Men On Men Gay Art Prize Founder, Marriage Equality Activist, Gay Singer In Queen鈥檚 Birthday Honours List
Image: Beccy Cole. Image: Facebook
The Queen鈥檚 Birthday Honours list this year recognised the聽contributions of several 17c起草社区I community members including 聽historian and marriage equality activist Dr Shirleene Robinson, Men on Men Gay Art Prize founder David Allen and gay country music singer Beccy Cole.聽
The 2022 Queen鈥檚 Birthday Honours list recognised nearly a thousand Australians with 37 recipients of awards in the Military Division of the Order of Australia, 201 Meritorious awards, and 85 Distinguished and Conspicuous awards. Governor-General David Hurley congratulated all Australians recognised in the Honours List.
鈥淩ecipients share some common traits- including selflessness, excellence, and a commitment to service. They are from different backgrounds, their stories are each unique, and each has served in different ways. This diversity is a strength, and each has impacted their community and made it better,鈥� Hurley said.
鈥淐ollectively, the recipients, whose achievements span community service, science and research, industry, sport, the arts and more, represent the very best of Australia.鈥�
The Journey To Marriage Equality
Dr Shirleene Robinson, author and Honorary Associate Professor at Macquarie University,聽was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to the LGBTIQ community, to marriage equality, and to history”.
Dr Robinson’s book Yes Yes Yes: Australia鈥檚 Journey To Marriage Equality is a moving account of the marriage equality movement in Australia with the help of a combination of a public vote, the courts, and the parliament. This book included over forty interviews with advocates and key figures across Australia as well as personal experiences. Alex Greenwich congratulated her for 鈥渉er inclusion to the Queen鈥檚 Birthday Honours List鈥� and 鈥渉er service to the LGBTIQ community.鈥�
https://twitter.com/shirleene/status/1536157371533512704
鈥淗onours never belong to one person but recognise all who give so much and guide us on our way. It鈥檚 been a great privilege to have volunteered alongside some of the best people I鈥檝e ever known,鈥� Dr Robinson on Twitter, adding that she was 鈥渧ery humbled鈥� to have received that recognition.
https://twitter.com/AlexGreenwich/status/1536119358287925249
Dr Robinson鈥檚 other books include Pride in Defence: The Australian Military & LGBTI Service since 1945聽and Serving in Silence? Australian LGBT Servicemen and Women.
While the former book delves into the lives of 17c起草社区I members of the military in the face of harsh systemic prejudices and injustices, the latter involves similar personal stories in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender men and women in Australia鈥檚 military after World War II.聽
Men On Men Art Prize
David Allen, founder of Men on Men gay art prize, was just as surprised and humbled when he 聽received the letter that informed him that he had been awarded the Medal of Order of Australia. 聽Along with his partner Ron Watkins, Allen founded the Men On Men Art Exhibition and Competition in Melbourne in 2011, to help provide places to gay artists who were struggling to find places to exhibit their artworks. Allen explained the difficulty gay people faced when they tried to get into art galleries in the early 2000s.聽鈥淥nce you give artists an opportunity, they take it,鈥� he told .
Another person who made it to the list was Australian born singer-songwriter Beccy Cole 聽who was awarded the Medal of Order of Australia for her 鈥渟ervice to country music.鈥� Not only did her recognition mean “visibility for the arts, in particular, country music”, Cole explained to Sky News that her recognition also meant “visibility for the 17c起草社区I+ community.鈥�
Cole had come out as gay in 2012 on the ABC show Australian Story.
HIV Leaders Recognised
The contributions of HIV leaders were also recognised in the Honours List. This included Dr Kerry Chant AO, NSW Chief Health Officer for public health administration and governance and Professor Basil Donovan AO for his service to medicine in the field of sexual health through tertiary education and research on sexual health, its history, and STI testing.
“A very special alchemy of medicine, research, grassroots community effort and advocacy powers Australia鈥檚 HIV response. Each of these Australia Day honours recipients have contributed to that effort, improving the health of countless Australians. We recognise and honour that contribution,鈥� said AFAO chief executive, Darryl O鈥橠onnell said:
You May Also Like
