Jersey and Amanda jam Nation. Well, yesterday, fifty thousand people walked with confidence across Sydney Harbor Bridge, feeling loved and accepted, most from the LGBTQIA plus community, and many others there proudly to support. But it wasn't too long ago, on a cold June night, that the first Mardi Gras began with an air of optimism and excitement. As crowds gathered at Taylor Square, hundreds of people began streaming down Oxford Street, decked out in costumes and makeup. They chatted out of the bars and into the streets. However, as they continue down Oxford Street, a familiar dread encroached. Some of the partygoers felt the atmosphere change as police became agitated. One of those brave men who's been there from the beginning when things weren't so accepted, an original member of the so called seventy eights, is Karl Slotkosky, and he joins us. Now, Hello, Carl, Hello, how are you?

Jersey and Amanda jam Nation. Well, yesterday, fifty thousand people walked with confidence across Sydney Harbor Bridge, feeling loved and accepted, most from the LGBTQIA plus community, and many others there proudly to support. But it wasn't too long ago, on a cold June night, that the first Mardi Gras began with an air of optimism and excitement. As crowds gathered at Taylor Square, hundreds of people began streaming down Oxford Street, decked out in costumes and makeup. They chatted out of the bars and into the streets. However, as they continue down Oxford Street, a familiar dread encroached. Some of the partygoers felt the atmosphere change as police became agitated. One of those brave men who's been there from the beginning when things weren't so accepted, an original member of the so called seventy eights, is Karl Slotkosky, and he joins us. Now, Hello, Carl, Hello, how are you?

Carl?

Carl?

Well, let's look back, Karl at what happened in the seventy eight is you're walking down Oxford Street the mood changes. Why was this such a pivotal moment of history. Why the seventy eight is so famous.

Well, let's look back, Karl at what happened in the seventy eight is you're walking down Oxford Street the mood changes. Why was this such a pivotal moment of history. Why the seventy eight is so famous.

Well, it was a serious miscalculation on the part of the police, I got to say. But the significance of all those events that took place back then was that they intersected with a change in the mood of this city and a belief that the police and the laws are these upon minorities, and that intersected with the growing sense of community within the LGBTQI group, mainly sent it on Oxford Street. But those events in June triggered a major campaign which we call drop the Charges, and that's what I was involved in. That marshaled them two thousand people on the fifteenth of July, which was the biggest gay demonstration we'd ever seen in Australia. All this stuff intersected and it marks a turning point. And it was quite a while ago, you know, it was forty five years Still.

Well, it was a serious miscalculation on the part of the police, I got to say. But the significance of all those events that took place back then was that they intersected with a change in the mood of this city and a belief that the police and the laws are these upon minorities, and that intersected with the growing sense of community within the LGBTQI group, mainly sent it on Oxford Street. But those events in June triggered a major campaign which we call drop the Charges, and that's what I was involved in. That marshaled them two thousand people on the fifteenth of July, which was the biggest gay demonstration we'd ever seen in Australia. All this stuff intersected and it marks a turning point. And it was quite a while ago, you know, it was forty five years Still.

Here, it's hard for us to imagine a time when being homosexual and being attracted to the opposite sex was illegal.

Here, it's hard for us to imagine a time when being homosexual and being attracted to the opposite sex was illegal.

Yes, well I'm sure I'm thinking back. You know, we just went out and lived our lives. There was a small minority of us caught the hard edge of the law. I knew people who had been in prison and notorious a jail in comer, But for most of us we navigated our way through a kind of half world of illegality. Everything was illegal, and for some of us actually there was a bit that added a bit for the fun of it. All the people who miss those times.

Yes, well I'm sure I'm thinking back. You know, we just went out and lived our lives. There was a small minority of us caught the hard edge of the law. I knew people who had been in prison and notorious a jail in comer, But for most of us we navigated our way through a kind of half world of illegality. Everything was illegal, and for some of us actually there was a bit that added a bit for the fun of it. All the people who miss those times.

All, well, I guess it makes you different, I suppose. But when you look at how far we've come. And also because the police weren't big friends of the gay community back in those days, to see that have the police have their own float in this year's Mardi Gras, that's a that's a real changing of the guard, isn't it.

All, well, I guess it makes you different, I suppose. But when you look at how far we've come. And also because the police weren't big friends of the gay community back in those days, to see that have the police have their own float in this year's Mardi Gras, that's a that's a real changing of the guard, isn't it.

Well, yes, in the way that the police interpret themselves as a guard. Uh yeah, it's it's a problem for a lot of us were we We aren't opposed to the police, to lgbt q I police, especially marching. The major issue is the uniform and the guns. Interesting, but you know that's that's triggering for a lot of people that I have to say that there's a real that's been advanced to me about why do they have to much armed? Because there are essentially they may be called upon to intervene in a situation, and we do have situations in the matagraph parade and we and I can remember twenty odd years ago being grabbed by a very handsome young man in sequin shorts and not much else who hauled me into a doorway and I thought something was going to happen, But then he showed me his badge and he said they'd been a shooting. Now we don't hear about these things, but there had actually been been a shooting. No, nobody was actually injured. That these things happened during these big healing.

Well, yes, in the way that the police interpret themselves as a guard. Uh yeah, it's it's a problem for a lot of us were we We aren't opposed to the police, to lgbt q I police, especially marching. The major issue is the uniform and the guns. Interesting, but you know that's that's triggering for a lot of people that I have to say that there's a real that's been advanced to me about why do they have to much armed? Because there are essentially they may be called upon to intervene in a situation, and we do have situations in the matagraph parade and we and I can remember twenty odd years ago being grabbed by a very handsome young man in sequin shorts and not much else who hauled me into a doorway and I thought something was going to happen, But then he showed me his badge and he said they'd been a shooting. Now we don't hear about these things, but there had actually been been a shooting. No, nobody was actually injured. That these things happened during these big healing.

Was was he undercover? Was he an undercover police?

Was was he undercover? Was he an undercover police?

Oh? Yes, yes, yes, And he had a block.

Oh? Yes, yes, yes, And he had a block.

Seduy's glock, Yes he did so, Carl, through all of this history you've just spoken about, how did it feel as the seventy eight is to be the first across the bridge yesterday?

Seduy's glock, Yes he did so, Carl, through all of this history you've just spoken about, how did it feel as the seventy eight is to be the first across the bridge yesterday?

Oh? It was wonderful, pretty wonderful. And you will have seen some at some of the shots where we where we've become fairly adept at wrangling the cameras as a group, but yeah, it was extraordinary. I've seen one shot of us just under going under the arch with fifty thousand people behind us, and that was truly awe inspiring, an extraordinary feeling.

Oh? It was wonderful, pretty wonderful. And you will have seen some at some of the shots where we where we've become fairly adept at wrangling the cameras as a group, but yeah, it was extraordinary. I've seen one shot of us just under going under the arch with fifty thousand people behind us, and that was truly awe inspiring, an extraordinary feeling.

It's congratulations to you, Carl. It's just, you know, I guess as acceptance becomes more and more, we can only you know, I think we're becoming more enlightened.

It's congratulations to you, Carl. It's just, you know, I guess as acceptance becomes more and more, we can only you know, I think we're becoming more enlightened.

Well, there's still a ways to go to yes.

Well, there's still a ways to go to yes.

And one thing that bridge. When we were doing it, we were remembering the people who are not able to do a bridge walk events like that in countries all over the world where things are not as liberal. That was in our minds while we were doing that.

And one thing that bridge. When we were doing it, we were remembering the people who are not able to do a bridge walk events like that in countries all over the world where things are not as liberal. That was in our minds while we were doing that.

Well, good work and it's worth following up the story. If you'd like to check out about the seventy yders, go to seventy eights dot org dot are you cal Thank you for joining us.

Well, good work and it's worth following up the story. If you'd like to check out about the seventy yders, go to seventy eights dot org dot are you cal Thank you for joining us.

You're very welcome.

You're very welcome.