It may not be a case of high treason, but a poster of two men in a passionate embrace has been “drawn and quartered” before it could be hung.
Brisbane City Council’s lifestyle chairman Krista Adams has deemed the promotional image “too confronting” and banned it, pending a review by the Advertising Standards Board.
The image in question, a parody of Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr’s passionate beach embrace in the 1953 film “From Here to Eternity”, was designed as a publicity poster for the Brisbane Queer Film Festival which begins at the Powerhouse on March 28. This could potentially expose the council to liability under the anti-discrimination act, by anybody who feels aggrieved by this decision. Whilst the anti-discrimination commission does not comment on complaints lodged with them they do investigate all complaints of discrimination and even members of the public would be able to lodge a complaint regarding this matter. Complaints are anonymous and can be conducted over the phone by calling 1300 130 670 during office hours.
While many in Brisbane’s gay community are outraged, Powerhouse artistic director Kris Stewart played down council’s decision.
“We got word from Krista there were reservations about one of the three images we had planned,” he told the Brisbane Times.
“My sense was it is a very sexualised image and the decision would have been the same whether it was two men or a man and a woman.”
Mr Stewart told the Times the current council had been more supportive of the gay community than any of its predecessors, both financially and with the public support of queer events and activities by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk and other members of the traditionally conservative LNP council.
“I get why the response is so strong and I understand the history but in this case, given the reactions of council in the past and what they have approved and supported, they need to be given a little bit of rope,” he said.
“They approved six other images, so they are not saying, ‘We don’t want images of gay culture’, they are saying, ‘We don’t want overly sexualised images in public spaces’.
“I know, come next week, there will be three banners around the city, each of which is going to show a queer couple in love recreating some of the most iconic movies in history.”
In 2011, a safe sex advertisement targeting gay men was pulled down from Brisbane bus stops after council received complaints. The ad featured an image of a gay couple embracing, holding an unopened red condom packet.
But after a social media campaign, the ads were reinstated.
Michael James, who was at the centre of that furore, said he was dismayed at Cr Adams’ rejection of the BQFF poster.
He said the public backlash that greeted the removal of the image of he and his partner embracing showed the widespread community support for same-sex couples.
He said upon hearing the decision to ban the festival poster, he immediately thought the city had suddenly returned to less enlightened days.
“I think when they say it is too confronting they are talking about homosexuality,” he said.
“It is not a confronting image portrayed by heterosexual couples, the only thing confronting is it being gay people.”
However, Mr James did echo Mr Stewart’s praise for the council over its otherwise supportive and inclusive efforts towards the city’s queer population.
