Whatever your position on the Greens or outgoing leader Bob Brown, there is no doubt he鈥檚 made a considerable contribution to gay rights reforms, not only in Tasmania, but across Australia.
Saying he was the first publicly gay man in Tasmania (Brown came out in the Launceston Examiner in 1976) doesn鈥檛 mean much these days, but one can only imagine the personal hardships associated with that particular claim to fame.
Homosexuality was still illegal in most Australian states and decriminalisation in Tasmania was two decades away.
Brown must certainly be built of tough stuff. Fielding questions from journalists following his resignation last week, Brown responded to one query about whether the bruising debate on the carbon tax had played any part in his decision to call it quits.
He appeared slightly amused at the suggestion and went on to explain the talk-back fury and 鈥榗onvoys of no confidence鈥� pale in comparison to the frightening personal abuse he received as an openly gay man (and an environmentalist) standing for office in a state where homosexuality was still illegal.
As fellow Tasmanian and long-time gay activist Rodney Croome says, it鈥檚 hard to put the feeling of hatred towards homosexuals at that time into words.
鈥淵ou only have to look at the gay law reform debate in Tasmania and look at how protracted and angry it was and how deep the homophobia was in some parts of Tasmania,鈥� Croome said.
Brown was elected to the Tasmanian Assembly in 1983. By the time he was elected to the Senate in 1996, the federal stage must have been something of a welcome relief.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about a situation where there were state MPs, particularly in the [Tasmanian] Upper House, calling to track down and wipe out homosexuals and for the re-introduction of the death penalty for homosexuals,鈥� Croome said.
鈥淸Being openly gay in] Tasmania was like living in a police state and to be elected to public office, and for that to be the first time for that to happen in Australia, in Tasmania … it was unbelievable.鈥�
Perhaps one of the most important offerings from Brown, as far as his ability to shift minds on gay issues, is his air of the ordinariness of his own sexuality.
For Croome, Brown鈥檚 early openness galvanised him and others to keep pushing until rights were won.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 begin to describe how inspiring that was for young people like me, to see a gay man, not only living happily in Tasmania, but changing Tasmania for the better,鈥� he said.
Croome believes the community owes Brown a great deal of gratitude for his fight for gay rights. I don鈥檛 suppose he鈥檚 wrong.
Absolutely right. It’s so awful to see gay men and women say horrible things about a man who led the way in fighting for our rights that we enjoy today. I am grateful to his courage to stand up for our rights when others hid. Thank you Bob. you’re as ever an inspiration.