'Johnnie comes marching ... where?' : Australian gay men, masculinity, HIV/AIDS and sex

G. Dowsett

Outsiders often see Australia as a place that has achieved a remarkable degree of tolerance for social and cultural difference. It has a reputation for a successful and enlightened national HIV /AIDS strategy and as an important gay tourist spot, particularly during Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Legalized sex between men in all jurisdictions has been achieved, most of it during the era of the HIV epidemic. Reforms in anti-discrimination law and the recognition of gay and lesbian relationships are further examples of significant social change concerning sexuality. These achievements suggest that real gains have been made by gay and lesbian political activism and have been used to indicate that there is a new, more open space for Australian gay people to live their lives, accepted as citizens and treated equally. This is true to some extent, but an analysis of a recent, popular 'reality' television programme, Big Brother, reveals a different picture and suggests that the acceptance of gay men in Australia comes at a price. The HIV epidemic has made its own contribution to these social changes, but this too is a mixed blessing for gay men in particular. Just how far Australia has come on this road to social reform concerning sexual equality is assessed.