Lance Gowland (1935–2008) was an Australian

LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 33 ...

activist, unionist, peace activist and Communist Party member. He was a member of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) and as one of the organisers drove the truck in the first

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or Sydney Mardi Gras is an event in Sydney, New South Wales attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around Australia and overseas. One of the largest such festivals in the world, Mardi Gras is the ...

Early life

Lancelot Joseph Gowland was born on 4 November 1935. He was the second son of George and Winifred Gowland. From an early age Lance became involved in the

Eureka Youth League The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was an Australian political party founded in 1920. The party existed until roughly 1991, with its membership and influence having been i ...

and the anti apartheid and peace movements. He attended Westmead High School.

Activism

Gowland travelled to Europe, the United States and Israel and became involved with the

British Communist Party The Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB) was the largest communist organisation in Britain and was founded in 1920 through a merger of several smaller Marxist groups. Many miners joined the CPGB in the 1926 general strike. In 1930, the CPGB ...

and the

peace movement A peace movement is a social movement which seeks to achieve ideals, such as the ending of a particular war (or wars) or minimizing inter-human violence in a particular place or situation. They are often linked to the goal of achieving world peac ...

. He witnessed

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

delivering his ''

I have a dream "I Have a Dream" is a public speech that was delivered by American civil rights activist and Baptist minister, Martin Luther King Jr., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In the speech, King called ...

'' speech in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. He participated in Australia’s first public demonstration for gay liberation, the International Women’s Day march in 1971. Gowland drove the truck leading the first

Sydney Mardi Gras The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or Sydney Mardi Gras is an event in Sydney, New South Wales attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around Australia and overseas. One of the largest such festivals in the world, Mardi Gras is the ...

Gowland's experiences were recreated in the telemovie "Riot". Gowland was involved in organising the second Mardi Gras parade in 1979, and remained involved until 1984, the year homosexuality was decriminalised in New South Wales. A member of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP), Gowland volunteered for the telephone counselling service established by Peter de Waal and

Peter Bonsall-Boone Peter "Bon" Bonsall-Boone ( 1938 – 19 May 2017) was an Australian LGBT rights activist. He was a foundation member of the Campaign Against Moral Persecution (CAMP) and participated in the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Biography Pet ...

. Gowland was active in the communist organisations in Sydney and built support the gay rights issues. Gowland was one of the group known as the “

78ers The 78ers are a group of LGBT activists who marched in the original Sydney Mardi Gras on 24 June 1978 and participated in the subsequent protests against police violence and the arrests of participants in the Mardi Gras. In 1997 a small group of ...

” who participated in the events in Sydney in 1978 including the first

parade, protests at Darlinghurst and Central Police Stations and Central Court, and marches through the city.

Career

Gowland worked on the

Snowy Mountains Scheme The Snowy Mountains Scheme or Snowy scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in south-east Australia. The Scheme consists of sixteen major dams; nine power stations; two pumping stations; and of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts that ...

and as a public servant.

Personal life

Before realising he was gay, Gowland married and had three children. He remained close with his children and grandchildren after he separated from his wife and subsequently survived his long-term partner, Dr Jim Walker. Gowland died on 6 October 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gowland, Lance 1935 births 2008 deaths LGBT culture in Sydney Australian gay men Australian LGBT rights activists People from Sydney 20th-century Australian LGBT people