Online abuse prompts performers to drop out of regional burlesque and drag show, festival calls for better protection for community
Performer Ethereal Jade said burlesque has helped her embrace her queer identity. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
In short:
Several performers dropped out of a Feast Festival burlesque and drag show in a South Australian country town after abusive comments were made about the event on social media.
The organiser of another event says they were also targeted online, prompting them to hire private security for the first time.
What’s next?
Feast Festival organisers have condemned the comments and have called on the state government for more protection against vilification. SA's Attorney-General says the government is open to looking at the matter.
Burlesque performer Ethereal Jade remembers confessing to her friends through tears that she liked both boys and girls.
"It was so frowned upon," she recalled, saying she experienced mental health challenges while trying to understand her sexuality.
More recently, she started burlesque and adopted her stage name as a way of embracing her identity.
When Peterborough-based performer and producer Karney Doll asked her to be part of a burlesque and drag show in the SA Mid North town as part of Feast Festival, Ethereal Jade jumped at the opportunity.
But the joy soon turned to sadness, when organisers began promoting it on a local community Facebook page.
A stream of homophobic and transphobic comments were made on the post.
"I had people saying that they wanted to take me out to the bush, my performers out to the bush to do away with them," Karney Doll said.
"There was hate comments towards the trans, gay community, things saying that being gay is the gateway to paedophilia, it was just really, really hurtful."
Performer Karney Doll condemned the homophobic abuse and called for more acceptance., (ABC News)
She said she reported the comments to SA Police and hired security for the event but said some performers felt "threatened or unsafe", resulting in almost half of the cohort dropping out of the show.
"We're trying to bring something together that creates a positive experience within the community … people saying those comments, that's what destroys communities," she said.
Ethereal Jade was one of the performers who made the difficult decision to drop out of the performance.
"I felt hurt because ... I thought that we had overcome this sort of hatred towards these kinds of communities and then I started to feel a bit scared because you don't know what people are capable of," she said.
Despite the comments on Facebook, Karney Doll said she had received significant support from the wider community, including an anonymous donation to hire out Peterborough Town Hall for the performance.
"There's been a majority of positivity, but there's also been a minority which has targeted the show through bigotry, which has made us feel really sad," she said.
The event went ahead with stand-in performers, private security and SA Police officers in attendance.
Country picnic event adds security
About 90 kilometres south in the historic mining town of Burra, organisers of the state's third annual Country Pride Picnic said they were also targeted online when advertising the event on community social media pages.
Burra resident Deb Selway said despite a strong community of allies in the region the vitriol prompted organisers to hire security for the first time.
"It was really unexpected to receive this sort of pushback from the general community and it is hurtful for LGBTQIA+ people to have that negative feedback put on us, it's just really shocking for this day and age," Dr Selway said.
Organiser Deb Selway at the Country Pride Picnic in Burra last year. (ABC News: Isabella Carbone)
SA Police said local officers attended both events and "there were no issues reported".
Feast Festival CEO Tish Naughton said the event, which started in 1997 and runs multiple arts events throughout SA, was "more than just a platform to celebrate queer artists and culture in South Australia".
"We come together to showcase the strengths and resilience of LGBTQIA+ people and communities. Arts and culture have the power to change hearts and minds and Feast Festival is the vehicle to promote broader social change," she said.
She condemned the comments targeting the events.
"Feast has a zero tolerance on homophobic and transphobic abuse," she said.
"This behaviour incites hate and currently LGBTIQA+ South Australians have no protection from vilification and hate speech under South Australian law.
"On the 26th of November 2024, the Victorian government introduced a bill to overhaul the state's anti-vilification laws.
"All South Australian's deserve to be protected against vilification and hate, and we call on the South Australian Government to make it unlawful to incite hate, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of, a person or group on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, intersex status, HIV/AIDS status, disability, race or religion.
"Everyone deserves to be seen, heard and loved."
South Australia's Attorney-General Kyam Maher said vilification "in a whole range of settings is already illegal under our Equal Opportunities Act in South Australia".
"If someone fears for their own safety, there are laws in relation to stalking or threats that apply in South Australia. Of course, we expect that every South Australians feel safe in their community and feel respected in what they do and who they are and we're always open to looking to see if there are better ways to protect individuals," Mr Maher said.
Mr Maher said the government was open to looking at the matter and he had spoken to the Victorian Attorney-General about the changes.
"We're open to looking at it, we don't have a wholesale review of Equal Opportunity laws underway but certainly we are always willing to look to make sure that South Australian feel as safe as possible in what they do or who they are ..." Mr Maher said.
"I've had the opportunity to talk to my counterpart, the Victorian Attorney-General in the last couple of weeks on a range of matters, including the new laws that have been put in place, but we're always open to looking at ways that can better protect South Australians."
Community and connection integral
Brynn is a peer support worker for SHINE SA's Gender Connect Country SA service, a phone and online information and support service supporting transgender and gender diverse people living in regional South Australia.
Brynn said building connection and community was integral for those with diverse sexualities and gender identities who live outside of major cities.
"Younger queer communities know that queer culture exists, but when it's seen in their local area and it's seen to be accepted it offers a level of reassurance that says, 'I might just be able to be my authentic self here and not get bullied, harassed or hurt'," Brynn said.
"It gives individuals hope that not only can they find their own social connections in person, but that they'll be able to just simply exist alongside the broader community which is becoming a real concern as of late."
The Burra Country Pride Picnic 2024 went ahead with security in attendance. (Supplied: WrestlingDog Photographics)
Brynn said online abuse was a concern for young people working with the organisation.
"...In terms of recent observations, we have seen some concerns come from young LGBTIQA+ people about how some people have felt emboldened to go online and express negative and harmful viewpoints about the community," Brynn said.
"Young people are also letting us know they feel anxiety and concern about the potential harmful impacts for trans health care globally due to recent political developments."
A state government spokesperson said "these types of vile and cowardly online attacks are totally unacceptable".
"Members of the South Australian LGBTIQA+ community should feel safe and be free from discrimination and hate. The Malinauskas Government is committed to ensuring equality for all South Australians," they said.
The spokesperson said there were several existing offences that may be relevant to acts of online vilification on the basis of sexuality or gender identity, including the offence of unlawful threats, which includes physical or mental harm, under section 19 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (SA), or the offence of stalking under section 19AA of the CLCA.
"Any person who experiences this kind of hateful online targeting is encouraged to contact the relevant authorities to make a report and seek support and advice," they said.
More understanding needed
Karney Doll and Ethereal Jade acknowledged the existing support for LGBTQIA+ people in country communities, but are advocating for more understanding and empathy amongst the wider community.
Ethereal Jade has been performing burlesque for two years in regional and metropolitan South Australia. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
"There are people out there that are still trying to bring people down and it's just not okay," Ethereal Jade said.
"It makes people feel unsafe and unwanted and unloved, and I just don't think that's where we should be at in 2024."
Dr Selway wants to see more education programs and workshops take place across the country.
"We do need to … develop understanding in the community that these old fashioned values just won't stand up anymore that they are, in fact, not only hurtful, but they're against the equal rights and equal opportunity of LGBTQ people across regional Australia," she said.