Sex(uality) and the city

In an email sent to members some years ago, Rainbow Labor patted itself on the back, crediting the NSW ALP with decriminalizing male homosexuality in NSW. Showing a startling ignorance of the difference between a Government Bill and a Private Member's Bill – it was this latter that led to decriminalization - it claimed that "In 1984, the state Labor government decriminalised homosexuality". And the same furphy was repeated again earlier this year by Rainbow Labor in its invitation to attend a Penny Wong fund-raiser in Sydney. So some Party apparatchiks clearly see their Party's record on dealing with gay issues – however fictitious - as a weapon to be used.

As for the Greens, their candidate Lindsay Johnson has little chance of becoming Lord Mayor, although, of all the major parties, the Greens have always been in the forefront of equal rights for gays. As Johnson's webpage states, he 'identifies with and is committed to the rainbow community', noting that 'once we accept marriage equality and civil rights for all of our citizens we will have a community where everyone feels safe and included'.

If politicians have become a product to be sold to the electorate, is a product's 'attractiveness' a factor in its saleability? In 2012, the Liberal Party chose Mandla as its candidate to run for Lord Mayor. And the 'selling' of Mandla to the gay community was quite blatant:

As Shayne Mallard informed us then on his blog, Mandla is powerfully built, with exfoliated and moisturised skin, distinguished grey hairs and a handsome smile, he's an ideal 'Daddy' fantasy for the otherwise politically-ambivalent 'twinks' residing in and around Stonewall. [The Stonewall is a gay pub in the centre of Oxford Street's 'gay ghetto']. So Mandla might have some appeal to certain sections of the gay community, although Mallard, now a Liberal MLC, might well be regretting such an enthusiastic gush, since Mandla has resigned from the Liberal Party and is running on the 'Sydney Matters' team.

Indeed, if appearances count, then Dr Kerryn Phelps, an open lesbian and former President of the AMA who is on Moore's team, might be seen as a far more charismatic figure than Forster, and draw the lesbian vote there.

And even the Coalition government's giving city businesses twice the voting power of residents might not pay off. Many small businesses see the state government as simply pandering to big business – as with the Barangaroo casino - and there are influential gay and lesbian businesses in the city, as the long-established Gay and Lesbian Business Association, a lobby and networking group, indicates. The delightfully-named 'Lemons with a Twist' and 'Fruits in Suits' are two such well-connected groups, the former for lesbians, their friends and allies, the latter a very upmarket business and social network. Their connections into the city should not be underestimated, particularly at a time when, as public opinion polls indicate, as with the same-sex marriage issue, that sexuality is no longer a barrier to a full public life.

So, as for 'sex and the city' and the elections, it will be interesting to see if there is a 'pink vote' and how influential if might be, and in particularly as to whether Forster might have to bear the brunt of the disfavour that the Federal Coalition's actions on same sex marriage created, even in a local government election, although admittedly a very important local government election with much at stake.

Or whether, finally, we are in a 'post-gay' era, and sexuality is no longer an issue for any Australian election.