Help Australia’s OUTvideo Keep their LGBT Videos
By Kuono • Oct 9th, 2007 • Category: Politics, PornI just got word that the Austrailia’s Federal Attorney General is issuing orders for all unclassified DVDs (many of which are LGBT themed) to be removed from sale and rental. This is a big deal for Aussie video company OUTvideo (outdvd.com.au), which specializes in selling and renting titles that span a diverse range of Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Intersex titles that would otherwise not be available down under.
What makes a film unclassified? It seems that LGBTI titles are rarely able to enjoy a cinematic or DVD release, and that films classified for theatrical release are then reclassified for DVD release only because DVDs include extra features. This classification is expensive, and queer titles are often ordered/sold/rented by a few copies at a time.
What does this have to do with sex? Well, queer porn DVDs (which GV is proud to be able to sell a bunch of) almost never make it to theatrical release due to controversy around pornography (we all remember Tony Comstock’s encounter with Sydney), and many queer porn companies are independently owned or small businesses that lack the financial resources to do this classification.
Unfortunately for small shops which specialize in this unique market like OUTvideo, this order provides a potential doomsday. OUTvideo’s unclassified material (mostly non-pornographic content) constituties up to two thirds of their business, and their customers will undoubtedly notice the drastic reduction of titles if the Federal Government carries out this ordinance.
The good news is that you can sign a petition to help OUTvideo. They’re exploring ways to find an option so that they can continue selling queer titles. One way is to include an exemption from the law on the basis that LGBTI Australians are a minority sub-community similar to other ethnic/cultural groups and that the addition of these few videos poses no threat to the larger DVD distribution businesses in Australia.
Take your daily 5 seconds for good karma and sign their petition. They’d do the same for us:
http://www.gopetition.com.au/petitions/save-outvideo.html
Kuono >> Magazine Editor, Web Producer at GoodVibes.com and manager of the Good Vibrations Affiliate Program (GVAffiliates.com). Okay, back to work.
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