Michael Donald Kirby AC CMG (born 1939) is a Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. Justice Kirby is outspoken, eloquent and openly gay at the very top of the Australian legal system. He outed himself in 1999 when he named newsagent Johan van Vloten as his long-term partner.
Jeffrey Smart has been my favourite Australian artist since the very first time I laid eyes on one of his boldly coloured yet barren and forlorn landscapes with his trademark apartments lining the horizon. Smart was born in Adelaide, South Australian in 1921 but has lived in Tuscany for many years with his partner. He was brave enough to come out in the 1940’s in War time Australia. The man also has a sense of humour. When asked why his figures are never smiling he replied “It’s too hard to paint”.
Ian Roberts, now 42, was one of Australia’s leading Rugby League players until his retirement and is now making in-roads into the acting world. Even if you don’t really like Ian, you have to admire the courage of the man. He had a reputation as one of the sport’s fiercest and most talented players. Roberts came out very shortly after retiring, by which time he’d already posed nude for “Blue” gay photography magazine in their premier issue.
He may have been pushed out of the closet, but in the months since his outing Anthony Callea has handled the situation with class and is obviously feeling a huge weight off his shoulder. Callea holds the Australian record for the highest selling single ever. Anthony is now about to make his stage debut in the Opera version of “Dead Man Walking”.
Peter Allen did about the gayest thing in the world by marrying Liza Minelli. Some might consider it a ploy to be emotionally closer to the original “Dorothy” Judy Garland. He did write and perform some of great songs including the song that gets me all emotional in the Qantas commercials, “I still call Australia home”.
I’m also awarding an “Honorary Gay” title to Kylie Minogue for services to gay men. She’s given us countless hits to wave our hands in the air like we just don’t care at dance parties, many hot boyfriends to drool over. Hell she’s even handed herself over to dozens of gay designers, stylists, hairdressers and photographers to play dress ups with.
