The Wickham Hotel refuses to host gay health surveys
Image: The Wickham Hotel (Photo credit: David Alexander; Star Observer)
HIV organisations in Queensland and sexual health experts have expressed disappointment and concern about the Wickham Hotel not allowing the COUNT study and Gay Community Periodic Survey (GCPS) from being conducted at the venue.
Queensland Positive People (QPP) and Queensland AIDS Council (QuAC) were reportedly informed by management last week that “[the surveys] doesn’t fit with the new Wickham” and volunteers were denied access to the hotel.
One of Brisbane’s most iconic LGBTI-friendly venues, the Wickham only recently reopened following extensive renovations and its owner Coles expressed a desire to attract a mixed clientele.
While there had been some community concern that the Wickham would no longer be a prominently LGBTI venue, Wickham spokesperson Patrick Macdonald told the Star Observer last month that the new hotel would not lose its LGBTI identity.
“Brisbane has been crying out for a quality bar where LGBTI people and their friends can go, and the Wickham is simply listening and responding to public demand,” he said.
“I think Brisbane people are fed up with the current LGBTI scene and are excited at the prospect of a venue that respects their standards and will be appealing to their friends as well.”
Macdonald confirmed that the Wickham would not allow the GCPS and COUNT study to be operated at the venue, but denied the “doesn’t fit with the new Wickham” statement.
“The Wickham has always been a proud supporter of LGBTI causes, and will continue its community commitment throughout the hotel’s transition and into the future,” he told the Star Observer.
Macdonald also highlighted the Wickham’s history of community support via fundraising efforts at events like the annual Big Gay Day, which raised $22,500 for local LGBTI charities.
“The Wickham also offered to support the COUNT study/GCPS initiative in other ways, including cross-promotional opportunities through our database and social media,” he said.
The COUNT study from the University of NSW (UNSW) Centre for Social Research for Health and GCPS is being run as a collaborative effort between QPP and QuAC.
GCPS investigator and associate investigator for COUNT, Professor Andrew Grulich from the UNSW’s Kirby Institute, told the Star Observer that the Wickham’s decision was concerning.
“If these venues are not agreeing to participate because they now view themselves as more mixed, it is deeply concerning.” Grulich said.
“Surveys have been a critical part to Australia’s HIV response since the epidemic began, and they provide vital information from key locations to monitor trends in same-sex sexual behaviour,
“If they are still being true to the community they claim to welcome and represent they need to facilitate these surveys.”
QuAC executive director Michael Scott confirmed that survey volunteers were informed about Wickham’s decision the night before they planned to launch it at the hotel.
“We had to change the rosters because we were planning to do the studies at the hotel and because we weren’t able to, we lost a significant opportunity,” he told the Star Observer.
“It’s important to focus our efforts on the weekend, by losing the weekend it really impaired on our ability to see as many people as possible.”
According to Scott, the Wickham was the only LGBTI-friendly venue that did not approve their request.
UNSW Centre for Social Research for Health associate professor and lead investigator for the GCPS and COUNT, Martin Holt, said that the Wickham’s rejection of the surveys was a “missed opportunity”.
“It’s very disappointing that the Wickham, who has always been a venue that’s welcomed the survey, has now decided to not host it,” Holt told the Star Observer.
“This is a missed opportunity for the COUNT study. It’s about continuity of the study and the venues showing their support but it just makes the job a harder when venues are cautious.
“We would urge them to reconsider their support on community based research.”
The COUNT study and GCPS started last Saturday at other LGBTI-friendly venues around Queensland.
Both COUNT and the GCPS will be held during Brisbane Pride’s Fair Day on September 20 in New Farm Park and at other venues around Brisbane up until September 21. The GCPS will continue to run until September 28.
COUNT requires participants to provide a quick saliva test and they will have the option of remaining anonymous and not receive results, or be informed by selecting the confidential option.
Participants will also have to be aged 18 or over, been sexually active with men in the last five years, completed the GCPS and able to give consent.
All gay men and MSM are encouraged to participate regardless of their HIV status.
For more information on the COUNT study, visit www.count.org.au
(Main image credit: David Alexander; Star Observer)
What reasons could the PR Manager of the Wickham have to refuse rapid testing, the distribution of health education and condoms, and the completion of important data gathering surveys by their patrons? It’s reasonable to ask this because the answer to date is that these things are uncomfortable and confronting to patrons. Really? From here this looks a little disingenuous and what it most looks like is a sidelining of important HIV outreach work at what has been the most important LGBT venue in the city. It appears to be a perfect example of the casual way that HIV is often disavowed in the entire community. This resistance to education is at the heart of continued rising rates of HIV in the state. It is an attitude of denial and needs a swift reminder that silence equals death. It appears that the Wickham does not wish to be tainted by the reality of HIV and wants to dissociate itself from the possibly dirty reputation that it has. This was further re-enforced by Patrick McDonald’s own hook-up profile where he’s looking for men who are HIV negative only. What the fcuk is he doing on the AIDS council?
There are many ways to do this survey if they must – don’t kick up a stink about a pub or club not allowing it in there venue.
I think I have filled out the VIC questionair 3 years in a row. And nothing chances the ads are still the same.
You want to get noticed and be seen as productively fighting HIV infection – that’s great!
But do it with t-shirts that say “WOULD U FUCK ME?” On the front and on the back “AM POZ” with a link to the questionair.
It’s effective and will get ppl looking
Isnt a bar a place you go to relax and not have to go through psycho analysis. What I got sick of the scene years ago when you couldnt have a peaceful drink without survey people coming around pestering you thinking all gay people are likely to have HIV and sleep with multiple partners. The shock look on their faces when I told them Im a proud catholic and not into their dumb questions. No wonder people dont want to go out to gay bars these days. Marketing/opinion poll madness and overpriced drinks and not being able to smoke there any more
Good on you. You go there for fun, not to be analysed. I can’t imagine gathering informantion from drunk people would be very useful or accurate? I’ve never been in a ‘straight’ club/bar and been asked to complete a survey either, why choose this type of venue/environment for research specimens?
It’ll be nice to be able to go out without feeling like a test specimen. Sometimes it feels that being gay means having to constantly fill out forms with every intimate detail of your life and defend your lifestyle from do-gooders with clipboards.
I agree.
Although I do think these surveys have a real benefit, surely they can be done online without super excited volunteers trying to coerce you into doing it. It just gets a little awkward if you’re sitting around trying to have a nice time and you keep getting pressured into filling one in.
Hey Jason – agree that surveys should be done online when it’s possible, but this year in particular it looks like it can’t be. They also asking men to provide a saliva sample to help estimate HIV prevalence, and prevalence of undiagnosed HIV. Take a look at the link at the end of the article.
@Perkin Warbeck
That fell about 30 yards short of making any sense whatsoever, and was frankly quite insulting.
I don’t feel any sense of ownership toward it, I’m not actually a fan of the renovation myself, I’m more interested in how people are up in arms over the Wickham’s own decision to not allow “men-only” surveys to be held there. They’re a business which is not community-owned, and all types of people have supported it over the years to “allow” the Wickham to renovate.
Remember, the community is about being inclusive of all? I don’t get why so many bitch about the place accepting straight patrons as well. Quite fucking hypocritical.
Oh dear me, precious little queers like Jay and Marc don’t want their newly upmarketed pseudo-queer boutique hotel used by the community that allowed the Wickham to spend, spend, spend on their renovations. Talk about “entitlement”! “I’m entitled to go to “my” venue without being disturbed by anyone I don’t want there disturbing me based on what I say is right and wrong”
“…and everybody loses their minds! ”
I don’t see what obligation the Wickham has to the community, they are first and foremost a business. They can target whichever demographic they desire and the gays do not own it.
If they change their recipe after years, the public will just have to deal with it. Unfortunately it seems all I’m hearing are claims of victimisation and self-entitlement.
Good! That’s the last thing I want when I’m trying to enjoy a meal or a drink and conversation with my friends. People who are paying money to relax and unwind shouldn’t have someone trying to shove a survey in their face! Do the surveys online – voluntarily.
This is appalling.
I wonder if it’s a media stunt though to get attention. Isn’t ‘Wickham spokesperson Patrick Macdonald’ the same Patrick Macdonald who is on the board of directors of the Queensland AIDS Council? How could he be represent the AIDS Council and still stand by this sort of garbage unless it was a ploy to get media attention?
Are the new rainbow lights (which are not in the correct rainbow sequencing) on the Wickham Hotel, just a pseudo attempt to demonstrate inclusion of queer folk???
The removal of the rainbow flag too is a worrying sign.
I also found they had stopped stocking the free gay papers when I tried to collect on there.
Now this!!!
Sorry Wickham – you have to try MUCH HARDER to get my business! (but then maybe that is exactly what they want …. to get rid of all the queers!)