April 4, 2024 • 35 mins
In this episode of "Coming Out Black," Matika and Courtney interview Tony Lee, the founder of the Kimberly Blak Pride festival. Tony shares his personal journey as a gay First Nations man growing up in Broome, Western Australia, and the challenges he faced living a double life. He discusses the importance of being open and proud of one's identity and how his experiences shaped his commitment to creating a more inclusive and celebratory space for the First Nations LGBTQ+ community.
Tony also provides an overview of the upcoming Kimberly Blak Pride festival, highlighting the diverse range of events and activities that will take place, including a historic queer blak parade, a fashion show curated by renowned artists Bobby and Sky Lockyer, and a symposium on First Nations queer cultural awareness. The episode concludes with Tony expressing his hope that the festival will inspire and empower others, and he encourages listeners to join in the celebration.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Black cast unite our voices.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
This podcast is recorded on Stolen Land. We acknowledge and
pay our respects to our elders, past, present and for
future generations.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Hi.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
I'm a Teka and I'm Courtney and we're two queer
First Nations women passionate about representation for our community. We
created this podcast to share our stories. We want you
to join us on the journey.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You're listening to Coming Out Black.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Hey you Mob, Welcome, Welcome back to another episode of
Coming Out Black. Well, we celebrate the vibrant and resilient
spirit of First Nation's Mob and community members. Today, of
course I'm joined by Courtney.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Today we have a very special treat in store. We're
going to be diving into the colorful world of the
Kimberly Black Pride Festival. It's a week long celebration of culture,
identity and love.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
That's right. So, Kimberly Black Pride is a historic event.
It's the first of its kind in Western Australia and
it's returning for twenty twenty four with even more excitement,
more joy, more queerness. So it goes from April twenty
seventh to May fourth, and the streets of Room are
going to be filled with pride as Galari and Gimme
Club host a bunch of events from parades, fashion shows,
(01:23):
drag shows, everything in between. It's going to be fabulous.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And joining us today is none other than the founder
of the Kimberly Black Pride Festival, Tony Lee. And Tony
has been instrumental in bringing this celebration to life and
we're thrilled to have him here to share his insights
and experiences.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Absolutely, I'm so excited. I know Tony from the first
Nations Committee involved in World Pride and Mardi Gras. Tony
is so cool, So I'm so excited for this conversation today, Tony.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
Welcome, Thanks Mataking, Thanks court me.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Well.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
I guess we always love to have our guests introduce
themselves and talk about you know, who they are, who
your mob is, and how you identify.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yeah, sure, look, Coney, let's go on the under and
a small director of Kimberly Black Pride and our festival,
which we will talk about.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
A bit about later.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
We're on, but my mo bove is here in Rebby
Broom in far northwestern Australia.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Yaru, So I'm a yarrow Man and I identify. So
my pronouncer he is and I'm a go man loves
black one.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
And Tony. Like growing up in Broom, how did you
find your experiences, you know, out on country and with
your community.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
How how does that strong? Yeah, look, it's shaped me
a lot.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
And uh, look I'm going back into uh, you know,
those deep dark ages of what I keep on saying
that people are sort of you know, back in the
dinosaur era.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
Yeah, so back.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
In the seventies, the mid to late seventies, that was
when I was living here in Broom and towards the
end of the nineteen seventies as a gay man, a
young gay man in my late teens, I was being
(03:28):
stifled here in Broom. I knew that for me, living
this double life where you know, all of that pretense
of being not gay.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
Yes, there were family, there were friends that.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I associated with, but it was always Miss Gerade, you
know that I was playing and it really played on
me both physically mentally. I remember, you know, it's stacking
on for instance, I mean hits white. You know, I
(04:09):
was up to about ninety five kilos back in those days,
and this was in my late teens. I was hitting
you know, hitting the alcohol, so you know, with that
pattern of a side a Friday night and you know,
start drinking. I was drinking quite you know, sort of
(04:33):
heavy stuff, spirits, titillas, slammers and with those sorts of things.
And yeah, and it really played on me, as I said,
you know, but physically but also mentally. And I was
really becoming quite quite depressed. And I knew that, and
(04:55):
I knew that.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
If I continued.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
To live here in Boom at that time, where you know,
it was quite small. I mean we had only a
couple of thousand people here, and everybody knew each other.
I mean I was born and raised here, so you
know my family, I see my friends, all of those
(05:18):
people that I grew up with. So yeah, it was
really a difficult time. And so I decided the end
of the nineteen seventies to move down to birth And
I thought, once I got to Perth, I decided never
again would I live a double life.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
You know, that I would be out.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
It didn't necessarily mean that I was, you know, holding
as those days, a proverbial black heart that said I'm gay,
but you know, I certainly would not deny who I was.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
As a gay man.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
So Yeah, that was That was sort of me in
the early days, and it was it was tough, and
I guess sort of I don't know, maybe you know,
some might say that I was to a certain extent,
you know, one of those pile blazers, because I was
(06:24):
one of few people from my hometown that was out
and proud.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
And I mean I'm talking about, as I said, you know,
the late nineteen seventies into the eighties, and and that's
how I've lived my life, you know, and feven with
my family and when my family found out and that
sort of thing, and you know, and I had not enormous.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Difficulties, but I certainly did initially.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And I just said, well, you know, I'm not going
to live a life so on hill. You know, your
son or your grandson, or your brother or your uncle,
and you know, nothing has changed because yesterday I was gay.
(07:17):
And if not just because I've as said words today
to you to say that I'm gay, you know, I'm
not a different person.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
I'm no different. So yeah, that was that was me.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Wow, I'm like getting cheery over here in the studio.
Thank you for sharing that part of your story with us.
And I knew a little bit about it, obviously from
our connection through World Pride. But it's just I always
think it's so valuable to be able to connect with
people who have lived in sort of different chapters of
(07:53):
Australia's queer history. See see what's different, see what's similar.
And I think those the feelings you had back then
are feelings that I'm sure awkward people have experienced at
some point in time, although experiences, of course will will
vary over years and in locations. So absolutely I would
call you a trailblazer. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
Look, and you know that's the thing is that I
suppose you know what.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
I've the way I've lived my life and the things
that I've done, not just you know, as a gay man,
but as a.
Speaker 5 (08:35):
First Nation Sperkland.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
You know, I've always worked in the space, the space
of Indigenous affairs, and it is you.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Know, trying to make I guess sort of someone's life, someone's.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Experience a little easier, you know, somewhat I've experienced and
if I can somehow, you know, do that, then you know,
I feel I've accomplished something, you know, So that that's
sort of where I'm at, you know, And I have
(09:16):
been for a As I've said, for a long long time,
you know, it has always been about trying to make
things a little easy for for our mob, you know,
not only outs It's Nations mob, but uh since the
girls and brother boys, you know, in the our first
(09:39):
Nation's Rainbow family.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
Now, Yeah, you have had an incredible career. Do you
want to, I guess, walk us through some of the
work that you've done over your career.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Oh, look, you'd be here all day, highlight length movie.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yeah, give us some highlights.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
What have you loved to do it? Look, I think it.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I've worked in certainly in the state as well as
that is, in West Australia's State Public Service as well
as the.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Commonwealth Public Service.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
And I did that for many years in senior management position,
but it always in some area of Indigenous affairs, and
that was it was an exciting time.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
I mean we're talking about, you know, the era of.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Whitlam, you know, sort of coming from that era when
you know, certainly self determination and quite a lot of
you know, resources, and there was the empowerment of self
determination that was occurring at that time and I was
part of that, if you want to call it that Revolution,
(10:51):
you know that came out of the sixties.
Speaker 5 (10:56):
And you know the nineteen sixty seven referendum, so and
it was exciting.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
So yes, look, I was in, as I said, the
public Service and senior management, and I worked across quite
a number of different portfolio areas from health, education, into
land into you know, policy development.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
I've worked for three.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
With Australian labor ministers, providing them advice on Aboriginal issues.
And then I back in the mid nineteen nineties, I
was appointed as the Search Indigenous Native Title five Uneral
(11:46):
Member and I spent almost ten years working in that position.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
And this was you know, this was the start of Marble.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I mean we had the Marble Decision and then the
Title Act came into being in nineteen ninety four. The
Tribunal was established soon after, and I was part of
that journey and it was exciting.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
It was.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Exciting working with our mob because most of the work
that I did with in the Tribune was working with
them up right across Australia, not in West Australia, but
in South Australia, Victoria and up in Queensland as well
as the Northern Territory. So that was exciting, but at
(12:33):
the same time, you know, there was there was a lot.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Of heartache as well. You know, there was a lot
of heartache.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
But you know, some thirty years on and you know,
we're we're seeing the benefits of what was done back
in those days. So yeah, and I've you know, I've
run my own consulting business and that sort of thing.
Speaker 5 (13:01):
I've worked in, you know, as the CEO of.
Speaker 6 (13:05):
A number of our cens nations community organizations, so quite diverse,
and now these days I'm pretty much semi retired.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
I'm on a number of different boards than committees, which
eat me. It's things that I'm interested in now that
I do it because I find enormous pleasure in being
part of that and being part of, I guess, sort
(13:39):
of influencing it at a strategic level.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
You know, amazing black really don't crack. You don't look
a day over twenty one.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
I was wondering before we head into you know, about
the festival for all those roles. You know, you're in
so many different places, amongst more amongst people that are
not indigen different age groups at all different levels, and
I wanted to understand.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
I wanted to ask.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
You, you know, were you were you out? And like
what do people know, you know at that time, particularly
you know, the seventies, eighties, and what was it? I
guess what was it like being in those spaces, In
some of those spaces, you may have been probably the only,
the only First Nations gay person.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I was open. I was open,
you know. Yeah, that's so great. I love that so so.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Yes, as I said, I wasn't you know, a person
that necessarily held up a placard.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
I wasn't. I wouldn't say that I was, you know,
a radical gay black man. But I did it in
the way that you know, I felt was right for me.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
And that is but I you know, I lived in
open life, day life, and you know, I made no
bones about that.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
I didn't lie.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
And you know, I just hope that there were others
that you know, somehow felt the courage or you know.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
The strength from seeing me being open and saying it
can be okay.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
I don't have to go through all of that suffering
or agony or living a double life, you know. And
I know that there were still friends, there were relatives
that sounded difficult.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
They still found it difficult.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
You know, But that was their journey and as we know,
you know all of us, is that tragedy did strike
at times, you know, suicide and suicide, ideation and you
know all of those addictive behaviors as well.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
So yeah, well it.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Just goes to show, I guess the value of being
out and being proud and celebrating who you are, which
of course is so perfect for something like Kimberly Black Pride.
Do you want to talk us through sort of how
it came to be and what's happening.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Yeah, look, well it goes back to Sydney World Pride
and as as you're aware, I mean at that time
it's that Sydney World Pride play along with Marti guer
I mean they were offering small grounds.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I think it was up to.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Like five thousand dollars to Third Nation's mob right across
Australia to to you know, put on a watch part
that would coincide either with the Sydney World Pride opening
concert or Sydney Gay and Lesbian Marti guar Braid. And
(17:17):
we were lucky we were one of three First Nations mob.
The only one in went to Saila that was the
recipient of that Granton. Yeah, we put on a watch
party here on the twenty third of February twenty twenty
three that coincided with the Sydney World Pride opening comset,
(17:42):
and we pulled it off.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
I mean, we were just so lucky. We had Galary.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Media as our events manager and partner and they just
came on board and it was just absolutely same aspect.
And that was the thing is that when I got back,
everyone just said, wow, you know, we have never ever
experienced an event like that where a real sense of
(18:15):
community and belongings. Heading in mind is that you know,
I'll see a black population here in Boom is not
all that high.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
And yet we had you know, between over.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Three hundred people that attended the event and most of them,
most of them were friends and family and allies, and
you know we even had you know, an older still
out area and Jay time alone. Now all those kind
along and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Speaker 5 (18:50):
And you know, I could see some of them in
the stud so I.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
And we're all ghost up and so when are you
going to had you make party?
Speaker 5 (19:02):
I love that so much.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah, but that was the thing is that, really, you know,
because we know, you know, these.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Are our family.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
This is our oldest you know, and we're part of
the community.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
We're part of these families. And that's the thing is to.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Say come, come be part of you know, our if
I can say queer Black world, you know, for a time,
to see us celebrating, to see us enjoying being ourselves,
you know, in that space environment, that empowering environment, and
(19:48):
that's what we wanted to create and we did.
Speaker 5 (19:51):
We created that.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
That event back in you know, February twenty twenty three.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
So yeah, so when I got back, people were saying,
when are you going to have the next event? Dancing?
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
And anyway, but I got chatting. I got chatting to
Frank and Kira at Galary and I said, well, what
are we.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
Going to do?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
And I just said, well, that's that's really up to you,
you know, And I said.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
That's what we have a festival? Why don't we have
a nine days vegetable? What are the highlights? What are
we what being a community? Look everything, that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
That's the thing is, you know, as far as I know,
certainly we know here in the Kimberly, but we believe
in Western Australia and probably in Australia. There's this hasn't
been such a you know, First Nations Rainbow festival like
this that is quite diverse, you know.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
So yeah, look it is unique, it is historic.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
And that's the thing is every single event, you know,
celebrate and bides visibility, you know, to our queer mob
in some way.
Speaker 5 (21:21):
And that's the thing is bringing bringing.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
That visibility and that celebration to and to also show
that hey there's depth as well.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
There's depth to us in our celebration what we do.
It isn't just about a dance party.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
You know.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Yeah, look that's great. You know that that'll be great.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
That's FINALI that'll be at the end of the nine
days of festivities.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
But you know, we'll have a historic for black parade
has never happened.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
No one in the Kimberly has ever marched in the
streets of Browtin we.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Amp, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
And we'll be yeah, with our elders, with our family,
with our friends, with our allies, with community, with our
business partners and sponsors and that.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
So yeah, but that's you know, that's that's on this moturday.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
And it wasn't good being able to work in the
streets and broom, you know as absolutely, you know. And
then yeah, we're going to have our little fair day
which will have our official opening, welcome to country, smoking ceremony,
(22:44):
that sort of thing will.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
Be straight after the parade. We'll have a whole lot
of activity.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
That will be about engaging our community, families, young people, children,
you know kids, all of those sorts of activities like
safe painting, bouncey tarsles, those.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
Sorts of activity.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
But also they'll be you know, some of the organizations
like our Average and Medical Services thirty in Yam where
black where purple, so they'll be there. We've got some
of our queer organizations from Perth will be here and
(23:34):
you know it will be about providing that sort of
information and awareness to our mob as well in that
once again that sort of safe environment.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
On the Sunday night.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
We've got award winning queer Black writers that are going
to be putting on an event. And these are tied
with our First Nations mother Blah Books, which is you know,
Australia's premiere First Nations publishing house here in Australia that
(24:10):
I happen to also be the chairman of that board.
But you know we've published a number of queer black
writers and.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
They're coming for the events, so.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
You know, sharing their stories, their inspiration, but also how
you know they're queerness, they shaped their writing, you know.
So yeah, that'll be on the Sunday night. The Monday
night we've got quieroki or karaoke, so.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
That'll be fun. That'll be fun. You know, let's as
they say, let.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Your hair down a bit and yeah see you know,
who knows, maybe there'll be another Australian idol that might be.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
I come out of it.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
That's the next progressive step for you. Naturally, I think
feel like, what's your what's your queriokey song? Have you practicing?
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Look, I'm not I'm not going to be singing. I
don't leave that up to others. But you know, the Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Night is we're having and you know proud fashion show
that is being curated by Bobby Lockey around his sister
Sky you know, yeah absolutely. I mean, as you know,
Bobby was the Mad Doctor. Yeah, Artists of the Year
(25:39):
and you know as well as this accomplished artists A Thomas,
both of them, you know, fashion designers and they have
roots here to Broom, you know, they have roots here
to broom and.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
Yeah, so they're curating a station show.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
We're going to have you know, not cure professional models,
but it'll be people from the community include and you
know across all ages, across all sizes, across all genders.
You know that's that. Yeah, once again, this real community event.
(26:21):
On the Wednesday night, we've got queer movies under the
stars and you know, thanks to Clear Screen who have
curaded but for us, but we're going to be showing
first Nations, Australian first nations queer movies as well. It's
a menternational ones once again, you know, showcasing our flirtations.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Clear mob, you know, through through through the screens.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Free, isn't it?
Speaker 5 (26:52):
It is? Most of our events are free. You know,
most of our events are free. And that was the
whole thing. And you know, through the.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Generous sponsorship, financial sponsorships that we have received.
Speaker 5 (27:08):
That's why most of our events we have as free.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
So that mob, you know, whether they're a queer mob
or they're just family and friends or elders et cetera,
that they can come along to our events and be
part of that without sort of saying I can't afford it,
you know. Yeah, So and that's the thing is that
(27:35):
at least fifty percent of our tickets where you know,
where we're selling tickets, we're holding back as complimentary tickets
so that we can distribute that to our older, unmaged people,
young people who you know are so extremely important being.
Speaker 5 (27:55):
Part of all of this journey, this celebration. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
And then we've got our famous Blackball drag Bingo and that's.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
Going to be with me Ida home only.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Boo debuted last year in our extravaganza, and you know
that's there's a story in that never before had miss Idahomo,
you know, graced our stage as a drag queen. And
I can remember, you know, I'm saying to me, but
(28:31):
I've never done this before, but I want to do it.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
No, I can't do it.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And you know, this was constant conversations I would have,
you know, hours on end and saying, well, really, at
the end of the day, that's up to you. And
if at the you know, eleventh hour, you decide you
don't want to be part of it, that's fine, you know.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
And here you know, just that.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Self confidence, we talk about self confidence, about self esteem,
all of those sorts of things. Heah, you know that
one event, that couple of hours, what it did to.
Speaker 5 (29:10):
Mess Aida Homo and you know, and then you know,
I went.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
To the Drag Queen Expo over Melbourne, you know, later
on last year, so you know, and that I guess
sort of when I look back and any of these
we can change, you know, through the festival, we can
(29:43):
change lives for the positives. Then we've done a job,
you know, and it doesn't matter how small it is.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
You know, Oh my god, there's so much on I
want to go. I'm everyone listening wants to go. We
will absolutely be sharing if around, tickets, free events, all
of those things on our Instagram.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
But I will talk about the symposium because you know,
that's a little bit more. If I can say, you know,
a bit of on the serious side is that you know,
we've got a couple of research projects that are happening
up in mckimberley for First Nation's Queer Young Mob and
(30:30):
so those preliminary findings are going to be presented at
the symposium.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
One of the things, and one of the things that
I was pushing as.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Well, is that they're doing is developing a if I
can say.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
You know, a First Nations quere cultural awareness training for
our Aboriginal community controlled health organizations.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
So you know this is this is going to be presented.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
But you know, when we talk about strategic I is
one person card to do all of those things. But
you know, if we get this up and running, it
will have impact right across our average whole community controlled
organizations you know, and the way that they provide their services,
activities at Freater to our clear mob you know.
Speaker 5 (31:29):
Here in the Kimberley.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
And it's not just even though the festival is being
held in room. You know, we're going to also live
stream that event, so you'll be able to also register
for that. So even if you don't live in the Kimberley,
my teak in Courtney, you can alsot you know, come
(31:51):
online with that.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
It is exciting, it's a little bit of everything, something
for every single person. I can't wait to watch the
live streams.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Then your yeah, yeah, well look and that's the thing
I think it'll be.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
It'll be absolutely you know, it'll have application to a mob.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Right across the country as well, that's the thing, you know,
and hopefully you know it'll it maybe provide from open
some doors for other mob across the country as well,
you know, and ideas. We don't have monopoly on my ideas.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yeah, absolutely, And I just love the showcase of how
intersectional our mob is. Know only can we sing, we
can dance, we can look good in our clothes, we
can write, we can make movies, and I think this
festival really shows yeah us in all of our you know,
amazing disciplines.
Speaker 5 (32:48):
And just how much how much do you have year?
Speaker 2 (32:51):
It's amazing, So I can't wait to hear all about it.
We're going to share heaps, you know, on the page
and hopefully get there at some point, whether it's this year,
next year, it's a bit of a check from where
we are. But yeah, look, I just wanted to say,
you know, firstly, this is an amazing experience, and you know,
we're going to obviously encourage any mob or you know,
anyone that listens to our podcast who's around the area
(33:13):
to to jump in and also be there to make
history on that march. I think that's that's so special
in something that you know, now that I've learned so
much about your your history, Tony, I'm not surprised that
you're leading this at all, but.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
We are.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
You know just so I guess like I'm just in
awe firstly and just inspired to to see you know
how amazing you know, our Queer Black Mobile, but just
the impact that one person can make, and like you
said before about the many different stories different people have
gone on, different journeys, even just after attending this festival once,
you know, I think you really have made that impact
(33:49):
that you know you set to make out when you
were younger, you know, coming out, and that's something that
you know, we're really passionate about here. So we Yeah,
just so thankful for having you on and looking forward
to not only following the festival, but just your story
as yeah, as time goes by, and yeah, look you
know for your mob, this is a this is an
(34:09):
event not to be missed and yeah, get yourself down there. Yeah,
thank you so much again Tony for with us today,
you know, not only the story about your about your event,
but just yourself as well. I think is a is
an incredible worry and one that you know so many
people need to listen to, so really appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Again. No, thank and thank you to both of you
for you know, reaching out because you know it's our
journey here what we're doing can also inspire someone somewhere,
you know, then that also is awesome.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
You know, I mean that's that's absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
And yeah, we've now got flicked a bit of side
void and we're going to be part thing. We're going
to be having a great time and it will be
yeah historic, thank you.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
I can't wait. Okay, well I'll let you go, Tony,
And we can't wait to see all of the incredible
things that go on the festival.
Speaker 5 (35:18):
Sure, okay, watched.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Yeah, just keep watching our page, our Facebook page, Kimberly
Black Part and yeah, we'll be we'll be a threat,
posting a lot of titos and video clips from some
of the journey that you know, it's through the festival
as well
Black cast unite our voices.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
This podcast is recorded on Stolen Land. We acknowledge and
pay our respects to our elders, past, present and for
future generations.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Hi.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
I'm a Teka and I'm Courtney and we're two queer
First Nations women passionate about representation for our community. We
created this podcast to share our stories. We want you
to join us on the journey.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
You're listening to Coming Out Black.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
Hey you Mob, Welcome, Welcome back to another episode of
Coming Out Black. Well, we celebrate the vibrant and resilient
spirit of First Nation's Mob and community members. Today, of
course I'm joined by Courtney.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Hello.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Today we have a very special treat in store. We're
going to be diving into the colorful world of the
Kimberly Black Pride Festival. It's a week long celebration of culture,
identity and love.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
That's right. So, Kimberly Black Pride is a historic event.
It's the first of its kind in Western Australia and
it's returning for twenty twenty four with even more excitement,
more joy, more queerness. So it goes from April twenty
seventh to May fourth, and the streets of Room are
going to be filled with pride as Galari and Gimme
Club host a bunch of events from parades, fashion shows,
(01:23):
drag shows, everything in between. It's going to be fabulous.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
And joining us today is none other than the founder
of the Kimberly Black Pride Festival, Tony Lee. And Tony
has been instrumental in bringing this celebration to life and
we're thrilled to have him here to share his insights
and experiences.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
Absolutely, I'm so excited. I know Tony from the first
Nations Committee involved in World Pride and Mardi Gras. Tony
is so cool, So I'm so excited for this conversation today, Tony.
Speaker 5 (01:46):
Welcome, Thanks Mataking, Thanks court me.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Well.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
I guess we always love to have our guests introduce
themselves and talk about you know, who they are, who
your mob is, and how you identify.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
Yeah, sure, look, Coney, let's go on the under and
a small director of Kimberly Black Pride and our festival,
which we will talk about.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
A bit about later.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
We're on, but my mo bove is here in Rebby
Broom in far northwestern Australia.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
Yaru, So I'm a yarrow Man and I identify. So
my pronouncer he is and I'm a go man loves
black one.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
And Tony. Like growing up in Broom, how did you
find your experiences, you know, out on country and with
your community.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
How how does that strong? Yeah, look, it's shaped me
a lot.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
And uh, look I'm going back into uh, you know,
those deep dark ages of what I keep on saying
that people are sort of you know, back in the
dinosaur era.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
Yeah, so back.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
In the seventies, the mid to late seventies, that was
when I was living here in Broom and towards the
end of the nineteen seventies as a gay man, a
young gay man in my late teens, I was being
(03:28):
stifled here in Broom. I knew that for me, living
this double life where you know, all of that pretense
of being not gay.
Speaker 5 (03:43):
Yes, there were family, there were friends that.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I associated with, but it was always Miss Gerade, you
know that I was playing and it really played on
me both physically mentally. I remember, you know, it's stacking
on for instance, I mean hits white. You know, I
(04:09):
was up to about ninety five kilos back in those days,
and this was in my late teens. I was hitting
you know, hitting the alcohol, so you know, with that
pattern of a side a Friday night and you know,
start drinking. I was drinking quite you know, sort of
(04:33):
heavy stuff, spirits, titillas, slammers and with those sorts of things.
And yeah, and it really played on me, as I said,
you know, but physically but also mentally. And I was
really becoming quite quite depressed. And I knew that, and
(04:55):
I knew that.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
If I continued.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
To live here in Boom at that time, where you know,
it was quite small. I mean we had only a
couple of thousand people here, and everybody knew each other.
I mean I was born and raised here, so you
know my family, I see my friends, all of those
(05:18):
people that I grew up with. So yeah, it was
really a difficult time. And so I decided the end
of the nineteen seventies to move down to birth And
I thought, once I got to Perth, I decided never
again would I live a double life.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
You know, that I would be out.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
It didn't necessarily mean that I was, you know, holding
as those days, a proverbial black heart that said I'm gay,
but you know, I certainly would not deny who I was.
Speaker 5 (05:59):
As a gay man.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
So Yeah, that was That was sort of me in
the early days, and it was it was tough, and
I guess sort of I don't know, maybe you know,
some might say that I was to a certain extent,
you know, one of those pile blazers, because I was
(06:24):
one of few people from my hometown that was out
and proud.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
And I mean I'm talking about, as I said, you know,
the late nineteen seventies into the eighties, and and that's
how I've lived my life, you know, and feven with
my family and when my family found out and that
sort of thing, and you know, and I had not enormous.
Speaker 5 (06:52):
Difficulties, but I certainly did initially.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And I just said, well, you know, I'm not going
to live a life so on hill. You know, your
son or your grandson, or your brother or your uncle,
and you know, nothing has changed because yesterday I was gay.
(07:17):
And if not just because I've as said words today
to you to say that I'm gay, you know, I'm
not a different person.
Speaker 5 (07:28):
I'm no different. So yeah, that was that was me.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Wow, I'm like getting cheery over here in the studio.
Thank you for sharing that part of your story with us.
And I knew a little bit about it, obviously from
our connection through World Pride. But it's just I always
think it's so valuable to be able to connect with
people who have lived in sort of different chapters of
(07:53):
Australia's queer history. See see what's different, see what's similar.
And I think those the feelings you had back then
are feelings that I'm sure awkward people have experienced at
some point in time, although experiences, of course will will
vary over years and in locations. So absolutely I would
call you a trailblazer. Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (08:18):
Look, and you know that's the thing is that I
suppose you know what.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
I've the way I've lived my life and the things
that I've done, not just you know, as a gay man,
but as a.
Speaker 5 (08:35):
First Nation Sperkland.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
You know, I've always worked in the space, the space
of Indigenous affairs, and it is you.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Know, trying to make I guess sort of someone's life, someone's.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Experience a little easier, you know, somewhat I've experienced and
if I can somehow, you know, do that, then you know,
I feel I've accomplished something, you know, So that that's
sort of where I'm at, you know, And I have
(09:16):
been for a As I've said, for a long long time,
you know, it has always been about trying to make
things a little easy for for our mob, you know,
not only outs It's Nations mob, but uh since the
girls and brother boys, you know, in the our first
(09:39):
Nation's Rainbow family.
Speaker 5 (09:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:42):
Now, Yeah, you have had an incredible career. Do you
want to, I guess, walk us through some of the
work that you've done over your career.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Oh, look, you'd be here all day, highlight length movie.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yeah, give us some highlights.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
What have you loved to do it? Look, I think it.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
I've worked in certainly in the state as well as
that is, in West Australia's State Public Service as well
as the.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
Commonwealth Public Service.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
And I did that for many years in senior management position,
but it always in some area of Indigenous affairs, and
that was it was an exciting time.
Speaker 5 (10:25):
I mean we're talking about, you know, the era of.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
Whitlam, you know, sort of coming from that era when
you know, certainly self determination and quite a lot of
you know, resources, and there was the empowerment of self
determination that was occurring at that time and I was
part of that, if you want to call it that Revolution,
(10:51):
you know that came out of the sixties.
Speaker 5 (10:56):
And you know the nineteen sixty seven referendum, so and
it was exciting.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
So yes, look, I was in, as I said, the
public Service and senior management, and I worked across quite
a number of different portfolio areas from health, education, into
land into you know, policy development.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
I've worked for three.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
With Australian labor ministers, providing them advice on Aboriginal issues.
And then I back in the mid nineteen nineties, I
was appointed as the Search Indigenous Native Title five Uneral
(11:46):
Member and I spent almost ten years working in that position.
Speaker 5 (11:50):
And this was you know, this was the start of Marble.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I mean we had the Marble Decision and then the
Title Act came into being in nineteen ninety four. The
Tribunal was established soon after, and I was part of
that journey and it was exciting.
Speaker 5 (12:09):
It was.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Exciting working with our mob because most of the work
that I did with in the Tribune was working with
them up right across Australia, not in West Australia, but
in South Australia, Victoria and up in Queensland as well
as the Northern Territory. So that was exciting, but at
(12:33):
the same time, you know, there was there was a lot.
Speaker 5 (12:37):
Of heartache as well. You know, there was a lot
of heartache.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
But you know, some thirty years on and you know,
we're we're seeing the benefits of what was done back
in those days. So yeah, and I've you know, I've
run my own consulting business and that sort of thing.
Speaker 5 (13:01):
I've worked in, you know, as the CEO of.
Speaker 6 (13:05):
A number of our cens nations community organizations, so quite diverse,
and now these days I'm pretty much semi retired.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
I'm on a number of different boards than committees, which
eat me. It's things that I'm interested in now that
I do it because I find enormous pleasure in being
part of that and being part of, I guess, sort
(13:39):
of influencing it at a strategic level.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
You know, amazing black really don't crack. You don't look
a day over twenty one.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
I was wondering before we head into you know, about
the festival for all those roles. You know, you're in
so many different places, amongst more amongst people that are
not indigen different age groups at all different levels, and
I wanted to understand.
Speaker 5 (14:08):
I wanted to ask.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
You, you know, were you were you out? And like
what do people know, you know at that time, particularly
you know, the seventies, eighties, and what was it? I
guess what was it like being in those spaces, In
some of those spaces, you may have been probably the only,
the only First Nations gay person.
Speaker 5 (14:26):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I was open. I was open,
you know. Yeah, that's so great. I love that so so.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
Yes, as I said, I wasn't you know, a person
that necessarily held up a placard.
Speaker 5 (14:45):
I wasn't. I wouldn't say that I was, you know,
a radical gay black man. But I did it in
the way that you know, I felt was right for me.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
And that is but I you know, I lived in
open life, day life, and you know, I made no
bones about that.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
I didn't lie.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
And you know, I just hope that there were others
that you know, somehow felt the courage or you know.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
The strength from seeing me being open and saying it
can be okay.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
I don't have to go through all of that suffering
or agony or living a double life, you know. And
I know that there were still friends, there were relatives
that sounded difficult.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
They still found it difficult.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
You know, But that was their journey and as we know,
you know all of us, is that tragedy did strike
at times, you know, suicide and suicide, ideation and you
know all of those addictive behaviors as well.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
So yeah, well it.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Just goes to show, I guess the value of being
out and being proud and celebrating who you are, which
of course is so perfect for something like Kimberly Black Pride.
Do you want to talk us through sort of how
it came to be and what's happening.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Yeah, look, well it goes back to Sydney World Pride
and as as you're aware, I mean at that time
it's that Sydney World Pride play along with Marti guer
I mean they were offering small grounds.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
I think it was up to.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Like five thousand dollars to Third Nation's mob right across
Australia to to you know, put on a watch part
that would coincide either with the Sydney World Pride opening
concert or Sydney Gay and Lesbian Marti guar Braid. And
(17:17):
we were lucky we were one of three First Nations mob.
The only one in went to Saila that was the
recipient of that Granton. Yeah, we put on a watch
party here on the twenty third of February twenty twenty
three that coincided with the Sydney World Pride opening comset,
(17:42):
and we pulled it off.
Speaker 5 (17:44):
I mean, we were just so lucky. We had Galary.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Media as our events manager and partner and they just
came on board and it was just absolutely same aspect.
And that was the thing is that when I got back,
everyone just said, wow, you know, we have never ever
experienced an event like that where a real sense of
(18:15):
community and belongings. Heading in mind is that you know,
I'll see a black population here in Boom is not
all that high.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
And yet we had you know, between over.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Three hundred people that attended the event and most of them,
most of them were friends and family and allies, and
you know we even had you know, an older still
out area and Jay time alone. Now all those kind
along and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Speaker 5 (18:50):
And you know, I could see some of them in
the stud so I.
Speaker 1 (18:55):
And we're all ghost up and so when are you
going to had you make party?
Speaker 5 (19:02):
I love that so much.
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah, but that was the thing is that, really, you know,
because we know, you know, these.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Are our family.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
This is our oldest you know, and we're part of
the community.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
We're part of these families. And that's the thing is to.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Say come, come be part of you know, our if
I can say queer Black world, you know, for a time,
to see us celebrating, to see us enjoying being ourselves,
you know, in that space environment, that empowering environment, and
(19:48):
that's what we wanted to create and we did.
Speaker 5 (19:51):
We created that.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
That event back in you know, February twenty twenty three.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
So yeah, so when I got back, people were saying,
when are you going to have the next event? Dancing?
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
And anyway, but I got chatting. I got chatting to
Frank and Kira at Galary and I said, well, what
are we.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
Going to do?
Speaker 1 (20:19):
And I just said, well, that's that's really up to you,
you know, And I said.
Speaker 5 (20:25):
That's what we have a festival? Why don't we have
a nine days vegetable? What are the highlights? What are
we what being a community? Look everything, that's the thing.
Speaker 1 (20:40):
That's the thing is, you know, as far as I know,
certainly we know here in the Kimberly, but we believe
in Western Australia and probably in Australia. There's this hasn't
been such a you know, First Nations Rainbow festival like
this that is quite diverse, you know.
Speaker 5 (21:03):
So yeah, look it is unique, it is historic.
Speaker 1 (21:07):
And that's the thing is every single event, you know,
celebrate and bides visibility, you know, to our queer mob
in some way.
Speaker 5 (21:21):
And that's the thing is bringing bringing.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
That visibility and that celebration to and to also show
that hey there's depth as well.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
There's depth to us in our celebration what we do.
It isn't just about a dance party.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
You know.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Yeah, look that's great. You know that that'll be great.
Speaker 1 (21:45):
That's FINALI that'll be at the end of the nine
days of festivities.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
But you know, we'll have a historic for black parade
has never happened.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
No one in the Kimberly has ever marched in the
streets of Browtin we.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Amp, you know.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
And we'll be yeah, with our elders, with our family,
with our friends, with our allies, with community, with our
business partners and sponsors and that.
Speaker 5 (22:16):
So yeah, but that's you know, that's that's on this moturday.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
And it wasn't good being able to work in the
streets and broom, you know as absolutely, you know. And
then yeah, we're going to have our little fair day
which will have our official opening, welcome to country, smoking ceremony,
(22:44):
that sort of thing will.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
Be straight after the parade. We'll have a whole lot
of activity.
Speaker 1 (22:54):
That will be about engaging our community, families, young people, children,
you know kids, all of those sorts of activities like
safe painting, bouncey tarsles, those.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
Sorts of activity.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
But also they'll be you know, some of the organizations
like our Average and Medical Services thirty in Yam where
black where purple, so they'll be there. We've got some
of our queer organizations from Perth will be here and
(23:34):
you know it will be about providing that sort of
information and awareness to our mob as well in that
once again that sort of safe environment.
Speaker 5 (23:47):
On the Sunday night.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
We've got award winning queer Black writers that are going
to be putting on an event. And these are tied
with our First Nations mother Blah Books, which is you know,
Australia's premiere First Nations publishing house here in Australia that
(24:10):
I happen to also be the chairman of that board.
But you know we've published a number of queer black
writers and.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
They're coming for the events, so.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
You know, sharing their stories, their inspiration, but also how
you know they're queerness, they shaped their writing, you know.
So yeah, that'll be on the Sunday night. The Monday
night we've got quieroki or karaoke, so.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
That'll be fun. That'll be fun. You know, let's as
they say, let.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Your hair down a bit and yeah see you know,
who knows, maybe there'll be another Australian idol that might be.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
I come out of it.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
That's the next progressive step for you. Naturally, I think
feel like, what's your what's your queriokey song? Have you practicing?
Speaker 5 (25:10):
Look, I'm not I'm not going to be singing. I
don't leave that up to others. But you know, the Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
Night is we're having and you know proud fashion show
that is being curated by Bobby Lockey around his sister
Sky you know, yeah absolutely. I mean, as you know,
Bobby was the Mad Doctor. Yeah, Artists of the Year
(25:39):
and you know as well as this accomplished artists A Thomas,
both of them, you know, fashion designers and they have
roots here to Broom, you know, they have roots here
to broom and.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
Yeah, so they're curating a station show.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
We're going to have you know, not cure professional models,
but it'll be people from the community include and you
know across all ages, across all sizes, across all genders.
You know that's that. Yeah, once again, this real community event.
(26:21):
On the Wednesday night, we've got queer movies under the
stars and you know, thanks to Clear Screen who have
curaded but for us, but we're going to be showing
first Nations, Australian first nations queer movies as well. It's
a menternational ones once again, you know, showcasing our flirtations.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
Clear mob, you know, through through through the screens.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
Free, isn't it?
Speaker 5 (26:52):
It is? Most of our events are free. You know,
most of our events are free. And that was the
whole thing. And you know, through the.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Generous sponsorship, financial sponsorships that we have received.
Speaker 5 (27:08):
That's why most of our events we have as free.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
So that mob, you know, whether they're a queer mob
or they're just family and friends or elders et cetera,
that they can come along to our events and be
part of that without sort of saying I can't afford it,
you know. Yeah, So and that's the thing is that
(27:35):
at least fifty percent of our tickets where you know,
where we're selling tickets, we're holding back as complimentary tickets
so that we can distribute that to our older, unmaged people,
young people who you know are so extremely important being.
Speaker 5 (27:55):
Part of all of this journey, this celebration. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
And then we've got our famous Blackball drag Bingo and that's.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
Going to be with me Ida home only.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Boo debuted last year in our extravaganza, and you know
that's there's a story in that never before had miss Idahomo,
you know, graced our stage as a drag queen. And
I can remember, you know, I'm saying to me, but
(28:31):
I've never done this before, but I want to do it.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
No, I can't do it.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
And you know, this was constant conversations I would have,
you know, hours on end and saying, well, really, at
the end of the day, that's up to you. And
if at the you know, eleventh hour, you decide you
don't want to be part of it, that's fine, you know.
Speaker 5 (28:54):
And here you know, just that.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
Self confidence, we talk about self confidence, about self esteem,
all of those sorts of things. Heah, you know that
one event, that couple of hours, what it did to.
Speaker 5 (29:10):
Mess Aida Homo and you know, and then you know,
I went.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
To the Drag Queen Expo over Melbourne, you know, later
on last year, so you know, and that I guess
sort of when I look back and any of these
we can change, you know, through the festival, we can
(29:43):
change lives for the positives. Then we've done a job,
you know, and it doesn't matter how small it is.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
You know, Oh my god, there's so much on I
want to go. I'm everyone listening wants to go. We
will absolutely be sharing if around, tickets, free events, all
of those things on our Instagram.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
But I will talk about the symposium because you know,
that's a little bit more. If I can say, you know,
a bit of on the serious side is that you know,
we've got a couple of research projects that are happening
up in mckimberley for First Nation's Queer Young Mob and
(30:30):
so those preliminary findings are going to be presented at
the symposium.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
One of the things, and one of the things that
I was pushing as.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Well, is that they're doing is developing a if I
can say.
Speaker 3 (30:47):
You know, a First Nations quere cultural awareness training for
our Aboriginal community controlled health organizations.
Speaker 5 (31:00):
So you know this is this is going to be presented.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
But you know, when we talk about strategic I is
one person card to do all of those things. But
you know, if we get this up and running, it
will have impact right across our average whole community controlled
organizations you know, and the way that they provide their services,
activities at Freater to our clear mob you know.
Speaker 5 (31:29):
Here in the Kimberley.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
And it's not just even though the festival is being
held in room. You know, we're going to also live
stream that event, so you'll be able to also register
for that. So even if you don't live in the Kimberley,
my teak in Courtney, you can alsot you know, come
(31:51):
online with that.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
It is exciting, it's a little bit of everything, something
for every single person. I can't wait to watch the
live streams.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Then your yeah, yeah, well look and that's the thing
I think it'll be.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
It'll be absolutely you know, it'll have application to a mob.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Right across the country as well, that's the thing, you know,
and hopefully you know it'll it maybe provide from open
some doors for other mob across the country as well,
you know, and ideas. We don't have monopoly on my ideas.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Yeah, absolutely, And I just love the showcase of how
intersectional our mob is. Know only can we sing, we
can dance, we can look good in our clothes, we
can write, we can make movies, and I think this
festival really shows yeah us in all of our you know,
amazing disciplines.
Speaker 5 (32:48):
And just how much how much do you have year?
Speaker 2 (32:51):
It's amazing, So I can't wait to hear all about it.
We're going to share heaps, you know, on the page
and hopefully get there at some point, whether it's this year,
next year, it's a bit of a check from where
we are. But yeah, look, I just wanted to say,
you know, firstly, this is an amazing experience, and you know,
we're going to obviously encourage any mob or you know,
anyone that listens to our podcast who's around the area
(33:13):
to to jump in and also be there to make
history on that march. I think that's that's so special
in something that you know, now that I've learned so
much about your your history, Tony, I'm not surprised that
you're leading this at all, but.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
We are.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
You know just so I guess like I'm just in
awe firstly and just inspired to to see you know
how amazing you know, our Queer Black Mobile, but just
the impact that one person can make, and like you
said before about the many different stories different people have
gone on, different journeys, even just after attending this festival once,
you know, I think you really have made that impact
(33:49):
that you know you set to make out when you
were younger, you know, coming out, and that's something that
you know, we're really passionate about here. So we Yeah,
just so thankful for having you on and looking forward
to not only following the festival, but just your story
as yeah, as time goes by, and yeah, look you
know for your mob, this is a this is an
(34:09):
event not to be missed and yeah, get yourself down there. Yeah,
thank you so much again Tony for with us today,
you know, not only the story about your about your event,
but just yourself as well. I think is a is
an incredible worry and one that you know so many
people need to listen to, so really appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Again. No, thank and thank you to both of you
for you know, reaching out because you know it's our
journey here what we're doing can also inspire someone somewhere,
you know, then that also is awesome.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
You know, I mean that's that's absolutely fantastic.
Speaker 1 (34:55):
And yeah, we've now got flicked a bit of side
void and we're going to be part thing. We're going
to be having a great time and it will be
yeah historic, thank you.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
I can't wait. Okay, well I'll let you go, Tony,
And we can't wait to see all of the incredible
things that go on the festival.
Speaker 5 (35:18):
Sure, okay, watched.
Speaker 1 (35:21):
Yeah, just keep watching our page, our Facebook page, Kimberly
Black Part and yeah, we'll be we'll be a threat,
posting a lot of titos and video clips from some
of the journey that you know, it's through the festival
as well
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