Speakers and crowd at the Equal Love National Day of Action
Yesterday I attended the Equal Love National Day of Action in Brisbane. I estimate that around 200-300 people attended, although I’m prone to overestimating when counting people. (For the record, I’m also prone to overestimating when catering for a party, so you’ll never go hungry at my place.) A number of my friends from Twitter were these as well and it was great to be involved in something that is very important and very now.
Something I feel needs to be shouted from the rooftop is that despite some media reports, the protesters were not all gay and lesbian people. Australians everywhere need to realise that straight Australians also support this movement and the right for same sex couples to get married.
Either: marriage is a religious rite, held exclusively by clergy; or: marriage is between two consenting adults. That is all.
I had never really thought about it this way until I read it yesterday. If it is the former, then as an Atheist my marriage is a sham and a fraud. If marriage is a religious rite, as the churches and other interest groups are quick to proclaim, then we shouldn’t have gotten married.
Natalie and I got married because we love each other and we wanted to proclaim that love to the world. We also wanted to officially record that we were committed to each other. We had a civil ceremony held by a marriage celebrant (Natalie’s godmother actually) and it was beautiful. It had nothing to do with God, Allah, Jehovah or any other deity.
If we are allowed to have a wedding and be atheists, then why can’t same sex couples (regardless of their religious beliefs) have this option too. We live in a secular world. Marriage must be between two consenting adults of any sex, any race, and any creed.
It’s a shame Kevin Rudd doesn’t see it that way, but there is something you can to do help.
There is currently a Senate Enquiry into the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2009, the bill being recently introduced into the Senate by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young. (Readers will know that I don’t agree with the Greens on everything, but this is something I can get behind.) Make a submission to the enquiry and make your voice heard. Tell other people you know about this.
Let the rest of Australia know that this isn’t fair and cannot stand the way it is. Let those who think they are alone in their support know that they are not, so that we can all come together as one voice. Together, we can beat this oppression and bring about a monumental change to the rights of all Australians.
Let’s do this now. It’s the 21st century after all!
As always for the first Friday in the month, it was the regular BTUB meet-up at the Ship Inn. It seems that the group is getting too big for the venue now (over 80 people attended) so it will be interesting to see where we end up next month. It’s great to see so many twits in attendance and there are so many networking opportunities – it’s more than likely you will find someone with similar interests to connect with. The problem I often have with BTUB is working out who to talk to next!
What can be difficult in situations where you have a large group of people together is when you get a few people who decide to have a few too many drinks. Thankfully it seems that most at BTUB drink responsibly and don’t become a nuisance. So if you have been concerned by reports of unsavoury activities at ‘net geek’ meet-ups I think you can relax.
Another side of BTUB has shown me that I’m getting old. I can live with that. So many people that I met last night (and at other BTUBs) were considerably younger than me. The main group of people who organise these events are younglings (well to me) so it’s a credit to their organisational abilities. Perhaps some of these people who whinge about Generation Y should come along and see all the business and social networking connections being made.
We love Mustache Necklace Fun at BTUB
So to sum up, BTUB is not:
A sleazy, drunken pick-up event;
A bunch of teenagers/early twenties getting boozed up and running amok;
A bitch-fest about all those people on Twitter you want to stab behind the back.
But BTUB is:
A great way to meet people with similar interests;
A chance to be social with people you talk to on Twitter;
A networking opportunity, giving you access to skills and knowledge you could never find elsewhere;
Awesome fun.
Come along next month, and follow the #btub hashtag on Twitter.
Hi loyal reader. I’m sure there is at least one of you.
When I began blogging back in December 08, I didn’t put too much forethought into this place. All I wanted was a site which allowed me to express my opinions on things. So each time I had a bright idea, I’d create a new topic. Eleven topics later (you can’t count them on your fingers, unless you’re special) and I decided that enough was enough. I’ve cleaned up my list of topics to just five.
Civil Liberties – I’m a strong believer that our rights can and will be eroded if we do not monitor what politicians, advocate groups and other interested parties try to force on us. I’ll present my view on the issues that I think are important or that affect me personally.
Internet – If I’m posting about Twitter, the current No Clean Feed debate or the new National Broadband Network, then I’ll post it in the Internet Category. I will expand this as time goes on to look at other issues of interest to me.
Politics – I’m an interested political observer and enjoy commenting on the current political landscape in Australia and the world. I’ll sometimes agree with those in power, but often not. Either way you’ll hear about it in this category.
Religion – I’m a believer in a secular society free from the interference of religions and deities. I used to believe in the Christian version of God, but now I’ve come to understand that there is no God and that religion can be dangerous in some forms. So from time to time I’ll blog about issues I think need to be discussed. I’m also tolerant of other’s beliefs and options, even if I don’t agree.
Meta – I left this to last for a reason. My wife suggested the name for this one as I was stuck. What should I do with stuff that isn’t really related to my other categories, but is either related to me or to this blog? That’s what Meta is for. It isn’t a miscellaneous file but will contain posts either about me or what I’ve been thinking about lately. Perhaps a clip on the Internet that I’ve enjoyed and think will add something to your life. I’ll also cover other information related to this blog. I think it’s important to get a better understanding about the blogger behind the posts, so hence the need for Meta.
I hope that this new set of topics make more sense for you the reader. After all, they are really just a way to help you navigate the site better. Please let me know your thoughts and any good suggestions will be taken, mashed into my brain and taken on board.
There has been a fair bit of talk this week within the Twitterverse about the concept of having sponsorship for #btub events. For those who don’t follow Twitter, #btub is the Brisbane Twitter Underground Brigade. It’s not particularly underground at this stage but really it is a chance for Brisbane Twitter users to get together, have a few drinks and network. Anyone can organise and hold a #btub event. All you need do is tweet an event with the hashtag #btub and see if people are interested. So talk this week of sponsorship for #btub events worries me.
Some people might think that sponsorship is unlikely to get off the ground. Without thinking too hard, here are some ideas that companies may be willing to consider for a large organised gathering of people.
Free gifts/Knickknacks/Branded Items- a company might throw in some free shirts or coasters or movie passes. Small gifts.
Food or Drinks – perhaps a venue will supply nibbles and soft drink. It might even be a bar tab or a free beer on arrival.
Product Giveaways – distinct from gifts, a company may want to give away a prize or some of their product to people. Telstra might give away a 3G internet package. A computer company some free wireless routers.
Money – never put it past a company to offer money for sponsorship, which really just ends up being advertising. This could be $50 for a quick plug during a speech, a logo on name tags or a whole lot more for naming rights, “the Helstra #btub spectacular”. (Ok, I am pushing the boundaries – but surely you’ve heard of scope creep, right?)
So there is definitely scope for sponsorship, whether in dollars, product or services.
For those who don’t know much about how to organise a #btub event, it is really simple. Anyone can do it. Lets say @definatalie and I are headed to the State Library and tweet “Meet us at the State Library at 2pm. Lets catch up for a chat. Maybe coffee/drinks afterwards? #btub” Now that’s enough to start a #btub event. No sponsorship involved and a very nice day out. Note to self: organise this some day.
Another person might organise a movie night at one of the major movie chains. They’ve arranged to have a 20% discount and a free popcorn for those who come along. Perhaps they’ve agreed to tweet this message, complete with company name until the movie night. Maybe part of the deal was to tweet from the event and hope other people will tweet the company name.
Sponsors always expect something for their money. Even if it is free food and drink, they still spend real cash dollars to provide it. They are in business and they spend money to make money. It doesn’t make sense to sponsor something if they don’t make something out of it in return. Is it ethical to organise a social gathering in the name of profit making for a sponsor?
Now since #btubs can be organised by anyone, imagine for a second if you received an offer too good to refuse. Company A will pay sponsor a #btub event. Food, drink or product – it doesn’t matter. Then they offer you $500 to get their word around. You can’t tell anyone you are getting paid to spruik their wares, and since you are bringing the sponsorship gifts you certainly expect a large amount of goodwill to come from attendees. So you figure, “Hey, I’ve spent ages organising this. Why shouldn’t I get something out of it?”
This is where it all falls apart. People will find out because they always do. Something doesn’t feel right and then all of a sudden it’s out in the open. All of that wonderful feeling and community spirit of #btub is ripped out from under everyone and it dies.
I don’t doubt that the current #btub community are in it for the right reasons. I’m totally sure that no one in their right mind would attempt something like this. But the number of people attending is huge now and each time the number grows and grows. Who knows who are going to be the organisers in the next six months.
(Sidebar: Don’t tell me there are no organisers. There are a few driven and committed people who make this stuff happen each month. We’d be lost without them.)
#btub has grown because it is organic. It grows through word of mouth and people meeting up with people and then bringing more people with them. It’s a social event that also involves networking, having a few drinks and a laugh and enjoying one another.
Let’s not let money get in the way of a good thing.
I attended the Mandatory Internet Filtering protest held in Brisbane today. Here is my thoughts on the rally.
There was a good turnout of people considering the heat and humidity around at the time. 11am isn’t the best time for anything in Brisbane in summer, but when is a good time? I handed out some of the flyers and it makes me happy to know that others are interested in being informed on the issues.
The ABC and Brisbane Times (edit: updated link)have picked up the story, however it is a shame that the Courier-Mail (or as I like to call it, the Curious Snail), hasn’t as yet run anything. Shame, Courier-Mail. Shame.
It was a shame that some of the speakers were not heard by all due to megaphone issues — the megaphone wasn’t so mega. There was a good cross section of the community at the protest and considering it is hard to get a gathering of geeks in a place without connectivity it is a good first step.
I’ve read on Twitter that there was concern at the use of in-jokes on placard and how this does not have any meaning to the general layperson. However I think it is important to have this issue to relate to all. The in-jokes help some people feel included. Having a mix would be a good solution, and keeping in-jokes out of official flyers is good.
