A history student in Brisbane has uncovered a 1932 newspaper article about same-sex couples getting married, and the reporter’s outrage is almost indistinguishable from the moral panic of today.
“Wide Open Immorality Among Brisbane Perverts,” shouts the 84-year-old headline, which frankly sounds like those old Australian queers just really knew how to have a good time. It goes on, in that fashion of writing five or six headlines for every story, “Worst Cases of Indecency Ever Unearthed,” and “‘Weddings’ Between Men Followed by ‘Ceremonies’ that Shock the World.”
“Occasionally they meet at queer, indecent, degrading ceremonies when perverted lusts come into full play and shocking rituals are celebrated.” (We’re talking about brunch, right?)
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The article describes two weddings as “ghastly, horrifying spectacles of painted men and primping lads united in a sacrilegious blasphemy.”
“The ceremonies are weird,” the article continues, and with every word we wish more and more that we could have been present to see it. “There is no concealment of the most degraded elements of their perverted natures.”
There is so much to love about the description of the events: “Even the ‘honeymoon’ is celebrated in public amid the plaudits of the rest of the painted men-dolls, dancing round in a hideous circle — the whole scene resembling a nightmare of evil.” Oh honey, if you think that’s bad, wait til you see Dolores Park on a Sunday.
As hysterical as the article is, it’s a nice little reminder that gay people have been around forever, and for as long as straights have been getting married, same-sex couples have as well. It might seem like gay marriage is a new invention, but the truth is it’s been around for longer than we’ve been alive.
The first marriage license knowingly issued by a government official to a same-sex couples might’ve been in the 1970s, but long before that, we were falling in love, pledging ourselves to each other, and meeting a queer, indecent, degrading ceremonies full of perverted lusts.
GC1985
Sounds like an era our troll Brian would just love.
Same dumb logic, different day.
Brian
To me, it looks like a bunch of Australian men pretending to be women. I call it the “trans-gay” phenomenon. “Trans-gay” is what men do to disguise their maleness and thus their homosexuality. It’s a form of innate homophobia.
Of course, in those days, formal homosexuality was abhorred but casual homosexuality was widespread. If you wanted to engage in casual homosexuality with other men, the world was your oyster. It was very common – in fact, more common than today.
Today’s gay rights movement has made male homosexuality more formal but smaller. It is harder to find a man who is interested in casual homosexual sex in the general street environment than it was back then.
It doesn’t help that women have pushed their way into the mainstream – which once belonged to men – under the guise of feminism. Whenever women inject themselves into all-male environments, it reduces the incidence of male homosexuality.
GC1985
@Brian: The typical rantings as I expected. You really have nothing going on in your life. Rather than riding the coattails of the movement and being lazy like you have been all your life, why don’t you actually do something productive?
Your rantings are a form of innate homophobia. You hate yourself so much you need to lash out at others. You need to make up for your horrible childhood and shortcomings. No man would ever want you and the sooner you accept that the better. You must be the life of the party… A self deprecating homophobe stuck in his ways. You want manly men, yet aren’t manly enough to attract any of these masc4masc types you crave.
Your hypocrisy is well noted.
Giancarlo86
TROLL >>>>>> @GC1985 <<<<<< TROLL
GC1985
@Giancarlo86: Fake alert! FAKE alert! Boring old troll. Come up with your own name.
Xzamilio
See? I get a troll, and now EVERYBODY gets one. It’s always cool after a black guy does it lol
scotshot
@Xzamilio: You’re a trend setter!
scotshot
@Brian:
Another mindless rambling rant from our own 85 year old church lady. It appears we’ll soon be hearing “Brian’s” screeds from The Sarah Palin Home for Indigent Homophobes with Alzheimer’s.
You’re always good for a laugh, “Brian”.
DuMaurier
Wait. I thought “Giancarlo” was the real one.
Tobi
@Xzamilio: I’m madly jealous. I’ve always wanted an honest-to-goodness under-the-bridge-with-goats-on-troll, and all I’ve got is the sadly ineffectual @youarekiddingme who going by the hissy fitting is also @Giancarlo86 as well as @GC1985 and probably Brian too. *sigh*
captainburrito
The public honeymoon would sound similar to the bedding ceremonies of straight royalty in the past.
GC1985
@DuMaurier: Giancarlo86 is fake. A fraud.
@Tobi: keep up the lies. Still have the love affair for that mediocre actor Tovey or whatever his name is? You masc4masc types seem to lack brain cells. You might be Brian’s secret little fetish.
Xzamilio
@Tobi: Don’t be… that mess got old fast.
GC1985
Tobi… isn’t that the guy that excusing pedophilia on here a while ago? If I recall correctly…
onthemark
Apparently they didn’t name the state “Queensland” for nothing. (Uh oh… I’ll get Br1an started on Queen Victoria again!)
But this 1932 article has been reported on not too long ago; I remember seeing this in some gay publication maybe 5 or 6 years ago.
Invert
@GC1985: you have this thing about pedophilia, you mention it like every few posts you make.
Pedophiliaphilia?
Are you aware of how obvious this is to other people? It’s kinda weird, like one of Brian’s fixations. Like, he’s the straight, misogyny fixated one, you’re fixated on pedophilia. Stop for your own good.
scotshot
@Invert: I don’t believe GC1985 has a “fixation” on pedophilia. Are you attempting to deflect from yourself?
GC1985
@Invert: Um I mentioned it one or twice. There is no obsession. You seem to be another stupid troll showing up out of nowhere. Do you have anything intelligent to say for once? Most of my fixation on here is politics and dealing with inane log cabin gays.
scotshot
There are actually not a large number of them as people in other countries post here. For example Alistair W lives in the Netherlands. A very small number but they scream very loudly.
GC1985
I really can’t deal with these come out of nowhere trolls… what a waste of time. Dealing with these idiots who try to deflect what is really going on is a waste of time.
You have to wonder why most of these guys are staunchly republican. They like small talk and have small minds. Excuse me for addressing a wide variety of topics. I didn’t realize that hurt your pathetic little mind, inert.
Invert
@scotshot: ok sure, that must be it. @GC1985: guffaw, “Inert”, you’re pretty sharp. Darling I wouldn’t have mentioned it if it was just a couple of times, it wouldn’t have stood out to me if it was once or twice. Don’t you recall the fun exchanges you’ve had with Billy Budd about this subject? More than once on more than one thread? And now you bring it into this thread when talking about Tobi?
Maybe these ARE the only times though. Mustn’t have been paying attention. Backwards-ass apology, I know.
I wasn’t trolling you. I know you have a lotta trolls on here but I’m not one of them. I thought you were being a troll but now I feel like one.
Humblest apologies and deepest regrets. I owe you a drink.
Giancarlo86
PEDOPHILE TROLL >>>>>> @GC1985: <<<<<< PEDOPHILE TROLL
GC1985
@Invert: I’ve only mentioned it once or twice and that was it. You seem to have some sort of obsession with the subject that I hardly ever bring up. My focus here is politics. Some guys on here want to lower the age of consent age to 13… I don’t want that. Oh and I had an exchange with Billy Budd about it in an article related to age of consent and some guy getting prosecuted for hooking up with a underage teen on grindr. It was the topic.
You seem to be pretty dull… much like how Bernie was last night. But you’re a republican. So you’re really not worth my time.
Oh and Tobi is a common target on here for many people. Not just me.
The only thing you owe me is to… STFU. I am putting it in more simple terms now.
FAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE = @Giancarlo86: = FAKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
GC1985
If anyone has seen what I post it is mostly dealing with politics and dealing with weird self hating trolls like this fake account “giancarlo86”, ocodone and other right wing trolls. Open your eyes, inert.
Invert
@GC1985: my eyes have been opened, thank you for that. I see who you are now, quite clearly. No wonder you have a problem with so many people here.
I’m not American, you fool, nor am I “Republican”.
I’ll not make the mistake of responding to you again. I’m sorry I offered you an apology. Carry on with your public breakdown.
Tobi
@Invert: I only stop by here to feed the trolls, for my money it’s actually the best bit on Queerty! You’ll find many of the users are one and the same sad deluded dude, ie. GC1985, Giancarlo86, yourkiddingme, etc. obsessing about paedophilia whilst praying that oompa loompa with the dead ferret on its head will get elected POTUS. Hilarious!