 Phil Walcott is a well-known figure in the Territory’s GLBTIQ community. He spoke to Ron Hughes about the allure of living in the far north.
In 1999 Phil Walcott (pictured) opened the first gay and lesbian dedicated accommodation in the Alice Springs region: The Rainbow Connection.
Since that time Phil has worked hard as a tourism ambassador for the region, pitching particularly at the gay and lesbian traveller, and is part of a small but vibrant gay and lesbian community in the Red Centre.
Phil Walcott grew up in western Sydney and began a teaching career in 1977. Eventually he became a school counsellor and then a trained psychologist. He still works as a psychologist, while continuing to run The Rainbow Connection with his partner.
"Coming out just seemed to be part of my growing up," Phil recalls, "but, of course, the 'normality' around me suggested that being a poof wasn't OK with the world.
"I was fortunate enough to live in Sydney, so as the global gay rights movements of the late 60s and early 1970s were emerging, so was I.
“Realising from a very early age that I was same-sex attracted – having had many same-sex encounters in my mid/late childhood with similar aged peers and same-sex masturbatory fantasies and encounters from early adolescence – I became involved in political activism around gay rights whilst a student at Teacher's College, 1974-76, then as a member of the Gay Teachers and Students group in my first years of teaching.
"I had to hide my reality at lots of levels school, family and work place, etc, up until my mid-20s. Kind of a 'covert operation' really. My partner at the time and I 'married' in a commitment ceremony back in 1978: that was a very brave step in those days. That relationship we shared for 11 years – through the days of the early AIDS crisis – and on into the late 80s. He and I remain friends still."
Things changed for Walcott when he moved to Alice Springs in 1993.
"Things worked out beautifully through a variety of experiences," he says. "I opened The Rainbow Connection in 1999 and subsequently co-produced Alice IS Wonderland festival and events; that is, dance parties, from 2001 in an effort to proactively promote the stunningly beautiful Central Australian region to the LGBT communities nationally and globally.
"The Territory quickly became home because of the country, spirit, people and a real sense of belonging I encountered here. Alice boasts a wonderful gay and lesbian community that I soon became a part of and continue to enjoy."
Through Gay and Lesbian Tourism Australia (GALTA) and other organisations, Phil gets to travel to interstate capital cities several times a year.
"I don't miss 'the gay scene' as I live in a relationship here in Alice with someone who is exceptional at so many levels – truly my angel on Earth!" Walcott says.
"Though I enjoy investigating gay bars when I'm travelling through cities around Australia and overseas. I lived the scene for many years during my 20s and 30s in Sydney, but these days don't really have a need to be part of it like I once did."
Walcott considers his identity as a gay man to be the same as gays in the big smoke. The only difference is he lives in a community considered to be remote.
"That Alice Springs has such a strong gay community, in spirit if not in overall numbers, really helps," he says.
"I can be who I am, and enjoy the respect of many that I work and socialise with, while not having to compromise my integrity.
"As a 'well-known local identity' at many levels through my roles in tourism, education and health and as a psychologist in private practice, people seem to judge me for who I am rather than how I am."
If there is one Red Centre myth Walcott would like to bust, it's that Alice Springs and Ayers Rock are "next door" to one another.
"Many domestic and international travellers think that Uluru is a short taxi ride away 'while we wait for our connecting flight'!" he says. "Alice and Uluru are about 500km from each other. I'd encourage prospective travellers to check the map before they come."
And one last NT tip… "Camels. They're great for dinner with wild bushfoods!”
Photos: Camel - Obliot (via Flickr); Alice Springs - Ron Hughes.
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