The Negative Team
Helen Razer (Team Captain)
Journalist / Broadcaster
Helen Razer is pushing forty. After two plus pinots, she will tell anyone within her orbit, "I used to be famous." Which is almost true.
Helen is a broadcaster and writer for publications including crikey, The Australian, The Age, The Big Issue and, natch, MCV. No one at The Monthly will give her a commission.
She hasn't eaten refined sugar for three months following a life-and-bowel changing trip to The Golden Door.
Oh. Of COURSE shes working on a novel. Nearly done. Should be out at the end of 08.
Brian Greig
Former WA Senator
Brian Greig began his activist trajectory in 1989, sparked by the turbulent debate around the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Western Australia.
In subsequent years, he went on to be a founding member and spokesperson for Gay & Lesbian Equality (WA), and was also a national spokesperson for the Australian Council for Lesbian & Gay Rights in the 1990's.
During this period he also stood for local government, becoming the first openly gay person elected to public office in WA. He served four years as a municipal Councillor before being preselected by the Australian Democrats to run for the Senate in 1998.
Ultimately successful, Brian served six years in Canberra between 1999-2005, where his party held balance of power for three years, and where Brian championed GLBTI issues. His persistence finally saw John Howard buckle and extend same-sex entitlements to private Superannuation schemes.
With the dramatic resignation of Party Leader Natasha Stott Despoja in 2002, Brian assumed Democrats leadership under controversial circumstances, albeit briefly, but in doing so became the first openly gay leader of an Australian parliamentary party.
Today Brian works in public relations and lives with Keith, his partner of 22 years. They have two dogs; Luke the Rotty and Lindy the Dingo.
Richard Watts
Editor, MCV
Richard Watts is the Editor of Melbourne's weekly GLBT newspaper, MCV; hosts the weekly arts program, SmartArts, on community broadcaster 3RRR; and is the Chair of the Melbourne Fringe Festival Board of Directors. Richard has previously worked as the medical receptionist at the Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men's Health Centre, and in the 1990s was involved with activist groups ACT-UP and Queer Nation. He was co-founder of the long-running Thursday night club Q + A, and more recently established the Pink Magpies for the Collingwood Football Club, the first official gay and lesbian supporters group in the AFL. He is also an honorary Life Member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, on whose programming committee he served for seven years.
