Local

Drug Trends - The Changing Face Of Addiction

Whether we like it or not, many people in our community are touched by substance abuse. One of the major obstacles in tackling these issues is the fact that trends and patterns in drug use are constantly changing.

Drugs such as crystal meth and ecstasy are allegedly becoming harder to procure. A recent spate of police raids on meth labs in and around the Perth metro area is said to be partly responsible. (more…)

Artist Aiming For The Archibald

Local artist, Carl Gopal has entered a portrait of Perth MLA John Hyde into this year’s Archibald Prize.

The Archibald is seen as Australia’s most prestigious award for portraiture and entries need to depict a person distinguished in art, letters, science or politics.

According to Gopal, John Hyde was the ideal subject for his portrait as he is not only an openly gay politician but has a strong background in the arts- a mélange often explored in Gopal’s work. (more…)

Downe And Out In WA

Fresh from the festivities of Mardi Gras, Bob Downe is grooving his way over to WA for this month’s Club West cabaret show.

After attending 25 parades and eight stints hosting the television coverage Downe has become an integral part of the annual Mardi Gras.

‘Well, it’s certainly a wild and crazy gig, that’s for sure!’ he told OUTinPerth. (more…)

Local News Briefs - February

SUNDOWNER GOES UNIVERSAL
The Pride Women’s Sundowner has found a new permanent home. After the closure of Vulture’s restaurant in December last year the monthly event has been held at various venues. Organisers say they are thrilled about the move to Universal Bar on William Street in Northbridge, next door to Grapeskin Bar, where the event first started. An upstairs private bar area with access to a balcony will be set aside for the sundowner, to be held on Wednesday March 10 from 6.30pm. (more…)

Rider Left High And Dry

Usually the domain of four-wheel-drive vehicles, once a year the Gibb River Road through the Kimberly region becomes a punishing course for a socially competitive, 700 km bicycle relay event which raises money for charity.

Participants in the Gibb River Road Mountain Bike Challenge most often split the five-day ride between a team of two to six people, however a handful brave souls have tackled it solo. (more…)

Unattractive Perth

Findings released from a recent honours thesis study titled ‘Lesbian Tourism in Perth’ suggest that while many lesbians visit Perth, more could be done to accommodate their specific needs.

The study used an online survey and focus group and aimed to determine the attractiveness to lesbians of Perth as a destination, to understand local lesbian residents’ perceptions of Perth as lesbian friendly and evaluate the motivation and satisfaction of lesbian tourists in coming to Perth. (more…)

Sisters Taking It To The Streets

Dignitaries and VIPs from across the country attended the grand reopening of St Mary’s Cathedral on December 8, celebrating extensive renovations which have taken over three years and cost over $33 million.

Standing opposite the main entrance to the cathedral as the guests arrived, a small but effective protest organised by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence drew attention from both attendees and local news services. (more…)

Pride To Consider Festival Format

On December 7, Pride WA held the first in a series of community forums aimed at discussing the future direction of the Pride Festival and its events, in particular the Pride Parade.

The invite-only forum was attended by approximately 20 members of the community directly involved in this year’s Pride Parade and organisers say they received great feedback and suggestions.

‘The forum went very well with some constructive discussion about how Pride can improve moving forward,’ said Pride Treasurer, Andrew Baietta. (more…)

Local News Briefs - January

PRATT NAMED IN TOP 25
WA Labor Senator Louise Pratt has been voted one of the 25 Most Influential Gay and Lesbian Australians of 2009 on GLBT website SameSame. Named among high profile identities such as Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham and MTV’s Ruby Rose, Pratt said it was an honour to be recognised. Pratt was the youngest woman ever elected to the Legislative Council, the second openly lesbian woman to be elected to Parliament and the first to have a transgender partner. Pratt told SameSame that she spoke out on a great many political issues not just those that affected her personally. ‘On the other hand, I do recognise that it is important to be publicly visible, as I recall how important it has been to me to have out role models,’ she said. (more…)

Community Debate Over Parade Continues

The festival may be over for another year but Pride is still generating heated discussion across the state.

A number of well known gay and lesbian community members have recently questioned the relevance of Pride’s flagship event, the Pride Parade, citing falling numbers in attendance and participation. (more…)