More than 70 people gathered at Connections Nightclub on a rainy Saturday afternoon to celebrate something far more enduring than a night out. They came together to launch Our Voices Made Connections: From Feathers and Fights to Friendship and Freedom – 50 Fabulous Years, the latest edition in GRAI’s Our Voices series, preserving the stories of older LGBTI Western Australians.
The launch brought together community members, contributors and local leaders, including Alanna Clohesy, President of the Legislative Council, Science Minister Stephen Dawson, and City of Perth Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds, as well as the people whose lives and memories fill the book’s pages.
Produced and self-funded by GRAI with support from generous community donations, the publication celebrates an extraordinary milestone. In 2025, Connections Nightclub marked 50 years as one of Australia’s most iconic queer venues. The stories captured in this edition offer a glimpse of the lives, friendships and history created within its walls over those five decades.
The publication was made possible through the commitment of GRAI’s volunteer Board, its Executive Officer Kedy Krystal, and editor Tarmon Gibson, reflecting the community’s determination to preserve its own history.
GRAI Chair David Gibson said the book is about far more than documenting history.
“If the walls of Connies could talk, they would tell us far more than stories of glittering nights. They would tell us about lives that were shaped, friendships that were forged and a community that found belonging. This edition of Our Voices honours that legacy and keeps the pages open for the next story waiting to be told.”
Speaking at the launch, Gibson reflected on something rarely discussed. Many LGBTI people do not have children to inherit and retell their family stories. Instead, those stories are passed on through friendships, chosen family and community. He said this makes projects like Our Voices even more important because history does not preserve itself.
“Stories matter,” he said. “For many LGBTI people, our history is not passed down around the family dinner table. It is shared between friends, mentors and community. That means we all have a responsibility to tell our stories, listen to each other and make sure they are not lost.”
Connections owner Tim Brown offered one of the day’s most memorable reflections, comparing the nightclub’s famous mirrorballs to the community itself. As they scatter light across the room, each fragment reflects a memory of the people who came before. Their spirit and love continue to glitter through the community they helped build.
Stephen Dawson MLC reaffirmed the Western Australian Government’s ongoing commitment to the LGBTIQA plus community and outlined the intention to progress legislation banning conversion practices. The Lord Mayor spoke about the importance of safe places where communities can gather, reinforcing the idea that belonging is deeply connected to place.
Across every speech, a common thread emerged. Memory is tied to place. Community is tied to safety. History survives because people choose to preserve it.
Following the success of Our Voices: We Have Changed the World in 2024, GRAI committed to producing a new edition each year. The series captures the experiences of older LGBTI people while celebrating the diversity, resilience and quiet acts of courage that continue to shape Western Australia’s community.
“The stories in this book are only the tip of the iceberg,” Gibson said.
“GRAI grew from the same community that grew up around Connections, and we continue to carry that legacy forward through our work with older LGBTI people. These stories remind us where we have come from, who stood beside us and why it is so important that future generations know their history.”
Copies of Our Voices Made Connections: From Feathers and Fights to Friendship and Freedom – 50 Fabulous Years are available from GRAI for $10 plus postage and handling. To purchase a copy or find out more, email info@grai.org.au.
Source: Media release, GRAI. Note: OUTinPerth co-editor Graeme Watson is a contributor to the book.inPerth co-editor Graeme Watson is a contributor to the book.
