Queer Performance - Central Research and Creativity Online

DL: This may sound a little bit left field but back in Australia, you had things
called Blue Light Discos, which were run by the police. They had blue lights
on their cars and it was for teenage kids up to 17. No alcohol would be
served, obviously, so you’d get completely hammered before you went to
them, but in fact you look back and you realise that was the whole point. The
strategy wasn’t to stop kids drinking, it was to get kids drunk and then
contained in a place where police could actually make sure nobody did
anything stupid or got hurt rather than dropping stones off motorway bridges
onto passing cars. I don’t know how we adapt that model, but there actually is
the potential to do something like that, have an evening of performance –
quite challenging, interesting performance – and just make sure people take
their methadone before they turn up!
DH: From your perspective, why would you have to wait until you were a socalled
adult or until you’re slick and proficient, before you can express yourself
and publicly say what it is that you feel? I think what you’re saying is very,
very important, so how do we do that?
SF: Certainly the impulse and question is very important. I know Cathy is
doing a lot of work with Trans Youth Arts on this. We can critique gay youth,
but we need to educate them too. But it’s hard to find the space to do that.
You might have Gay History Month, but noone knows it. I’ve sat with a young
gay people and said, ‘What’s gay history?’ and they’ve said, ‘The Greeks?’
H: That’s better than saying Kylie, isn’t it?
DL: That’s not a bad answer.
SF: It’s easy for us to say, ‘You should know more,’ but how? It’s a crucial
question.
CM: Well I’m about to start an intergenerational project with LGBT young
people and old people. I might be coming your way. But a couple of older