Selfies at a Chinese New Year dinner

First Lady Lucy Turnbull with Joanna & Edmund Capon

When Sydney businessman Simon Chan announced that the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would be the guest of honour at his Haymarket Chinese New Year Banquet, the event sold out that day. Simon has had this dinner many years (in association with various organisations) and usually he presents the guest of honour to the various tables to drink a toast. That's a traditional thing to do. So it was well behaved pandemonium when Simon took Malcolm around and 500 guests wanted to have a selfie taken with him. (you need to search Instagram for those selfies)

actor Jack Thompson & Malcolm Turnbull       William Yang & Shen Jiawei     Simon Chan & the PM

Lord Mayor Clover Moore points at something..and finds it's Chinese Dragon

One guest at Simon Chan's NY dinner was the prolific Sydney photographer William Yang (left) who has been documenting Sydney's nightlife for 40 years now. 
ABC TV just screened his documentary Friends Of Dorothy, a history of the Sydney Gay &Lesbian Mardi Gras.  Yang's current exhibition Stories of Love & Death is currently on show at Stills Gallery in Paddington as part of the Mardi Gras season.  Stills Gallery : 36 Gosbell St, Paddington NSW 2021 Phone:(02) 9331 7775

Vale the Queen of Comedy

 



Joan Rivers was in Sydney in 2009 to launch the (then) Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras at a small party at the Hilton Hotel, as seen in our snap here with drag queen Mitzi McIntosh.
A tiny lady, she took time to talk to every guest and was sweet as can be. And she gave an impromptu performance which mainly centered on superstar Tom Cruise. If only we could repeat the jokes- wicked, hilarious and totally unprintable ! That was Joan. Farewell dear lady.

Ironic Moments # 1

Name of the politician who ordering the ripping up of the Rainbow Crossing at Taylor's Square : Duncan Gay

Kylie's a Living Treasure

The National Trust has just announced 7 new Living Treasures in association with that esteemed organ of repute Woman's Day and although some are predictable, others may surprise.

Dr Karl Kruzelnicki

No list would be complete without Kylie Minogue who wowed them at the Sydney Mardi Gras last night and has been elevated to almost Sainthood status in the UK. Olivia Newton John is one along with racing driver Jack Brabham, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki the scientist and ABC broadcaster (his wife makes those lurid shirts he is fond of), conservationist Dr Harry Butler, cancer expert and pioneer Professor Ian Frazier and mining billionaire Clive Palmer.

Clive Palmer?. Just days ago Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan was warning us against the dogged pursuit of power and wealth by the handful of mining magnates Clive Palmer, Gina Rinehart (on her way to become the world's richest person) and Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest. 

treasures: Clive Palmer

Swan called them a 'danger' to democracy with their capacity to affect government policy as they did in 2010 by funding a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to derail the new mining tax. Clive and the other two billionaires said it would break them although Twiggy Forrest confessed he hadn't actually hadn't got around to paying tax yet but "soon would". The campaign successfully dispatched PM Kevin Rudd's career to history and just to show there were no hard feelings, Palmer splashed out and gave 55 treasured employees a brand new Mercedes each for Christmas that year.!

Palmer's latest campaign is to destroy the Football Federation (run by Australia's second richest person, Westfield owner Frank Lowy) with his new soccer association. A real treasure!

Was It A Homophobic Slur ?

Ever since Aunty- the Australian Broadcasting Corporation came under sustained attack from right wing zealots in the '90s over it's perceived 'left wing' bias , it's bent over backwards to apologise to just about everyone with a gripe while at the same time attempting to emulate the vacuous commercial TV networks.



Christopher Pine MP

Watching the excellent Q &A program on Monday evening the Shuttle noticed one tweet-they run across the bottom of the screen while various politicians and public figures get grilled in front of a studio audience.

The Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pine MP had responded to a question and the tweet said :

"Does Pyne really light up when he's talking about men in uniform?".

We hadn't really noticed if the rather effete Liberal Party member Pine did 'light up' nor is it of much interest despite the persistent rumours.

Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convener Sarah Rogan has said "It is a cheap shot," and that the ABC should know better and that the comment was "playing on the stereotyping of gay men". Aunty jumped to attention and apologised for running the tweet.



Bear

It's an odd comment coming from an organisation that joined in the Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras just 3 weeks ago where 10,000 participants pretty well ran through the gamut of every 'sterotype' possible from the chubby Harbour City Bears-awash with tattoos, chains and studs, every variant of drag queen the mind can imagine, Thai Lady Boys by the dozen and Bondi lifesavers by the truckload-buffed and bronzed to a ridiculous level not to mention the leaders of the parade-Dykes On Bikes who once went topless much to Reverend Fed Nile's chagrin but since several gay lobby groups have criticised them now wear the most unattractive brassieres



man in uniform

Nor were most of those participating  sterotyping various groups-they were deadly serious. That's what they like and whose business would it be for anyone to imply that if a chap fancied other chaps in fatigues with a chest full of medals, that it's a "stereotypjng gay people" ?. The fact is that the gay world is full of mincers and a lot of other different types.

There are times when Gay lobby groups dictate to the masses just what it's all about. When the closet door was left open, some very boring and pedantic people came out.

If Pine-who the Prime Minster Julia Gillard once called The Mincing Poodle in Parliament was into men in uniform (and we have no idea if he is) why would it be homophobic to point it out ?.

 Lobby groups should remember that achieving equality does not mean conformity.

More worrying was Pine's comment when dishing a former Kevin Rudd staffer that Saddam Hussein had operated 'human shredding machines', a claim since dismissed as a fallacy yet one used to invade Iraq and kill tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens. Including probably many gays and lesbians.

Village People fan

For a reminder of a time when the closet door was still firmly shut and the Gay Fun Police hadn't been invented, and when things weren't so complicated-here is the group that the Shuttle encountered twice-once at the infamous  downtown New York club The Mineshaft and again years later in the Houses of Parliament in London at a party hosted by a British MP Norman St John-Stevas (above)- The Village People and their homage to men in uniforms:

Village People - In the navy (version originale) by scorpiomusic

No Show As George Goes Home

A sharp eyed Shuttle reader informs us that George Michael jetted out of Sydney on the 20th February and obviously would not be attending the 2011 Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras last night.



George-now home

That make George and Rihanna the two latest celebrity non-shows at the Mardi Gras party following a long line of international acts visiting Oz  that happen to co-incide with the parade and party and that the local media begin inferring for weeks beforehand will be appearing at the party.

 It's become almost obligatory that anyone with the remotest gay following must somehow offer their entertainment services to the party even if it's for free. The chances of this happening when tour promoters already walk a fine financial line are remote. The only exception has been the saintly Kylie Minogue who sang (mimed) at the 2000 party.



"hate your media!"



It goes hand in hand with visiting celebs having to say they "love the country and have always wanted to visit" when questioned by local media.
 Oprah Winfrey  went overboard with her "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi !" screeches during her 2 local Opera House broadcasts while Eminem was refreshingly honest and said he couldn't stand the country or it's media- words spat out at a presser in 2002 much to the Shuttle's delight as we knew it would infuriate local scribes (and it did).

Or the claim that every visiting star who "loves the country" must therefore purchase a mansion in what international economists say is the most over-inflated real estate market in the world.

Thus we are still looking for proof George Michael purchased the Whale Beach house with magnificent sea views in which he holidayed in this year as reported in a daily newspaper of note, on a respected real estate website and on a morning TV broadcast. Our property mole says there is no record yet of such a transaction and that the house is available for rent or purchase since Mr Michael departed these shores.

 ## On Friday the Shuttle will attend the Cornucopia charity event at the most expensive private property in Sydney and Australia -Swifts in Darling Point, the castle like former home of the Reschs beer brewing clan.

Rihanna, Dawn O'Donnell & The Tool Shed

'

Rihanna

Just 18 hours to go before the 2011 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras begins it's journey up Oxford Street to finish at Moore Park where thousands will then flock to Fox Studios and the Horden Pavilion for the after-parade party.

Entertainment at the party will be Alexis Jordan, New York dance queen Wynter Gordon, the internet sensation  Chris "leave Britney alone" Crocker and drag star Courtney Act.

While the tabloids are still plumping their wish list of star acts-George Michael and Rihanna, we can report that whilst negotiations have been under way between the Mardi Gras committee and Rihanna's management, it's unlikely she will grace the event. Money is the problem. She wants lots and the Mardi Gras crowd are basically broke. Rhianna will be appearing at the Acer Arena tonight and fantasies that she will jump in a chopper to the inner city party are just that.

There is one big problem for stars who entertain at the party. Cameras of any description, personal or media are strictly banned. No photograph of the party has ever been published so it isn't even worth the publicity value to front up. George Michael will be there with bells on but only as a guest.

Rhianna visited the adult sex shop, the Tool Shed on Oxford Street yesterday and spent up big. While it was meant to be a big secret and the shop is usually packed out with visitors at this time of the year, the Tool Shed owners closed the doors and within minutes mobile phones were abuzz about the diva's shopping spree.

The Tool Shed is one of the oldest and most successful adult shops in Sydney and was opened by the lesbian former ice skating champion, cum butcher and nightclub owner Dawn O'Donnell.

It sold adult gear, aids and x-rated porn when porn of any description was illegal. There was also a back room with live sex shows where audience members were always welcome to join in.

 Once every six months the local cop shop at Taylors Square about 200 yards up the road would raid the Tool Shed but not before a friendly station  Sergeant would put a call through to Dawn with the full details and time of the raid..

Photographs would duly appear in the newspapers of police trudging out of the store with boxes of supposed porn and it was claimed, the constabulary had done their duty. The boxes were empty of course except for one which was packed with goodies like the latest lesbian porn to be shared around back at Darlinghurst nick and another with a few dozen cans of beer. Dawn was generous like that. While most of Dawn's nightclubs had mysterious fires when business soured, the Tool Shed, a real money spinner, always survived.



Dawn O'Donnell



When Dawn died she left a fortune of 4 million dollars and Mosman house worth another 3. Like all good gay society deaths, there was intrigue over Dawn's will. She left the house to her girlfriend plus a load of art. Much of which turned out to be fake including a Lucien Freud. Rumours say the paintings were switched whilst Dawn lay dying in hospital.

Our mole at the Toolbox tells us Rhianna spent up big on S & M outfits that will no doubt feature in her show tonight. Lots of leather and  skimpy outfits with studs , a whip, handcuffs and a set of nipple rings !. A burly bodyguard carried out 2 bags of gear while Rhianna rushed to a waiting Range Rover. By that stage there must have been a dozen paparazzi waiting and a crowd of excited gays from the nearby pub.

A passing American tourist asked a photographer if the figure in black with the hood over her head was a local politician !

Meanwhile here is Chris Crocker talking about gays. The Shuttle met him at a party on Thursday evening and asked him what the Britney bit was all about. Chris said his mother was doing drugs at the time and going through a rough patch-in his eyes Britney became his de-facto mum !

First Oprah Conquers-Now Ellen & Rosie O'Donnell !

Anyone watching the Oprah Winfrey specials that were filmed in Australia in December last year could be forgiven for thinking that America's top talk show host had fallen head over heels in love with the place. Insiders from the Harpo camp say Oprah's enthusiasm was genuine and that she is itching to return and is already planning regular shows for her new cable TV network based on the country. And some Aussie talent is in line for a summons from the great lady to fly to Chicago to attend talks about joining her network . More on that soon.

Rosie O'Donnell has also caught the bug and announced that she would love to film one her specials in The Great South Land. The talk is of Rosie planning a luxury cruise ship special like the one she did in 2004 on the Norwegian Pearl where a bunch of gay and lesbian families cruised with O'Donnell and a film crew, calling in at different ports.

Rosie is bound to get a hearty reception if she makes it to Oz and certainly not like the one she received when the ship docked at Nassau in the Bahamas to be met by anti-gay protesters. O'Donnell actually stayed on board.

Now a facebook group has started : Bring Ellen Down Under and it has a staggering 29479 members and our mole in the Ellen camp says that Ellen DeGeneres has taken note of the facebook page and may have an announcement soon. Her partner Portia de Rossi was in Sydney in October last year and there is a rumour she was hunkered down in talks for one day with the same Tourism Australia chiefs who brought Oprah out.

Will it be a race to the finish ?. The obvious time for the world's two most famous lesbians is to arrive in Sydney in time for the annual Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras-not this year but in March 2012.

Here's Portia singing 'Happy Birthday' to Ellen last week: