A History of LGBTIQ+ Victoria in 100 Places and Objects Graham Willett Angela Bailey Timothy W. Jones Sarah Rood MARCH 2021 Ministerial Foreword History shapes our identity and reminds us of who we are. For the LGBTIQ+ community, the past can be a difficult place. Today in Victoria, LGBTIQ+ people enjoy the positive transformations hard won by the 1970s Gay Liberation Movement and its public demands for equal rights. But being ‘queer’ is a something that people have often kept hidden. In Victoria, prior to decriminalisation in 1981, men could be sentenced for up to 15 years in prison for having consensual sex with other men. Same sex attraction and gender non-conformity have been treated as mental disorders and LGBTIQ+ people have often led closeted lives for their own safety. While there is still work needed to advance the legal and cultural status of LGBTIQ+ people, there are many achievements of which we can be proud. If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format, please contact the Australian Queer Archives email:
[email protected] © Australian Queer Archives and the State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 2021 In 2021 we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the In this report, Victoria’s LGBTIQ+ community decriminalisation of homosexuality. In this context proudly claims and tells its history. It is one of This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. You are free to re-use the work it is timely for this report to be released. Written by struggle, resilience, love and commitment.