Gay rights pioneer Dennis Altman on five decades of activism, writing and social change

He was there at the birth of a movement. He's been a champion for the rights of gay people both in Australia and abroad ever since. The son of Jewish refugees, he's also been forced to reckon with other parts of his identity, especially since 7 October 2023. Dennis Altman looks back at 50 years of activism, writing, and social change.

This event was recorded at the Williamstown Literary Festival on 13 June 2026.

Speakers:

Professor Dennis AltmanAuthor, Righting My World: Essays from the past half century, and many moreVice Chancellors Fellow at LaTrobe UniversityFormer President of the AIDS Society of Asia and the PacificPatron of the Australian Queer ArchivesPatron, the Pride Foundation

Sam Elkin (host)Author, Detachable Penis: A Queer Legal SagaHost, Queer View Mirror Triple R community radio stationFormer lawyer