Tropical Fruits NYE

“I’ll go there for an hour or two, right at the beginning of the night, before the crowds have arrived and I’ll be home by ten”, I thought to myself as walked to the Lismore Showground.

I have no idea how many times I’ve done that walk. Memorably though, there was an occasion when I was about seven or eight, and I walked three kilometres from the showground to home, all by myself. Quite a feat for such a young child.… Read the rest “Tropical Fruits NYE”

Tropical Fruits Street Parade

“Is that it? Is that all there is?”, I overhead some visitors say, a bit surprised at how “short” this year’s Tropical Fruits Street Parade was. I was a little inclined to agree, as I remembered the last parade I attended seemed to be a little larger, and there were more people on the streets watching.

https://jamesobrien.id.au/2016/12/29/tropical-fruits-parade-and-launch/ 2016

The start of the Tropical Fruits street parade, which is on Bundjalung Widgibal land, now known as Lismore, my home town.
The start of the Tropical Fruits street parade, which is on Bundjalung Widgibal land, now known as Lismore, my home town.
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Tropical Fruits Or Not?

I felt like a double-agent as I sat and quietly had a beer at one of the local pubs in Lismore this afternoon. It’s a pub which has been traditionally a very “working man’s pub”, but which seems to have embraced the LBTIQ+ Tropical Fruits celebration this year, with lots of rainbow flags. They also seem to be running regular LBTIQ+ drinks on Fridays, at other times of the year.

As I walked in, I could seen in the eyes of the barman he wasn’t sure if I was here for Tropical Fruits, or if I was there, because it’s a pub I regularly visit when I’m home for Christmas.… Read the rest “Tropical Fruits Or Not?”

Tropical Fruits Parade and Launch

If I think about all of the things which have happened in terms of gay life in Lismore during my lifetime, there’s a lot to reflect upon.

Jim Brigginshaw (Northern Star Editor), Sue Bazzana, Anthony Baker
As a teenager, I remember the homophobic editorials of Jim Brigginshaw, Editor of “The Northern Star”. I remember doing a school project, aged 16, where I was part of a group that interviewed him, and I was terrified.
Lismore's Big Log
Lismore’s Big Log: As a teenager, I also remember the social scene was very much based around “the beats”, and in particular, the log outside the City Hall.
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