Original subtitles

WOMAN: No, don't. MAN: It's nearly there, just...

GROUP: No, no, no!

(OVER AND OVER PLAYING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Over and over

Time and time again

You can't be nobody's lover

You can't be nobody's lover

Till you're somebody's friend

Ooo-ooo

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

(CHEERING)

Over and over

Time and time again

Over and over and over

Time and time again

You can't be nobody's...

G'day, Lance.

You can't be nobody's lover

Let's get this party started!

(CHEERING)

(CHAOTIC CLAMOR)

(SILENCE)

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

You comin' for a beer, Lance?

Nah, mate, I gotta get home.

Jeez, mate, she keeps you on a short leash.

(MAN MOANING)

MAN: Yeah. Cheers.

Got a light?

I don't smoke.

Neither do I.

Hey... It's okay.

(HONKING)

OFFICER: All right, boys. LANCE: Jesus Christ.

BENNETT: Stop! MAN: Quick, run!

It's the pigs! Run!

(HONKING)

MAN: No, no, no! Please don't!

-OFFICER: Where're you goin', fairy? -(GRUNTING)

(PANTING)

(ENGINE RUMBLING)

(ENGINE REVVING)

Move fast!

(GRUNTING)

OFFICER: Yeah, oi! Stay down, ya little prick!

Come on!

Hey, Agostini!

Come and take your boyfriend for a walk.

Get up. Get up!

(GROANING)

Come on, move!

Move!

-Bet your dad's proud of ya. -Shut up!

-LANCE: Bruce. -Lance.

LANCE: Toby.

Slide over, comrade.

(SIGHS)

First time arrested?

Mmm.

LANCE: So I'm arm-in-arm with these doe-eyed

Palestinian activists, and being Arabs,

they're completely relaxed with hand-holding and cheek kissing and...

Yeah, they sorta do that, don't they?

Yeah, and I'm 27, you know, and never been...

-Bullshit. -(CHUCKLING) No, really, really.

I was a late starter.

Um, anyway, where was I?

Deir al-Asad.

LANCE: Right. So then I went to America

and I went to the Freedom Rides and the March on Washington,

and I was with a quarter of a million people

-at the Lincoln Memorial... -Martin Luther King?

Yeah, the very one, when he spoke the immortal words...

BRUCE: Fuckin' shut up, Lance.

We're tryin' to sleep.

Hey.

What's the matter?

Your family don't know?

You worried you'll lose your job?

RON: No, it's not that.

Hey, if I can survive working at Quarantine

with a bunch of wharfies, you'll be fine.

They probably won't even charge us.

Smashing up a beat is just sport to them.

The charges are boring paperwork...

I don't give a shit about the charges.

I'm just so fucking lonely.

Oh.

I'm an idiot.

-I'm an idiot. I'm so sorry. -No, you're not.

-No, you're not, you're beautiful. -(SNIFFLING)

-Sorry. -You're beautiful.

Bruce is an idiot.

Actually, I'm getting used to this.

-Are you? -I can stay another night.

Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

-Nice to meet you, Ron. -Nice to meet you too, Lance.

RON: So, you, you live in the Gay Liberation commune?

Yeah, so Gay Liberation are your anarchists and agitators.

-Right. -We live communally.

We share everything.

-Everything? -Yeah, crabs, mainly.

(CHUCKLES)

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

And this is CAMP. The Campaign Against Moral Persecution.

It's basically a social gathering.

Everyone's a bit more polite and well-behaved.

-Well, it's ridiculous. -It's fucking typical.

Do you not think that we deserve to be represented, too?

I'm not saying that. I...

This is where we do our meetings.

And if you want to chair a meeting, you sit there, or we sit around the table.

And this is where we generally hang out.

Pop down there.

Get into the thick of it. Go on.

-Don't be scared. -WOMAN: That's not the point, Peter.

Oh, so you're cooperating in making lesbians invisible.

Invisible lesbians? What's that, the magic act for the next CAMP social?

SUE: Oh, for heaven's sake. GABY: Fuck off.

BON: Peter and I...

Peter and I are going on Chequerboard.

The ABC are doing a program about a homosexual couple.

Oh, spare me. If the bloody ABC's the hope of the left, we're in trouble.

And what's that? A stable, committed homosexual couple

shown on national TV living a normal life?

LANCE: Yeah, playing happy families to reassure straights we don't threaten

-traditional marriage... -Who's this joker?

I'm Lance Gowland. I'm the provisional wing.

Oh, well, I'm glad you spoke. Now I can tell

your mouth from your arsehole.

(LAUGHTER)

Who's that?

I'm Ron.

And Martin Luther King stood there on the steps

of the Lincoln Memorial and said, uh...

-"I have a dream." -Wow.

(GINGER MAN PLAYING ON SPEAKERS)

Hey, I don't want you to think that this is the entire movement, Marg.

It's a bit of a... CAMP's a bit of a knitting circle.

Oh, well, you know I'm quite partial

to a little bit of women's crafts myself, Lance.

No, Robbie and I are just coming here to meet some other lesbians.

Robbie? Is she the stunner in the green...

Hey, just 'cause you're a poofter

doesn't mean you can comment on a woman's looks.

Oh, bloody Sue's gonna be recruiting her.

She'll be getting her into rape and abortion. Not even lesbian issues.

But there's many ways to smash a patriarchy, Lance,

and I think that most women actually prefer to do it

without the aggravation of gay blokes who don't recognize their own privilege.

Oh, don't waste your time here, Marg.

We need women like you in Gay Lib.

-What, pashing on buses? -Yes.

-Swearing at police? -Yeah.

No, no, thank you, I've got a job.

I've got two kids. I got something to lose.

Well, if you're not prepared to lose it all,

you'll never change anything.

Hey, Sue has invited us

to paint banners for the abortion demo tomorrow.

Ah. You could hold a banner.

-No, I'm busy tomorrow. -Mmm.

Right.

-Lovely meeting you, Lance. -Yes, you, too, Marg.

(BOTH WHISPERING)

-Hi. -Hi.

-How's she doing? -She had a better night.

-That's a good sign. -Yeah.

How're the boys?

They miss you.

Hello, darling.

LANCE: How's the drive? Do you need some money for petrol?

I'm managing.

Dr. Glasson will be here soon.

JENNY: Do you think Jesus Christ Superstar is blasphemous?

We haven't seen it, but we'll, have to get, um...

HUGH: You really should. JENNY: Oh, Peter.

You must insist he takes you.

On my salary?

I could take him, I suppose.

Rector, I think we might be underpaying Bon.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

(CHUCKLING)

You have a interesting interpretation of Saint Paul.

Very modern.

Well, times are changing, Peter. We've got to change with them.

-Hear, hear. -BON: Yes, well, actually, um...

Peter and I have been invited to appear on Chequerboard.

On the ABC? How wonderful!

Hughie and I watch it religiously.

HUGH: We do.

Ah, so, Rector.

Do you think Jesus Christ Superstar is blasphemous?

Mmm. Jenny, I'd watch Marcia Hines sing the phone book.

(CHUCKLING)

-HUGH: You heard it here first. -(JENNY CHUCKLES)

-Afternoon. -Lancelot.

We're gonna do a zap on the 433.

-Ah. -Come with us.

-No. No, not today. -Come on!

If two guys kissing on the bus upsets them, imagine three.

Challenge the patriarchy...

-And reject monogamy. -And reject monogamy.

You boys have fun.

You wouldn't have a few spare coins for bus fare, would you?

JEREMY: I'm moving out.

Oh, we'll miss you.

JEREMY: You visit me?

Where?

(SNIFFS) Robert Menzies College.

Oh, dear God, comrade.

Into the jaws of the enemy.

Well, can you put Norma back on?

Well, when are they likely to be back?

FOOTBALLER 1: Once he's gone, he's gone, eh?

FOOTBALLER 2: I know the turn. FOOTBALLER 1: Yeah.

FOOTBALLER 1: Is it Bankstown? FOOTBALLER 2: Bankstown?

FOOTBALLER 1: They are rough, mate. They are really rough.

Last time they smacked the hell out of us.

MAN: (OVER PHONE) Lance, are you there?

Forget about it. I'll call back later.

Excuse me! Sorry.

Have you got change for the phone?

Ah...

I've only got 40.

That's okay. I'm desperate.

Turn around. Turn around. Turn around.

(COINS CLINKING)

G'day.

JOAN: Can I help you?

Uh, yeah. Is the doctor taking appointments today?

(CHUCKLES) You'll need a uterus.

What?

A uterus.

Saturday afternoon is a free women's clinic.

Ah. Uh, when will he finish?

Late.

Do you owe someone money?

No.

JOAN: He's not a jealous husband, is he?

-I mean, you haven't done... -Joan.

I always said you were a dark horse.

(ENGINE RUMBLING)

(SIGHS)

What do you want?

Well, peace in Palestine,

an end to uranium mining,

justice for Aborigines.

But, you know, I'll settle for dinner.

You know, I was in Washington when they had

the big civil rights march,

and Martin Luther King said, "I have a dream.

"I can see the black children of Alabama

"walking hand in hand with the white children of Alabama."

And I was there when he said that.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

It was, an amazing day.

Amazing.

A lot of protests.

Yeah.

Well, it all comes down to the patriarchy, really.

Rich, white men oppress the poor, women, gays,

anyone who's a different color.

I'm not really... Political.

You offer a free women's clinic. That's quite political.

Well, I don't think of it that way.

Just being here with me is political.

Maybe.

And if I were to run my

hand along your thigh,

that would be highly political.

Highly.

And if I were to take you back to my place,

that would be...

Criminal.

Well, if we do it right, yes.

(BACH CELLO SUITE NO.1 PLAYING ON GRAMOPHONE)

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

(URINATING)

Hi. Mind if I join you?

Hands off, princess. That's Lance's latest.

What's the point of a commune if you can't share?

LANCE: We're expecting quite a good crowd here tonight.

And they'll be wearing clothes?

We're watching the ABC, not Number 96.

Hi. This is Jim.

Oh, God, help us.

-Another one, Lance. -Oh, shut up!

You ever think of taking them for a drink, or a show?

-Ignore her! -I'm Nicole!

-Oh, hello, Nicole. -All new recruits are welcome.

No, no, no, no, no!

(FATHER AND SON PLAYING)

All right, all right, all right!

LANCE: Look at you!

MARG: Here we go. LANCE: Bon!

Oh, you look great.

-MARG: Shh! You look sexy. -So tough.

PETER: I don't know what he's planting.

(LAUGHTER)

-(ALL CHEERING) -They used it.

LANCE: First gay kiss on Australian television!

(ALL CHEERING)

-It's about time. -MARG: Oh, great.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

INTERVIEWER: What attracted you to Bonsell in the first place?

-Oh, dear. -Oh, it's so embarrassing.

PETER: I've thought about this quite a number of times.

I find it sort of terribly difficult to put it in words.

LANCE: Oh, Peter!

Um, I just felt

attracted to him,

and, my love for him just grew bigger and bigger.

INTERVIEWER: One of the phrases that CAMP members use a lot

is the phrase "Coming out."

What does it actually mean?

BON: I mean, I think it... It means having the courage,

and it is courage at this stage,

to be able to tell other people that you're homosexual,

without having necessarily anything to shout about.

I mean, there's nothing whatsoever

different about me because I am homosexual.

-It just happens to be a part of me. -LANCE: You tell 'em.

INTERVIEWER: How do you have a satisfactory

sexual relationship without a man?

-LANCE: You're slouching there. -Well, there are lots of different ways

that people can express their affection for one another.

Their love... For one another.

And I think that sexual relationship is only one aspect of that.

-GABY: She liked you. -Good answer.

-Thanks, Lance. -MARG: That's so good.

So good, Sue.

INTERVIEWER: ...really had the opportunity to be anything else.

But women who are butch and tough, and prickly with men...

GABY: Hardly even showed us. We were an afterthought.

Well, there's nothing I can do about that.

They made me... I look like a sullen teenager.

(LADY SUNSHINE PLAYING)

-Gaby. -Gabrielle.

Well, we met in the staff room,

so there's an English teachers' table,

a maths teachers' table, and over in the corner,

a lesbian table.

Now, who needs a top-up?

How come they didn't ask you about

the three-way with that surfie behind the North Steyne Club?

-Lance! Shh! -Oh.

She's all right.

Freeway. I said freeway.

Bon, there's a phone call for you.

-WOMAN: Congratulations! -It'll be Mum.

Congratulations.

Hopefully will be.

I keep thinking about all those wives

watching you and Gaby on TV and thinking, mmm.

While their husbands sit beside them

complaining about the woolly woofters on the ABC.

I keep thinking about all those wives sitting there while their husbands

walk the dog, wondering how a dog

that gets walked two hours every night ends up so fat.

Plenty of fat dogs in your neighborhood.

(LAUGHTER)

Good. Good one.

What's wrong?

I've been sacked.

What do you mean?

Well, apparently the bishop called.

(HEY, BIG BROTHER PLAYING)

LANCE: Most importantly,

if you know a friendly lawyer, call him now.

-MARG: Or her. Thank you. -Or her.

Warn them you might get arrested.

ROBYN: Let's try not to get arrested, Lance.

-The school would sack us. -Oh, Jesus, Ron.

I think it's a good idea that we all get into religious dress.

I think it's a much bigger impact.

Comrade! We're trying to be serious.

GROUP: (CHANTING) Ho-ho-homosexual! Ho-ho-homosexual!

Ho-ho-homosexual! Ho-ho-homosexual!

One, two... One, two, three! Down with church hypocrisy!

One, two... One, two, three!

Hugh? Jenny? Did you agree to Bon's sacking?

Come on, darling. Let's go.

See, I don't see what the point of it is.

-No, it's... -I told you.

It's all right, just... Calm down and participate in the protest.

Ho-ho-homosexual! Ho-ho-homosexual!

Hello, Sam.

-Mrs. West? -Ho-ho-homosexual!

Ho-ho-homosexual!

Ho-ho-homosexual!

I'm going in.

You have no right to stop us. No!

(GRUNTING)

(CLAMOR)

MAN: Bloody dickheads!

GROUP: Ho-ho-homosexual!

MARG: So what, we just stand outside

and protest while they sit inside and ignore us?

Ron! Marg McMann,

if anyone can annoy the shit out of a bunch of hypocrites, it's you.

Will you do me the honor of pretending to be my wife?

One, two... One, two, three! Down with church hypocrisy.

Excuse me. I hear you have a vacancy for church secretary. I'd like to apply.

-This is my lovely wife. -MARG: How do you do?

Well, you're entitled to your expression of freedom,

but we believe true freedom comes from submitting to the will of God.

-You knew about Bon and Peter. -Bon's such a good man.

LANCE: This has nothing to do with Bon's work!

It's not Christian charity!

(CHEERING)

Photographers! Photographers! Get in, get in!

If you might get sacked or divorced, stand at the back.

RON: Or cover your face with a placard.

We're aiming for the front page.

MAN: Are we being happy or serious?

LANCE: Serious!

(MAGIC CARPET RIDE PLAYING)

Yes, yes, right between my sound machine

On a cloud of sound I drift in the night

No, that's what I said.

BON: It's the most fantastic thing, actually.

I'm quite surprised, the phone has rung day and night.

It's the first time people have been able to find another homosexual.

No, the interesting...

The interesting thing is that they just want to talk.

Like, I didn't realize how... How many isolated people are out there

who don't have someone...

-Peter, tell them about Sweden. -Yeah, I'm getting to it.

There's a gay group in Sweden,

and they've set up a volunteer service.

-It's called Phone-a-Friend. -Phone-a-Friend.

All we need is one phone line and we can set up here at CAMP.

We thought we could actually use a phone line in the room here at CAMP.

Well, we should take advantage

of all the new volunteers while they're fresh.

I think we... I think we... I think we also need

a women's committee and...

No, we don't need more committees, Sue!

There's that lesbian band that played at our dances.

-Mmm, Clitoris. -Clitoris, that's it.

I mean, they're not much to look at. We should certainly arrange some music...

All these people energized by a protest and you want to form committees.

-It's a start, Lance. -No, no, it's a detour.

No, we should be... We should be

targeting these bloody sites doing brain lesioning.

We should be running openly gay candidates in elections.

We should be picketing more churches.

We should be doing a protest a week.

Okay, all right, well, what about an actions group?

So Lance and his comrades can organize their protests and demos

without derailing every other discussion with Marxist dogma.

Yes, now, that is genius.

Would you be in it?

Mmm, yes.

I knew I married you for a reason.

Don't worry, Michael. They're not gonna bite your head off.

-It's Darren. -Darren, it's Darren.

Everybody, this is Darren, the fireman!

(CHEERING)

Now, now, now, the boys next door have made a $5 bet on Darren

that he comes over here and then returns to the station with a beer from the gays.

I propose, I propose that we give you $10 if you go back to the station with a kiss.

What do you think? Come on!

Who has got... Who's got a lipstick?

Who's got a lipstick?

Have you go... Hello, darling.

Nice to see you.

We need a lipstick, come on,

there has to be a femme at this party somewhere.

Oh, we're political dykes, Ron.

-We don't identify... -I was talking about the boys, Sue.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

No, no, no, no, no. Jim!

Jim, Jim, Jim!

(CHEERING)

Oh, we're gonna make this worth it, Jimmy.

-Okay. Hold still. -This is it.

You're quite enjoying this, aren't you, sweetheart?

There you go.

Right, this is it.

-All right, come on. -Oh, yeah.

(CHEERING)

Okay, that's it. That's enough. That's enough.

You have a boyfriend. You have a boyfriend.

-I did a pretty good job. -I'm jealous.

-Honestly, I'm a bit jealous. -Oh, all right.

No, no, don't come crawling back now.

(LANCE CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY)

(CHATTER CONTINUES)

(LANCE HANGS UP PHONE)

Where are you going?

Got a PSA meeting at Trades Hall.

On a Sunday?

There's someone you need to meet.

-My sunglasses on? -Yep.

JIM: And you visit every day?

Yeah. She needs the routine.

And you thought I wouldn't notice.

You're 26 with a bum like a peach.

You don't want the responsibility of three kids.

You think the kids might be an issue for me, not the Communism?

The dress sense or the stubbornness.

The fact that half the men in Sydney are in your address book...

When you put it like that.

I thought you were having an affair.

Would you have cared?

Yes. Surprisingly, I would.

VANESSA: Bum bum bum. LANCE: Yes.

-(CHUCKLES) -Bum bum.

(LAUGHING)

So this is how the other half live, huh?

I think we just came out to your neighbors.

Yeah, thanks for that.

Well, visibility is 90% of the battle.

JIM: Off your soapbox.

And monogamy, Jim Walker,

is a patriarchal construct that we should reject.

Out.

-It's true. -Oh, out.

-Out? You're kicking me... -Out.

You're gonna kick me out for that?

You can reject monogamy and piss off back to the commune.

Are you serious?

Or...

You can admit you're wrong

and stay.

(LAUGHS)

Well, how about I'm right about the theory,

and I'll just choose not to put it into practice.

Close enough.

(RUN RUN RUN PLAYING)

Monogamy.

(TELEPHONE RINGING)

(SINGING) Run, run, run

Before you do

You doin' the same old...

Phone-a-Friend, hello?

JIM: For one moment this is a draft of what could go into the Crimes Act

once the abominable crime of buggery is taken out.

And why is any sex in the Crimes Act?

To protect children and prevent rape.

Well, Jim has put a lot of work into this proposal,

-so if we can just give it the time... -It's not a proposal, it's an abortion.

SUE: Ah, excuse me. LANCE: Stop interrupting.

Don't use a woman's right to her body

as an all-purpose insult. Misogynist whinger.

Oh, it's not misogynist to find you obnoxious and unappealing.

-Hey! -That's not necessary.

Can we please keep this respectful?

We're going. We're going.

There is way too much to do to waste time educating poofs about women's rights.

Sue, no, no, no, no, sit down. Sit down, please.

MARG: I know that... I know that this is painful,

but coalition is important too, so everybody...

They're all yours, Marg. Good luck.

MARG: Well done, fellas. Good.

-Great work. -They're all going.

That's the women's committee gone. Well done.

Why do you want to work with the filthy Liberals, anyway?

Because we have to work with whoever's in government.

SWEETPEA: We cannot work with the Liberals.

What makes you think this will be any different?

We should be overthrowing the government.

Surely we can do both. We can have law reform and the revolution.

-SWEETPEA: That's ridiculous, Lance. -How? Are you serious?

Yes, I'm serious.

-Oh, my God. -SWEETPEA: You're all talk.

-We're outta here. -MARG: Oh, come on, fellas.

-You don't have to leave! -Thanks for the tea.

Well, then, can you clean up after yourself?

If I wanted to pick up shit

from male chauvinist pigs,

I'd have stayed married!

(DOOR CLOSES)

Fuck 'em.

It's about time we expanded our horizons.

So, Lance, this is your hotbed of student radicals ripe for recruitment, huh?

Uh, wait, you said supporting students, not recruiting them.

-Well... -Best behavior, Lance.

Comrade! I know you.

You're the theology student from Glebe Branch.

-Peter Murphy. -Lance Gowland.

You Reds are everywhere.

So, you're into Aboriginal land rights?

-Yes. -And saving the whales.

-Yes, quite keen on whales. -And you don't like uranium.

-No. -No, no, hates uranium.

So basically you're into every left issue, except gay rights.

Yes.

No. No, I'm into everything.

Well, we can count on you to get behind us then.

-Hmm? -Gay Society is right there.

There's a women's poetry comp in the theater,

and the boys have gone off to try and get the lesbians to build their stall.

And she's off.

"I'm a cat who likes her own kind.

"I don't sway my tail

"and show my date sniffing sausages dogs."

(CROWD LAUGHING)

"My pussy thrills

"to the purr of her.

"The lap, lap, lap of a hot, pink tongue..."

Actually our focus is more on representation.

"Mind the claws. They're retractable.

"Never tractable. I arch my back to bull."

Oh, we should be taking lessons from you boys.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUDING)

-Thank you. -Thank you so much.

Good. Excellent. Good.

You teach my sister at Anglican Ladies' College.

-I've seen you on speech day. -Sorry, mate, you've made a mistake.

-Do they know you're a lesbian? -Do they know you're a dickhead?

Hey, I've seen you at that gay bar up at the Cross.

You're the one who wears those scarlet hot pants, yeah?

I've never been to a gay bar.

Oh, it's fine. These women don't judge.

Look, I don't know who you've seen, but it's not me.

Oh, mistaken identity then.

It happens.

That was great. That was really...

-Oh, get fucked. -No, it was good.

"The lap, lap, lap..."

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Get that thing away from me, you know.

-Oh, check out the poofters. -Ah!

Hey? Couple of fruits.

(LAUGHING)

Backs to the walls, boys.

Oi! Lay off the Old Spice, poof.

I can smell you from here.

(MEN LAUGHING)

Thanks a lot.

Do you know him?

He arrested me once.

(NOBODY KNOWS THE TROUBLE I'VE SEEN PLAYING)

(SINGING) Nobody knows

The trouble I've seen

Nobody knows

My sorrow...

I'm not sure how long I'm gonna wanna stay here.

You're here! You made it!

Isn't this fabulous?

Yeah, you want a beer?

Yes, three schooners of New please.

-Six bucks. -What?

That'd be $6 for the beers.

Do we each get a hand job with it?

If I don't get a better offer between now and closing, why not?

Ron, can I bludge a dollar? I need a dollar.

It's six bucks for three bloody beers.

Lighten up, Lance, at least you've got a room

full of potential recruits for the movement.

In here? This place is one big closet, Ron.

They're only gay till they get off,

then they're back to their safe, secret little lives.

I've got a space over here.

These prices, and they still water it.

Oh, don't be ridiculous, they don't water down beer.

They do have to pay off the cops.

Boys, if you're looking for somewhere to sit,

this space is free.

And let me tell you, it's been crying out to get into a centerfold, it's amazing.

Look at you, my darling. You look gorgeous.

-Lance. -G'day.

I've been wondering when I'd see you here.

I see we have some girls in the house. Hey, girls. How are you?

Oh, did you hear what the blind man said when he walked past the fish market?

"Evening, ladies."

(ALL LAUGHING)

-Misogynist! -Shh.

DRAG QUEEN: Miss Ogynist? God!

You must be old if you remember my maiden name.

I'm younger than you.

Well, maybe, but I'm not trying to fuck a 19-year-old, am I?

Or is he your grandson?

(LAUGHING)

Please shut up.

So the T-shirt's just for decoration?

(ONE MAN'S POISON PLAYING)

Be cool.

Everyone drink up. I'll get us another round.

Have mine.

Yeah, it's not really our scene.

Jeremy!

Not you! But you have splendid hair.

-JEREMY: Oh, thank you. -Oh, I love this song.

(SINGING) Everything's gonna be all right

One man's...

(LAUGHING)

MAN: No, okay, no, I'm gonna go.

I'm goin'. I'm goin'.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

You all right?

(SCOFFS) Buses don't start for an hour.

You need a lift somewhere?

Ah, Macquarie Uni.

-Sure, no problem. Come on. -Seriously?

Yeah, I live over near Epping.

-That's good. -Oh, right on!

With Jeremy.

(ENGINE REVVING)

Don't want the wife to smell it in the car.

Come and keep me company.

Ah, I don't really smoke.

What?

Come and join me.

-(THUMPING BONNET) -Hey, hop out.

(INHALES DEEPLY)

(EXHALES)

-Beautiful night. -Mmm.

A toke?

What, we drive out all this way and...

You won't even have a smoke with me?

(INHALES SHARPLY)

Last chance.

(EXHALES)

-Quit fuckin', fag. -No.

(GROANING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(ENGINE REVVING)

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

MARG: So I get called into the principal's office and

she says, "Miss McMann, the brother of one our of our girls,

"claims to have seen an Anglican Ladies' College teacher

"performing a poem in the tradition of Sappho of Lesbos."

(LAUGHING) She didn't say "Sappho."

"Sappho of Lesbos."

So I looked suitably shocked.

-Well, you would. -I did, I did.

-(TELEPHONE RINGING) -And then she says, she says to me,

until the fuss dies down, I'm asking you...

LANCE: The fuss. The fuss. MARG: "The fuss dies..."

"I'm asking you to wear a ladylike frock."

(LAUGHING)

-Hey, don't laugh. -Frock.

Phone-a-Friend.

JIM: (OVER PHONE) It's all right.

You don't have to tell me who you are.

(SNIFFLING)

If you wanna talk, I'll listen.

Or if you want to stay on the line while I talk,

that's okay too.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

My name's Jim.

(SNIFFLES)

A prank call?

JIM: No, I don't think so.

(WATER RUNNING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(SOBBING)

REV. SMITH: Mr. Fisher.

Yes.

REV. SMITH: Mrs. Fisher.

Oh. Thank you very much for coming.

No, no, of course, of course.

-What a terrible thing. -Yeah.

Everyone at the college is so distressed

that this has happened.

Oh, thank you.

I can assure you, we...

We did our best to discourage his interests,

but, it's a sickness.

-Once it takes hold... -So, you knew he was depressed.

Perhaps "possessed" is a better word.

His obsession with the abnormal and the perverse.

It really has no place in a Christian college.

Get out.

I'll pray for you.

JEREMY: They've got no right to kick me out.

It's not like I was having sex at college.

Yeah, it's to silence you.

Expel you and everyone else will feel scared and ashamed.

Murph thinks I should fight it.

Are you up to it?

(SIGHS)

I just think I'll lose.

Comrade, I have lost nearly every scrap I have been in.

If we only fight the battles that we're gonna win,

there'd be no point getting up in the morning.

(SOBBING)

I can't go back and live there.

Don't have to live there.

You don't have to live there, but you can make them listen.

You can show 'em there are consequences for treating you like this.

LANCE: Murph, what have you done to get him back in?

-What have you tried so far? -Ah, nothing that's worked.

The university said it has nothing to do with them,

the college answers only to God.

(SNIFFLES)

Yeah, we may need a few allies.

LANCE: Jack Mundey!

Lance Gowland.

The ghost of Goulburn Trades and Labor Council.

Where did you disappear to, comrade?

Found a better class of cocksucker in Sydney.

Ah! How's your father?

He's still a cantankerous old Commie with a chip on his shoulder. How's Judy?

Yeah, she still works twice as hard as I do

and complains a lot less.

Look, mate, RMC at Macquarie

have just expelled a kid for his political beliefs.

Communist?

No, no, he joined a gay rights group.

Had pamphlets in his room.

Now the college is only half built

and your laborers are on site.

Green ban.

You want my workers to down tools and forego wages

to get a poofter back into Robert Menzies College?

We share a common enemy.

It's the same fuckers, mate. The church.

The government, the big end of town.

Operating in the dark.

Bulldozing bushland, kicking kids out of college.

They do what they like. No one even questions them.

You were wasted on Goulburn.

Gay rights is our issue, Jack.

No one else will touch it.

It'd be different if he was a member.

No, no, it's better that he's not.

Mate, you can be the first union in the world

to take industrial action purely on a gay rights issue.

Well, I'll put it to the blokes.

But I don't like your chances.

GROUP: (CHANTING) Students united will never be defeated!

Students united will never be defeated! Students...

I can't believe how many people are here!

-Students... -Where's your mate Mundey?

I never said that was certain.

Come on, Lance. You say a lot of things.

GROUP: Students united will never be defeated!

We are not moving!

(ALL CHEERING)

Until every single gay and lesbian student

at this university has the same rights

as every single other student!

Our vice chancellor thinks that he can silence us...

(ALL BOOING)

-Cut him off. -He is going to listen!

(CHEERING)

MURPH: Come out, VC! Come out, VC!

GROUP: Come out, VC! Come out, VC! Come out, VC...

Jeremy!

GROUP: Come out, VC! Come out, VC!

Come out, VC!

(CHEERING)

You've got your pink ban, comrade.

You took your time.

Oh, I was on the phone to the vice chancellor.

-Comrade! -Jack!

(CHEERING)

You and I have a meeting to attend.

(CHEERING)

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

LANCE: Yeah, I think I must have had my sleeping bag on a pile of rocks.

MARG: You're too old for this, Lance.

LANCE: Christopher, if you push Geoffrey in the water again, you'll get a smack!

I don't want either of you getting on the train

in damp trousers!

MARG: What time do they leave?

LANCE: 3:00. Oh, my back is stuffed.

ROBYN: Do you take 'em camping every holiday?

-Yeah, it's good for 'em. -MARG: Hello.

Can we have some more bread?

Ah, okay. This is it, though.

You might want some more sandwiches later. Here you go. Lucky ducks.

Go fatten them up.

-You're welcome! -Thank you.

-Thank you. -Let's go.

LANCE: Oh, she's so nice to her little brother.

She must miss him when he goes back to their dad's.

Actually, she's decided she's gonna go with him this time, just for a term.

Oh, Marg. Jesus, I'm sorry.

ROBYN: Well, Rodney begged her. MARG: It's fine.

He's five, and he still wets the bed and...

Yeah, and he wants to have a mummy and a daddy like all the other boys.

She can't bear the thought of him being on his own.

-And it's only a term. -Yeah.

Well, they'll be back with us next holidays.

LANCE: I'm sure she'll convince him to move back with her

when he's a little bit older.

-She's very determined. -MARG: I know.

Oh.

-Poor Marg. -Yeah.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

And, uh...

-So do we have to... -I can't finish that.

Yeah, can you look at the language on that...

JIM: "Dear Commissioners, we present

"the submission of CAMP New South Wales

"to the Royal Commission on Human Liberation

"for the Suppressed Minorities.

"What is necessary is a redefinition of family."

-Love... -Yeah.

JIM: And peace. See, that was a good addition.

-Very well. -Hold on. Cheers.

Why is mine so empty?

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

No, no, no, what was that?

Now we'll never be able to tell what it says.

And thank you for preparing those interviews.

It's really personal stuff. It's good.

JIM: I know the magic words. Trust me, I'm a doctor.

Oh, that's a line from a blue movie I saw once.

-Yeah, right. -Great, reopen the submission.

We've gotta condemn porn. See ya.

JIM: Bye. MARG: Yeah, that means...

See ya.

(LAUGHTER)

Oh, God.

All that work you two are doing on the Royal Commission.

You know, if Whitlam simply abolished marriage,

human relationships would be solved on the spot.

You're a bad man.

(KNOCK AT DOOR)

Oh, what have they forgotten?

No more submissions!

Dad.

Your mother said you'd give me a bed for the night.

Dad, this is my boyfriend, Jim.

This is my father, Gerry.

Shake his hand.

GERRY: Doc Hovey wants me to stay in town.

I got bloody lost trying to find this place.

I'm buggered. I don't need a barney with you.

Come with me, Gerry.

The boys' room's already made up.

-JIM: You want a cup of tea? -No.

He's just, he's such a cruel, authoritarian old bastard.

Well, you'll have to find a way to live with him.

No. No, no, no, not on your life.

If an oncologist wants your father to stay in town,

it's not good.

ROBYN: Are you guys ready?

NICOLE: But I don't want to wear a hat!

MARG: Well, you're gonna get a burnt nose.

Rodney, your hat's in the suitcase.

Marg.

They're from the court.

Can both of you come back, please?

LANCE: Can we do a "Keep uranium in the ground"?

Flower Power or Violets Against Violence?

How about "Keep geraniums in the ground"? That'll do it.

(SCREAMS)

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

Lance.

Hey Ron, can you take Nessie for a sec?

I'd love to take Nessie.

It's nail painting time for you. Do you want pink?

RON: Pink. MISSY: Yes.

LANCE: What's up?

Divorce papers came.

-They've subpoenaed both of us. -Oh, Marg...

We could lose Rodney and Nicole completely.

But surely the court keeps kids with their mother?

Oh, with their lesbian mother?

My friend Virginia is a lawyer.

She's sympathetic at least. I can call her.

-Now? -Yeah, go.

Here, come on.

Can you... Can you avoid court?

-Just offer him the status quo? -No.

No, I want to live with my kids, Lance.

I don't want to take them camping a couple of weeks a year,

that's not enough for me.

Well, maybe Jim's friend knows a trick or two...

We'd turn up in Albury with a lesbian lawyer

from the big city and they'll lock all three of us up.

(LAUGHING)

What sort of a father dresses his boys up like that?

CHRISTOPHER: We like it!

You hypocrite. I was beaten as a kid 'cause my father was a communist.

Sure it wasn't because you're a poofter?

Hey, I was thinking.

I should just tell them that we're work colleagues

who live together.

No. If you lie, you could go to jail.

Yeah, but they're country lawyers.

It's a local judge. They might not know.

What if they put Nic on the stand?

I can't put her in that position.

Well, Virginia told me about a couple

who set up a banana lounge in the bedroom so they could,

I don't know, argue that they weren't sleeping together.

Robbie...

When I'm co-convener of a gay rights group?

Let's face it, a judge is just gonna take one look at me

and say, "Butch old bull dyke."

I mean, and really, I don't think a banana lounge

is gonna convince anyone.

Maybe...

Maybe I should move out.

Just until the court case is over.

They know we're lesbians.

If we go to court and we lie,

then we're just lesbians who agree it's something to be ashamed of.

I know.

I can't do this without you.

Our submission is one of 500 that went to the Royal Commission.

Real stories about all the taboos.

Dinner's ready, Gerry. Uh, sexuality.

Abortion, child abuse.

So how do we turn that exposure into some action?

Well, Whitlam's working on a new family law.

We should push for custody rights for gay parents.

If. If he can get it through the Parliament.

GERRY: It's the Labor Party.

Bunch of class traitors, too lazy to be revolutionaries.

And too Catholic to be liberals.

I'm gonna take this upstairs.

You will eat at the table with us.

GERRY: And listen to Miss Pollyanna dreaming of getting reform from Labor?

LANCE: Always a reason to give up.

No wonder you were such a shit communist.

And you and your nancy boys? What have you achieved?

Change is coming, mate.

Not in your lifetime, obviously.

GERRY: I'm going to bed. It'll only make me throw up.

(GERRY COUGHING AND RETCHING)

(GERRY GROANING)

Oh, piss off! Ah.

-Oh, leave it. -No, come on.

Let's get you in the shower, mate.

(GRUNTING)

I can do it.

I don't know if you can.

You've made a bit of a mess there, haven't you?

There we go, there we go. All right.

There you go.

(MOANING)

There's some fight in you yet, you old bastard.

You got it from somewhere.

MEAGHER: Miss Plaister, according to our documents,

you and Mrs. McMann

have the same place of residence.

That's right, yes.

MEAGHER: How many bedrooms?

Two.

And when Mrs. McMann's children visited in the past,

did they have their own rooms?

Nicole lived with us.

When Rodney came for holidays, he shared her room.

MEAGHER: So where do you and Mrs. McMann sleep?

In the other room.

MEAGHER: And did this other room have a double bed,

or two singles?

-MEAGHER: Miss Plaister? -A double.

MEAGHER: So, you and Mrs. McMann share a double bed,

even when the children are staying with you?

Yes. We do.

(SCRIBBLING)

(SINGING) Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

There's a bit of hope in the language on custody.

Non-biological parents get some standing, and kids...

Well, that won't help me appeal.

No, but kids now have a say

in which parents they want to live with.

-Okay, that's good. -Once they turn 14.

Well, it's a start.

Fuck, that is three years away, and it's only for Nic.

Well, Robbie and I will keep working on the custody campaign.

Yeah, there'll soon be court decisions to help us prepare tactics.

Well, either way, we still have to convince a judge.

LANCE: And judges reflect society.

Then we have to change society.

Well, overthrowing the patriarchy just got a new deadline.

-Hello! -Hooray!

Hello, love. I brought the party with me.

Of course you did.

Stop!

Jim! Lance! Put your clothes on. Mum's here!

-Chris! Christopher! -What? He's a nudist!

You know that I can't just walk into their house without knocking.

Hello! G'day, mate.

LANCE: Jim's out the back. Where's your mum?

Norma.

What are you doing out there?

Come inside. Oh, it's good to see ya.

(SINGING) Happy birthday, dear Nessie

Happy birthday to you

LANCE: Oh, hip, hip!

GROUP: Hurray!

-Happy birthday. -Happy birthday.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

-I can't reach it. -I'm exhausted.

I mean, do you think there's any chance Wran'll get in?

I don't know.

The forces of darkness have come back hard against Whitlam.

I don't think they're gonna want a reformist Premier in New South Wales.

Ten bucks if you're talking something other than politics.

-Footy. -NORMA: Oh.

You're still such a terrible liar, Lance.

-Shit! -Christopher!

Be careful, please!

There's some bicarb in the pantry.

Thank you, I...

Chris, did you say sorry?

(VANESSA BABBLING)

-She wants it. -Oh, no.

I think... Oh!

Lance is very lucky.

Oh, Jim is a lovely man.

No, I meant because of you.

Well, you're always driving the kids up here,

and you keep him part of the family.

He's their father.

Well, a lot of women wouldn't be so forgiving.

NORMA: I look at my three beautiful children

and I find it hard to regret anything that led to them being born.

Have you got children?

Mmm, I do. I've got two kids.

But they don't live with me.

Oh.

-Um, one of Lance's... -Yeah.

Shirts is bound to fit, so I'll just...

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

-RON: Oh, what? -Yes, what is it?

What is it? What is it?

(LAUGHTER)

No, Mum!

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

Okay, okay, can we have a bit of hush here, please.

-Thank you! Thank you. -(WHISTLING)

It's good to see so many different groups uniting here.

Now, we need to present an agreed position

of the gay and lesbian community to Premier Wran.

Sorry, but when have we agreed on a position?

And since when have we been one community?

MARG: Can we start with priorities?

Decriminalization?

Yeah, but lesbian sex isn't a crime.

Well, the fact that these buggers are still criminals

undermines everyone's ability to protest.

MARG: Yeah, that's right. Anti-discrimination?

Okay, so Walker's bill outlaws discrimination

on race, gender, religion, and age.

We need to convince Wran to include sexuality.

No, no, no, no, it needs to be homosexuality.

Sexuality includes things that we can't defend...

Sue, you cannot leave out the trannies.

You can't say that.

We know custody is complicated, but some small changes

to relationship recognition and fostering rules

could make a huge difference.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

If there's anything that upsets the straights

as much as poofters sucking cock in parks,

it's dykes raising children.

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

Well, I don't think that's funny at all.

Listen! The number one issue should be the police.

LANCE: If Wran let us protest,

we could achieve everything else.

-We could. -(JIM WHISTLING)

Okay, look, we can't go in there with a shopping list.

We need to offer something achievable.

Well, other communities have chosen a small delegation.

Can we agree on one male and one female representative?

(OVERLAPPING CHATTER)

-Morning. -JIM: Premier.

Youth suicide and homelessness, violence prevention,

relationship recognition,

and a host of issues around education.

For gay men, amending the Crimes Act is the priority,

and both gays and lesbians want anti-discrimination laws.

MAN: Yes. SUE: That's right.

-And shock treatment. -Sorry, what?

GABY: Psychiatrists "curing" homosexuals with shock treatment.

-That's right. -It's appalling.

You know, I like being Premier of New South Wales.

But I will lose a lot of religious voters if I support you...

Including all the Catholics in my cabinet...

But our community will support you.

WRAN: And how large is your community?

Well, it's a decent-sized community.

-It's large enough to be... -WRAN: How large?

Premier, the Kinsey Report suggests 10%.

Active, visible, engaged members who would change their vote on this issue.

Nobody, nobody knows.

Well, would you say larger than the Catholics?

Or the Evangelicals?

Or the returned soldiers?

All the people I will lose, if I'm for gay and lesbians?

WOMAN: Oh, great. Oh, so we're not humans. Great.

-Personally, I am sympathetic. -MARG: Oh, my God...

But you need to demonstrate that the wider community supports change.

Well, how are we supposed to get the wider community behind us

when the police keep shutting us down?

WRAN: You know, taking on the churches is one thing.

You want me to take on the New South Wales Police?

LANCE: Well, you are the Premier and the Police Minister, aren't you?

Every time we march for rights,

the cops are out there breaking heads.

A Labor government should sort out these violent, corrupt bastards.

Well, thank you all very much for your time.

(MURMURING)

Jesus, Lance.

The police?

He was never gonna come at that.

PETER: Look, I know it wasn't the result we were hoping for.

At least he respected us enough to tell us the truth...

-Respected us? I mean, no. -We need to build alliances.

-Peter, Wran is weak. -Actually...

RON: Oh, my God, I am bored already.

RON: How about we just forget about the Town Hall.

Can we have a bit of fun, for goodness’ sake?

We've got nothing. Not a bloody sniff of hope.

On any issue.

He was personally sympathetic.

Oh, for God's sake.

I mean, how gutless and hypocritical is that,

just letting a bunch of rabid right-wingers

in his own government

dictate a position that he knows is wrong.

If we cannot get our own community on board,

how could we possibly win over the straights?

According to the government, I'm, I'm a sick criminal

with no rights and I have to ask them

to give me my children back.

There have been cases where lesbians have been given custody...

MARG: Yeah, I know, I know.

With conditions. We sleep in separate bedrooms,

we don't talk about lesbian activism.

We don't discuss sexuality with our own kids.

I know, Marg. I know. But she would be with us.

Yeah, until they found a way to say that we had breached

and they took her away.

Fuck!

-I'm all right. -Shit, what...

-Oh! -Jim!

-He's the Police Minister. -Exactly.

MARG: Oh!

-Oh! -You're not all right, Marg.

-Tightness? -MARG: Mmm!

Call an ambulance.

RON: Jim, what is it?

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

Hi.

I'll go and get some dinner.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

Well, you look better than I expected.

Oh, yeah. For a dyke with a triple bypass.

Yeah, a bit of lippy wouldn't go astray.

(WHISPERS) Get fucked.

You know, we can... We can, um...

We'll keep everything going.

Till you're better.

(SNIFFLES)

Oh, I'm not sure if I can take much more of this.

Oh, fuck.

They won't let me smoke in bed.

(LAUGHS)

Oh, fuck.

(GASPING HEAVILY)

-I love you very much. -I love you.

Oh, it'll be fine. It's gonna be fine.

-Yeah, it will be fine. -Yeah.

-It'll be just fine. -Yeah.

GROUP: (CHANTING) Two, four, six, eight! Gay is just as good as straight!

Two, four, six, eight! Gay is just as good as straight!

Two, four, six, eight! Gay is just as good as straight!

Two, four, six, eight...

(CLAMORING)

JIM: You must have done something to antagonize them.

VANESSA: What's the time, Mr. Wolf?

Police just don't arrest people out of the blue.

Are we talking about the New South Wales Police?

-They're thugs. -And why is it always you?

JEREMY: Four o'clock. JIM: You make yourself a target.

I might not always be around to patch you up.

VANESSA: What's the time, Mr. Wolf?

Dinner time!

(VANESSA SCREAMS)

-Yeah, that one over there. -What, second one on the right?

Yeah, that's it. Second.

NEWSREADER: Yes, Greg, well, in the city it's still a...

VANESSA: Ice cream!

NEWSREADER: The city council were up there collecting debris.

A few moments ago...

VANESSA: Ice cream!

Ice cream!

Should I give her more ice cream?

-VANESSA: Ice cream! -More ice cream?

No, she's had enough sugar today already.

That's why she's screaming.

(POUNDING ON DOOR)

It's better to let her tire herself out.

-Who's that? -LANCE: Nessie, Nessie, Nessie.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!

Are you the owner of this property, sir?

Who's responsible for this child?

I am. I'm her father. What's going...

You're the father? Well, we've had a complaint, mate.

DAVIDSON: About a child in a dangerous situation.

-What's your name, sweetheart? -VANESSA: Vanessa.

-DAVIDSON: Vanessa? -Excuse me!

-Is that your daddy, is it? -Yeah.

-Where's your mum? -VANESSA: Goulburn.

Is this 'cause she was screaming?

-Who are you? -LANCE: She's had too much sugar.

JIM: Doctor James Walker. This is my house.

Who's the fellow with the kid then?

JIM: My housemate.

Housemate.

-Not your homosexual lover? -There's no mark.

This happened at home here, did it?

-There's not a bruise. -It looks a bit sore.

Can we please call the Director of Grosvenor Hospital?

She'll tell you that Vanessa is not at risk.

And who's that long-haired lout?

Bit of a, three in a bed thing, is it?

LANCE: Excuse me, sir.

-Where's your daddy sleep? -Ah, at home.

You tell me, is your daddy a good man or a bad man?

Oh, okay, all right. No, no, no, this is actually harassment.

If you've got an issue and think that she's being abused,

then you need to arrest me.

If not, can you please leave?

Could always lock the both of you up

for being a pair of self-proclaimed shirt lifters.

-Hmm? -DAVIDSON: Are we good?

-Are you all right? -Yes.

Yeah? Gave you a bit of a scare, didn't it?

(SIGHS) We're all right. We're all right.

Just a couple of idiots, eh?

Yeah. Couple of idiots, weren't they?

LANCE: Hmm?

(ENGINE RUMBLING)

This has to stop.

-Oh, you are upset. -Yeah, I want you to step back.

No more protests, no more public...

Well, it wasn't Lance's fault.

The police are going to pick on some...

They were in our home.

-LANCE: Yeah, I noticed. -In our bedroom!

I think Jim needs a cuddle too.

You know, I reckon we need to...

We need to really concentrate on repealing...

Lance!

'Cause it's, um,

it's just giving the cops free rein, you know.

-(DOOR SLAMS) -Yeah. Um, can I... Can I make a call?

Yeah.

(TELEPHONE RINGS)

Phone-a-Friend, this is Keith.

So, in the spirit of solidarity,

we are inviting gay men and lesbians around the world

to mark the anniversary of Stonewall

with an international day of gay pride.

Ken's putting together a gay solidarity group,

and he's asking all of the gay and lesbian...

-Some. -Some...

Some of the gay and lesbian groups in Sydney

to come together and plan a response.

We're thinking of a march or a forum...

Or both.

I'm bored.

No, come on. It just... It sounds so dreary.

Who's going to come to this march when no one's gone to any other march?

Do you need any help approaching the other groups?

Oh, it's already done.

But you know, Lance, we'd really welcome your ideas.

KEN: Mmm-hmm.

Great. Okay.

Sorry, Lance, did you, have a moment?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. I think we're, we're finished here.

-Thank God! -Thank you for your time.

No, seriously, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. Look, I just...

The only thing is, I just want you to take me

to the forest and shoot me in the head and bury me, 'cause I'm that depressed.

I just want something happy. Do you know what I mean?

Sorry, Peter, did you want to, um...

Look, Lance, all these violent protests, and the negative publicity,

it has to stop, it's scaring people off.

It's putting people off.

People who are vulnerable and isolated and afraid of being...

A lot of members feel that CAMP should just focus

on being a gay counseling service.

BON: Your actions group will need to meet elsewhere.

PETER: Look, there's so many other groups for marches, and...

LANCE: I think I've been kicked out of CAMP.

I heard.

Bon told me.

There's a new group.

(LANCE SIGHS)

And, uh...

They're planning to do a big, big day of protest.

(SIGHS)

I can't do this anymore.

(SIGHS)

The police raided my surgery today.

I think you should sleep in the boys' room until you find a place of your own.

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

Oh, shit.

Oi! Oi, can you give us a hand?

Sorry, I seem to be falling apart.

Ooh, thank you.

Hey, I'm doing a show at Patch's at 10:00 p.m. You should come.

-It's 11:30. -Plenty of time.

Ron...

What am I doing here?

You're here because you owe me.

Oh, yeah.

Now, I have stood beside you for years

during the Lance Gowland show.

Now it's time for you to do something in return.

Yeah, what's that?

We're going to go for a walk.

Down Oxford Street. Come on.

I should warn you, Ron. I'm completely over poofters.

Mmm. Of course, you are... Comrade.

(MEN LAUGHING IN DISTANCE)

I know, but every time...

Take my hand.

Come on.

Trust me.

Take it, don't squeeze it.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

See, that wasn't so bad, was it?

(DON'T FALL IN LOVE PLAYING)

This is our community, Lance, and they're not just activists.

We did this. We made this all possible.

Then why won't they march?

Every protest I organize gets smaller and smaller.

-Marg. -Hello.

Oh! Oh, jeez, I thought I looked like shit.

Oh, Jim kicked him out. He's been sleeping on my floor for a week.

-Shit, Lance, are you all right? -I'm okay.

Well, you can stay at ours if you need.

No, no, no, no, no. I love him on the floor.

It's really fun.

-Marg, can you drink yet? -MARG: Uh, special occasions.

-Well, it's my shout. -Oh, that's incredibly special.

-What's this about? -This is very exciting.

I have an idea for this gay solidarity day.

I think we should have a street party.

Fill Oxford Street up with people, music, dancing, lights.

Get them out of the bars and onto the streets,

and no protests, please, no aggro.

I've been flogging myself for years to show we're serious about reform.

A bunch of fairies gyrating in dancing pumps...

The night Judy Garland...

LANCE: It'll look like we just want to party...

The night Judy Garland died, the police raided the Stonewall Inn.

And it was the drag queens that fought them off.

Now, you get the drag queens, you get the boys.

I guarantee you before you can say, "There's no place like homo,"

you're going to get the straights swarming in

and perving on the freak show, I guarantee it.

Like Carnivale in Rio.

Or New Orleans Mardi Gras.

RON: You get the feathers, you get the tits,

you get the dance routines...

Well, I can muster a slow dance, I'm sure.

Lance, you want visibility, my love,

this is the way to do it.

We're gonna close down Oxford Street and have a riot of color and fun.

Might be a small riot.

There were only six people at the last protest.

RON: That would be because it was a protest, Lance,

and it was nasty, and it was grim,

and quite frankly it was, well, pathetic.

This is going to be glorious.

-(KNOCKING ON DOOR) -Jim!

-Jim! -JIM: Lance!

Lance.

-What are you doing? -Let me in.

-It's not locked. -Jim!

-What? -We're gonna have a Mardi Gras.

It's gonna be a street party.

(UN BEL DI PLAYING ON GRAMOPHONE)

At night.

In fancy dress.

So, anyone who's a bit scared of being exposed

can, wear a wig or a mask.

LANCE: You know...

When I started in this movement,

I knew every out gay man in Sydney,

and it was all politics all the time,

because that's all we had.

Now, we're part of a mixed up, mad...

Community, you know?

There's artists, and there's... There's dykes

and druggies, and public servants, and primary school teachers.

And fuck it! I just... I wanna celebrate.

I wanna celebrate.

Out there,

they love a miserable, lonely homo.

And going along the way we are,

it... It's...

It's proving they're right about us.

What'll scare them shitless

is a group of poofs (CHUCKLES)

and a group of lezzos

dancing in the streets.

Because we're happy.

We're happy.

And... And... And we're proud.

To be gay.

Well, that sounds amazing.

(CHUCKLES) It really does.

Good night, Lance.

KEN: Night time? No one will come.

We've hardly got enough volunteers to organize the forum and the march.

Just put it to a vote.

All in favor of a Mardi Gras?

Gay and lesbian street party?

Gave the boys a bit of a chuckle.

Usual conditions for a protest. You know the drill.

It's not a protest. It's gonna be fun.

Well, you behave yourselves, we'll all have fun.

(TOTAL UNION PLAYING)

Marg wants to be cowgirls, but it's going to be cold...

Oh, Robbie, please. I have to have it.

It's a dykey bikie.

(HORN HONKING)

(ENGINE RUMBLING)

(SONG CONTINUES ON SPEAKERS)

Ta-da!

-It's yellow. -It's hideous.

Cam, we're gonna need a bigger banner.

Just put the sound system in the back.

-RON: I like it, Lance. -Where's Marg?

She said she was going to bring the music.

Yeah, she's coming. She's just at the lawyers' with Nicole.

Now, the bars close at 10:00, which means every dyke and poofter in Sydney

is going to be walking down Oxford Street to get to...

Now, listen, when you're handing these things out,

I would like you to mince around a bit, please.

Pretend you're chewing on a Mintie with your arse.

-That's it. -KEN: Yeah.

JEREMY: And talk it up. It'd be awful if nobody came.

Oh, so we're gonna need to start doing some work over here...

I'm gonna live with Mum.

We've applied for unconditional custody.

LANCE: Oh, Marg. (CHUCKLES) That's wonderful.

Right, music for the parade.

Ah! Yes.

(ODE TO MY GYM TEACHER PLAYING)

Oh, I love this song!

She was a big tough woman

The first to come along

That showed me being female

Meant you still could be strong

And though...

(CHEERING)

Is this everybody?

It's early, Queen's time.

Gay Solidarity have another 20 protesters headed up Liverpool Street.

They'll need to hurry.

Oh, bloody hell.

Evening, fellas.

BENNETT: What the fuck do you think you're doing?

You need to get moving, Mr. Gowland.

Permit's for 10:30.

You're making my nice, clean streets untidy.

You've agreed to obey all police directions.

Absolutely.

Yeah, yeah. Here are my directions.

You march the agreed route, you don't linger,

and you don't stop.

It's not a march.

It's a Mardi Gras.

Lance.

-You're joining us. -We brought bail money.

Oh, that's totally unnecessary. It's a party, not a protest.

Hopefully, we won't need it.

Thanks for coming. Have you seen Jim?

Not tonight, no.

No, not for a while, actually.

And while other girls went to the prom

I languish by the phone

Calling up and hanging up

If I found out she was home

She was a big tough woman

The first to come along

That showed me being female

Meant you still could be strong

And though graduation meant that...

G'day, Lance.

Let's get this party started!

(GROUP CHEERING)

(OVER AND OVER PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS)

(ENGINE REVVING)

Over and over

Time and time again

You can't be nobody's lover

You can't be nobody's lover

Till you're somebody's friend...

(CAR ENGINE CRANKING)

Jesus Christ!

(CROWD CHEERING)

LANCE: Hey, Jeremy! Hey, Jeremy!

Gay gentlemen welcome to join us!

The bar queens?

Tell 'em there's free head jobs in Hyde Park.

(GLAD TO BE GAY PLAYING)

I'm off. I'll be back.

GROUP: Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Have a beer.

Oh, I'm not much of a drinker.

Sing if you're glad to be gay

Sing if you're happy that way

Hey, sing if you're glad to be gay

Sing if you're happy that way

Don't try to kid us that if you're discreet...

Lance! You have to have a look at this, Lance!

GROUP: Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Out of the bars and onto the streets!

Out of the bars and onto the streets!

He was lonely one evening and went for a walk

Queerbashers caught him Kicked in his teeth...

Keep it moving, mate. Do not slow down.

A bit of common sense, Officer.

They're strung out like brown's cows.

Let 'em catch up.

Head down Liverpool.

Permit says Hyde Park.

Hey! (GRUNTS)

(MARG LAUGHS)

(TIRES SCREECH)

Sing if you're glad to be gay

Sing if you're happy that way...

(CHEERING)

Make sure your boyfriend's at least 21

So only your friends and your brothers get done

Lie to your workmates

Lie to your folks...

BENNETT: Stop the vehicle!

Get out of the vehicle!

(CHAOTIC CLAMOR)

OFFICER: Get back! Get back!

Is everyone enjoying the Mardi Gras?

(CHEERING)

We have some messages from our friends overseas.

From San Francisco, around the world,

"The fight is on, against the Briggs Initiative

"that allows homosexuals to be sacked

"against laws that imprison and persecute gays and lesbians.

"We too will parade on the streets."

BENNETT: Shut it down! Now!

From Berlin, "Homosexuals share the right of every human being

"to be free, to love..."

Get off me!

(CLAMOR)

You're breaking the law.

Disperse immediately or you will be arrested.

REVELER: To the Cross! To the Cross!

MURPH: No! REVELER: To the Cross!

MURPH: Lance! Lance, Lance, Lance!

Lance, there are cops and paddy wagons at Darlo.

Serious numbers.

REVELER: Yes, Lance!

(GREGORIAN CHANT)

(GREGORIAN CHANT CONTINUES)

We need to get everyone out of here.

Disperse immediately!

LANCE: They're surrounding us.

They've no intention of letting us go.

Help me get this dress off.

BENNETT: Disperse immediately!

LANCE: Everyone, link arms! Link arms! Link arms!

Link arms! Link arms!

Hold tight!

Move in close.

Stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks.

GROUP: Stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks!

Stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks!

Stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks!

(CLAMOR)

OFFICER: Come on, let's go.

ROBYN: Get your fucking hands off me!

-MARG: Robyn! -Get your hands off!

Get off her! Robyn! Robyn!

MARG: Robyn!

(CLAMOR)

(BANGING ON VEHICLE)

Please, please, please, please, please!

Please, stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!

(DOOR SLAMS)

(SCREAMS) Don't! Stop! Stop!

MARG: Come on!

-Get up! -Get the fuck off me!

Hey! Hey!

Get off me, you bugger!

-Hey! -You okay?

-You okay? -Yeah.

(GROANS) Get off me, you asshole!

(GRUNTING)

(GROANING)

Get off me! (GRUNTING)

(SCREAMING)

GROUP: Stop police attacks on gays, women and blacks!

OFFICER: Right, stay down. Stay down!

Are we gonna let the dykes and poofs have all the fun?

(GROANS)

Robbie!

(SCREAMS)

ROBYN: Ah! Let go!

GABY: Robbie!

LANCE: Go, go, go, go!

Come on, guys! Go!

(DOOR SLAMS)

(GRUNTS) Get off me!

OFFICER: Come here, ya bitch!

Oh, fuck it.

Fuck you!

(CLAMOR)

-WOMAN: Let go! -Get out.

Let go! Let go!

(GRUNTING)

MURPH: Yeah, yeah, yeah, so, okay, so next time they try

to put someone else in, we all just push forward

and make a break for it.

GABY: Good idea. GREG: You lead the way.

(GRUNTING)

EDWARDS: You fucking prick!

You'll wish you were never fuckin' born, you fuckin' prick!

Get in! Get in!

(ENGINE REVVING)

(GRUNTS)

(GAGGING)

Ah!

(GASPS)

Follow 'em! Follow 'em!

Follow the paddy wagons!

They're gonna be going to Darlinghurst Station.

Follow 'em! Everybody!

(INTENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

(CLAMOR)

EDWARDS: Right, you lot, out you get.

Come on, move it, move it! Watch your head.

Fuckin' suck it, mate.

-We still have rights. -Through that door, please.

What's the charge?

We'll think of something, mate. Come on, get out.

Uh-uh-uh-uh. Not you, dickhead. You fuckin' stay put.

(DOOR LOCKS)

(CLAMOR)

What are the charges?

(CLAMOR)

(DOOR OPENS)

Get out.

Get off me! (GRUNTS)

(GRUNTS) You filthy fucking little ratbag.

Now you fuckin' pick me, mate?

You're gonna wish you were never fuckin' born, you fuckin' prick.

(GRUNTING)

MURPH: Please!

Please don't!

(CLAMOR)

We need to do some kind of head count.

-I don't know who we've got. -I haven't seen Sue.

LANCE: I haven't seen Greg. ROBYN: Hey! Hey!

MURPH: (SOBBING) Ah! Please, stop.

That's Murph. That's Murph.

MARG: Hey, hey!

Somebody's beating our friend up.

Somebody's beating him.

Let them go, let them go.

GROUP: Let them go! Let them go!

Let them go! Let them go!

Let them go! Let them go!

MURPH: Please, stop!

There, you fucking...

Little... Prick.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(MURPH SPLUTTERING)

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

Bail money. We've been passing the hat around in the clubs.

-Thank you, comrade. -That's all right, love.

I want to make sure they're all right.

-Step away from the entrance. -But what's the bail?

Step away, sweetheart.

(SCOFFS)

You all right?

Yeah.

-Peter Murphy's inside. -I heard.

They're not letting anyone in.

My name's Dr. James Walker. I'm here to see Peter Murphy.

No one here by that name.

What, 50, 60 arrests?

You're gonna spend the next month in court,

and if a single one of these protesters claims

you denied them medical treatment,

I'll be standing right beside them ready to testify to it.

Poofter.

(DOOR OPENS)

(MURPH SNIFFLES)

Jesus.

It's me.

It's Jim.

It'll be okay.

Peter, look at me.

(MURPH SNIFFLES)

-It'll be okay. -Thanks.

GROUP: (SINGING) We shall not

We shall not be moved

We shall not

We shall not be moved

Just like a tree

That's standing by the water

We shall not be moved

We shall not

We shall not be moved

We shall not

We shall not be moved

Just like a tree

That's standing by the water

We shall not be moved

We shall not

We shall not be moved

We shall not

We shall not be moved

Just like a tree

That's standing by the water

We shall not be moved

(SIGHS)

Thanks for taking care of Murph.

They could have killed him.

(CHUCKLES)

-Do you need a lift? -Mmm.

-I've got a truck over there. -Hmm, saw that.

(CHUCKLES)

I think I'll walk.

(SNIFFLES)

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)

Oh, you gotta be joking.

How's your mate?

St. Vincent's wouldn't see him so they took him to RPA.

Good party, Lance.

Yeah. We'll be back next year.

What, not enough of you left bleeding?

You'll get shamed out of beating us long before we stop being able to take it.

Wanna bet?

Hundred bucks says in 10 years there'll still a Mardi Gras.

And by then, you'll be dancing in it yourself.

You'll look good in hot pants.

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

(HEROES PLAYING)

(ENGINE CRANKING)

(ENGINE STARTS)

I

I will be king

And you

You will be queen

Though nothing

Will drive them away

We can be heroes

Just for one day

We can be us

Just for one day

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)