Champions
Zach Douglas
Big Brother 2007 finalist
Sexual orientation shouldn't even be an issue with people anymore. It just shouldn't matter. I mean we don't go around whispering “Do you think he's straight?”, now do we?
Background
Zach Douglas, a 24 year-old corset maker from Victoria, became the first openly gay guy to make it to the final of the Big Brother 2007 television show. While he has been the brunt of homophobic bullying in the past, the support he received from the Big Brother housemates and the public has left Zach stunned: “The encouragement I've received means so much more than any prize.” And his family's loving reunion in the final episode sent a very powerful message to parents of gay and lesbian children throughout Australia.
Zach, you said that you were nervous about going into the Big Brother house and, in particular, about meeting Travis. Why?
I was extremely nervous about meeting Travis! Before I entered the house, Travis seemed to me like the type of person who had bullied me in the past. I was worried that this would occur in the house, so I was scared about what I was walking into. When I was growing up I was bullied a lot for being gay.
In what ways were you bullied?
For me there was SO much more that happened, other than verbal abuse. I was beaten up at school, and even years later after school! Spat at on the street, had food and other things thrown at me by people I didn't even know and yelled at by people from cars who passed me on the street.
How was Travis different from what you expected?
He really took me under his wing at the start. Made sure that I was ok, and made sure that I was settling in ok. Would always ask me about who I was and was generally interested in my past and family life which was really nice. That, to me, was his way of saying that my sexuality wasn't a problem for him to deal with. He was very comforting.
Do you think that your experiences in the house indicate that attitudes are changing in the community in general?
Big Brother as a whole has been the most positive and empowering experience of my life. Hopefully it does mean that the community is learning and hopefully times are changing. But for the gay community we still have a long way to go when it comes to fighting for gay rights. There is still a lot of room for improvement.
Public figures can influence community norms about “acceptable behaviour” or improving public understanding and attitudes. What do you think are the key messages about homophobia that came out of the Big Brother house?
Hopefully, people will realise that we are no different from anybody else. We still experience everything that life throws at us. I really hope that the public has learnt a lot from Travis, he was a GREAT example of the type of person Australia needs more of. My sexuality never worried him one little bit. Sexual orientation shouldn't even be an issue with people anymore. It just shouldn't matter. I mean we don't go around whispering “Do you think he's straight?”, now do we?
What would you like to say to the young people who visit Bullying. No Way!?
If you are a victim of bullying, whether it be at school, or in the work place, know that you are not alone. Some of the toughest times of my life were going through experiences related to bullying. Talk to your parents, your friends. Make sure that you are heard!
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