Gay nudist beach has heritage listing application rejected
Locals have branded the decision as ‘disappointing’. (Getty)
Locals have branded the decision as 'disappointing'. (Getty)
Requests to have a gay nudist beach become a heritage site have been rejected.
Kings Beach, just south of Byron Bay, in New South Wales, is a favourite of the region’s queer community, with a history dating back to the 30s.
The beach was seen as a safe-space for gay men at the height of the HIV/Aids crisis during the 1980s. Since then, it has become a centre point for queer events, including memorials and vigils.
Married couple Rohan Anderson and Jonathan Lee filed an application to acknowledge the landmark as a local heritage site, that would have granted it recognition as a cultural pillar of the community.
However, the New South Wales Heritage Council rejected the application without providing a reason. A spokesperson later told The Sydney Morning Herald that the members had decided that the beach “did not meet the threshold” to be successful.
The decision prompted a backlash from locals, who say it was one of the “best gay beaches in the world” and deserved recognition. Anderson told the Star Observer that for the significant site to be “left out of the history” of New South Wales was outrageous.
“They just don’t want us there,” he said. “They see us as a problem, other than as a community to celebrate.”
In May, the region’s National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) began enforcing a “non-optional clothing” policy at the beach, sending officers to patrol its shores.
The policy was reversed in the face of pressure from locals. NPWS told the Star Observer that it recognised the “long connection the LGBTQIA+ community has had with Kings Beach”.
Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
