鈥� Over time, this聽strangely helped me accept who I was, and I began聽to really love living in Parramatta (where I am still living聽today).

It took me some time, but I eventually found my聽Westie pride.

With the enormous developments and billions聽of dollars being pumped into the 鈥淲est鈥�, a strong聽aspiring spirit is swirling within the city. This, of course,聽has its pros and cons because urban development is聽definitely a double-edged sword.

However, no matter聽what side you take on this, Parramatta is undeniably聽booming with new opportunities.

Parramatta is Complex, Rich in Diversity聽and a New Frontier

So, where do queer locals in Parramatta fit in all this?

And what are the opportunities for us queer folk to forge聽an identity here?

Parramatta is complex, rich in diversity聽and a new frontier in many aspects, which is precisely聽why I love it. Also, the things that happened out here聽when I was young, don鈥檛 happen anymore.

I feel safe聽in Parramatta to hold my partner鈥檚 hand in public, we comfortably聽display public forms of affection, and we聽don鈥檛 feel scared to dress extremely queer when we聽want to.

Maybe it鈥檚 because I am from here, and I know聽where to go, but as a local, I can recommend places聽where the queer community can definitely feel safe.

MY TOP PICKS

鈥� My regular go-to cocktail bar聽that is very queer

鈥� There are always queer聽events and stage plays happening here

鈥� The best beef pho noodle聽soup in Parramatta

鈥� My go-to restaurant when nonlocals聽visit Parramatta

Parramatta Pride Picnic 鈥� The annual event聽at Parramatta River

These are just a few options of many places聽where queer folk are welcome.

Also, there are parts聽of Parramatta that only queer people know about,聽where repressed homosexuality transcends into more聽discrete forms of queer expression. These exist at聽private house parties and Parramatta鈥檚 very healthy聽BDSM scene.

However, you have to know a local to聽know where to go and really respect people鈥檚 discreet聽identities to be invited.