The Luncheon Club

by J.L.W.

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

Just over 12 months ago I arrived here in Sydney knowing nobody and with nowhere in particular to stay. I gave myself 2 months to give Sydney a go. If there was anywhere in Australia that would be able to help me in life, I figured it could only be Sydney.

The Gender Centre provided me with the accommodation and I managed to get a waitress job in the Cross. I started to meet people, especially in the Gay community and soon realised that some of these friends were H.I.V.+, something which is not common in my hometown of Brisbane, and I became aware of what the virus actually does to people.

A very close friend who was H.I.V.+ and was attending a fledgling group that supplied people living with and affected by AIDS with entertainment and a delicious lunch, suggested I accompany him one day, along to the luncheon. Because as the name states, it's not just for people living with the virus but also those that are affected by it, i.e. family, friends, and lovers.

I have a good knowledge of sound and was involved later, in a meeting regarding the P.L.W.H.A (People Living With H.I.V. / AIDS Mardi Gras float. From there I started to help out on a regular basis doing the sound work for the entertainment which is as varied as the meals provided. This motivation was just what I needed and I soon threw myself into it. After two years of almost total unemployment I was once again up and doing it and with the help of several government departments, I was enrolled at University to do a Bachelor of Arts in Music Production six months later.

I don't do the charity work because of what I can get out of it, I do it because I see the look of joy in otherwise dismayed eyes and know that I helped to create that sparkle. It helps me now to understand how they feel and I'm also prepared (I think) for when my closest friends fall foul of the virus. In my time with the P.L.W.H.A. Luncheon Club I have met some amazing people and shared some wonderful times, this includes people with AIDS and also entertainers for whom I have worked. This is the best reward one can have, not quick money in the pocket.

Opportunities have also come my way, due to my work in the area of sound and music with the community. I was asked to do live mixing for benefit nights where I worked with a legend in Australian show business, Colleen Clifford, as well as many others. On World AIDS Day I was responsible for the sound in Green Park where Julian Clary provided us with entertainment and the Christmas Lunch for the P.L.W.H.A. where we were grateful for a guest appearance by none other than Wendy Matthews. On New Years Eve I assisted the organisers of the Pride Party, which I hope to do more often in the future with Mardi Gras, Inquisition and Sleaze.

So from starting in Sydney with next to nothing, to now studying (perhaps not as hard as I should) at university and working in a capacity I absolutely love, for people who I have nothing short of sincere admiration for, I can but only thank that friend who said "come to lunch with me".

Discrimination exists both in and out of the community and I found that a lot of people had these feelings. Not just towards transsexuals but also towards H.I.V.+ persons, even people with H.I.V.+ had a problem with transsexuals and vice-versa. But it's usually only ignorance that creates these situations and when people work together and communicate this tends to dissipate.

All I can say in conclusion, is that just because I'm a Transsexual, it hasn't affected my life to that great extent and there are people out there that are willing to help. All you have to do is be sure what you want and go for it, nothing will stop a determined person be they gay, straight or slightly bent.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.