The Struggle for Identity: The Emergence of a Gay Press in Australia

Abstract

For much of the twentieth century, homosexuality was illegal in Australia. The country was also subject to draconian censorship. This combination ensured overt homosexual works were unknown in Australia, even as copies imported from other English-speaking countries. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, publications of the homosexual rights and gay liberation movements began to appear. These were soon joined by more commercial publications aligned to an increasingly overt gay sub-culture. Some small presses concentrated on more literary endeavours and produced a considerable numbers of novels and poetic works, and even playscripts. While never part of the mainstream, a number of writers published by the gay press were taken up by mainstream publishers, Christos Tsiolkas being perhaps the most well-known, and have gone on to mainstream success. Gay newspapers and magazines are still a feature of the gay press in Australia, and they have been supplemented by on-line publications. The gay book publishers have succumbed to the economics of print and distribution, but still exist as digital publishers. This paper surveys the emergence of a gay press in history and recounts its history to date.