Ben Law & The Importance of Staying Curious About Queer History

Benjamin Law has his fingers in approximately ten million pies – at least it seems. From podcasts to columns, from work on documentaries and TV, to the stage: Law can seemingly do it all – and extremely well. 

But a passion of his lies in the history of our community. A significant portion of Law’s work has ensured LGBTQI+ people know our roots and our history – from the happy and inspiring, to the heart-wrenching and monstrous. 

Speaking to Law, his commitment to making sure people can learn a truthful queer history – and know the names, faces and stories of LGBTQI+ people who did not receive the justice they so desperately deserved – is obvious, and profoundly genuine.

Just one of these projects can be seen on stage at Sydney’s City Recital Hall this month. Law is one of the big Aussie stars taking part in the live reading of The Laramie Project, taking on the role of the narrator of the true story. 

Appearing for one night only, The Laramie Project tells the story of Matthew Shepard, who died in 1998 in Laramie Wyoming, at the hands of violent, homophobic men. 

Shepherd’s story is extremely well-known – it’s known as America’s ‘most famous gay hate murder’. The heartbreaking event sparked revolutionary legislative changes to US hate crime laws, echoes of which occurred in laws around the world.

“It’s truly an honour. Especially with Matthew’s dad Dennis Shepard joining us on stage to deliver the incredibly powerful courtroom speech he gave in real life at the 1999 trial, it really will be a one of a kind experience.”

“I think it’s important to remember the fact that this story isn’t ancient history for the LGBTQI+ community –  The Laramie Project is not a museum piece, this is a living, breathing, modern story.”

“This story didn’t happen that long ago; had he lived, Matthew Shepard wouldn’t even be that old today.” 

But while we know much about Shepard’s heartbreaking story, we have hundreds of similar gay-hate murders of our own in Australia, the victims of which remaining nameless and faceless.

“The fact that something like this happened in the Western world in our lifetimes is a really sobering thing. But you know, this happened repeatedly in Australia too.”

Law’s portfolio also includes heavy research into Australia’s many gay-hate murders of the 80s and 90s. He worked as a researcher and producer on Deep Water in 2016, a stunning documentary about the murders that left our East coast bloodied and forever etched in this country’s queer history.

Law’s work has helped the dead to speak and the living to listen – and he says there is a cohort in the community dedicating their lives to it. Along with this battalion for queer history, such as the volunteers at Australian Gay and Lesbian Archives like Nick Henderson, Law believes deeply in our community knowing as much as we can about our own history.

“We’re so lucky to have organisations like the AGLA – volunteers who are putting in the effort and ensuring that our history is not forgotten – because as we know, this country has a really bad habit of erasing history. Like the 60,000+ years of Indigenous history, of course, but also migrant history, women’s history, as well as queer history.”

Law says that in order to make sure that our community’s collective history is not forgotten,  it boils down to two very simple elements: curiosity, and sharing our stories with one another.

“I think the first thing is actually being curious,” Law says. 

“The second: we often don’t have enough intergenerational conversations, and I do think that’s really important. We have to respect and acknowledge our elders and we do need to learn more from [them] because the kind of history they can share with us is mind blowing. 

“Once you hear more about how tough it was, how monumentally impossible it was to be queer in public, the laws then versus what they are now, you truly appreciate that we have lived within a queer revolution.”

Admittedly, learning about the violent ends our forebears faced can be extremely tough to hear – but it is a necessity, and an act of love for one’s community in and of itself. But no matter how tough it gets, as Law says, we must continue to stay curious and actively listen to one another.

Knowledge is power, and by asking questions and being generous with our stories, we can take the lessons of the past and the present, and help create a kinder, safer future for queer generations to come.