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A new book about the untold origins of the Pride movement in Australia.
CAMP: Australia’s pioneer homosexual rights activists brings to life the vital role that CAMP activists played. They inspired and initiated a social movement that continues to this day. Individual members of CAMP from across Australia now tell their own stories and highlight their lived experiences. They speak of the life-changing support their community offered, at a time when lesbians and gay men were despised by much of society. They recall the excitement of protest and change. They pay tribute to individuals who drove those changes.
Authors Robyn Kennedy and Robyn Plaister were both active members of CAMP NSW during the 1970s. They are 78ers who have stayed involved with the Pride movement. Robyn Kennedy is a former Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras board member and past Vice President of InterPride, the international association of Pride organisers. Robyn Plaister started the first Lesbian Mothers group and co-organised the first Lesbian Teachers Group. She is a current member of 10/40 Matrix, a group organising supportive and educative programs for lesbians over 40.
Authors: Robyn Kennedy and Robyn Plaister
Hardback Published February 2023
“One of the most exciting developments in the past fifty years has been the growing acceptance of diverse sexualities and gender identities, unimaginable when CAMP was established and homosexuality was regarded as a sin, a crime and a deviance. Without the pioneers of the movement reflected in this book those changes could not have occurred. This book reflects a slice of Australian history that deserves to be read and treasured for the insights it offers on the changing ways in which we understand ourselves.” Dennis Altman AM FASSA, Vice Chancellor's Fellow La Trobe University, author of Homosexual Oppression and Liberation and Patron, Australian Queer Archives.
"One forgets how brave it was in the early seventies to talk about one's sexuality. CAMP was not only a political campaigning organisation of immense importance; it also served as a ready-made, self-help group for a community under fire. Watching on as an ally, I was in awe of these brave women and men. They totally deserve this beautiful book." Hon Dr Meredith Burgmann, 78er and Patron, Pride History Group.