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Meera Atkinson Little Britain is the most successful comedy sketch show currently on television. Its recurring characters have engendered cult-like viewer devotion and its catchphrases have entered public conversation. One of the most popular skits on the show is, “The only gay in the village”. Daffy Thomas is a haughty gay man who lives in a small Welsh town.
He is prone to wearing outrageous and revealing outfits and likes nothing better than to complain to the local barmaid about his isolation. “It’s so hard being the only gay in the village,” he whines to the long suffering Myfanwy. Whenever Daffyd is confronted with acceptance from the locals or with other gay or lesbian people in the area he is offended and clings to his position as “the only gay in the village.” It’s an intriguing sketch and one that begs in-depth analysis. Fans seem to respond to the irony and to appreciate the ruthless honesty of a gay man (Matt Lucas, who plays Daffyd, is gay in real life) lampooning a conceited manifestation of gay pride, while critics accuse the show of focusing on the “cheapest groups to mock.” Whatever your view, the skit clearly taps into a fundamental truth: being gay, particularly in a small community, is not easy. Living in a major city, particularly Sydney or Melbourne, it’s easy to imagine that homosexuality is now socially acceptable. Not so when it comes to smaller communities says Jaye Edwards, youth development officer with True Colours — a UnitingCare West program which targets young people aged 16 to 22. Since young people often flee small towns for the big smoke in search of an accepting community, regional areas are able to remain unchallenged and uneducated. “It’s like this cycle that continues so the status quo is maintained in a regional area whereas in the city you have diversity in a range of forums,” she says. While the Uniting Church is not unanimous in its support of such programs there are several agencies doing significant work with same sex attracted young people. Rowena Allen is chief executive officer of UnitingCare Cutting Edge based in Shepparton, rural Victoria. Cutting Edge started 11 years ago to address the needs of disengaged young people aged 15 to 25. If offers a range of programs from generalist counselling and youth work, services for refugees, rural and indigenous communities, and School Focus Youth Services, which re-engages young people with education. The Diversity Program, which works with same sex attracted young people, has run for ten years, making it one of Cutting Edge’s longest running. “Disengaged is an umbrella term for just about everything,” explains Rowena. “School is young people’s community. If they’re not feeling like they’re validated at school, they often become school refusers and don’t attend at all, so we do a lot of work with schools and help them create safe spaces. We know young people are going to have a better pathway into employment if they have an education. We know that gay and lesbian young people are much higher users of substances and a high rate of homelessness.” Jaye concurs that school is a critical location for young people who are same sex attracted or who have a “diverse gender.” She cites lack of information as major problem, particularly for rural young people. “Rarely is an accurate understanding of diverse sexuality and gender given through sex education in school if the school even has a sexuality education curriculum,” she says. Often regional youth won’t identify as gay or lesbian at school because it’s not safe to do so, and the coming out process can be daunting and hazardous. “It’s very confronting and sometimes quite frightening for them, so there’s often a long denial process,” says Jaye. “A lot of people try to prove they’re not gay by becoming promiscuous with the other sex or being homophobic themselves. Homophobia is not just verbal and physical abuse, it is also the invisibility and misrepresentations. They experience enormous emotional isolation which creates a range of psychosocial issues from depression and anxiety through to self harm. The issues just flow on.” Family is, of course, the first front a young gay and lesbian person faces. According to Rowena, telling parents is often identified as the hardest part of coming out. “If they have support from their nuclear family they’re half way home.” Rowena says the impact of programs like Cutting Edge can be dramatic: “You see suicidal young people want to live.” Most importantly it offers role models. “You see people becoming more positive about their identity, realising they have a future, and choices. It’s just about saying it’s okay to be who you are. We support that and just want to make sure you’re safe.” Jaye says that community training, which might encompass giving factual information based on good research or having a young person involved with the program give a talk, goes a long way toward changing attitudes and reassuring people that those who are same sex attracted are average people who contribute to communities, workplaces, and congregations. Homophobia is not just a problem for gay and lesbian people; it diminishes everyone and tackling it is a community responsibility. As Jaye points out, “This really is a community issue that doesn’t just affect people who are same sex attracted.”
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