Lance Leopard part 1 columns 1993-1994

I looked forward to reading Lance’s columns every fortnight, it was such a highlight. They were in On The Street, Capital Q, the Sydney Star Observer (6 June 1996 to 18 Sept 1997), then back to Capital Q.  As a journalist since the early 1980s, I was totally blown away by Lance Leopard’s stream-of-consciousness columns and his chatty style. I cut out and kept several. Over time, Lance’s writings inspired me to write about the everyday events I attended. He could make a trip to the convenience store next to the Taxi Club at midnight sound hilarious. He was a witty gossip writer who truly captured the 1990s GLBTIQA+ social scene.

Continue reading Lance Leopard part 1 columns 1993-1994

Kevin Rudd’s talk

Mr Rudd was in great form at the Law School today. Chatted in Mandarin for visiting Chinese lawyers, cracked jokes, charmed everyone. He pointed out that it’s important for countries to intervene when there’s a slaughter/genocide happening, such as in Libya and Syria. He said it was a positive modern-day development that international interventions happen nowadays to save civilian populations. On the topic of law studies, he encouraged more Australians to go to China to study Chinese and Chinese law. “It’s tough learning the language, but it has to be done.”

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Professor Lawrence Gostin — US Health care

Went to hear Lawrence Gostin talk about US President Obama’s health care plan, and its chances of being enacted.

Gostin works in the US for a Health Law thinktank. He said Americans are fearful of ending up with a health system similar to Canada or the UK (Australia doesn’t rate on the US radar), which they believe is rationed so noone gets good health care.

Gostin pointed out that the US system is severely rationed — only the well-off can afford to have proper medical coverage.

Continue reading Professor Lawrence Gostin — US Health care

Decriminalisation of drugs

David Marr gave a brilliant talk on decriminalisation of drugs at the Uni of Sydney. He was on a panel chatting about it, and the place was packed out. He said the best way for individuals to help with change is to publicly admit their drug experiences.

I’ve never had any, though H told me she put dope in a curry I ate once (without telling me at the time). I didn’t notice anything. I drove home OK. A couple of days later, I found out. Dunno if that confession will change the world. 😉

The panel said by the age of 40, 60 per cent of the Australian population had tried illegal drugs at least once. Marr said it was disgraceful how the threat of a criminal record and career ruination hung over the lives of those who like to pop a pill for a good time at a dance party on the weekend.

A.C. Grayling: privacy and right to life

Went to A.C. Grayling lecture tonight. He quoted Benjamin Franklin, 1775: “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

He says we should resist having Google and Facebook harvesting all our details, and governments being able to read all our emails. What if our govt isn’t benign one day?

Also, people from conservative cultures might become the dominant online force — maybe we will be made to go back to the days of Mad Men and a lack of equality?

He said some countries (eg. Russia) don’t even have a word for “privacy”.

He told some scary anecdotes about people from countries where privacy doesn’t exist and the govt monitors everything — I won’t mention them here, as he’s on tour in Sydney for the Writer’s Festival and you can see him yourself.

Right to Life: he means quality of life. So, actually: a right to die with dignity when the quality of life plummets.

A pretty radical character with an interesting history.