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From the Big Brother compound to the dog house, David ‘Farmer Dave’ Graham is settling in Yarraville and making plenty of friends – albeit of the four-legged variety.
BRAD RYAN explains
Farmer takes to Yarra life
YARRAVILLE is a far cry from the outback farming town of Goondiwindi – but according to reality TV’s David Graham, there are "more similarities between Goondiwindi and Yarraville than you’d care to poke a stick at".
Graham, who described himself as "the token farmer and the token gay guy" while on Big Brother in 2006 and later competed on Dancing with the Stars, said he had fallen in love with the suburb since starting work there a month ago. "The Yarraville village is just spectacular – it’s just so casual and everyone is so friendly, it’s like it’s a small country town," he said. "I desperately want to move here."
Graham has left the farm in Goondiwindi to expand his free range lamb meat business in Melbourne and is managing a daycare centre for dogs on Hyde St.
He told the Leader he was feeling "emotional" about the demise of Big Brother, which Channel 10 says will not be revived after its eighth series ended last week. "I spoke to probably five of my housemates (from the show) last night and we were all saying how weird it was and how emotional it was," Graham said. "The first year we were all so intensely busy with the things we were doing we didn’t really miss it, but now we have time to sit down and watch it occasionally, we kind of all got attached to the house again."
The controversial program gave Graham an outlet to highlight the issue of homophobia in rural Australia, and his popularity then catapulted him on to Dancing with the Stars, where he championed another cause close to his heart – that of farmers crippled by drought. "I wouldn’t go a single day where I wouldn’t have someone say something incredibly positive about their response," Graham said. "Regardless of the fact that 17 million Australians didn’t watch Big Brother or Dancing it’s hard to escape that my story got out there in every medium possible."
Today it continues to do so, primarily via cyberspace, with website farmerdave.com.au recording more than 150,000 visitors since October 2006. Set up to document farm life during one of the worst droughts in history, it now also includes blog entries on househunting in Melbourne and Graham’s growing business projects. "I couldn’t keep up with the emails and letters," Graham said.
For now, Graham has abandoned a foray into politics, in which he flagged an ambition to stand for the National Party and push the party on gay rights policies. "I put myself out there as a gay person that people could identify with and there’s only so many things you can do before people start being put off by activism," Graham said. "There’s been zero negativity at all whereas before I went on Big Brother there was. "I was bashed and left for dead on a street in Brisbane and there was a reason to jump up and down."
For now, there’s nowhere Graham would rather be than surrounded by a multitude of dogs in daycare. "The intense urge that I’ve always had just to get back to my farm, make sure everything is all right, go for a horse ride – it’s not gone but it’s sufficed by being here." "It’s so integral to being a country person, being around animals. "This is the best job in the world."
MARIBYRNONG LEADER July 29, 2008
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The Text
Delicious Queensland lamb provides the inspiration for some wonderful winter meals
Philip Johnson
AT A recent function, I had the pleasure of meeting Queensland farmer David Graham and his local lamb was the star of the show.
In the past I've tended to source lamb from other corners of the country, including Flinders Island, Tasmania and Western Australia, so it was refreshing to find a great Queensland product that happens to be some of the best lamb I've tasted.
Farmer Dave may be better known for his appearances on reality TV shows Big Brother and Dancing with the Stars, but for me his dedication to the farming industry during these arduous years is his greatest achievement.
Having revitalised his family's Goondiwindi farm, the key to his success has been to find a sheep breed hardy enough to survive Outback Australia, yet still be superb eating quality.
The Dorper breed proved the answer on the land, but this was not reflected in the sale price at market controlled mainly by the big supermarket chains.
As a result, Dave and a handful of other localfarmers decided to take their product direct to the public. With a few simple licks on the Farmer Dave website, you can have a selection of lamb cuts delivered to your doorstep.
We chose a hind-quarter pack for today's recipes, including boned and rolled leg and noisette, rump steaks, cutlets and two types ofsausages. Dave also sells his lamb at numerous farmers markets including the Powerhouse, Noosa, Mudgeeraba, Carrara and Marina
Mirage.
View Philip Johnson's archived cooking videos and recipes online at couriermail.com.au. Visit e'cco bistro at www.eccobistro.com
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REVIEW
Thursday, 28 December 2006 SX News
2006: COWBOYS, CLOSETS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Sam Butler casts an eye over the good, the bad and the highly questionable.
2006 was abuzz with climate change, as Doubting Thomases everywhere finally addressed the giant elephant in the room that we cannot continue living at our present pace without catastrophic consequences to the planet that we will have to endure in this generation. But there were also distinct changes in the queer climate – some unsettling, some infuriating, but many suggesting a sunnier future after what at times has felt like an extended solstice.
2006 was broken in with the Brokeback cowboys and subsequent Mountain of controversy. Never before had we seen a queer-themed film enjoy such wide distribution and viewing by mainstream audiences. It seems everybody saw Brokeback Mountain and everybody had a strong opinion on the film, one way or another. Its shocking failure to win Best Picture category at the Oscars reminded us that although we may have reached a point where most people can cope with the Love That Dare Not Speak its Name, it could still be a while it’s celebrated as opposed to merely tolerated.
Teaming with the gay cowboy theme was Big Brother contestant and spunky ‘farm boy’ David Graham. Some claimed that during his time on the show, Graham helped positively reshape perceptions of gay men, others – myself included – felt his self-absorption, drama queen hissy fits and general pretentiousness only reinforced existing negative stereotypes. Still, Graham’s sincerity to change the world for the better, through the unexpected platform of the National Party, appears solid.
And it wasn’t just Graham emerging from rural Australia as a new ally in the fight for queer rights. ‘Fiercely heterosexual’ Queensland crocodile farmer, Warren Entsch, came so close this year to introducing legislation that would eliminate much of the discrimination against same-sex couples currently existing in federal law. I dare say he found out the hard way that the elder statesmen of the federal Liberal Party don’t share his passion for justice and equality, even if they told him they did; nevertheless, despite Entsch’s failure to introduce any tangible bill, his lobbying pressure did elicit a promise from our Prime Minister to ‘look into’ removing discrimination. Although history has demonstrated the futility of relying on a politician to be true to their word – John Howard especially – it will be worth keeping a close eye on the government in the 2007 election year. Kudos to Entsch, Petro Georgiou, Judi Moylan and other Libs brave enough to speak out against their government’s appalling record on queer rights.
Sadly, these MPs and other genuine liberals were unable to stop the Howard government’s most offensive political assault against queer people since the 2004 marriage ban: Overturning the ACT government’s civil unions legislation and, in the process, making a mockery of the alleged autonomy of democratically-elected territory governments. There is enough evidence to show this ground-breaking law was doomed no matter how much the Stanhope government altered its wording to appease the federal Attorney-General. ACT Liberal senator, Gary Humphries, was brave enough to cross the floor and vote against this, not because he is particularly queer-friendly but because he recognised the longer-term dangers of spitting in the face of democracy merely to sustain antiquated, homophobic prejudice. In doing so, he became the first Liberal senator to vote against the Howard Government in its 10 years in office. It was a small ray of light in an otherwise dark tunnel.
The ACT has already announced plans to re-introduce another form of civil union legislation; we can only wait and see if Howard and Ruddock are against waiting with baseball bats to bash it down again.
State and territory governments were at the forefront of national politics in 2006, with four state elections in South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria. Of specific consequence to queer folk was SA finally catching up with the rest of the nation and mostly equalising laws for same-sex couples. However, during the bill’s passage SA’s homophobic Attorney-General, Michael Atkinson, displayed a little too much chumminess with MPs elected from the Family (Fundies) First party, rather than condemning them for the Bible-bashing thugs they are, and in the process helped wrongly legitimise their extreme views and agenda
As we saw this year, FF are a growing force to be reckoned with, debuting in the Victorian election with over 4% of the primary vote (although thankfully not enough for them to have won a place in the Victorian parliament). And neither Labor nor Liberal seems willing to speak out against a party that opposes human rights and fundamental freedoms. The 2007 federal election will show if FF are a flash-in-the-pan or a mutating force of political power – but having the ‘big boys’ on side can’t hurt.
Another key event of queer national politics in 2006 was the controversial release of Jonestown, Chris Masters’ unauthorised biography of arguably Australia’s most influential fag, Alan Jones. It was remarkable to see various right-wing media commentators suddenly pretend to be queer-tolerant while defending Jones and savaging Masters, but the message overall appears to be that Masters has focussed too much on Jones’ homosexuality at the expense of a more balanced and wide-ranging analysis. And unfortunately, it will take a lot more than one book to bring down the Jones monster.
Masters’ ‘outing’ of Jones, despite the fact that his sexuality was already well-known, also followed in line a common theme of 2006: exiting closets. Some were voluntary and greeted with a collective ‘well, d’uh’ – Darren Hayes, Lance Bass, etc – while others were more of a pleasant surprise – TJ Knight from Grey’s Anatomy, for example, or The Artist Formerly Known as Doogie Howser MD, Neil Patrick Harris. Other outings were less voluntary and far more damaging to all involved. In the US, Republican congressman Mark Foley was forced to resign following revelations he had sent sexually suggestive and explicit emails and instant messages to former male aides. Not long after, evangelical preacher and influential supporter of George W Bush, Ted Haggard, resigned his leadership of the National Association of Evangelicals after it was revealed he had engaged in crystal-meth induced sex sessions with a former male prostitute.
When the Republicans were subsequently slaughtered at the mid-term elections, the general consensus was that this was the American people’s punishment of the Bush administration for its gross incompetence in mishandling post-Saddam Iraq. But anti-queer ‘family groups’ also expressed their loss of faith in the Republican party as the great defender of traditional family values, citing both Foley and Haggard as examples. Whether the resurgent Democrats reinvigorate queer rights in the US remains to be seen, but it has been gratifying to see the hypocrisy of the Republicans, and right-wing political parties generally, exposed and punished.
Will the same exposure happen in Australia next year and finally cast the Howard government to the political scrapheap? The AWB scandal and Cole report proved without doubt that both the PM and senior government ministers were, at worst, corrupt or, at best, grossly incompetent. And several successive interest rate rises exposed the lie that John Howard could somehow single-handedly keep interest rates low. However, the government still enjoys election-winning support by the majority of Australian voters.
The latest change in Opposition leadership may well be the weapon that finally defeats one of Australian history’s wiliest and most cunning prime ministers. But Howard-friendly commentators are already highlighting the similarities between their esteemed figure and Kevin Rudd, implying he is too similar to effect any serious change. What is certain is that Rudd and his new deputy, Julia Gillard, will enjoy a honeymoon period in which they must build their profiles to present themselves as viable alternatives at next year’s election. The Mark Latham experiment of 2004 illustrated how quickly and disastrously things can change for a new and untried leader during that honeymoon period, however Rudd initially appears to be a better fit for undecided voters and his argument about the ‘bridge too far’ with the current government may resonate. As always, time will tell.
2006 has provided enough grounding for hope in 2007 that there may be another new form of climate change. We will go to the polls to vote in both state and federal elections, the outcomes of which may change the political landscape either for the better or worse. Or, we may just plod on with more of the same. Whatever happens, come midnight, 31 January I plan to toast 2006. It’s been a good, if not great vintage and it has given cause for cautious optimism in the New Year.
The Robbo Awards
By Sydney Confidential
December 26, 2006 12:00 News.com.au
LAST year Confidential called them the Rusty Awards, named after our occasional target Russell Crowe in honour of his spectacular phone throwing tanty. The year prior they were the Gretskis, after Big Brother's little lady Gretel Killeen.
Today, it is with much ado that we bring you the Robbos, in appreciation of Naomi Robson and her outstanding contribution to gossip throughout the year.
From the make-up truck, to Wa Wa, to that cute little lizard and the rest of the great fodder you've provided for us throughout 2006.
Now Naomi, we salute you with your very own Robbo Awards:
The Mieke Buchan Award for Attending the Opening of a Backyard Gate
Winner: Fashionable filly Kate Waterhouse worked hard on the party circuit to keep this cup in the family, galloping around to 14 of the parties we’ve featured this year to snatch the title from our 2005 winner – her brother Tom.
Runner-up: Sophie Falkiner. The Foxtel face gave it a good run this year, but at least she did it in style by making the most of her friendship with designer Alex Perry.
My Girlfriend’s a Celebrity and So Am I
Winner: Jake Wall. From Jake Who? to Jake Oooh, the male model shook off his tag as Jennifer Hawkins' plus-one and skated into his own domain of TV stardom after he won Dancing on Ice.
Runner-up: From restaurateur to Evans, Dave Evans, this bad boy bachelor was fending off every chick in Sydney after he hooked up with supermodel Elle Macpherson.
Honourable Mention: Craig “Lowie” Lowe. He can’t keep his mouth shut as it is, so guess what happened when the excited 2DAY FM shock jock started dating The Veronicas pocket rocket Lisa Origliasso.
The Luke Ricketson award for being a serial dater
Winner: His sister Kate pulled Ricko off the playboy roundabout, but Tom Waterhouse did his reformed predecessor proud – with the number of girls he dated almost outstripping the number of parties he attended.
Runner-up: Lee Furlong. From Thorpey, to Ben Ross, then over to Shane Watson, the Fox Sports presenter played her own game of sportsmen tic tac toe during 2006. But with all three either retiring or getting injured through the year, could Furlong be the black widow of sport?
The Wheel of Misfortune Award
Winner: Adriana Xenides. The former letter-turner was blinded by the glaring sun and a sneezing fit in her dramatic turn of fortune – but was still banned from driving for 18 months after her car collided with another vehicle. There was little glamour left in this gameshow girl, who sadly revealed she had been living on a disability pension since the smash.
Runner-up: Jessica Rowe. The legal battle and subsequent hype surrounding her poaching from Ten was crazy, but the cycle of drama didn’t finish there for the Today show host. Bring on baby bliss.
The Gosford (Close to The Entrance) Skirt Style Award
Winner: Terry Biviano. Not only did the shoe queen wriggle her way into a wardrobe of micro minis, she started dating Anthony ‘Mini’ Minichiello too.
Runner-up: Yummy mummy Michelle Walsh kept her model agent hubby Martin's attention firmly fixed on her lithe limbs in a series of thigh-scraping short skirts and maternity minis.
The I’m Taking My Bat and Ball and Going Home Award
Winner: Heath Ledger lost it after been pinged by water pistol-packing paparazzi at a summer film screening, packing up partner Michelle Williams and bubba Matilda and making Brooklyn their new home. That's some trans-Pacific tantrum.
The Bloody Idiot Award
Winner: As news chief at Seven, Peter Meakin’s DUI would have been prime-time fodder for his network's tabloid TV show Today Tonight. But he obviously wasn't watching that night, blowing twice the legal limit on his way home from work in October.
The One Night In Paris Award
Winner: Reshad Strik joined the non-exclusive club of Aussie blokes who've apparently bagged New York socialite Paris Hilton. The former Headland soap stud ditched model Tahyna Tozzi to try his luck in Tinseltown this year, but scored special attention from the hotel heirhead instead. He joins Mark “the Poo” Phillipoussis and Rob “Millsy” Mills as guys who've gone there with the global party girl.
We’re Out And We’re Proud Award
Winner: Big Brother’s first gay housemate David Graham flew the rainbow flag, all but using it as a hankie, as he sobbed his way through lonely nights on the box without partner Sherif Kanawati.
Runner-up: Toby Allen won votes with mainstream Australia on Dancing With The Stars, following in the twinkle-toes of former footyhead Ian Roberts.
Honourable mention: Darren Hayes. He penned heartfelt lyrics in the past, but the former Savage Garden singer shared his truly, madly, deeply love for husband Richard Cullen with the world after tying the knot in London in June.
The I Don’t Award
Winner: Natalie Michaels turned runaway bride, calling off her wedding just two months after TV producer Cameron Lamb popped the question. The showbiz spruiker used the extra time on her hands to plug her book - the aptly named When Your Mr Right Is Mr Wrong.
Runner-up: Hi-5 lovebirds Nathan Foley and Kellie Hoggart kept their split a secret for months, so as to not upset the kiddies already scarred by the exit of yellow Wiggle Greg Page.
The Three’s A Crowd Award
Winner: Hell had no fury like a footballer’s wife scorned, as Lara Bingle and Brendan Fevola found out when his in-laws leaked secret voicemail messages allegedly confirming their phone affair. After defending her bad boy’s on-tour antics in Ireland, when he punched on with locals in a Galway pub, Alex Fevola, was again forced to front the media over his extra-marital activities, all while nursing their new bub behind closed doors.
Runner-up: Things heated up for kitchen whiz Rick Stein and his Aussie lover, Sydney publicist Sarah Burns, when the Brit’s wife Jill let fly with her fists after the couple turned up in Stein’s Cornwall eatery.
Honourable mention: Parramatta was scandal central when Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson brought their movie You, Me and Dupree to town - and left behind whispers of a secret affair. Weeks later Hudson split with hubby Black Crowes rocker Chris Robinson.
Robbo Awards highlight gay entertainers
Sydney Confidential have announced winners of the 'Robbo' awards, including the We're Out And We're Proud Award.
by Chris Pycroft on 2006-12-27 Generation Q
Each and every year, the Sydney Confidential (a section of News Limited newspaper The Daily Telegraph) announce recipients to their own special awards.
Fittingly, each year, the awards have a name change, adapting to the humour of the Australian entertainment industry. In 2004, the awards were dubbed the 'Gretskis' after Gretel Killeen's work with Big Brother. Last year, they were the 'Rusty' awards, praising the courage telephone throwing efforts by movie star Russell Crowe. This year, due to her retirement, the awards were dubbed the 'Robbos', after Naomi Robson's "outstanding contribution to gossip throughout the year."
One of the awards that was brought to my attention, was the We're Out And We're Proud Award. And this year, three males who have all been on 'stage' were accordingly acknowledged.
The winner this year was a man who was on stage for some 99 days straight; the stage of reality television. David Graham aka 'The Token Gay Guy' from Big Brother 2006 took this year's honours for "flying the rainbow flag" continually on television this year. A person who joined him in the spotlight, was his partner Sherif Kanawati, and as a duo, have become one of the biggest celebrity couples to emerge from the gay community this year.
Runner up was Toby Allen, who graced our screens on Dancing With The Stars earlier this year, and has also graced the top of the music charts for a number of weeks in 2006 as a member of Human Nature, with both Motown Albums achieving massive success over the last twelve months. The group toured twice around Australia this year due to popular demand.An honourable mention was also given to Darren Hayes, who wedded his partner of two years Richard Cullen in June. He, as such, is the first gay Australian entertainer to officially (legally speaking) get married. Hayes returned to Australia as a part of his 'A Big Night In with Darren Hayes' tour which wowed thousands of fans in Sydney in July, and has since just completed recording his latest double-album set for release next year.
To David, Toby and Darren, we salute you, for keeping the gay community in the spotlight over the last twelve months, and reminding us that we can achieve what we set out to accomplish.
2006 Rainbow Awards Special - True Glamour
Big Brother’s David Graham, Lord Mayor John So and Katie Underwood rubbed shoulders with our own celebrities at this year’s Rainbow Awards.
by KAYE SERA - BNews
The who’s who of Melbourne’s gay and lesbian scene flocked to the Rainbow Awards held at the Lincoln in Toorak this year with drag performers, venue owners and workers dining alongside the non-profit community sector in what is still the only formal event of its kind in Melbourne.
To the untrained eye, the jovial crowd might well have been a wedding party, such irony would not be lost on lesbian and gay Rainbows patrons who are still denied the right of partnership recognition in Australia. Picking up on this theme, special guest Lord Mayor John So took the opportunity to announce the creation of a same-sex registry at Melbourne Town Hall to great whooping applause from the fl oor. As it turned out, he picked up a Rainbow for Community Supporter of the Year, copping a big hug from Big Brother’s David Graham for his effort. Thanks should go to his Deputy Mayor, Gary Singer for persuading Mr So, to come along.
Rainbows hosts Bob Downe and Luke Gallagher set a cracking pace in handing out the 21 awards. So much so that performers backstage accustomed to operating on drag time, were beside themselves trying to keep up.
In the Community Rainbows categories, the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Youth Chorus got the nod along with Daylesford’s Chill Out Carnival. Heather Morgan, one of the names behind Gay and Lesbian Switchboard, Geraldine Kirby from Midsumma and Claire Jackson from Melbourne Queer Film Festival were also acknowledged for their community building efforts.
JOY 94.9 picked up a trifecta with Brendan Castle winning Man of the Year, Damien Nicholas Outstanding Media Achievement and Lizzie Blast’s spunky brother, Johnny Gash winning Drag King of the year.
In the Rainbows entertainment categories, Millie Minogue won the popular vote as Diva of the Year and Dulcie Du Jour reclaimed her crown as Bitch of the Year from the irrepressible, Lucy Loosebox.
In taking out Best Venue, The Market cements its reputation as one of Melbourne’s top gay and lesbian clubs and The Greyhound, winner of Best One Night Venue continues to play a big part in the future scene. Costume designer Rita LaCouqeater (who graces our cover) was also acknowledged for her work in the Greyhound shows.
Surprise Rainbow winner on the night was drag troupe Pink who picked up awards for Best Drag Show (The Sound of Music) and Best New Event in a Venue – future Rainbows nominees should take note of the power of actively lobbying amongst your supporters for Rainbows success.
The Jan Hillier Hall of Fame went to comedy drag duo Barbra Quicksand and Miss Candee who brought the house down with their hilarious Zig and Zag routine.
2006 Rainbow awards success belongs squarely with all the sponsors and venues who put up the cash and talent and to the Rainbows Committee, volunteers and technical staff, many of whom are possibly still nursing heavy heads from the after party at Opium Den.
Last but by no means least are the Rainbows patrons, nominees and voters who continue to make the event such a landmark on Melbourne’s gay calendar.
Something brewing about David
Adeliade Now - October
WHEN former Big Brother gay icon David Graham was in town this week, he found a huge fan in Elspeth Cooper, wife of brewer Glenn.
Elspeth splashed out $650 at a charity auction to have lunch with the BB hunk. It wasn't for her but a gift for her daughter Rachael Cooper-Casserly and Kim Gillan, who goes out with son Andrew.
The auction was part of a Girls' Night In event which raised money for women's cancer research.
David was stunned but flattered. "Apparently Elspeth loved the show and thought I was highly entertaining," David said. "I couldn't believe anyone would pay that."
And it couldn't have worked out better since there are two things the sheep farmer loves about Adelaide – Coopers beer and the paddleboats.
He got to indulge both passions on Thursday when he lunched at Air Restaurant with Rachael and Kim, then toured the Coopers brewery. "It was kind of a case of, 'Well, my dad owns a brewery'," David joked. "It was great."
Since BB, the Goondiwindi farmer has devoted much of his time to charity work, especially rural causes. "I didn't go on Big Brother to make money or be on Neighbours or be in movies," he said. "It was to highlight the issues that are important to me.
"Australia has given me a profile and I want to use it, no matter how small or short-lived it is, for important issues."
Things remain hot and heavy with his fella Sherif, who is due to move to the farm in the next few weeks. "He's finishing off his MBA in accounting finance and every farmer needs an accountant," David said.
Moonie Hums for yabbie races
Queensland Country Life, November 30, 2006
Despite the dust, heat and dry conditions, the Moonie Yabbie Races drew record crowds to the local sports club over the weekend.
People flocked from all over southern Queensland to catch a glimpse of the fastest yabbie.
The day featured a line-up of eight yabbie races, fashion of the field, live entertainment by Spin F-X, Rollo the clown and a gourmet cooking class, hosted by 4BC's gourmet Bob Ratailick.
Queensland Young Auctioneer winner Geoff Maslen was in charge of taking bids from potential buyers, as each yabbie was auctioned off to the public.
The winner of each heat progressed to the final calcutta - the Moonie Cup. Excellent prize money was on offer with $1000 dollars going towards the overall winner.
Channel 10's Big Brother star and local boy David Graham made a guest appearance along with close Big Brother friends, Camilla and Claire.
They dazzled the crowd with their charm and were in charge of judging the best dressed lady and gent and the best hat.
Moonie Sports Club committee member Matthew Jackson said the event was a huge success.
"The attendance certainly exceeded any of our expectations and due to the positive response we hope to make it an annual event," Matthew said.
Queensland Country Life was there to cover the action.
Rollo the clown entertained the kiddies during the day
Matthew Jackson and Dave Gurner - Moonie, adjudicate the yabbie racing
The yabbies hit the tracks in the inaugural Moonie Races
Show me the money say Big Brother star David Graham and organiser of the yabbie races, Erica Stewart - Moonie
Queensland auctioneer Geoff Maslen sold the yabbies to the Moonie Crowd.
Big Brother stars Camilla and Claire dazzled the crowds at the Moonie Cup
Making it a family affair are Jill Neal - Moonie, holding grandson Darcy, Beck and Harry Neal - Tara and John Neal - Moonie
Holding the cup of the winning yabbie race are Harry Neal - Tara and John Neal - Moonie.
4BC's Bob shows the Moonie crowd how to cook the perfect steak, using Yagaburne Beef.
Moonie locals at the yabbie races were Fiona Wood, Helen Mead, Bruce Mead and Rita Giltrow.
Enjoying the yabbie racing are Larna Hain - Millmerran, Jackie Newland - Toowoomba and Meg McKelvie - Moonie.
Coming out gay
David Graham is tough, proud, conservative - and a homosexual farmer living in the heartland of rural Australia. It hasn't been easy - but he's very much his own man
BY DONNA REEVES
The Land - Friday Magazine, December 2006
David Graham is three minutes late for our meeting, but in his characteristic, polite fashion he has already phoned ahead to apologise.
"Sorry,' he says again as he jumps into the car, 'I was out jogging." He explains that since leaving reality television's Big Brother house and fulfilling promotional gigs around Australia, he's put on a few kilos and is keen to get back into shape before heading home permanently.
Home is an isolated 5,000 acre organic grain and sheep farm in Goondiwindi, Queensland, which he leases from his parents and will soon be sharing with his partner, Sherif Kanawati. It's taken him a long time to find his place in the world, but now he has he is anxious to return.
“I love the farm, I live for it,” he says. “When I'm not there, it really hurts. It's like being away from your lover, it's the same sort of pain.”
Like any successful relationship, it has to adapt to circumstances. While David has so far managed to keep his 1600 dorper sheep, he realises he needs to diversify if the farm is to remain viable during the drought.
“On a 5000 acre farm like mine that is only leased, you need to do as much as you can to make it work, particularly during drought. I've wiped 90 per cent of my income away by not being able to grow cereals,” he says.
To that end, he's started a website, farmerdave.com.au, where he hopes to create a national 'marketplace", linking farm producers to buyers.
“Charity is not what farmers like. Farmers are extremely charitable people but they don't like receiving it, so the best way you can help farmers direct is to buy direct from the farmers," he says.
He's also considering farmstays, where people can visit him on the farm and get a taste of country life.
Life on the drought-stricken farm is a far ' cry from what brought David to national attention in July 2006. As a contestant on the reality television show Big Brother, he shared a house with 22 other young people. David captured the nation's attention with the surprise revelation that not only was he the show's token farmer, he was the “token gay guy” as well.
It was a deeply emotional public admission, and as he cried and spoke of not wanting to hurt or shame his family, it was clear that this was also his own, private catharsis.
"I went on Big Brother to overcome my fear of being judged, and there is no greater judgment than Big Brother," he says.
It's a strange dichotomy that a man who has been a model in Italy for internationally renowned designer Hugo Boss and the winner of Cleo magazine s modelling competition should fear judgment. But then there are many contradictions when it comes to David Graham. He's a proud, gay man who once considered himself almost homophobic, and he's a fierce Young National Party member with conservative family values who is campaigning strongly for equal rights for gays and lesbians.
To understand all this you have to understand the circumstances under which David grew up. He was the only son of conservative farming parents, Max and Lucille. Although he had three older sisters, his dad believed it was best that he didn't interact with them. Instead, he was to spend the time he wasn't at
Moonie State School with 30 other students, on the farm, doing whatever jobs his age allowed.
On a 45,000 acre property, this made for a lonely existence. Without the influence of friends or even
television, David grew up in a "cocoon". His best mates were his dogs, his father "explained' to him
that the Aborigines who worked on the property were just sunburnt, and he learnt sex education from a
group of nuns.
"I didn't even know the differences between boys and girls," says David. 'I just thought girls had long hair and boys didn't. Then the nuns came out to Moonie school when I was six and they explained the meaning of life to us. One of the things that will always stay in my memory is ... that they said when you grow up things change and you'll start liking your friends and that's normal. All my friends were boys so I assumed that's what they meant."
David's perceptions changed when he became a boarder at an all-boys Grammar School. A paedophilia scandal had broken out, and instead of realising it was wrong for men to touch boys, David inferred that his feelings were wrong.
“I realised at school that there was this thing called gay and there was this thing called normal,” he says. He also says he learned there was a thing called hate, a lesson ironically learnt after rejecting other boys' advances. David says he was spat on daily by boys that were probably attracted to him but filled with self-loathing about their feelings.
He developed self hate of his own and after boarding school, which he describes as the “seven worst years of my life”, he put some distance between him and the farm, travelling the world, living in Sydney, attending university in Geelong.
Despite the change in locations, David struggled to accept his homosexuality. He felt as if he was the only gay farmer in Australia, and seriously contemplated suicide twice. In his head he'd imagined making it look like an accident by driving his ute into a tree. He'd even gone so far as to make sure he had $4000 in the bank to pay for his own funeral when another young man at university died in a car crash. David saw the devastating effect suicide had on those left behind and, in a decision that changed his life, he rang a Gay and Lesbian support service. There he spoke to another gay country bloke, and began the long and painful process of self-acceptance.
His can-do attitude extends to his political beliefs. David recently became federal membership officer of the Young Nationals, a party he joined at 16. For him, the Nationals represent the only party that allows people to voice their opinions, and he's fighting for equal rights for gays and lesbians.
“If the politicians who are in power at the moment don't stand up for me as a constituent, then ... you have to put your hand up and you do it yourself,” he says.
“I think the National party is more supportive of gays than the Liberal and Labor parties. That's because we take stands on issues that the other parties don't tend to touch because they are too big. We have very vocal members who stand out. There was a member who crossed the floor in New South Wales for equal rights because his son was gay,” he says.
“There are plenty of examples of National members crossing the floor to stand up for their constituents. They aren't always very popular but they are doing the right thing and that's the number one reason I support them.”
David Graham won a swag of supporters when he 'came out' on the reality show Big Brother, but the real test was in becoming his own man.
Tickled pink
GIGGLE-MEISTER John So has installed another bookshelf in his office to accommodate yet another accolade, the Community Supporter gong in the gay and lesbian Rainbow Awards last week for handing over the Treasury Gardens for the Midsumma festival and setting up the same-sex relationships register.
The boys and girls erupted in Commonwealth Games-style euphoria, jumping on their chairs, when King of Polyester Bob Downe announced John's name at the Lincoln of Toorak (sorry about that, Premier).
Event organiser Alan Mayberry, who sometimes cavorts as drag queen Alice, told us: "I wrote John's speech to open the night and forget he has trouble with his Rs. Every third word was full of them, which brought the house down." And now from a bro to a Big Bro.
Gay cowboy David Graham was presenting another award, saw His Mayoralty leave the building and pleaded: "I've always wanted to be bear-hugged by the Lord Mayor." Before you could say "Me!bourne and diversity", John scurried back and gave Dave a cuddle (left). It's time for the Town Hall to crank up its merchandising: the Bro Bear would walk off the shelves
David Graham - The Real Farmer Dave - Part 2
Source www.qnews.com.au
Click here to read Interview Part 2
David Graham - The Real Farmer Dave - Part 1
(retyped from very blurry jpg image - please excuse errors)
We accepted an invitation by David Graham, who we have got to know since he was bashed in Fortitude Valley earlier this year. David is a farmer from a region an hour and a half drive from Dalby in Western Queensland and he went on Big Brother, a reality TV show this year, initially because he missed a flight, but then because he thought he could make a difference in this world. Here is the first part of a lighter and more serious side of this very popular guy who has agreed to help promote World AIDS Day on December 1st.
Q: What is your PornStar Name (Name of first pet & name of first street you lived in)
DG: Tubs Narrow Mine.
Q: What would you be in another life?
DG: A surgeon, I could actually see the good I do in the world then.
Q: You are well travelled. What would be your ultimate holiday destination if you could go anywhere?
DG: North Korea, it is the most absurd nation on earth and there will never be another dictatorship like this place again.
Q: What CD is in your CD player at the moment?
DG: Oh NO!! … Dolly Parton .. er a remix and other hits..
Q: What is your take on drugs today, particularly that sort such as Crystal have taken over people’s lives in the last few years.
DG: People, especially young people, need to be educated more on drugs because they only hear the good side from their mates or people they meet. Students as young as 12 need the real info so that they can also differentiate on drugs. Drugs are all lumped into one category and are treated the same. We need to let them know that if they have tried one and that may be OK for them then, the next one maybe much more dangerous, but we tend to lump “Drugs” all in together. We need information and education so they can make up their minds instead of saying just don’t to drugs, as that tends to be counterproductive.
Q: Are drugs a problem in country regions?
DG: YES! Drugs are more prevalent in small country towns because they don’t have all the city activities. They are bored, but with money. There is also a cross hatching of age groups, so younger people mix and learn from older people who may have been doing more benign drugs for years. Look at East Timor, the reports say that the violence is caused mostly by Crystal. The problem with Crystal is that it is cheap and so easy to produce.
Q: What is the answer on drugs?
DG: Show people, especially young people, the difference between drugs. They need all sides, the short term side effects and the long term effects, the good, the bad and the ugly side of each drug. We need to change our education.
Q: You sound politically savvy – would you ever go into politics?
DG: If people do not stand up for those who need it. Yes.
Q: What is the time you most surprised yourself?
DG: Meeting Sherif at my Big Brother eviction on the gangplank you walk down. I totally forgot about Gretel, the 2,000 people screaming around me, oh yeah, and the million plus viewers that were watching. As far as I knew it was just us. Sherif and I and nobody else. …. My Mum told me off later about my language, I had no idea what I was saying was going to air.
Q: Why did you audition for Big Brother?
DG: Well, actually because I missed a flight. I was headed to Melbourne on a cheap flight with a mate, but got to the airport too late so I was in Brisbane for the weekend waiting for the next flight a few days later. Friends I was staying with went to the Big Brother auditions in the morning and they egged me into to going to the afternoon auditions (after a big night out) and that I should go for a laugh.
After I passed the first round I thought I could maybe go on the show and find myself a boyfriend. Then as I got closer to being on the show, I thought I should go for it as just maybe I could do something and use the opportunity to make this world a bit better, especially for gay people.
Q: What is the naughtiest thing you have ever done?
DG: Err… well. I guess I borrowed an Australian flag.. just two minutes before talking to the Prime Minister.
Q: When were you the most scared in your life?
DG: When I said I was gay and I thought that I would never find anyone.
Q: Your drink of choice?
DG: Coopers Lager (sparkling)
Q: Why do you live here in the bush?
DG: The attachment to the farm and the land is inexplicable. It is likened to the love of your life.
Q: How hard has it been for your family coming out on a TV show?
DG: I think it has been the best thing for my family. People around here continually reinforce the positive and say to my parents “how proud you should be of him”.
Q: The country is usually very conservative and anti gay, usually just because they don’t really know gay people. Did you see this as a kid?
DG: My parents were like most people and they even told me not to watch the ABC, Countdown, because Molly Meldrum was gay. But now they are slowly coming to terms with it.
Q: Dave you have agreed to help promote World AIDS Day on Dec 1st, what are your views on HIV?
DG: HIV is debilitating and not everyone can be effectively treated with drugs. Some people still die of HIV/AIDS. There are other matters to consider too, such as depression for some people, the drug taking and lack of respect for life. We all need to address the issue HIV+ and Neg people as we are in this together. Some people who contract HIV blame themselves even if it wasn’t their fault. The message is HIV can be prevented and we need to unite to tell people to do just that. Gay men should simply wear a condom. There are also trust issues with partners.
Q: Have you ever been tested for HIV?
DG: I get tested every 3 months because I wouldn’t want to pass anything onto someone, not just HIV. I always have safe sex. But the answer is simple … insist on a condom.
Happy Days for Farmer Dave
By Iain Clacher November 8, 2006
http://queenslandpride.com.au/blog/happy-days-for-farmer-dave/
WHEN Moonie farmer David Graham decided to accept the invitation to appear on Big Brother earlier this year he was an angry young man.
“My church, the Anglican Communion, seemed to convulse over the ordaining of openly gay clergymen in the US and UK, my government banned me from marriage and adoption, my rural politicians said I didn’t exist, and a gang of my fellow Queenslanders took it upon themselves to beat and kick me to unconsciousness, leaving me to die barely a few hundred metres from an understaffed police station.”
“I was angry, angry because all I wanted to do was live out my life free from hindrance and hate, angry because my government actively pursued legislation to deny me equal rights … angry because gay people were openly targeted for extreme verbal and physical assault and governments were doing sweet nothing about it, but most of all angry because the general public just didn’t know what was going on.”
David says he decided to harness his rage by seeking media attention, first with a memorable ‘Brokeback Mountain’-themed float in this year’s Mardi Gras.
“I put the call out to gay farmers and rural people to at least get the attention of the gay and gay-friendly community by marching in the Sydney GLBTI Mardi Gras in protest against homophobia.
“But it wasn’t til out droving sheep from my father’s farm to mine that I realised how to turn this ripple into a tsunami of openness and understanding; I would go on Big Brother ambiguous about my sexuality and come out after people had made up their minds on my character alone, ensuring that they were forced to think about their position on me when I came out as being gay.”
Though rumours about David’s sexuality began circulating within days of his appearance on the show, his natural charm ensured he fast became one of the most popular housemates – a popularity he easily maintained after coming out. He went on to outlast all but the final two contestants.
During David’s time on the show he had spoken frequently of his love for Sherif, a Lebanese Muslim he had met at Mardi Gras. Although the pair had only known each other four weeks and were separated by a thousand miles, David spoke of longing to settle down with his new beau. All looked rosy when to hoots and hollers of audience approval the pair was joyously reunited in a long-lasting clinch on the show’s penultimate episode.
The eviction embrace was, he says, “without question the most intense experience of my entire life”, and one that still holds the power to bring him to tears.
“He was completely faithful to me. Despite the distractions of living in Sydney, he waited for me. It’s an indescribable feeling,” he says.
Though still separated by distance (Sherif is currently finishing his Masters degree in Sydney) the couple has endured a series of 21-hour round-trips to reunite every ten days – “the longest we can be apart from each other”.
As David speaks to Queensland Pride he is clearly overjoyed. He’s driving to the train station to meet Sherif for an extended inter-semester stay on the farm. Turning joy to ecstasy, it’s also starting to rain – an event so desperately needed as the farmhouse they will share has been bereft of drinking water for months.
“We’re meeting in the summer rain once again,” he says. It’s all overly romantic and so poignant for our relationship.”
Since leaving the Big Brother house David has enjoyed a hero’s welcome in his home region despite its being branded — unfairly he says — the second most homophobic place in Australia.
“I’ve heard not a single negative remark. Every time I go to town people are so friendly, and everyone yells out ‘G’day Dave’ and ‘Goodonya Dave!’. There’s not even a distance, just overt-friendliness and complete acceptance.”
The welcome from the gay community has been “overwhelmingly positive” too, despite a couple of critical stories from Sydney, which David suspects has more to do with his membership of the National Party than his effectiveness as an advocate for LGBT rights.
Though he is horrified by some of the excesses of the Joh era, David is adamant the once fiercely anti-gay party has changed significantly.
“The National Party in WA already supports civil unions, and so do the Young Nationals federally. The recognition of same sex couples is happening and will only continue to happen. What is happening is an awakening. We’re waking people up to the issues: that there are same sex couples that are very strong and are in every way similar to heterosexual couples, and should therefore have the same rights and responsibilities.”
The recent threat from Queensland Young Nationals president Damien Tessman to split the youth wing of the party over its support for civil unions is “doomed”, he says.
“He wants to do a Joh, and the likely success of that is already set by what happened to Sir Joh. When [Joh] broke away he lost his support and lost his premiership. I think that says it all — it’s doomed to failure.”
Whatever one thinks of the Nationals there can be little denying the positive influence David is able to bring to that party at a grass roots level. By being openly and unapologetically gay he is able to challenge what he calls the “Neanderthal element” whose hostility to gay rights, he says, is based on religious faith rather than reason.
Sometimes bitter and tragic experience also plays a part, as at last month’s Young Nationals Federal Conference when opponents of the successful pro-civil unions policy denied any link between suicide and the social stigma around homosexuality.
David told the conference he’d seen “too many mates and other young men” commit suicide because they were gay.
“There are just no role models,” he explains. “We have lots of role models in the entertainment industry, but for me and other mates who live in the bush there‘s no-one reflecting what we go through. They end up thinking they’re the only ones.”
He says he has known eight young gay men who have taken their own lives.
Consequently, the plight of rural gay youth is a strong motivator for David, who will launch PFLAG’s ‘Longreach for Outreach’ kit at QAHC on November 29.
The kit has been designed to inform and assist people in regional and rural areas who work with same sex attracted young people. It also provides information, resources, a website and referrals for parents and young people seeking assistance and understanding of sexual diversity.
The project has been made possible by a donation of $20,000, David’s winnings from Channel Ten’s Big Brother quiz show tie-in, Australia’s Brainiest Housemates
“The project was initiated when my mother turned to PFLAG after I first came out. There just wasn’t enough information and literature for rural-based families,” he says.
David He will also MC World AIDS Day celebrations in Brisbane’s Queens Park on December 1.
“It’s a complete honour and I’m very excited about it. HIV has touched people very close to me,” he says.
And with trademark country hospitality he’s invited readers to the Moonie Yabbie Races on November 25.
Those willing to take the four-hour drive from Brisbane will see the not so angry David judge a fashion contest featuring Big Brother housemates Camilla and Claire and a host of Moonie maidens.
David Graham: the GAY.COM interview
Published: 20-10-2006
An 'ordinary guy living out his dream of becoming a farmer' we get the exclusive low-down on David Graham: model, Big Brother graduate, rookie politician, blogger and Australia's number one gay role model.
You almost don't want David Graham to go into politics because he's just too damn nice.
"Being in the Nationals for 11 years I've certainly seen a fair amount of arguments, diminishments and developments - but the Nationals are undergoing an upward resurgence and I'm definitely going to be part of that as I was just elected Federal Membership Officer," David tells GAY.COM from his Queensland farm.
"The conference room where the Young Nationals meeting took place was packed - with most people engaged in debate on topics ranging from religion in schools to same-sex civil unions. I was ecstatic when a clear majority supported civil unions for same-sex couples, as it's my belief that is the final hurdle for equal rights in this country. To be part of this major turning point in not only the Young Nats' but Australia's history is incredible."
Citing Barnaby Joyce as a political hero "who champions rural Australia in the face of massive pressures from government, lobby groups and big business all the while increasing his support at the grass roots level," David looks set to make his own impression on Australia's political landscape.
As most of Australia's TV-watching generation knows, it's hard not to fall for David he's kind and considerate and calls himself an ordinary guy, who just like everybody else, one day wants to "marry the man I love and together, enjoying life's tumbles."
Speaking of the man he loves, we wonder how life on the farm is going for David and his city-slicker partner, Sherif.
"It's been tough having a 21 hour round-trip to see each other, but we do it at least every 10 days because that's the longest we can be apart from each other. The good news is that Sherif will be moving up over the summer uni break and then only has one semester left on his MBA before we live happily ever after up in the outback. The constant breaks in our relationship including the mammoth 104 days of Big Brother have only galvanised us together."
David says Sherif is an absolute gun on the farm, "with him being the most natural bloke on horse back I have ever seen - he even yells orders at me when we are mustering the sheep."
David is also happy to bear the burden of being a gay role model, because like so many other gays, he got fed up waiting for someone to come out.
"Unlike many role models who are talented actors and sportsman I am just an ordinary guy and that is the kind of role model young people need. Let's face it, we can't all sing like Darren Hayes, mix it like Molly Meldrum or tackle like Ian Roberts but we can all jump our own little hurdles and live out our own dreams."
Given that David firmly believes we will have civil unions for same-sex couples in Australia, we ask him what kind of wedding he'd like to have.
"A massive Arab/Aussie shindig with all our mates and families from around the world!"
Whether or not David is the future of Australian politics remains to be seen, but among the current crop of hopefuls, he easily stands out a country mile. (Cath Pope, GAY.COM)
IN 2003 the Nationals MP Russell Turner crossed the floor of the NSW Parliament to vote in favour of equalising the age of consent for homosexuals. Turner, whose son is gay, expressed hope that his stand would start "a low groundswell of change". "I've broken the ranks and the world hasn't fallen in," he said, "so perhaps now more of the National Party will move forward."
A new breeze in the bush on gay rights
Emily Maguire October 14, 2006
Sydney Morining Herald
Turner's hope is slowly coming to pass. While his party has maintained its image as the voice of true blue Aussies with traditional rural values, there are signs that equal rights for gay and lesbian Australians may become one of those rural values. This is not a case of progressive urban colonisation of the bush; homophobia is a severe and urgent problem in rural Australia and what we are seeing is a rural-led response.
The former Nationals, now independent, Queensland federal MP Bob Katter demonstrated the extent of ignorance about rural homosexuality when he said, of the film Brokeback Mountain, that farm work was "not a profession that attracts those sort of people". No surprise that Katter responded to the nomination of gay farmer David Graham for state secretary of the Queensland Young Nationals by saying he was "embarrassed" to be associated with his former party.
Fortunately for Graham, a former Big Brother contestant who has been in the party for more than a decade, members reacted more positively. The state director, Brad Henderson, said Graham was "welcome to throw his hat in the ring and nominate"; the Queensland senator Barnaby Joyce described him as "a decent and caring person with a strong work ethic", and former Queensland leader Lawrence Springborg called him "a great young fellow" who "has made a valuable contribution to the party over a period of time".
The "embarrassment" of a former party member is inconsequential, but the societal consequences of homophobic statements like Katter's can be tragic. The Nationals state MP for Murrumbidgee, Adrian Piccoli, spoke last year about his belief that his homophobia contributed to the death of a gay friend. "In thinking that being gay was odd or unusual I was perpetuating prejudice that was killing young men," he wrote in The Daily Telegraph. He blamed his friend's death on "the lack of understanding from country blokes, just like me, who made him hate being gay".
Piccoli must have been pleased to see his West Australian colleagues pass a motion supporting gay and lesbian civil unions at their August state conference. The WA state leader, Brendon Grylls, has promised to take the policy to the next election and present it to the federal party conference this weekend.
Examples of homophobia are also easy to find in the Nationals. Victorian leader Peter Ryan's anti-gay rights views have won him the support of the ultra-conservative Exclusive Brethren; Queensland senator Ron Boswell's website lists maintaining a ban on gay marriage as one of his top achievements. That people such as Piccoli, Graham and Turner can be embraced by the same party as these men is cause for hope.
The change in the Nationals is down to the consciences and experiences of members rather than pressures from the political left or the influence of lobby groups. As more gay people speak out about their orientation and more straight people speak out about support for gay rights, more conservatives will see for themselves that homosexuality is not an abnormality or perversion and that "gay" is not a lifestyle or political orientation. Changing minds is a slow process, but changes based on personal experience are more likely to stick than empty promises or compromises made to appease one voting bloc or another.
q celebrity: with DAVID FROM BB
QMagazine October 2006 Page 32
Since coming out of the Big Brother house, David has been bagged by some of the lesser-quality Gay and Lesbian street press. I caught up with him at Heaven @ 151 for a coffee and a chat – to fi nd out how HE felt his experience was and why he did it in the first place.
Tell me briefl y about your experience in the house…is it something you would do again?
No! I achieved what I wanted to achieve…and I believe that Australia has changed massively…for example some tradesmen today were so impressed to meet me and about mine and Sherif’s relationship [that wouldn’t have happened six months ago] – the next that needs to happen [like any prejudice] is a change in people’s perception of Gay people. The time in the house had it’s ups but also massive downs but who knows, I may do something similar again but I don’t think I would ever do BB again.
What were the reasons you went in to the house?
Mainly because I had seen too many of my mates and other young men commit suicide because they were Gay – because living in the country, they couldn’t identify with anyone. Although they saw Gay people portrayed on television, the reality to them is so different. The expectation is strongly about getting married, having children etc. It was always my plan to come out on the show – but firstly to go in there and be myself, not announcing my sexuality [after all, others don’t have to announce that they are straight] – it
was all about destroying people’s prejudices.
Do you think Governments will ever realise and recognise that a great proportion of youth suicide is sexuality based?
I had two mates who shot themselves, the rest died in car accidents – and they are not considered statistically as suicide. Eight guys in total I know killed themselves, but only two were recognised as suicide because they used a gun.
One of the most defining moments for me was when you explained the plight of the Gay community [including the issue of marriage] around the dining table and the response was so positive from the other house mates - certainly a significant moment for equal [gay] rights - in my mind. You’re out of the house…what happens now?
Several months of appearances, promotions, nite clubs, and then there’s daily interviews – then when this dies down I can decide what I want to do – I am doing the Wedge – and I have been speaking with Fox about what I could do with them. Plus I have to continually go back to my farm to make sure everything is ok.
Since leaving the house, what has been the reaction from the Gay community?
To my face and everyone I have spoken to, it’s been absolutely phenomenal – particularly from country people. I went into the house with a platform to speak on but I didn’t realise it would change those guys as much as it has. Two nights ago in Moorabbin, a lesbian couple came up to me, crying, they didn’t want a picture, they just wanted to say thank you because now their families accept their relationship – they let them stay over, as opposed to before when they didn’t accept them at all. Even the National Party [both Queensland and Federally] is now supporting Civil Unions. Even where my farm is, everyone is so supportive of me and my family that Dad [who didn’t know I was Gay until I came out in the house] now fully accepts it – and that would not have happened otherwise.
And of course you have a bunch of holidays to take [which you won] – when will that fit in?
Probably over the Christmas period, Sherif and I will get away…once he has finished his Masters degree.
Anything you want to say David, in conclusion?
The biggest thing for us was being criticised by gay people – we have been totally embraced by straight people – it’s sort of a real kick from behind when your own community criticises you in forums, letters to the editor, and some gay papers. They are so blinded by what happens on Commercial Road or Oxford Street that they can’t see there are other parts of the country that are not so lucky. Even our relationship has come under scrutiny [because of the length of it] but I can tell you, in my opinion, Gay marriage is around the corner [from my conversations with politicians and the public] because they saw the love we have for each other – which stood the test of being apart for three months. The other criticism that I got was “making gay people out to be victims” to which I say, that if you have never been a victim then don’t look at me to be an advocate for you.
YOUNG NATS WANT CIVIL UNIONS
by Myles Wearring
Young Nationals federal membership officer and ex-Big Brother star David Graham
Photo: Ian Gould
THE YOUNG NATIONALS HAVE COME OUT IN SUPPORT OF ALLOWING CIVIL UNIONS FOR SAME-SEX COUPLES.
The federal Young Nationals have voted to support civil unions for same-sex couples, prompting the Queensland Young Nationals to threaten a split in the party.
The majority support for the proposition came as a surprise for many delegates at the group’s annual conference on the weekend, including gay Young Nationals member and former Big Brother star David Graham.
“I had intended to give a speech to try to swing voters, but as everyone else spoke it was quite clear there was already a clear majority [in favour of civil unions] among the delegates,” Graham, who was elected federal membership officer at the conference, told Sydney Star Observer.
Graham, a Queensland farmer, had lobbied to get the topic on the conference agenda along with the Western Australian Young Nationals, who announced their support for civil unions two months ago.
Debate on the issue had to be extended to allow delegates time to speak.
Those in favour spoke of removing discrimination for same-sex couples and families, while a number of Christians spoke about the importance of human rights, Graham said.
Those against the motion said homosexuality was a choice and there was no link between it and depression and suicide.
“I said, from my experience, yes, there is,” Graham said. “I talked about the reality of it. I wanted to make it very clear it is a real issue.”
He said he had hoped to “get into the minds of the Neanderthal element of the party” with his speech.
“I said to them, ‘You’re a dairy farmer, you know very well dairy cows root each other. That is a natural phenomenon you allow on your farm. Humans are also animals and we’re no different. We’ve all had dogs that have been exclusively gay or lesbian and we’re all fine with that’.”
The National Party is considered one of the country’s more conservative parties, with strong views on family values and some vocal anti-gay MPs. However, the Young Nationals, made up of people under the age of 30, have been known to discuss issues the main party won’t touch.
Comment was sought from federal Nationals leader Mark Vaile and NSW leader Andrew Stoner, but neither returned the Star’s calls.
One chapter of the Young Nationals who didn’t agree with the decision was Queensland. President of the group, Damien Tessman, threatened to “do a Joh and split the party” over the issue.
He was referring to former Nationals leader, Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who split the party in 1987 when he ran for prime minister.
“Homosexuality is something that should not be normalised or promoted in any way,” Tessman told Brisbane’s Sunday Mail.
“It is an attack on the sanctity of marriage and it erodes the maintenance of the family unit.
“All the work Joh did for this party is coming under threat.”
Damian Callacher, president of the federal Young Nationals, urged the Queensland chapter not to walk away.
“I’d certainly encourage them to have a spirited debate, as the federal party did, and work out the best way forward for them,” Callacher told the Star.
“It would be disappointing for the federal organisation if the Young Nationals in Queensland decided to withdraw.”
He said apart from the Queensland group he had not received much negative feedback over the decision. “Most people sort of see it as a practical resolution,” he said.
Conference delegates also voted to support reinforcing marriage as a party platform and ensuring Christian values were taught in Queensland schools.
“We support marriage being for a man and a woman and we support civil unions being for same-sex couples. Effectively we keep everyone happy,” Graham, who had been a member of the Nationals for 11 years, said.
He believed it was “a matter of time” before the main party supported civil unions as well.
Young Nationals back gay unions
Friday, October 13, 2006. 4:00pm (AEST)
The Young Nationals have passed a motion at their federal council meeting in Canberra supporting civil unions for same-sex couples.
The Western Australian branch put forward the motion.
Branch president Darren Moir says the motion has passed with about a 55 per cent majority.
He says another motion has been passed that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
Mr Moir says his Young Nationals branch believes there should be civil unions for same-sex couples because all Australians should have equal rights.
Young Nats threaten split in gay-rights spat
By Lucy Carne
October 15, 2006 12:00am
THE Queensland Young Nationals have threatened to "do a Joh" and split from the other states over a stand-off on gay rights.
The threat comes after a resolution championing equal rights for same-sex couples was passed at the Federal Young Nationals Conference in Canberra this week.
Queensland Young Nationals president Damien Tessmann, 19, said the decision went against the party's conservative beliefs.
"The Queensland Nats are taking a strong stand on this – we are not going to wear it," he said.
"Homosexuality is something that should not be normalised or promoted in any way.
"It is an attack on the sanctity of marriage and it erodes the maintenance of the family unit."
The dairy farmer, who lives next door to the late Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen's property near Kingaroy, said he would mirror the former premier who split the Nationals with his 1987 "Joh For PM" campaign.
"I don't want anything to do with the federal Young Nats," Mr Tessmann said.
"We feel so strongly we don't think we can stay with an organisation that supports this . . . I will do a Joh and split the party.
"All the work Joh did for this party is coming under threat."
But gay farmer and former Big Brother housemate David Graham, who has been a Young Nationals member for 11 years, said the threat was ridiculous.
"It is absolutely absurd," Mr Graham said.
The Goondiwindi sheep farmer, who has declared his desire to marry partner Sherif Kanawati, became federal Young Nationals membership officer on Friday.
Ex-housemate launches politics push
By Evan Schwarten
October 05, 2006 05:17pm
FORMER Big Brother housemate and gay icon David Graham has set his sights on a political career with the Nationals.
The sheep farmer and former model has nominated for the role of state secretary of the Queensland Young Nationals in a ballot due to be held in the next month.
Speaking today from his property at Moonie in Queensland's south-west, Mr Graham has said the move is part of his long term ambition to enter state or federal Parliament.
He has said he hopes his experiences on this year's Big Brother reality television show will prepare him for political life.
"I went on Big Brother and for 24 hours a day for 100 days I was filmed, I have no secrets, everyone has seen me," he said.
"There is not a lot of politicians who can walk into a preselection and say, 'well the electorate already knows who I am'."
Mr Graham, who made headlines when he revealed his sexuality on the Ten Network program, is a passionate supporter of the legalisation of gay civil unions - a stance that puts him at odds with his colleagues in Queensland's Young Nationals.
In May this year, the state council strongly opposed Mr Graham's motion the party declare its support for gay unions.
However, the Western Australian Young Nationals approved a similar pledge and will present a resolution to put homosexuals living in a civil union the same rights as heterosexual couples at next week's national conference.
For his part, Mr Graham, a party member for more than 11 years, believes his stance will not block his bid to become state secretary.
"That's just one thing I stand for, I've got very strong views on ethanol and biodiesel and more police and more hospitals," he said.
"It's just one facet of what I stand for in the party so I don't think it's going to have a major bearing on it. If it does that's very sad but that's society."
Queensland Young Nationals state president Damien Tessman said he would be happy to work alongside Mr Graham but admitted some party members would not support his views on same-sex couples.
"Some people have got their backs up as you could imagine, we are a conservative party and it's not going to be turned on its head overnight, but there are people there who support him as well," he said.
He said the party's stance was based on its desire to protect and maintain family units.
"We are a party that believes in the maintenance of the family unit and I don't think that is a 1950s attitude, I think a lot of mainstream Australians agree with that."
But Mr Graham argues his stance is also pro-family.
"The best outcome for Australia is to encourage stable same sex, monogamous relationships. Homosexual relationships should be put up there as an equal to heterosexual relationships."
Big Brother star says party colleagues have 'evicted' him
05.10.2006 by Merryl Miller
GAY icon and Queensland Young Nationals member David Graham has been evicted into the political wilderness.
The former Big Brother housemate believes his political aspirations have been thwarted by party colleagues threatened by his outspoken stance on homosexuality and civil unions.
"The Young Nats are struggling for members – I wanted to be involved so I applied for the position of State branch secretary," he said from his Moonie farm yesterday. "Suddenly there was this big hoo-ha.
Even though I've been a National Party member for 11 years and held positions on the committee before, they decided to leave nominations open for an indefinite period.
"They wanted to get 'the best person for the job' apparently.
"I've never seen this happen before, and they didn't ever have problems with me on a committee before I went public about my sexuality on Big Brother." Mr Graham believes that with Young Nationals membership in 'free-fall', his new profile could be used to attract the younger, urban vote. "I can talk to people who haven't been listening before," he said.
"I am confused and dismayed by the attitude of some Nationals.
"They say I'm an awesome bloke and I have their support, but they can't agree with homosexuality. Queensland Young Nationals president Damien Tessmann, from Kingaroy, is adamant Mr Graham's sexual preference has no bearing on the branch secretary's role.
He might not agree with homosexuality – and is against the recognition of civil unions – but it wouldn't prevent a productive working relationship.
"There are people in the Young Nationals who have an issue with it, no secrets there, but I'd be more than happy to work with him, Mr Tessmann said.
"I'd buy David a beer, same way I'd buy Lawrence Springborg or Barnaby Joyce a beer. Nominations for the secretary's position were indefinitely extended after a "Brisbane-based conservative group linked to the Nationals" (Mr Tessmann would not identify it further) was not given a chance to apply.
The State Council will make the final decision – a group planning radical action if Mr Graham is successful in forcing civil unions into the party platform at next week's national conference.
"We'll be doing a Joh if that happens – the Queensland Young Nats will sever all ties with the federal body until it is rescinded," Mr Tessmann asserted.
"I will certainly be voting against it. He can't come along and turn the party on its head in five minutes."
The Western Australian Young Nationals will present the resolution of civil unions – giving equal rights and privileges to gay couples as those in heterosexual relationships – to the federal conference next week.
If passed by a majority of State delegates, it will be considered by the senior Nationals.
The issue riles Mr Graham.
"I believe in the National Party platform, and the advancement of agriculture and rural people, but the party's definition of "family" is not egalitarian, he said.
"Recognising civil unions is simply the right thing to do – gay couples are real providers for Australia."
Andy & Adrian talk to Dave
David Graham from Big Brother 2006 is finally out of the house and back on his farm. He joins us to talk about love, politics, the Australian outback - and performance anxiety when peeing in the Big Brother house ...
17mb mp3 file - Wait a while or right click & Save Target As: Listen Now or http://feeds.feedburner.com/thedollhouse
TGS mates catch up at dealership
26.09.2006
by Merryl Miller NOWHERE in the Toowoomba Grammar School Yearbook of 1996 was David Graham listed as "The Most Likely to Become a Reality Television Superstar".
Not that classmate Andrew Willims remembers anyway.
Andrew and David – the 2006 Big Brother housemate who became a gay icon – proved just how small a world it really is when they met up at the Audi Centre, Brisbane dealership last Friday.
David, wearing his customary checked shirt and RM Williams boots, was presented with a Fiat Punto Sports car by Andrew, company accountant for the dealership.
"I have a vague recollection of David from school as a quiet, reserved sort of person, which he told me he was back then," Andrew said.
"He won the Fiat for his stint on Big Brother, and it was a very good feeling for me to give something back to the community – he is from around Moonee, and my whole family is from Toowoomba."
Andrew's dad, Greg Willims, owned dental practices in Toowoomba for many years and ran West Star Motors during the 1990s before taking over the Audi Centre in Brisbane several years ago.
The Fiat won by David was one of two cars delivered by the dealership to the distributors for Big Brother contestants (the other being an Alpha 147).
He drove the flashy sports car back to his property at the weekend, but was unavailable for comment yesterday because he was out shearing the sheep . So how useful will the prize be to a farmer (even a handsome one like David) on a dusty rural property?
"Well, he won't be rounding up the sheep with it.
"It's a Fiat, not a bush-basher," David laughed.
"But maybe he can use it on the roads around Moonee." While it may be nearly 10 years since the lads last saw each other at school, David and Andrew will undoubtedly be spending a little more time together in future.
"We didn't make any plans to catch up again, but the car will need servicing," Andrew said.
"We're keen to help him out wherever we can – they do it tough out there on the land."
Big Bros Bushie makes Katter Cringe
Queensland Pride Magazine September 2006
THE Queensland National Party’s welcome for gay farmer and Big Brother contestant David Graham has caused independent North Queensland MP Bob Katter to cringe.
Katter said he was “embarrassed” to be associated with his former political party after the Nationals welcomed gay grazier Graham to make a run for Parliament.
Graham, 26, who described himself as a “committed member of the Nationals” on the Big Brother website, had later said he doubted the party would want him after viewers saw him kiss his boyfriend and heard him discussing anal sex on the program.
However, the ‘reality TV’ contestant found unlikely support from Nationals’ Senator Barnaby Joyce, who has previously spoken out against both the controversial TV show and equal rights for same sex couples.
Joyce, who knows Graham personally, said he had “far more to offer than what we saw” during what he described as the “piece of crap” Big Brother series.
He said Graham would excel at politics because he was a “decent and caring person with a strong work ethic and strong belief in the development of ?regional Queensland and the whole of Queensland”.
“I think David’s bigger than Big Brother … even my budgerigars are bigger ?than Big Brother,” Joyce said.
“David has far more depth than can be explored on that piece of crap and I ?don’t think Big Brother is a great expose of the type of person that David Graham is.”
Nationals State director Brad Henderson said Graham was welcome to nominate for preselection to become a candidate.
“He’s welcome to throw his hat in the ring and nominate … he was a contributor to the party in his Young Nationals days and if he wants to pursue further involvement in the party he is free to do so,” he said.
However, Bob Katter, who quit the party in 2001, said he was embarrassed for the party.
“I never regretted a minute of it (joining the party) until 1989,” Katter said. “Now I just blush with embarrassment to be associated with them.”
He said during his time with the National Party, they represented ‘traditional values’.
“The party not only represents those traditional values, but it seems to go out of its way to be the champions of the new morality,” Katter said.
“You can have the new morality. But the price to be paid for it, as a race of people, you simply erase yourself from the gene pool. You’ll be a blip on the evolutionary chain.”
When asked what he thought of a gay grazier standing for Parliament, Katter accused his former party of pandering to public relations.
“All I can say is Joh Bjelke-Petersen would turn in his grave. The rest of us would shake our heads in (dis)belief and say is there anything these people (the Nats) believe in?
“Is there a single solitary thing that these people believe in outside of their own personal careers? They make a stand on nothing, and are walking PR machines,” Katter said.
State Opposition leader Lawrence Springborg praised Graham’s contribution to the Nationals, but stopped short of endorsing him as a candidate.
“The simple reality is David is a great young fellow and he has made a valuable contribution to the party over a period of time and is more than welcome to keep doing it,” Springborg said
David Picks Up the "Gayest Car Ever"
22nd September 2006
David collected his new Fiat he received as a prize on Big Brother today from EuroMarque
Brisbane
IS there room in the world for another Tim Brunero?
Big Brother's gay cowboy and National party member David Graham was at the tally room during the Queensland election at the weekend and was overheard telling Government staffers he was keen to pursue a political career to fight for gay rights and has already met Nats leader Lawrence Springborg. Staffers told him he should consider changing political parties if he wanted to advance that cause, but Graham responded: "Lawrence and I have spoken about it and he is right behind me." We hear it was said with a straight face. - From Sydney Confidential
Farmer starring in Big Brother speaks out
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/nsw/content/2006/s1743387.htm
By Alice Plate
Monday, 18/09/2006
A Queensland farmer involved in one of Australia's most popular TV reality shows says the rural sector needs to find new and innovative ways to promote itself in the mainstream media. David Graham spent over three months locked in the Big Brother house, his every move watched by up to 2 million viewers every week. He says he quickly learnt that his housemates and many of his viewers had very negative perceptions about agriculture.
"They had wild ideas about farmers. Most of them thought that farmers were wrecking the country. Most of them thought that we were really irresponsible and we were out there to just rape the land. That was one of the main reasons I struggled in the house, because no-one had any concept... just from memory not a single person, no not event the intruders, not a single house mate had ever been to a farm. Whenever I wanted to talk about farming stuff there was just blank faces, they just didn't have a clue."
David spent three months educating them about farming practices.
"We were cooking with bare essentials. We only got chickpeas, brown rice and bread and so of course I'd talk about, each time we had these terrible chickpeas, I'd be talking about them and how to grow them and the different disease and the different parts of the world chickpeas go to and what they're used for."
He says it really made an impression on the housemates, as well as millions of viewers.
"People on the outside would come up to me and just say that I had changed their perceptions about farmers. And that's a massive positive because the places that I go for the big brother juggernaut is your clubs and your shopping centres and that's basic Australia and they don't watch the news, they didn't listen to ABC radio. They're the people that really aren't getting the message."
David has appealed to the National Farmers Federation and other farm groups to use Big Brother and other mainstream media to promote agriculture, 'you really do educate people through crap reality TV shows and I think that the farmer groups should be lobbying reality TV shows to get farmers on there.
After more than 800 interviews David says it's heaven coming back to the farm.
"Because I can't go and have a beer at a pub anymore, I can't sit down at McDonalds at all... my personal life has come to an end. It's getting my life back when I get back to the farm, suddenly I'm back to the normal real stuffed, so yeah I'm glad to get back to the farm."
He says he's planning to continue farming, but concentrate on growing herbs for organic dips.
In this report: David Graham, an organic sheep and grain farmer from Moonie in Western Queensland.
Aussie bum
The 27-year-old Queensland “jackeroo” (Aussie for “cowboy”) and former model made it to the final four on Australian Big Brother this summer, just months after surviving a vicious gay bashing.
As told to Fiona Haley
From The Advocate September 26, 2006 Issue 971
Big Brother (Australia)
When I was 19 I went to Sydney with my mates, and everywhere we went model agents came up and gave me their card. My mates said, “Look, this is an opportunity to do something and get off the farm.” A week later I was in Italy doing the catwalks, surrounded by supermodels. I was like, What the hell am I doing here? I didn’t handle it very well; I didn’t understand that I was there because I looked good. I thought I was there because I looked strange. I had to go back to my farm. It was all too scary.
In January I was beaten up by a gang of guys who left me for dead. They were taunting some gay guys, and I tried to placate them. I told them that I was gay, and they started beating the shit out of me. I thought, Now I know what it’s like to be absolutely hated to the point that people will risk going to jail just to vent their hate on my body. I felt as though I was a real gay man.
Soon after, I met my boyfriend, Sherif, in Sydney. He is definitely the one for me. He came to the farm and was a horseman in half an hour. That takes years. He just fitted on the saddle and fitted on the farm. He fits in my life. Everything I ever wanted I found in one person.
Ninety percent of the reason I went on Big Brother was to break down that wall of prejudice, especially for country people. I thought, Holy hell, this is the best possible microphone to middle Australia. Coming out on TV was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I couldn’t even do it standing up—I had to sit down because my knees wouldn’t hold me up. An hour later I broke down. Holy shit, what the hell have I done? The reality of 2 million people watching the show hit me.
Recently three guys said to me, “I was the biggest homophobe, I used to bash gays, and now all I want is gay mates.” That put the icing on the cake. They couldn’t say enough about the change they’d gone through just by watching, understanding, and getting to know me. Before I went in the house, I got abused: “fucking faggot, poofta…” Now I get “Hey guy, love you, mate!” Suddenly, Australia loves gays.
New Dave Rural Help Page - Now in Operation
Dave has agreed to help run help page - "Ask Dave - Dave from BB06 will provide support and guidance for farmers in crisis" on a new Australian Field Days Online website - a site for buying and selling agricultural equipment.
See Ask Dave on http://www.fielddaysonline.com.au/
Big brother is watching
By Katie Franklin
Posted: Saturday, September 9 2006
.Big Brother star David Graham has ventured into the tally room to support his National Party comrades.
David, a long-time member of the National Party, told the Poll Vault he had spent the past two days on the campaign trail and was keen to enter politics one day.
David, who is openly gay, says he believes in the National Party because they believe in family, but he wants them to change their definition of family.
He said he hated being on Big Brother but used the reality TV program to push his gay rights cause.
He said ever time a neo-Nazi or homophobe comes up to him and tells him he's a good bloke, he knows his Big Brother experience was worthwhile.
Sandra Sully's hair explodes with more body than ever before. Bouffant in style and showing signs of work. More so than on the continuing need to dub over questions in post production or the occasional stall during taping. Housemates from the 2006 series of Big Brother are up and run about the stage creating a sense of mayhem and looseness.
Out from the first, tad shy of total darkness, Camilla Severi, Anna Lind-Hansen and Michael McCoy. Fighting it out for the final spot into the second round sees McCoy trumpet off on the Matching Pairs tie-breaker against Claire Madden. A few seconds too late to do anything, even with a few of the other housemates trying to answer from and for his console.
Jamie Brooksby picks off Sport and TV with a strong 8 and clumsy 4. Madden averages out her shot with Natural World and Food & Drink to pocket 10. One shy of the mark to challenge a spot into the third round. Katie Hastings exasperates at the mere task of trying to answer the questions and notches 2 and 6 with Film and Australiana.
As open with his tactics as he is now with his homosexuality from the show's experience, David Graham snipes 11 off Geography and 8 from Pot Luck. Geography being the pet shot for Dino Delic. Delic at first falters on 5 from History only to pick up a major 6 from Science. Gaelan Walker is no threat at all with 2 and 3 from Music and Literature respectively.
Graham saddles up with Sheep and Cattle Farming as his topic of speciality with Delic on The Balkans and International Rugby Union for Brooksby.
Knowing how to play the game, and with the advantage of choosing first, Graham flips out tiles from The Balkans, irking Delic to no end. As such, and with the other two playing it safe, Graham holds on early and long with a lead.
Looking to fight back, Delic aims for a moo cow only needing to actually hit a Friesian. Amazingly, Graham forgets the number of sheep shorn by gun shearers to be 200.
No matter though. With such a lead one wrong answer isn't enough to topple him from the heap. Winner this time of the game, Graham directs his charity winnings toward PFLAG.
WA NATIONALS BACK GAY UNIONS
Sydney Star Observer - Issue 828 - Published 10/8/2006
by Ian Gould
THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL PARTY'S VOTE IN FAVOUR OF SAME-SEX CIVIL UNIONS PUTS PRESSURE ON COUNTERPARTS IN OTHER STATES.
In what is believed to be a national first, the Western Australian branch of the National Party has voted in support of same-sex civil unions.
A motion supporting gay unions and proposed by the WA Young Nationals won the backing of the majority of delegates at an annual state conference last week.
The move came days after Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce said gay Big Brother contestant David Graham would be welcome in the party.
Young Nationals WA president Darren Moir said the vote showed the traditionally conservative Nationals were evolving.
“It signals a new era and a step forward to get rid of old prejudices and move forward,” Moir told Perth's Sunday Times newspaper.
“It was a brave thing to bring this to the conference. We are not radicals – it was the right thing to do.”
WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls said the Nationals would take the same-sex civil unions policy to the next state election, due by 2009.
“There is a perception that the National Party is a party of farmers and this couldn't be further from the truth. This is a step along the journey to transform that perception.”
But Grylls said he would not immediately be campaigning to introduce gay civil unions.
Gay and Lesbian Equality WA convenor Rod Swift said the level of the support for the motion was surprising, but the initiative was consistent with past state National Party policy.
“ There was only a very small fraction of the people in attendance who didn't vote for this motion. We're talking more than 80 percent support,” Swift told the Star .
“[But] we've got to remember that this is the same party that decided before the 2005 state election to break their coalition with the Liberal Party to not support the Liberal Party's rollback position on gay law reform.”
Swift and fellow activists are calling on WA's Labor government to introduce a registration scheme for same-sex relationships.
“This move by the Nationals to say they support the concept … makes it easier for the Greens and Labor to do it,” he said.
Swift said the civil unions motion also put pressure on Nationals in other states.
“I'm hoping that it will spread to the federal party and other state divisions,” he said.
A spokesperson for NSW Nationals leader Andrew Stoner said same-sex civil unions were not discussed at the party's state conference in June but could be “an interesting debate” next year.
“Maybe next year there will be such a motion and Andrew thinks that would certainly be an interesting debate,” the spokesperson said.
Nats welcome Big Brother star's ambition
Sydney Morning Herald. Monday July 31
The Queensland National Party has welcomed Big Brother evictee David Graham's ambitions to become a politician for the party.
The 26-year-old farmer, from Dalby, west of Brisbane, speculated about a future with the party shortly before he was evicted from the reality show compound on the Gold Coast on Sunday night.
David has previously revealed an affiliation with the party, describing himself as a "a committed member of the Nationals", in an official profile on the Big Brother website.
On Monday, Nationals state director Brad Henderson said David was "more than welcome" to nominate for preselection to become a candidate.
"He's welcome to throw his hat in the ring and nominate ... I think David would be judged on his merits just like every other candidate is," Mr Henderson said.
"He was a contributor to the party in his Young Nationals days and if he wants to pursue further involvement in the party he is free to do so."
When asked if the National Party was ready for a gay MP who championed the plight of gay farmers, Mr Henderson replied: "I think that's an issue he has identified and that he wants to pursue. That's his right and he has been doing that on the show.
"One of the great things about the Nationals is that we have a diverse membership and we are a real grassroots party ... It's the right of our members to have input into the party policy development."
State Opposition leader Lawrence Springborg praised Mr Graham's contribution to the Nationals, but stopped short of endorsing him as a candidate.
"The simple reality is David is a great young fellow and he has made a valuable contribution to the party over a period of time and is more than welcome to keep doing it," Mr Springborg said.
David has made no secret of his homosexuality.
He came out on the show and inside the compound and often spoke of his love for his boyfriend Sharif, whom he met at a dance party during Sydney's gay and lesbian annual Mardi Gras.
In addition to expressing an interest in taking up the plight of gay farmers, David also discussed feeling like a "second-class citizen" because gay marriage is not legal in Australia.
He also talked about teen suicides in Australia - many of which are gay-related.
David was the third last housemate to leave Big Brother
Big Brother evictee David dreamed of his country home
01.08.2006
by Kathleen Donaghey
THE fluorescent confines of the Big Brother house has made southern Queensland's open spaces all the more appealing to contestant David Graham.
The gay Goondiwindi farmer was evicted from the Channel 10 reality TV program on Sunday night, after coming out to family and friends, including his father, on national television and making his mark as an intensely moralistic and thinking man (with good looks).
But all the while he was in the house, David dreamed of his sheep, his horses, the solitude of his farm and the man he had left behind to make a point to the Australian public about gay rights.
Mum Lucille, of Toowoomba, said it would be some time before her son could expect to return to the quiet country life of horse-riding and caring for his animals.
"It will be hard for him for a little while," Mrs Graham said, citing his contract and touring obligations.
"He won't be able to do what he wants for quite some time. Mrs Graham said it had been hard for the family, who were "private people", to hear themselves and their stories talked about all over Australia, but she always expected the public's reaction to her son to be positive.
In fact, with a mother's love in her every word, Mrs Graham said she was so sure David could have been hot favourite to win.
Yesterday media reports surfaced claiming David wanted to marry his partner Sharif, with whom he was reunited during Sunday night's show, and return to his farm.
Mrs Graham said it would be a relief to her son to finally tend his animals rather than have to live like one in a television zoo.
Western Australia conservatives say yes to gay marriage
10-August-06 Tony Grew
In a radical demonstration of changing attitudes, the Western Australian branch of the National Party has voted in support of same-sex civil unions.
A motion supporting gay ’marriage’ won the backing of delegates at their annual state conference.
The National Party are often portrayed as deeply rural and conservative, representing farming interests. Younger members of the party have hailed the move as indicative of their desire to question established prejudices and begin a ‘new era.’
Last week a federal Senator from the party said gay Australian Big Brother contestant David Graham would be welcome in the party.
State Nationals leader Brendon Grylls said his party would be making the same-sex marriage policy a manifesto commitment when Western Australians go to the polls to elect the state government in three years time, but that they would not be campaigning for partnerships before then.
Gay and Lesbian Equality WA convenor Rod Swift told the Sydney Star Observer: “There was only a very small fraction of the people in attendance who didn't vote for this motion. We're talking more than 80 percent support.
“[But] we've got to remember that this is the same party that decided before the 2005 state election to break their coalition with the Liberal Party to not support the Liberal Party's rollback position on gay law reform.”
Activists have demanded that the incumbent Labour govenment in Western Australia begin a same-sex partnership registration scheme. The state already has some of the most liberal attitudes to gay and lesbian relationships.
Western Australia allows same-sex couples equal access to adoption procedures and in vitro fertilization treatment. It also gives same-sex couples the same rights as opposite sex couples in areas such as transfer of property, medical treatment, and inheritance upon the death of a partner.
Cath Pope, UK GAY.COM
Monday 31 July, 2006 11:01
Sexy Queensland gay cowboy, David Graham, who stole every Australian gay man’s heart when he decided to use Big Brother 6 as a coming out vehicle, was evicted on Sunday from the Big Brother compound after 99 days.
David, 26, was reunited with his boyfriend Sherif on the eviction show, prompting a passionate and long-lasting embrace where the pair told each other, “I love you” while wearing microphones before a live national TV audience in addition to the 1.5 million viewers watching at home.
“This is the man I’m going to marry,” David gushed to the wildly enthusiastic audience.
During the first few days in the Big Brother house, David outed himself, confessing to housemates on national television that only a handful of close family members knew he was gay – a secret he even managed to keep from his 74-year-old father.
“I thought it could destroy my family, but instead it has made my whole family,” he said, adding he had thought his father would just tolerate it. “He was more than tolerant, more than accepting, he was supportive last night beyond my imagination,” the passionate farmer told BB host Gretel Killeen whilst tightly gripping Sherif’s hand.
The couple met at this year’s annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, a month before David entered the Big Brother house.
“(The) first few weeks (I felt) pure depression,” Sharif told Gretel. “After that I was just watching all times, practically glued to the screen.”
In the rounds of post eviction interviews, David said despite not wining BB6, he had already won. He spoke of a letter printed by Australian gay magazine DNA where a young gay man wrote of feeling suicidal because of his sexuality, but was inspired to be out and proud thanks to the confidence and pride expressed by David on the show.
“Not every gay comes in a pink box and a bow,” said David, adding that hoped he would be a role model to young gay men in rural and isolated areas, proving that they could be themselves and stay in the country rather than move to city locations for acceptance.
David said he planned to return to the farm and start his life afresh, finally comfortable about his sexuality. He said Sherif planned to join him on the farm.
David wants gay wedding
Daily Telegraph - July 31, 2006 12:00
GAY Big Brother evictee David Graham announced yesterday he will marry - "100 per cent" - the Lebanese Muslim uni student he met just a month before he entered the Gold Coast compound.
Viewers of Channel Ten's final Sunday night eviction program were treated to a surprise Brokeback Mountain moment when the Queensland cowboy was passionately reunited with his lover, business student Sherif Kanawati.
"It completely blew me away _ the fact he was there and that he's still so intensely in love with me is just extraordinary,'' David told Confidential.
"He's perfect and we are completely in love. I know we will marry him, I definitely know it.''
Despite being forced to return home to his drought-ravaged farm in Goondiwindi _ which was trashed by thieves earlier last month _ David said he and Sherif would temporarily commute between Sydney and Queensland.
But seizing his moment in the spotlight to attack John Howard's ban on same-sex marriages, David, 26, said his wedding to Sherif would not be a stunt.
"I'll do it when it's legal and when I have my rights. I can't understand how John Howard can take away the rights from such a small group that is so targeted - I just don't get it.''
Next to the gay love he received from Sherif, the former model said he was also overwhelmed by his father's uncharacteristic displays of affection.
While David's mother and three sisters were aware of his homosexuality, his conservative father _ also a Queensland farmer _ discovered his son's secret by watching the reality series.
"In one evening being with him as a gay man I got more love than 26 years of being a straight son,'' David said.
Dave's out ... and proud
By Erin McWhirter - News.Ccom
July 31, 2006 12:00am
EVICTED Big Brother gay farmer, David Graham, has shown a public display of affection for his boyfriend Sharif after being evicted from the reality show.
In an emotional reunion after David spent 99 days in the Gold Coast house, the lovers kissed passionately before holding each other in a tearful embrace.
The pair met just three weeks before David, 26, went into lock down for the reality TV program.
"I love you," they told each other, wearing microphones before a live national TV audience of hundreds of thousands.
While inside the compound, David often spoke of his love for his boyfriend, who he met at a dance party during Sydney's gay and lesbian annual Mardi Gras.
Sharif said it was hard being away from David, but he found comfort in seeing his boyfriend profess his love for him on television.
"(The) first few weeks (I felt) pure depression," he said live on stage last night holding David's hand firmly.
"After that I was just watching all times, practically glued to the screen."
Known for his emotional outbursts in the house, David said "coming out" as gay on national television was a life-changing experience.
He said he kept the lid on his sexuality initially because he did not want to be judged by the other housemates.
"I wanted them to get to know me without knowing what I do in my spare time," he told host Gretel Killeen.
"I realised how difficult it was to keep that small part (secret)."
The Queensland contestant had told only a handful of immediate family members he was gay, but kept it a secret from his father.
"Before coming in here my dad didn't even know," he said.
"It's good that whole fear of being gay and everyone knowing about it is gone. Every Tom, Dick and Harry ... my family (now) knows about it.
"The fear and pain ... all gone."
He participated in the program to see if Australians accepted the gay community and him.
"When I survived a nomination, I knew within myself, that people didn't have a problem with me," he said.
"I genuinely thought a lot of Australians had a massive issue with gay people, I realised that's not true any more, at all.
"The whole thing for me, being here, was showing Australia and housemates you can be gay."
David said he plans to go back to his farm, leave the Big Brother experience behind and start his life afresh, without his secret hanging over his head.
"Live the rest of my life with a husband," he said.
"I am not a failure, I am a proud gay man."
Thieves invade David's space
Lucy Carne - July 30, 2006 12:00am
THIEVES have trashed the house of Big Brother gay cowboy David Graham, prompting fears from his family he may become a victim of stalkers.
While the reality television contestant was locked in the program's Gold Coast compound, his Goondiwindi farm house was broken into this month and a box of personal photographs stolen.
This week a "private photo" of Graham and a bare-chested "close friend" appeared on internet auction site eBay for a price of $15,000.
Police deny the eBay photo is linked to the theft, but worried family members fear the burglars are attempting to cash in on Graham's popularity, which is predicted to soar when he leaves the house after tomorrow's finale.
Graham's mother, Lucille, said the family feared their son might become the target of stalking.
"It really is a big concern how some people may react," she said.
"We are hoping people will be very positive, but you just don't know."
Mrs Graham said she noticed the break-in when she returned to take photographs of his bedroom for a segment on Big Brother.
"Each room was roughed around . . . everything was disturbed," she said. "When I went to the back, I saw the door had been forced in and the lock broken.
"I think it's absolutely disgusting that people can violate David's property to that extent."
Are the Nats ready for a gay MP ?
Published by Kim on 31 July 2006 at 12:05 am in Culture, Sociology, Media.
The culture of complaint that swirls around Big Brother usually conflates several issues - sexual and behavioural norms, censorship and nudity, and a cultured distaste for mass entertainment. However, the original justification for television at all was supposed to be its educative function. As Jessculture suggests, the re-uniting of an openly gay man with his lover on national tv has to serve some broader purpose to the good. And it’s interesting as well to see whether David follows up on his aspirations to become a National Party politician - which he was speculating when talking to Gretel tonight were now up the creek. He’d certainly have name recognition.
45 Responses to “Big Brother 06 - are the Nats ready for a gay MP?”
glen on 31 July 2006 at 12:18 am
David is greater than the rest of BB06 combined. If some political party doesn’t court him then they are all stupid. I managed to catch his eviction tonight and the scene of his embrace with his man although completely staged was very touching. David has a great face for conveying emotion.
It struck me today that Australian men have a long way to come. Sometimes I think I do live a world apart for everyday people, mainly other blokes. For example, I attended my first NRL match today. I was explaining the concept of homosociality to a mate of mine. He is not stupid (an engineer) and understood it perfectly. He said that by introducing him to the term I’d “ruined sport” for him.
Kim on 31 July 2006 at 12:36 am
Agreed, glen.
Though the other question raised I guess is how we all assume that celebrities can be instantly transported into Parliament. I only thought about this after I wrote the post.
The Brisbane Sunday Mail today reported that Beattie wants Akermanis as an ALP candidate.
patrickg on 31 July 2006 at 10:21 am
Ready for a gay MP? I don’t think the Nats are ready for an MP full stop.
Armaniac on 31 July 2006 at 11:05 am
I think maybe David needs to look deep inside and ask whether he can’t be a more effective advocate for the rights of both country and gay constituants (and any other topic that interests him) in a different party.
But good luck to him. He’s a dude, he could almost turn me..
James Hamilton on 31 July 2006 at 11:32 am
Interesting, Glen, and with not necessarily disagreeing with you I kinda get your friend’s point. Does everything have to be analysed and labelled? And if so can’t they do a better job than that?
“Homo-sociality”. Talk about how to kill a vibe with one word.
Here’s a tip for anyone trying to breakdown the barriers against women joining all male clubs and societies; just tell them at the AGM they they should keep the barriers in place so they can enjoy their “homo-social” releationships. Watch the barriers come down instantly.
tigtog on 31 July 2006 at 11:57 am
Don’t you think it’s instructive that apparently any word beginning with “homo” has become a vibe-killer for certain men? Perhaps they should watch the bits in the Princess Bride where the word “inconceivable” is oft-repeated by Vazzini for a touch of clue-by-four from the lips of Inigo Montoya.
Better not drink any homogenised milk, mate. Homeostasis sounds a bit suss too - better tell your internal organs to knock it off.
Alex on 31 July 2006 at 12:27 pm
My local QLD member is Paul Neville. A man so conservative, that he fears going to the toilet.
I can’t imagine David would be treated with anything other than contempt by the god fearing QLD Nationals.
Katz on 31 July 2006 at 12:56 pm
Reality check.
This person volunteered to live in the BB House.
And his announcement that he intends a political career is not greeted with gut-busting hoots of laughter?
I’d have thought that homosexuality was the least of the impediments he may face in parking his posterior on the green leather.
Armaniac on 31 July 2006 at 1:27 pm
You watched him then Katz?
Which part of his intelligent, articulate personality didn’t you like?
Katz on 31 July 2006 at 1:33 pm
Gee Armaniac.
There’s a notion. Voting for personality.
Who cares about principles or policy or discretion or intelligence?
And no I haven’t seen him or any of his no doubt very deserving ex-fellow internees in that ersatz “social experiment” unironically entitled “Big Brother”.
Alex on 31 July 2006 at 1:37 pm
Who cares about principles or policy or discretion or intelligence?
Well all I can say Katz, is that the yanks voted for Reagan…Twice!!
James Hamilton on 31 July 2006 at 1:42 pm
Harsh, tigtog, it’s not just the homo, I think it is that combined with the “ality” at the end which pushes it over the line.
Sorry to be so off topic but indulge me if you will. Perhaps the whole homo thing is a red herring and if I was smarter I would have emphasised the milder point that sometimes it is better just to go with the moment. I had a picture of this guy standing amongst his mates analysing and labelling when he needed to be told to shut up, drink your mid strength, eat you pie and yell “CUNT” when the guy wityh the whistle or the opposing coach walks by. I’m not saying that this was what happened in Glen’s case of course but it put me in mind of a scenario like that.
I walked into a conversation once between three 20 year old male friends of mine who were discussing pubic trimming and then masturbation (I know now that this was an excellent example of homosocialising, but I was in the dark at the time). One of them eventually said “Well even though I do it all the time I don’t see why we should talk about it.”
Katz on 31 July 2006 at 1:43 pm
Point made Alex.
Who knows. BB may become the pathway to national greatness.
How are the ratings for BB?
Is Ruddock’s desire to force BB to clean up its act the beginning of the Liberal Party’s reform of its preselection processes?
Where does the National Party stand on the issue of turkey slapping?
tigtog on 31 July 2006 at 2:09 pm
James, a thoughtful and reasoned response, sadly lacking an allusion to ROUS but with an entirely appropriate and amusing deployment of “CUNT!”?
Where’s the stoushy goodness in that?
“Well even though I do it all the time I don’t see why we should talk about it.”
MMmmm, introspectiony.
Liam on 31 July 2006 at 2:11 pm
Katz, as he’s a volunteer for a useless, self-obsessed, egocentric exercise in futility and monomania, he’s obviously destined for the red seats of the upper house, not the Reps.
James Hamilton on 31 July 2006 at 2:39 pm
I take it he got evicted last night. That leaves the Turkey Slapee still in doesn’t it?
Has she showed an interest in running for parliament?
The fact that Jamie is still in proves that as a nation we are above penis envy. We are moving forward at great rate of knots in my humble.
glen on 31 July 2006 at 3:43 pm
James,
Here is some more for you to mull over. You ask, “Does everything have to be analysed and labelled? And if so can’t they do a better job than that?” Then you go to suggest that ‘homosociality’ is a vibe killer. Indeed, it certainly does kill a vibe, but why should the vibe be one that belongs to certain members of the population (anglo, 15-35yo, masculine)? Why can’t there by other vibes? Why should their vibe be privileged over others?
This is very interesting for me because I actually engage with something very similar to this notion of the ‘vibe’ in my dissertation. I talk about the rhythmic affective dimension of events and ‘vibe’ seems to me to capture what I mean perfectly.
You should know that I have known this guy since pre-school and we are very good mates. Also that none of us were going to the game in support of any team, no one follows NRL, but purely for the (non)spectacle of it. The comment about homosociality came up in the context of discussion that emerged for asking other very broad questions regarding the nature of spectator sports and why people follow them.
Some further examples from the same day of gender and different vibes. My mate said later that “Buffy was shit”. My retort was that Buffy was for people who watched professional sporting events played by all-male teams and described them as ‘homosocial’.
The small group of which I was part had no complaints when we later went to the Spanish Club in Sydney for dinner and I discovered that they had a reproduction of Las Meninas on the wall, so I gave a short 20 minute presentation on Foucault’s reading of the painting and the concepts of subjectivity and representation. Of course, in this example it is something of a party trick to show the different dimensions of the painting. So, yes, a different vibe was expected at dinner compared to that of the footy ground.
Why should we work and live according to the burden of expectation most accutely felt by one particular population or the expectations of a vibe for particular events?
Armaniac on 31 July 2006 at 3:52 pm
“There’s a notion. Voting for personality.
Who cares about principles or policy or discretion or intelligence?”
I do. These things of course being part of personality.
As I’ve spelt out, having watched him under lights and with no ability to spin doctor himself, he’s:
intelligent, articulate
Which is not a bad start, in my view.
Vee on 31 July 2006 at 4:14 pm
I stopped watching when I found out who the second evictee was so I didn’t see what unfolded but going on from what has been said.
This comes from a man that reads the Australian to get a left wing perspective. In the words of Rove McManus: What The?
That said he’s a lot more sensible than most National politicians but then again I didn’t have a problem with the QLD National party becoming the dominant entity of that side of politics - at least the QLD Nats have the guts to stick up for themselves.
As for the word “homosociality” - it seems beyond me but an interpretation to me seems to be “birds of a feather flock together” since in most contexts homo only means ’same’
Mark on 31 July 2006 at 4:45 pm
Homosociality refers to something akin to male bonding - and has an overtone of blokes quite liking each other but doing everything possible to show they don’t like each other *that way*.
No doubt someone can come up with a more academically precise definition!
Mark on 31 July 2006 at 4:46 pm
My mate said later that “Buffy was shit”.
Sheesh.
How could you respect anything he said, glen, after that?
James Hamilton on 31 July 2006 at 5:23 pm
Gosh Glen. I like thinking about stuff like that but please accept my apologies in advance if you bust me homo-socialising with my pipe band and and pretend like I don’t know you. You’ll thank me in the long run even if you don’t accept my apologies.
Thank you for developing the context a bit. My view is that there is nothing wrong with a particular vibe happening at a particular time and place. A rugby league event is where you go to enjoy a certain vibe and that vibe would permit the discussion of Buffy but not the word “homosociality”. You don’t like that vibe then don’t go to the sporting event there are better places for your preferred vibe. Like the Spanish restaurant. I don’t mean it in a draconian way, it’s just that you are not enjoying the fully benefit of the occasion if you are not enjoying the vibe.
I have a strong temptation to accuse you of using the word “homosociality” in your response to your mate’s Buffy observation in a perjorative sense; you are hiding behind its literal appropriateness; in full knowledge of the baggage it carries and with the intent of hitting Buffy loving league fans with that baggage. I am not good at resisting temptation.
As too the painting. It was painted by a very clever dude who was having fun with the idea that the viewer takes on the role of the King and Queen. That French wanker exprapolated far too much for his own evil ends. So there.
Geoff Honnor on 31 July 2006 at 6:16 pm
“The small group of which I was part had no complaints when we later went to the Spanish Club in Sydney for dinner and I discovered that they had a reproduction of Las Meninas on the wall, so I gave a short 20 minute presentation on Foucault’s reading of the painting and the concepts of subjectivity and representation.”
Note to self: avoid dinner invitations from glen.
I think the key to homosocialising is that it kind of happens. Analysing the relationship between blokes getting together at an NRL game and a Naked Sex Party at Headquarters male sex on premises venue is best left to dissertations.
Kim on 31 July 2006 at 8:56 pm
I thought glen meant he’d been scheduled to give a talk. So it was an impromptu disquisition?
Kim on 31 July 2006 at 8:56 pm
Ps - CAMILLA TO WIN!
Yobbo on 31 July 2006 at 9:04 pm
Standard bash-the-conservatives stuff from LP, to be expected. How many gay MPs does the Labor party have, by the way?
Phill on 31 July 2006 at 9:11 pm
Hey Yobbo,”Me thinks you protesteth to much”
Sacha on 31 July 2006 at 10:29 pm
Isn’t the question moreso whether the Nats are ready for an openly gay MP? I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve had at least one gay MP somewhere in Australia.
I think a better question is whether they would be seen to be happy to have an openly gay MP. Something I’ve learnt from semi-regularly having dinner in Warwick (south of Toowoomba) with farmers and horse-handlers is that it’s wrong to stereotype national party supporters as not being supportive of gay people. Whether the National Party itself is is perhaps another matter. But maybe their attitudes could change, and BB06 David might be a factor in that, or in individuals’ opinions.
Arthur Vandelay on 31 July 2006 at 10:38 pm
Ps - CAMILLA TO WIN!
Nope. Zoolander won.
Liam on 31 July 2006 at 10:38 pm
How many gay MPs does the Labor party have
More than claim the status in public, Yobbo. I wish I could say more.
Sacha on 31 July 2006 at 10:42 pm
Off the top of my head, Senator Penny Wong and Penny Sharpe are openly gay, and I can’t think of any others. I don’t know anything apart from what’s appeared in the media.
I just found this on The Australian’s web-site:
[link]
Nationals welcome BB evictee
By Roberta Mancuso and Jade Bilowol
July 31, 2006
THE Queensland National Party has welcomed Big Brother evictee David Graham’s ambitions to become a politician for the party.
The 26-year-old farmer from Dalby, west of Brisbane, speculated about a future with the party shortly before he was evicted from the reality show compound on the Gold Coast last night.
David has previously revealed an affiliation with the party, describing himself as a “a committed member of the Nationals”, in an official profile on the Big Brother website.
Nationals state director Brad Henderson today said David was “more than welcome” to nominate for preselection to become a candidate.
“He’s welcome to throw his hat in the ring and nominate … I think David would be judged on his merits just like every other candidate is,” Mr Henderson said…
Jason Soon on 31 July 2006 at 10:52 pm
According to John Hyde Page’s controversial new book, every second president of the Young Liberal movement was gay until the Right took power.
Mark on 31 July 2006 at 11:02 pm
I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve had at least one gay MP somewhere in Australia.
Indeed they have, Sacha. Nuff said.
Frank Calabrese on 31 July 2006 at 11:38 pm
It Seems David’s plans on standing for the Nats may be frowned upon if this goes ahead.
David plans wedding
Big Brother evictee David Graham, who used the rality TV show to announce he is gay, wants to marry his partner Sherif in a civil ceremony.
David, 26, was ousted from the reality show last night, leaving two original housemates, Camilla and Jamie, to battle it out for the sixth series.
After 99 days in the Big Brother compound, the Queensland farmer said he was ecstatic to see his 24-year-old partner again.
‘’This is the man I am going to marry,'’ David said today.
‘’We are intensely in love and it’s not a fleeting infatuation, it is the most incredible thing I know of and anyone in my family has ever seen … pretty intense.'’
Frank Calabrese on 31 July 2006 at 11:39 pm
hmm, the link didn’t work. that quote came from here [link]
Mark on 31 July 2006 at 11:50 pm
I can’t see Barnaby being overjoyed.
Boo to Jamie as well! Actually he wasn’t that bad - just bland like most of the male winners.
It was interesting - given what Kim raised in the post - to see BB playing up the “letting the viewers know they’re not alone” and changing social attitudes role of the show - with specific reference to Camilla’s body anxiety and David’s sexuality.
Sacha on 31 July 2006 at 11:54 pm
` It was interesting - given what Kim raised in the post - to see BB playing up the “letting the viewers know they’re not alone” ‘
I’ve thought for a couple of years that this was one of the interesting aspects of the show - very few other shows do this (perhaps Australian Story does this) - especially given the young age of many of its viewers.
Anna Winter on 1 August 2006 at 12:11 am
Yobbo: How many gay MPs does the Labor party have, by the way?
There are at least 4 gay Labor MPs in your very own WA State Parliament. Does this assist you in making what I have no doubt is an intelligent and insightful point?
Buffy on 1 August 2006 at 12:39 am
glen, just tell your friend do not mess with slayers.
Nabakov on 1 August 2006 at 1:27 am
“Are the Nats ready for a gay MP”
should probably read “Are the Nats ready for an openly gay MP”.
I’d certainly like to think they are. After all the staunchly rural electorate of Wairarapa in NZ elected a transexual ex-stripper to Parliament- not for the novelty value (which I’d agree would be substantial) but because she was a respected member of the community who they trusted to effectively represent their interests in the Beehive. I wish more Australian political parties, of all persuasions, would display a simiular level of trust in the common sense of their employers ie: us.
Faith on 1 August 2006 at 1:28 am
Yeah, B, he shouldn’t be messin with us.
glen on 1 August 2006 at 11:49 am
kim,
impromptu! I spied it on the way back to my seat and exclaimed something about how big it was as I had never seen an actual reproduction before.
It wasn’t academic in the slightest. I really played up the party trick aspect of pointing out the complexities of modernist subjectivity as they are developed in the painting, ie ‘but the little girl’, ‘but the painter’, ‘but the couple in the mirror’, ‘but the midget’, etc.
james,
You don’t like that vibe then don’t go to the sporting event there are better places for your preferred vibe.
Well, I have a problem with this. Such events are multidimensional. The writerly version of the multidimensionality of events was the old deconstructionist chestnut that the author is dead. I am not writerly, yet there is a similar logic where events (or texts) are in part expressed (or authored) between objects and people. The burden of expectation is almost as tragic as its poverty. The opposite is a rich life, resonant with the many vibes of the multitude. The enjoyement is an expression of the resonance.
James Hamilton on 1 August 2006 at 12:23 pm
Hi Glen, I did not mean “if you don’t like it, piss off” in a harsh sense I meant that the effect of a sporting carnival, league in particular is to produce a certain vibe and if you don’t like the vibe why go? Why inport another vibe? What utility are you gaining from the rugby league match? You indicated in your 2nd post that you and your friends actually attended the event with trepidations and pre-conceived ideas of what it would be like, you referred to it as a “non spectacle”. In one major sense of course you have the right to go to a football match and react to it however you want, but I don’t see you as embracing the many vibes of the multitude, quite the opposite. To embrace the many vibes and to enrich your life wouldn’t taking of your intellectual and ideological values beanie off for an afternoon and to go down and give the opposing team a right bollocking? I mean you were there I wasn’t and you know how you felt, I am only reacting to the vibe of what you are telling me.
If Mark can watch the OC, you can go to the rugby without calling the crowd a bunch of closet poofters.
Have you tried watching Union?
Mark on 1 August 2006 at 12:31 pm
Vale Marissa.
Nuff said!
tigtog on 1 August 2006 at 2:19 pm
If Mark can watch the OC, you can go to the rugby without calling the crowd a bunch of closet poofters.
I for one have never thought, and certainly never meant to imply, that homosocial interactions are to do with closet poofterism.
Homosociality refers to something akin to male bonding - and has an overtone of blokes quite liking each other but doing everything possible to show they don’t like each other *that way*.
Mark’s quote above about blokes quite liking each other doesn’t mean sexually, and the homosocial rituals IMO are all about attempting to integrate the cognitive dissonance between a cultural norm of homophobia with an individual emotional need for intimacy with fellow males, building up a mateship beyond just blokesdownthepub jocularity.
I’ve got the fencers in, a father-son team, and the way they abuse each other for the slightest bit of absent-mindedness as they work is an almost textbook example of homosocial interaction. FSM forbid they should be so poofy as to speak pleasantly to each other, ya boofhead.
Big Brother Bashing
DNA Magazine: Date: 2-May-2006
David Graham, Australia's very own gay Big Brother contestant, revealed that he was the victim of a brutal bashing just months before entering the BB House.
The assault took place outside a Brisbane gay bar, with five men punching and kicking him repeatedly, finally leaving him in a pool of his own blood.
"My whole face was a mess of blood - I was taken to the hospital and was in and out of consciousness for two hours," he said.
Thankfully there were no permanent injuries and even though it is early days, the gay reality star is tipped by bookies to be the winner of the show.
Gay cowboy bashed and left for dead
April 30, 2006 - 1:17PM
The early favourite to take out this year's Big Brother reality TV series has revealed he was the victim of an anti-gay gang, who bashed him and left him for dead.
Organic farmer and former model David Graham hit the headlines last week after telling his housemates on the Network Ten show he was homosexual.
Betting agency Centrebet has rated the 26-year-old housemate as favourite to win the $1 million prize.
But today's Sunday Mail newspaper said Graham had been brutally beaten by five men and left in a pool of blood after leaving The Wickham nightclub in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley on January 22 this year.
He had been making his way to his ute parked in a side street when he was set upon by a gang throwing rocks and bottles.
Mr Graham said he unsuccessfully tried to placate his attackers.
"But before I knew it there were guys behind me and they were just beating into the back of my head," the paper quoted him as saying.
"All I can remember after that is the pain.
"They absolutely beat the shit out of me.
"My mate said they just kicked me while I was on the ground until they thought I'd had enough or they were scared they had killed me.
"My whole face was a mess of blood."
Mr Graham was taken to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital with severe bruising across his face and body which was still noticeable.
The Sunday Mail said the attack was believed to be part of a wave of anti-gay violence that swept through Fortitude Valley earlier this year.
Gay bashing of Big Brother's David
The day that Big Brother's David auditioned for the 2006 series, he was a victim of a brutal gay-hate bashing later in that night. Drawing only positives from his experience, David moves his life forward - taking Australia on the ride with him.
By Little Brother - Big Brother Correspondent
Posted Tuesday, May 2, 2006
It has been revealed that Big Brother cowboy David Graham was the victim of a violent gay-hate crime earlier this year. He was allegedly attacked the night after he auditioned for the 2006 series of Big Brother in Brisbane.
The 26 year old farmer from Dalby was left for dead in a pool of blood in a side street of Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. After leaving gay perennial favourite The Wickham Hotel in the early hours of January 22nd, David was making his way to his parked ute when he was attacked by a gang of men throwing bottles and rocks.
He tried unsuccessfully to avoid the five men, "But before I knew it there were guys behind me and they were just beating the back of my head," he said.
"My mate said they just kicked me while I was on the ground until they thought I'd had enough or they were scared they had killed me."
David was taken to hospital, suffering severe bruising across his face and body. He was in and out of unconscious for two hours. His sister Linda, 32 of Brisbane, said the phone call informing her of her little brother’s attack was “one of the most horrific moments of my life”.
Since then, David has fully recovered from his injuries and has been strong to move forward taking only positives out of the experience. Even now with his time in the Big Brother house, he wants to create a positive role model for gay rural farmers in Australia.
The best thing is, David’s conversations in the house with his housemates will be repeated at dinner tables and in living rooms all over Australia– bringing many gay and lesbian issues to be national arena to be debated. The public have been exposed to elements of David’s life: gay stereotypes, suicide, same-sex marriage, gay-hate crimes and the ramifications of his family living in small town with an ‘out’ son.
In Australia, gay-hate crimes are rarely covered in the nations media. They do happen, but it is often put aside, making way for other headlines or simply just forgotten about. In stark contrast, David’s attack has appealed to them this time – but not withstanding the usual sensationalism that has become a regulated procedure in selling a paper or magazine.
A newspaper journalist reports, “David paid an almost fatal price for his lifestyle”. Let’s hope ABC’s ‘Media Watch’ correct them that this is nothing less of an actual ‘life’ full stop – not a choice of lifestyle thank you very much.
But I guess this doesn’t come as much as a surprise, after all it is regarded as a sexual ‘preference’, instead of a sexual orientation. Let’s hope David’s time in the Big Brother house educates all living souls that roam the planet.
Although being available, Big Brother’s Little Brother has chosen not to publish the photos of David's bashing out of respect.
Big Brother Star Victim Of Gay Bashing
May 01
Australia - The Big Brother star who tearfully outed himself on TV last week was the victim of a violent gay bashing that left him bloodied and unconscious. Model David Graham, who is the early favorite to win the sixth series of the reality show, nearly paid a fatal price for his lifestyle. The Queensland farmer, 26, was brutally beaten by five men and left for dead in a pool of blood after leaving a popular Brisbane gay night spot in the early hours of January 22. David was making his way to his car parked in a side street when he was set upon by a gang of men throwing rocks and bottles. In an interview several weeks before he entered the Big Brother house, David said he tried unsuccessfully to placate his attackers.
"But before I knew it there were guys behind me and they were just beating the back of my head," he said. "All I can remember after that is the pain. They absolutely beat the s... out of me. My mate said they just kicked me while I was on the ground until they thought I'd had enough or they were scared they had killed me." The assault left David with severe bruising on his face and body. "My whole face was a mess of blood -- I was taken to the hospital and was in and out of consciousness for two hours. "If you've been bashed by five guys you would expect there to be some type of internal injuries or brain damage after the kicks I took to the head -- thank God there wasn't." His sister Linda Graham said the early morning telephone call informing her David had been found bashed in a dark street was "one of the most horrific moments of my life". "To be called at 4am and told by your friends they've found your little brother unconscious and covered in blood ... it's horrifying," she said. But rather than harbor anger or bitterness towards his attackers, she said David had moved forward in life. "After the bashing he said 'hey, things happen, but you could die tomorrow, so why look at the negatives when you can celebrate the positives'." - The Daily Telegraph
Big Brother's big bashing
Dominic Knight May 01, 2006
Oh. My. God. (sorry, but you have to punctuate like that sometimes when you're a blogger.) Big Brother contestant David Graham came out in the house last week. That's right – he actually admitted he was gay, in public. Now that's the kind of edgy stuff that makes Australia's longest-running reality show truly avant-garde television. By 1960s standards.
Clever approach by the BB producers, though. Ensure an issue of sexuality gets them the controversy-driven headlines they need to get ratings, but that because there presumably aren't any other gay guys in the house, there won't actually be any action to trouble the censors.
Plus, because he's a spunk, there's a non-threatening piece of eye candy for the pre-pubescent girls who form the show's core demographic. Much better casting than last year's token rustic Glenn, who turned out to be a bit seedy.
(Never fear, though, Uncut fans. With 3 models and a nightclub host, there's enough vapid eye-candy to keep the pages of FHM full for a few months, and satisfy Uncut's voyeur audience who don't mind how boring a show is as long as it contains a smattering of nudity.)
David even cried when he made his confession. How perfect is that? But you have to pity him a little – he won't know his parents are cool with it until after he gets out, and it must be upsetting. But he ultimately shouldn't worry about his small town – becoming a BB-grade celebrity surely trumps any rural homophobia.
And David certainly knows about homophobia. What has been genuinely controversial and interesting is the revelation that David was bashed earlier in the year. (Which is not the only revelation in store if his former agent gets his way – let's hope he doesn't.) It's a rather uglier element to add into the story, and it'd be interesting to know whether the producers were aware of it.
The fact is that most gay men – even nice, spunky, beefy ones like David – face violence at some point. And whether it intended to or not, the role BB has played in bringing the national media spotlight onto an ugly problem will probably help enormously. While the Federal Government has spent millions on the violence against women campaign – as it it should have – we don't often hear that Australia says no to violence against homosexuals as well.
With all the fuss, it's interesting to contrast Graham with BB01's openly-gay Johnny Cass, an Oxford St identity. Then, there just happened to be a gay guy in the house as part of the mix, without any particular fuss or fanfare. That was back in the days when they went for an interesting group of people, before they went in the direction of trying to get everyone to shag.
Now, it's a big deal. A talking point. Doesn't feel like it's six years, later, does it?
David's also outed himself as something far more embarrassing than being gay – a Nationals supporter. The party must be mortified. If Joh was still around, David would have been seized from the BB house by the Special Branch and locked up in far less comfortable surrounds. Whereas with today's Nats, let's just hope BB06's pinup boy never wants to get married.
On this occasion – perhaps inadvertenty – Big Brother has brought a genuinely important issue into the spotlight, but it doesn't genuinely push the boundaries. It's ultimately about selling advertising and SMS votes. And that seems an appropriate note to end on. So let's assume that the closet David's been in for his whole life so far was courtesy of Freedom Furniture.
Big Bro entrant's sexuality to come as a shock
27.04.2006
by Merryl Miller EVERYONE knows David Graham is an international model, organic farmer and the housemate tipped to win this year's series of Big Brother.
What you may not know is that the handsome 26-year-old went to school in Toowoomba, is a member of the Queensland National Party and is gay.
The gay part is sure to come as a surprise to the small close-knit community of Goondiwindi/Moonie where David grew up...and where he will return.
"David is openly gay with family and close friends, but the news will probably come as a shock to many people back home," his Toowoomba-based sister Joanne Graham said.
"Many farmers move away to the city or even commit suicide because they are gay, but David is keen to prove you don’t have to sacrifice what you love because of sexual preference. "He has put himself up for that, and we'll stand by and support him. David, who is the youngest of 11 children, has hinted in recent episodes of the Big Brother show that he is hiding a secret.
The news is sure to disappoint many of his young female fans, who have voted him the "hunk" of the series.
"I'm not surprised he is the favourite to win – he is a nice, decent, cool guy, and lots of fun," Joanne said. "David is a born superstar and loves the limelight." Limelight is something David got plenty of during two years as an international model; although he only took that work to earn money to visit war-torn countries such as Afghanistan. Farming is in his blood and the farm is where this country boy has been happiest for the past two years.
"He shed a tear on the show the other night while he was looking at photos of his horses and dogs," Joanne said.
David spoke of bullying during his high school years when he first entered the Big Brother compound and his sisters and mother all agree he experienced tough times as he came to terms with his sexuality.
Things might get even tougher, however, when he returns home to his beloved farm.
"David can handle anything that show throws at him because of what he has been through in recent years, mum Lucille said. It will be hard for him when he gets out though. So who is David's biggest threat for the million dollar prize "No-one can beat him," Lucille said proudly
Gay Big Brother contestant 'comes out'
http://au.news.yahoo.com/060427/2/p/yr3d.html
Friday April 28, 11:35 AM
The family of Big Brother contestant David Graham support the Queensland farmer over his coming out on national television.
A proud Linda Graham, 32, pleaded with the public to judge her younger brother David on his personality and character rather than his sexual preference.
The 26-year-old international model kept his sexuality private when he entered the house but came clean on Wednesday night after Victorian nightclub worker Camilla took an instant liking to him.
"Some people are shocked because he doesn't appear to come across that way," Linda told AAP.
"But just because you're gay it doesn't mean you have to be any different from anyone else.
"Why judge? Ninety-nine per cent of his friends and family are very proud of him."
Linda, who works at a Brisbane furniture store, said she fully supported David's decision to hide his homosexuality until the other housemates came to know him better.
"It would be hard enough going into that house and be exposed 24/7," Linda said.
"It was David's choice not to say anything and I'm very proud of that because he wanted to be treated like everyone else and as an individual.
"He wanted to be judged on his personality, like everyone else in the house."
David delivered the news to a devastated Camilla on Wednesday night live on television before retreating outside where he broke down in tears, fearful of the reaction from his parents in the south-east Queensland town of Goondiwindi.
Linda explained David was unaware his parents already knew he was gay - something Centrebet's Daffy believes will boost the hunk's already high popularity among female viewers.
"I would've thought that it only reinforces his favouritism," Daffy said, noting the predominantly young, women viewers are usually quick to vote out the female housemates.
"Females love gay guys, don't they? That's another aspect as to why we're seeing a fair bit of support for him."
Centrebet has listed David as a clear favourite to win the series at $3.50 ahead of Dino ($7), insider Michael ($7) and mother and daughter combination Karen and Krystal (both $8).
"Let's leave that up to the public," Linda said when asked whether her brother's sexuality would boost his chances of claiming the $1 million prizemoney gradually being eroded by fines.
"Girls aren't threatened by gay guys but we can't marry them either.
"Honestly what does it matter? They're all in there as individuals.
"It's a reality TV show. Let's keep it fun and lighthearted and not get too deep and involved."
If you believe in girl power then Daffy says put your money on 36-year-old single mum Karen because the "glamours" are always the first to go.
"For that reason the best backed of the females has been the mother-daughter combo (Karen and Krystal), in particular the mother," Daffy added.
"Trying to read between the lines, I reckon she'll be the last girl to go unless something astronomical happens."
Joyce backs BB gay's politics push
By Jade Bilowol, August 01, 2006
Big Brother's David
DESPITE his loathing of TV series Big Brother and opposition to gay marriages, Barnaby Joyce believes gay evictee David Graham would make a good Nationals politician.
David, a 26-year-old farmer from Dalby, west of Brisbane, speculated about a future with the party shortly before he was booted from the Big Brother compound on the Gold Coast last night.
David has revealed previously an affiliation with the party, describing himself as a "a committed member of the Nationals" in an official profile on the Big Brother website.
While Senator Joyce today admitted he "fervently" disagreed with some of David's political views, such as advocating gay marriage, he supported his push to pursue a political career.
Senator Joyce, who knows David personally, said he had "far more to offer than what we saw" during what he described as the "piece of cr*p" Big Brother series.
He said David would excel at politics because he was a "decent and caring person with a strong work ethic and strong belief in the development of regional Queensland and the whole of Queensland".
"I think David's bigger than Big Brother ... even my budgerigars are bigger than Big Brother," Senator Joyce said.
"David has far more depth than can be explored on that piece of crap and I don't think Big Brother is a great expose of the type of person that David Graham is."
When asked if the National Party was ready for a gay MP who championed the plight of gay farmers, Senator Joyce replied: "If David gets the nod of course – good luck to him.
"It's David's right to do that and I support him fully if he wants to do that."
David has made no secret of his homosexuality.
He came out on the show and inside the compound and spoke often of his love for his boyfriend, Sharif, whom he met at a dance party during Sydney's annual gay and lesbian Mardi Gras.
In addition to expressing an interest in taking up the plight of gay farmers, David also discussed feeling like a "second-class citizen" because gay marriage is not legal in Australia.
Senator Joyce said he disagreed with gay marriages, however, and warned relying on the vote of gay farmers was to depend on a "very narrow constituency".
"There are only 120,000 farmers in Australia so gay farmers are a very small part of a very small part – it's like appealing to everyone with a slight limp."
Heroes and villains
Rodney Croome . gay advocate
Mel Gibson re-inforces stereotypes as David Graham explodes them.
One is a handsome farmer, considerate, responsible and ethical beyond his years.
The other was a handsome actor, anti-gay, anti-Jewish, and ruined before his time.
So which of Big Brother's David Graham and Hollywood's Mel Gibson will the world see as a paradigm of Australian manhood?
Gibson, of course, despite his US birth, residency and accent, and not even because he is more famous and Graham is openly gay.
Graham has hit the headlines again because his televised eviction from the Australian Big Brother House included a surprise appearance by his new boyf, Sherif, and a declaration that they want to marry.
Equally surprising was Graham’s announcement that he’d like the National Party to continue to be his political home, and the National's seeming acceptance of this.
In the parallel universes of television and politics virtually nothing happens by accident.
Commercial TV producers know that their audiences are not only more comfortable with same-sex relationships than the National Government, but a little anxious about that Government’s unrelentingly hard-line.
Sharing the joy of a loving, model, multi-cultural, half-Muslim Lebanese, gay couple is one way to relieve that anxiety.
By-passed, as it has been, by anti-gay ideologues, the National Party also has its ear to the Australian chest.
It can hear that our collective heart no longer skips a beat when the g-word is mentioned. Hopefully, it isn’t just responding to celebrity-hype and can see that at a time of crisis in rural Australia, farming communities need to hold on to all their young people, including the gay ones.
Congratulations to David Graham for being the face of all these fundamental forces for change in Australian society, for bringing important issues like marriage equality, gay-bashing, and rural gay youth suicide to the forefront of public debate, and for simply smashing stereotypes.
Winning far fewer friends at the moment is Mel Gibson.
He’s in the news after an arrest for drink driving triggered a misogynistic and anti-Semitic tirade.
"Dump him" his old mates in the pro-Israel Protestant religious right will say. I expect the film-studio mob will say the same. He certainly won’t find many friend amongst the Catholic hierarchs he believes have sold out to modernity.
If he’s lucky, one of his former colleagues might take him aside and point out that General Franco’s dead.
"Hollywood is a factory. You have to realize that you are working in a factory and you're part of the mechanism. If you break down, you'll be replaced."
When he said this was Gibson showing the insight you might find in someone living with alcoholism long-term?
Perhaps, but even if Gibson is doomed it’s hard to have any sympathy for him.
Every chance he’s had he’s remorselessly re-inforced precisely the stereotypes people like David Graham are trying to break down.
As Gabriel Rotello wrote in the NY News Day about Gibson’s fictionalised portrait of the future Edward II in "Braveheart",
"Prince Edward is not a villain who happens to be gay. He's villainous and despicable because he's gay."
So would this kind of homophobia have earnt Gibson the same global rebuke if it had been on display instead of his anti-Semitism?
I doubt it. Homophobia is still the more acceptable prejudice, and in contemporary western democracies still a clearer path to fascism, perhaps because it’s even closer to the black, brown and blue-shirt heart.
Anti-Semitism, homophobia, disrespect for women: it all looks pretty bad.
But on top of Mel Gibson’s deliberate, long-time stereotyping and demonising of the already-vulnerable, beyond even the horrendous timing, given the war in Lebanon, of his anti-Semitic outburst, what worries me right now is the one stereotype that he is not trying to re-inforce, but which will benefit immensely from his antics: the stereotype of Australian men as ignorant pigs.
Gibson has just breathed new life into an image of the Australian male that stretches back through Russell Crowe, Steve Irwin, Paul Hogan, Les Patterson, Barry McKenzie, and Monty Python’s Bruces, to the supposedly cruel squatters, lazy swagmen, violent bushrangers and cowardly London pickpockets who gave rise to them all.
It’s a stereotype, like every stereotype, that is completely at odds with reality.
The doubt, anxiety, emotionalism, resilience, candour and pensiveness that David Graham showed on Big Brother is as close to the type of masculinity I observed growing up on a dairy farm in NW Tasmania in the 1970s as anything else I’ve ever seen on TV.
But this is not what the world wants to see.
It needs Australian men to be charmless brutes so it can feel charming in comparison, and Mel Gibson has just given it that brute.
This is why Gibson and not Graham will inevitably be held up as a typical Australian man.
And it is why Gibson is even more of a villain and Graham more of a hero than most people realise.
In other hero-and-villain news,
In one fell swoop, national gay living treasure, Ian Purcell, highlights the Howard Government’s mean-spirited opposition to same-sex marriage, the Rann Government’s criminal indifference to de facto equality for same-sex couples, the love and commitment in same-sex relationships, and the enduring appeal of the Francophone world.
And
The AAP story about David Graham’s eviction that was published around the nation denies the existence of Tasmania’s relationship registry by claiming that,
"No state in Australia currently recognises gay civil unions."
It seems that non-Tasmanians need the teardrop state to be perpetually backward at least as much as non-Australians need antipodean men to be forever thugs.
COUNTRY BOY
by Daren Pope, Bnews 10th August 2006
Big Brother third placegetter David Graham
THE NATIONALS HAVE THEIR EYE ON HIM AND HE ALREADY HAS A BIG TALENT AGENT, BUT BIG BROTHER'S DAVID GRAHAM IS LOOKING FORWARD TO SETTLING DOWN ON THE FARM WITH HIS MAN.
David Graham believes he has walked away with the biggest prize from this year's Big Brother .
He didn't make it to the final eviction and he may not have won $500,000 but, for him, the prize was seeing his lover Sherif again – in front of 1.5 million television viewers. For him, it was the final part of a three-month coming-out process, experienced on national television.
“It was as much for the nation's psyche as for myself,” he says. “I wanted to show the broader community that anyone can be gay and also for those gays that don't fit into the mould, that you do have something that you can identify with.”
Easy-going, blokey, and a terrible dancer, Graham knows he's not what the typical Australian television watcher thinks a gay man is like. That's part of the reason he lasted so long, he believes.
“People came on a journey with me because I didn't confront them straight away,” he says.
“You know, like saying I'm gay and being all flamboyant and stereotypical. It wasn't like I walked into the house and said, look at me, I've got a feather boa around my head.”
And it wasn't an act. Finally freed from the clutches of Big Brother and with his hunky lover Sherif by his side, David is heading back to his 5,000 acres in southern Queensland.
“When we hugged it was an overwhelming clarification that this is the man that I want to be with,” he said.
He's also talking about increasing his involvement with the National Party, hoping to reform the organisation from within.
“One of the biggest reasons I'm involved is if you want to change family policy you don't start on the left, you start on the right and then by shifting the right to the left you shift the entire group of parties,” he says.
“It kind of makes sense that you push rather than pull because there's no way you can pull staunchly conservative people, you've got to push them.”
Rules of the House
www.evolutionpublishing.com.au
PHIL SCOTT - SX News, Thursday, 03 August 2006
I hope John Howard, Philip Ruddock and the various religious whacko MPs who want to “raise television standards” because of Big Brother saw the double eviction on Sunday night. I don’t suppose they did. They’re happy to go ahead and change our broadcasting laws without actually watching the program themselves. Too confronting, considering the level of crass behaviour on Big Brother is beaten hands-down by Parliament in terms of juvenile name-calling and bad manners. (I’ll bet if Parliament was webcast 24/7 like Big Brother, we’d see all sorts of shenanigans. Senator Heffernan looks like a turkey-slapper from way back.)
David, the 26-year-old gay farmer, was evicted last Sunday. He made it through to become one of the final four housemates. He was not out to his whole family when he went in, let alone to a million Australian schoolgirls, but he came out inside the BB house after letting the others get to know him. He runs a farm, he wants to settle down “with a husband” and has a sexy boyfriend named Sherif. (Apologies if I’ve misspelled the name.)
David’s not the Queer Eye stereotype that comes up when that vast audience hears the word ‘gay’. He can’t dance, he’s a bit daggy, he’s a country boy who ain’t hankerin’ to move to Surry Hills, he’ articulate but not precious. He does cry a fair bit, but even straight men get emotional – when they’re pissed. As one housemate thoughtfully phrased it, “not all fags are hairdressers or ballerinas”. (I’m sure Janet Vernon would be interested to hear she’s a fag.)
David had come into contact with homophobia out in the sticks. Well, surprise me! He started off by saying he’d like to go into politics, but admitted “the National Party wouldn’t have a bar of me now”. No, babe, they most certainly would not. The voting meter showed it all. The poofter had by far the most eviction votes from the public, but also a hell of a lot of “save” votes, which swung him back into the running. In other words, more viewers had a say about David than any other housemate, one way or the other. The issue of sexuality will always divide people, but every time you see a straight individual forced to connect with a gay individual, you see prejudices crumble. That’s what happened on Big Brother. Hell, better ban it at once!
If anyone was a gay stereotype in the house it was Jamie, who may have won by the time you read this. A narcissistic gym junkie, he also has a penis which would secure him free entry to Headquarters for life. It’s even thicker than he is. I’ll confess it, Jamie and his fabulous freak of nature are currently serving as my screen saver. He split the gay vote right down the middle.
Best of all, Big Brother brought David’s boyfriend Sherif to the studio for a reunion. They haven’t been together long, but it’s love. The two of them hugged and kissed, oblivious to thousands of screaming onlookers. Even the formidable Gretel couldn’t break it up. Cannily, she settled for a group hug instead. Their reunion was so beautiful, I teared up and cracked a half-mongrel all at once. Those boys could have a long, happy relationship and there’s no question it’ll be as deep and legitimate as anyone else’s. Any fool can see that. Did you, Mr Ruddock?
RURAL HEALTH SPOTLIGHT
Sydney Star Observer - Issue 814 - Published 04/05/2006
by Ian Gould
ACON chief executive Stevie Clayton says much more is needed to improve gay health in rural areas
Photo: Donna Campbell
A NEW RURAL MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE THAT WILL TARGET THE GAY COMMUNITY IS ONLY A FIRST STEP.
A new NSW rural mental health network will help tackle gay suicide and social isolation, but community groups say it is only a partial solution to improving the lives of gays in the bush.
ACON is set to join the new Rural Mental Health Network next week following an invitation from the NSW Farmers’ Association.
The Association launched the network on Tuesday with 19 other groups including Lifeline and the national depression initiative beyondblue.
The network has handed a blueprint containing 22 proposed strategies to the state and federal governments, including better access to crisis lines and counselling services.
With ACON’s input it will also examine mental health issues that affect rural gay communities, such as depression, homophobia and youth suicide.
Earlier this year, a nationwide gay health survey that included rural respondents found same-sex-attracted people reported higher levels of depression than heterosexuals. And 16 percent of participants had thought about suicide in the two weeks prior to doing the survey.
“Not every individual who’s involved in this network is going to be really up to speed on issues affecting gay and lesbian people living in rural areas,” ACON chief executive Stevie Clayton told Sydney Star Observer.
“Working with those services to make them more accessible will be a significant improvement in services for people from our community in those areas.”
But Clayton said inadequate funding remained a “huge, huge problem” and the new network was “barely going to touch the sides” as a response to gay mental health.
“When you add on to that issues of homophobia and people in our community being denied access to appropriate services, it just doubles the problem of them accessing the right sort of services,” she said.
NSW Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service co-president Michael Nelson told the Star the network was a welcome start but “nowhere near enough” when rural gay communities still faced serious difficulties accessing health services.
“Mental health has been grossly under-funded from a state and commonwealth level for decades, so anything that’s an increase will be welcome,” he said.
“Any addition to services for mental health anywhere in the state would be welcome. The only qualification would be it’s probably nowhere near enough.”
Nelson said about one-third of callers to the Counselling Service’s telephone support line came from country areas, “where services for the gay and lesbian community and health services in general are more limited”.
Those in rural areas usually expressed the same problems seen in the city, such as isolation and being unhappy in a heterosexual relationship.
“But the solutions tend to be harder [in the country] in that there are not as many services,” Nelson said.
“There are less open communities and less support groups but that’s not to say that there aren’t any.
“There’s certainly more [rural gay communities] than there used to be but it’s still very small compared to what’s available in Sydney.”
The Rural Mental Health Network launch comes a week after Big Brother contestant and gay farmer David Graham came out to his townspeople on television.
AN OUTBACK JACK COMES OUT
Sydney Star Observer - Issue 814 - Published 04/05/2006
by Myles Wearring
Big Brother contestant and farmer David Graham comes out on camera
THREE MONTHS AGO DAVID TOLD THE STAR HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS BEING GAY IN RURAL AUSTRALIA.
It was a big week for this year’s token Big Brother gay, Queensland farmer David Graham.
Not only did he tell his housemates about his gayness, he came out to most of his family and plenty of his townspeople at the same time. No wonder he was crying.
David told Sydney Star Observer how hard it was being gay in the country when we interviewed him back in February about his float in the Mardi Gras parade.
The float was called Outback Jacks and featured real-life gay cowboys from rural Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
When we spoke to the former international model, five people had just pulled out of participating in the parade entry because they were afraid of upsetting the folks back home.
“They’re just afraid. Everyone that’s involved so far is out, but at the same time it’s just the other people in their family they don’t want to upset,” David said.
He also said if it weren’t for the fairly recent arrival of internet chat site Gaydar, gay guys in the bush wouldn’t have any chance of meeting each other.
“It’s all about Gaydar. Gaydar is the only way we know each other.
“Pretty much everyone relies on it, yeah. We wouldn’t know anyone, because I mean, everyone who lives out here isn’t obvious. You can’t tell at all.”
David hoped the float would show other young gay farmers they weren’t alone.
“It’s all outback blokes, just sending the message to every young guy out there considering he doesn’t have a place in the bush, that he does. There’s a shit load of farmers out there who are gay and who are doing quite well,” he said.
When asked if all the farmers on his float were gay, he said, “Yeah, everyone’s a faggot, yep. I don’t think you’d get too many bloody non-fags coming on the float.”
He said there wouldn’t be any lesbians on the float as they didn’t know any in the country, but he did say there would be some straight girls taking part including his sister.
David said he previously participated in the parade in 2005 as part of ACON’s float.
Also in the last week it has emerged that David was the victim of a serious gay bashing outside a Brisbane gay bar in January.
According to a report in the Courier Mail, a gang of men threw rocks and bottles at him before punching and kicking him.
It has also emerged that David was being courted by DNA magazine for a story about “real Brokeback Mountain cowboys” when he entered lockdown before going into the house.
Gay cowboy gets Big Brother boot
Australia's Brainiest Housemate
- Details
Cowboy Blues
New Idea - 20th January 2007 - Page 29
Big Brother Star David Graham has lost the love of his life and is fighting to ensure he doesn't lose his drought stricken farm too.
Staring across his paddocks at a spectacular sunset shot with distant lightning, Big Brothers David Graham wishes his boyfriend Sherif Kanawati was with him to share the moment.
But brokenhearted David must now see the sunsets alone on his 2000 hectare property in Goondiwindi, Queensland, now he and Sherif have split up and Sherif has returned to Sydney.
“It's absolutely heartbreaking we’ve separated. All I ever think about is him, so I'm to bury myself in work and the farm,” David . “But every day I wake up and it hurts.”
Having publicly declared his love for Sherif on reality TV show, David was sure they’d tie knot. Sherif was just mitten, saying David was his Prince Charming who came riding on his horse.
David cites his constant traveling for charity work after Big Brother and his love for the farm as the reasons for the break-up. “I didn’t make Sherif the priority. I didn’t concentrate on him enough and now it's too late,” David says sadly. “It's the worst start to the year.”
He's now working long hours on his farm, four-and a-half hours from Brisbane, tending to his sheep to forget his pain and to save his farm from ruin. He's about to welcome the first group of tourists to his farm in a venture he hopes will bring much-needed income to the drought-ravaged property, and show city dwellers the beauty of the life he loves so much.
“It's early days yet, but I'm really looking forward to it,” he explains. “Out here it's a weekend "'jackerooship". My guests will get their hands dirty shearing sheep and mustering stock on horseback or on a bike, or just relaxing under a starlit sky yarning the night away.”
David loves his farm and is committed to ensuring it survives during the drought. Summer storms threaten, but the clouds are empty of rain. The grass has died and the dams are down to mud.
“It hasn’t rained substantially out here for a year, but it's always drought or flood with a few good years in between,” David continues. “But we're still lambing and, even though I've been sweating like a dog working with the sheep and feeding my lambs, it's amazing every day. I couldn’t ask for a better place to work.”
David's priority is to fight to save his farm from the drought, but he's also committed to raising awareness of gay issues in rural areas to help others live life openly. “I want to be an example to other gay farmers that you don’t have to move to the city or resort to suicide,” he says.
