Several photos from 2012 and earlier, displayed on our site and hosted by OUTinPerth’s social media have been removed due to inappropriate and racist imagery. These images included blackface by community members, and transphobic comments.
We’re publishing this statement to be transparent about this process, and believe our readership deserves to know why this action was taken.
The images have been removed because they were of concern to community members and do not align with our values.
We believe we have a responsibility to ensure OUTinPerth does not indirectly condone or support any such imagery or language. We also welcome the apology of performer Dean Misdale who was featured in the images.
OUTinPerth stands firmly for the Black Lives Matter movement, and aims to further the conversation on racial inequality at home in Western Australia.
As we continue to facilitate this important discussion, we approach it in a different way today than we did almost a decade ago.
Back in 2012, when this issue was being debated in the local community, I made the decision to post the two images knowing it would generate considerable community discussion. If this were to occur today we certainly wouldn’t post the images, we’d condemn them, I regret that we didn’t take a more definitive stance at the time*.
We aim to always ensure this space is safe for all members of the community, with particular focus on people of colour and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQA+ community members.
If you are ever concerned about anything published by OUTinPerth, both of our editors are easily contactable, and follow a robust complaints process.
Graeme Watson
Managing Editor
0402 549 811
graeme@outinperth.com
*After this apology was published, we discovered that we actually did take a definitive stance at the time. We published a significant article in our print edition criticising the performances.
