This year OUTinPerth is marking its 20th birthday. Launched as a free street press magazine in July 2002, the publication remained in print until 2019 when it transformed to a fully digital model.
In this series of posts we look back at individual issues of the magazine and see what was happening in our community in years gone by.
Issue 57 of OUTinPerth cover the July and August period of 2006. It featured local community member Kedy Kristal on the cover. Kristal has just been given an award for her contribution to community services at the WA Citizen of the Year celebrations.
In the news was a push for Western Australia to introduce civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. Federal opposition leader Kim Beazley had recently voiced his support for the ACT’s plan for legislation in this area, but WA’s Labor Premier Alan Carpenter pouted cold water on the suggestion that WA might also consider legislation.
The Australian Red Cross were defending their policies which stopped gay men from donating blood, the Australian Christian Lobby had been caught out using the research of a discredited US psychologist in their submissions to a government inquiry on adoption rights, and the federal Labor opposition released plans for removing discrimination against LGBTIQA+ people from a raft of legislation.
Excitement was growing ahead of the annual STYLEAID fundraiser for the WA AIDS Council. The theme for the 2006 event was ‘heaven’.
Back in 2006 the community was spending their time at The Court, Connections, Grapeskin Bar and exciting new venue Skandalous.
Skandalous was located at 5 Aberdeen Street opposite what is now Badlands bar. The two level venue was open 7 nights a week and featured live broadcasts from QueerFM, karaoke nights, a male stripper night dubbed Throb, women’s only spaces, ‘camp music’ fridays, a drag bootcamp and a trance focused night.
OIP Staff
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