Colin is your original 'ageing Lefty'. He maintains the stereotype of the sensitive gay man.
At the age of 17 he established Tyneside Friends of the Earth and his first act was to dump 500 non-returnable bottles on the doorstep of the local Schweppes factory. (Honestly, I thought that's what everybody did!)
Probably because he didn't get arrested he decided to pursue this interest in social activism and has, over the years, been involved in more causes than you could shake a police baton at.
When he was 18 he set up a branch of the Hunt Saboteurs Association - an organisation that actively disrupts bloodsports like fox, stag and otter hunts.
At 23 he set up Leicester Rock Against Racism - an activity that involved organising regular fund-raising punk/reggae concerts whilst simultaneously avoiding attacks by Right-wing thugs.
It all unraveled with the election of the world's most famous Right-wing thug - Margaret Hilda Thatcher (who, as a child, was known to her peers as "Snobby Roberts". Just thought you might like to know that).
In 1982 Britain's only national gay and lesbian newspaper 'Gay News' collapsed. Forever the (increasingly stressed-out) hero, the now 29-year old Colin initiated the establishment of a local gay newspaper Gay East Midlands (GEM).
It lasted a year then collapsed due to a general lack of resources (human and cash). Nonetheless his descent into Hell continued.
By 1984 the AIDS crisis had begun to unfold in the UK and Colin became involved with the early development of the Terrence Higgins Trust in London and then Nottingham AIDS Information Project (in Nottingham, surprisingly).
In 1987 the Australian Government unwittingly granted him residency in their country.
Being a very slow learner he started his new life with another job in HIV/AIDS - as a social worker in Australia's largest AIDS facility, St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney.
Whilst at St. Vincent's he set up Australia's first day centre for people with AIDS - the Matraiya Day Centre.
The stress of the work and the (apparently inevitable) bitchiness of AIDS/gay politics finally drove him out of that job and he determined never to return to the field again.
Until three months later when he took on his next job as an AIDS Educator.
Then the job after that, as the AIDS Coordinator for South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service - the area with about half of all Australians with HIV/AIDS.
During that time he established a number of projects including the NSW World AIDS Day Programme, an award-winning training video on cross-cultural issues and other education and training resources on HIV/AIDS.
Finally, (FINALLY!!) after a brief stint in health public relations, he left the health service forever in 1998.
He now works for himself doing freelance journalism and motivational counselling and training.
The motivational counselling company is called Online Achievers (www.onlineachievers.com - tell your friends).
And if you want to know anything about stress-management …what can't he tell you!
Oh yeah... his social interests now include ten-pin bowling (getting into shape for the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney) and life drawing.
ALL
OUR SORDID DETAILS
Our eyes met across a crowded planet. Patrick, originally from Hong Kong, and Colin, originally from the North of England, met in Sydney in June 1990. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
We became 'a couple' in October of that year and have been together ever since. We have lived in our present home in Sydney's Northern suburbs since 1996.No children yet (neither of us have the hips for it) but our child substitutes are eight goldfish in a pond and various blue-tongued lizards that roam the back garden.
We used to have nine goldfish but a kookaburra (that's a native Australian bird for the uninitiated) took one. We're still grieving.
We're not particularly active on the commercial gay scene although we have been known to come out of hibernation for the odd social or political event.
Our shared interests
Our home and garden, travel and our small but wonderful group of close friends (or was that our wonderful group of small friends?).
Our shared values
Multiculturalism, social justice and good taste in home decorating.
Our shared dislikes
Bigotry, hype, most politicians and instant coffee.
Places we love
Prague, Tuscany, Paris, Florence, Venice, Arizona, San Francisco (how predictable), Salzburg, Innsbruck…And there's no place like home, Toto!
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PATRICK - UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
Patrick is the younger of the two (by a couple of centuries or so).
In real life he is "a computer person" - currently a consultant for an international company.
He grew up in Hong Kong and spent most of his youth as a normal Honkie.
By the age of 18, he decided to go overseas for further education.
First, he went to Hamilton, Canada for a year of high school education before he was qualified to go university.
He had heard that Windsor was the traditional home of queens so it seemed like the perfect choice.
Unfortunately he didn't research the issue thoroughly and ended up in Windsor, Ontario (Canada, for the geographically challenged) - not Windsor in England.
The university authorities took pity on him and let him stay and do a computer science honors degree while he was there.
Life in Canada was very quiet, much of the time was spent studying (yeah, right).
He did have chances to travel a bit around Canada but should have done more. It was definitely a living experience.
Whilst he was in Canada his parents took the opportunity to move from Hong Kong to Sydney in anticipation of the takeover by China in 1997.
But he tracked them down and came over to join them in 1989.
Nearly all his mom's relatives are over here, with many uncles and aunties and countless numbers of cousins, Some of these are members of the gay and lesbian 'family' too (for those seeking evidence of a 'gay gene').
Now that he is happily domesticated his interests include tennis (at least once a week), cooking (everyday but on strike at the weekend!!), arts and crafts and supervising Colin in all areas of his life.
Maintaining the stereotype of the artistic gay man he makes and sells his various arts and crafts under the banner pcCreative.
Please visit the Web site and let us know what you think.
Life is too short and he'd like to retire really soon. (Really, really soon).