When I came
out as a gay man living and working in the West I was married with three children.
There were no queer role models and no support services locally and it has been
a very challenging and sometimes lonely journey. I instigated this project
because I want others who are contemplating coming out to have access to
stories of other queer people in their community who have become WEST AND PROUD.
I teach and
practice in community development, I am a member of Hobsons Bay Council’s GLBTIQ advisory
group and I have been involved in a personal artistic and professional way in creating opportunities
for GLBTIQ people in the west since 2005. Currently I am employed by RMIT as a sessional
social work tutor teaching community development to 7 students across 3
councils in the North and West of Melbourne
 |
| Bridget and Sophie Social Work students RMIT |
I
was delighted when Hobsons Bay City Council Libraries agreed to support two
final year RMIT University Bachelor Social Work students, Bridget McLennan and
Sophie Klein, both on 70-day field education placements. Beginning in July
2013, under the guidance of library and community development staff and myself the
students have developed a detailed project plan, recruited expressions of
interest from community members to participate in telling their stories of
GLBTIQ life in the West and begun gathering historical data for a timeline
events.
By the completion of the pilot in mid-December
2013, the students and library staff will have collected a maximum of ten
accounts of queer life in the West, edited into long and short documentary
films. Along with the photographed archival material and historical timeline,
these films will be uploaded to the WESTANDPROUD Website, currently in its
development phase.
Last week it was my turn to be interviewed and filmed,I chose my studio as the location
A special thank you to volunteer MQFF filmmaker Cait Bryan and her colleague Dan the sound man. it was quite a different experience for a social worker and artist like myself to be interviewed and documented !
There will be a huge launch including a rainbow crossing project during Midsumma and a forum where I interview the interviewees - stay tuned for details
Update - here is the link to the website hosted by Hobsons Bay Libraries - great night full house and I felt we were witnessing the birth of a new generation of diverse leaders in the West ! WESTANDPROUD website this gives you the background to the project
here is the actual final edited interview Interview Michael WESTANDPROUD
Update - here is the link to the website hosted by Hobsons Bay Libraries - great night full house and I felt we were witnessing the birth of a new generation of diverse leaders in the West ! WESTANDPROUD website this gives you the background to the project
here is the actual final edited interview Interview Michael WESTANDPROUD
