MEMBERS WORK: FRIENDSHIP AND COMMUNITY

PHA Qld member Timothy Roberts contributed to the exhibition Friendship as a Way of Life, displayed at UNSW Galleries, Sydney, 8 May – 21 November 2020.

In July, Roberts presented an illustrated talk on the politics, culture and histories of motor clubs in Australia. These clubs for same-sex attracted men were able to connect socially, especially during the 1970s-1990s, a critical time of gay rights activism. Using a denim overlay from a member of the Rangers Motor Club (1980–2011) as a starting point, Roberts examines these organisations as both precursors to leather clubs in Australia, as well as spaces where alternate families and friendships form.

Roberts also contributed research and a voiceover on a Leather Pride AIDS Memorial Quilt, created by Sydney man Gavin Kirkness in 1992. The quilt was displayed as a part of the exhibition.