Monthly Archives: July 2014

BEYOND PRISCILLA: HOBART LAUNCH

Beyond Priscilla: one gay man, one gay truck, one big idea…

WLF2014-02-DanielWitthaus-088 1 copy

5:00pm for a 5:30pm start.
Thursday 14th August
Fullers Bookshop, 131 Collins Street, Hobart, Tasmania 7000

Join Daniel Witthaus as he details his 266-consecutive day drive through regional, rural and remote Australia to challenge homophobia one cuppa at a time.

Meet Daniel, grab a signed copy and enjoy a wine after work.

RSVP: rsvp@fullersbookshop.com.au

AIDS 2014: YOUTH PAVILLION READING

In case you missed it, AIDS2014 took over Melbourne and electrified it for a week (and the days surrounding it).

Daniel was asked by the Youth Pavilion organisers to do a Beyond Priscilla reading, as well as to talk about some of the challenges facing young LGBTI people in rural communities, and what they are doing in response.

Whilst there, Daniel took time to catch up with friends he hadn’t seen for a number of years (back when he was travelling the world with The Global Alliance for LGBT Education).

danrubenaids2014b

BROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCE: FRANKSTON

Daniel travelled to the outskirts of Melbourne, dropping in on a combined class at an alternative school run by the Brotherhood of St Laurence.  Local teacher, Kellie Frisco, invited Daniel to deliver a Beyond ‘That’s So Gay!’ workshop to a group of students and enthusiastic teachers.

dankelliefranga14

MARRIAGE EQUALITY: REGIONAL/RURAL WORKSHOPS

Picking up where they left off in 2011 and 2012, Australian Marriage Equality have asked Daniel to partner them in delivering Marriage Equality workshops across regional and rural electorates.  Designed to help locals develop their stories and challenging homophobia skills, the workshops see an upswing in locals telling their stories to their local MP and media outlets.

Already Daniel has joined the tireless AME team for the electorate of Corangamite (Geelong, Colac) and Farrer (Albury through to Broken Hill).  Find out more here:
www.australianmarriageequality.org/werewaiting/were-waiting-visits/

danshelleyrodneycorang14(With AME National Director, Rodney Croome, & PFLAG National Spokesperson, Shelley Argent)

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(Farrer workshop participants)

 

VENTURERS (SCOUTS & CUBS) IN WESTERN VICTORIA

Daniel took time to go to Scouting Victoria’s Braybrook office to address Venturer Leaders from across Western and Central Victoria, encouraging them to think about what they were currently doing to support LGBTI young people and to challenge homophobia.

Great discussion and a lively Q&A session followed, partly due to the Regional Coordinator, a high school friend of Daniel’s, revealed how he came out to her during his final year of school.

dansimpleimagecafesuz14(Thanks to Suzanne Phoenix Photography)

DANIEL GOES HOME TO GEELONG

In early July Daniel travelled to his hometown of Geelong, joining the PFLAG Geelong group for one of their monthly meetings.  He took the time to read from Beyond Priscilla, with snippets also from his first book, Beyond ‘That’s So Gay!’.

The local media were interested in this trip home, with Daniel appearing in both The Geelong Advertiser and The Geelong News.

dangeelongaddy14

LAUNCH OF ‘OI!’ CAMPAIGN

To mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), Daniel travelled to Shepparton to launch the ‘oi!’ rural challenging homophobia campaign, including a live cross to JOY94.9FM’s Saturday Magazine program.

danoishepplaunch

A huge thanks to Shepparton’s Diversity Program and Damien Stevens!

Find out more about ‘oi!’ and how you can get involved here:
niche.thatssogay.com.au/oi-campaign/

Oi facebook squares

BEYOND PRISCILLA: UN GENEVA (& BALI)

One joy for Daniel is when readers of Beyond Priscilla share their photos of where they have read the book.

International Intersex activist and former Hobsons Bay Mayor, Tony Briffa, showed off her copy during a meeting he attended at the United Nations in Geneva.

beyondpriscillaUNgeneva

Another local reader had asked for a signed copy ahead of his week-long holiday in Bali.  Here is the result.

beyondpriscillabalimarkhindis

YOURSTORY ON BENT TV

A little bit of LGBTI history took place when Bent TV (Channel 31) presented the YourStory LGBTI series on their ‘In The Thick Of It’ program.  The YourStory team were quite emotional to see all of that hard work on the small screen.

Thanks to Bent TV for making our YourStory year!

Find out more about the YourStory Campaign here: www.thatssogay.com.au/yourstory

yourstorybenttv