ABC TV 'Chequerboard' (1972) "This Just Happens to be Part of Me" Gays and Lesbians

The entire groundbreaking Australian 1972 ABC documentary on gays and lesbians, the first to feature a gay male kiss on Australian television.

It features interviews with Peter de Waal, Peter Bonsall-Boone, Gaby Antolovich and Sue Wills.

In 1972 Peter Bonsall Boone (Bon) and his partner Peter de Waal "came out" on Chequerboard. Their open revelations on life as a homosexual couple were a television first in Australia, however it was their brief kiss hello that caused the most stir in public reaction, a pivotal moment as the first male to male kiss on Australian television and possibly even the world happened. Peter and Bon agreed to appear on the original Chequerboard series as a political statement, yet even they could not have imagined the wide reaching ramifications of their daring actions. The first reaction was from Bon's employer who sacked him from his job as a secretary in a church in Mosman on Sydney's North Shore after the show went to air. Having started off as simply another couple on television, they became the focal point of gay rights activism and have spent their life after Chequerboard campaigning relentlessly.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Chequerboard
• Peter Bonsall Boone
• Peter de Waal
• first gay kiss
• gay kiss
• Australian TV
• Australian television
• homosexuality
• Australia
• Australian
• queer
• camp
• come out
• coming out
• gay couple
• homosexual couple
• Sydney
• ABC
• documentary
• sexuality
• historical
• homosexual
• first gay
• television
• TV
• gay
• history
• lesbian couple
• lesbian
• gay liberation
• Gaby Antolovich
• Sue Wills

[fletchertrowse]

Such bravery and prescience from all four interviewees.

[mikeybear69]

Any amazing, eye opening interview. In many aspects our society has changed radically since 1972. In other ways it hasn't changed much at all.