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Gay challenge to ATSIC

18 October 2002 - The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission's first openly gay candidate goes to the polls [Saturday] expecting strong support from Melbourne's indigenous gay community.

Ron Johnson says the community needs to send a strong message to ATSIC's regional council after it knocked back an application to fund an indigenous Victorian team to attend the Sydney Gay Games.

Johnson says there are over 180 indigenous participants in the Gay Games, more than any other sporting event ever held in Australia, and it was an ideal venue to promote indigenous sportspeople.

"Here is ATSIC, a supposed fighter for reconciliation, saying it's not important to the community. Are they proud of us or are they not?

"I put it down to homophobia . I told them there's no way you're going to get the gay community's vote after this. That was when I decided to run." Johnson is standing for the Ballarat-West Melbourne ward, which includes about half of Melbourne. His main opponents are Alf Bamblett and the Victorian chairperson Troy Austin (Johnson's cousin).

He says his sexuality would probably count against him in a rural ward, but does not expect it to affect his chances in Melbourne.

The ATSIC elections are marked by an extremely low voter turnout: just 366 people voted in the ward at the last elections in 1999.

However, Johnson believes he has a headstart on his opponents because of higher political consciousness in the indigenous gay community.

As convenor of OUTBLACK, the Gay/Transgender, Sister Girls Social Support Group of Victoria, he says many of the group's members are aware of the political situation.

"They know what's going on."

A Gunditjmara person, Johnson has lived and worked in Melbourne all his life. He has a 30-year history of supporting community causes, having been involved in the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, the Aborigines Advancement League and the National Aboriginal Islander Day Observance Committee, most recently as chairman.

An Aboriginal studies teacher at the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE, [Training And Further Education] where he is also the Koori liaison officer, Johnson expects to receive strong support from indigenous students as well as his own extended family.

He is also a member of the Northern Melbourne Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. Johnson says the big three issues for indigenous people are health, housing and education.

Source: Melbourne Community Voice

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