From the Editors:
The Real Games Come to Sydney

"Acceptance...Diversity...Inclusiveness...Participation...Tolerance...and Joy..."

-from the opening speech to Gay Games VI by Patron Justice Michael Kirby, Sydney, November 2002.

The principles espoused by Justice Kirby and the organisers of the Sixth Gay Games were worthy, laudable and badly needed in a world shaken by terrorism, fear and inequality.

Justice Kirby's ideals are undoubtedly shared and admired by science fiction fans and others who hope to live to see a better world.

What a pity that the Australian general public was largely denied the chance to hear these principles being promoted, or to see them being practised in a sporting context. The Gay Games seem to have been boycotted by many Australian governments and politicians, community leaders and the mass media, who all but ignored the biggest sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere since the Sydney Olympics.

As Editors of this newsletter for Spaced Out Inc, we have no connection with Justice Michael Kirby, The Gay Games or its organisers. We cannot speak on their behalf, and would not presume to do so. But like Dr Martin Luther King, we too had a dream - that the Australian Prime Minister might have officially opened the Gay Games, and that the mass media might have supported and promoted the Games in the name of tolerance and equality (and to feed their sporting obsession!)

Sounds a bit too much like science fiction, eh?

Homophobia is clearly alive and well in Australia.

Meanwhile, Australians were recently shocked by the bomb attack in Bali, and average people in the street are openly discussing the problems of terrorism, intolerance and justice. Others are still questioning whether our nation lacks compassion for asylum seekers. Many of these everyday people are expressing the hope that peace might somehow be brought to our region and to our planet.

We would humbly suggest that our political and media leaders could do more to fulfil their responsibilities on behalf of their constituents and to actually work for the cause of peace in our country and world.

A good start would have been to embrace the abovementioned principles of the Gay Games instead of boycotting them.

-The Editors

Note: Our club held its Annual General Meeting as part of Outer Space Day on 19 October 2002. Copies of the minutes, annual reports or other documents are available from the club upon request.