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Paul

In this podcast Paul talks about growing up in Australia in the 1950s, sex work in New York City, cruising Rudolf Nureyev, serving beer to Marlene Dietrich, modeling in Vogue and being HIV+ since 1983.

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Summary

In the podcast titled "Paul profile," the interviewee discusses a life filled with both serendipity and challenges. Growing up in Australia during the 1950s in a family troubled by alcoholism, the interviewee experienced a turbulent childhood that influenced their later life. The conversation circles through various decades, touching on events such as sex work in New York City in the 1960s, chance encounters with famed individuals like Rudolf Nureyev and Marlene Dietrich, as well as a venture into modeling that led to an appearance in Vogue.

Laced within these tales are poignant insights into personal battles and societal challenges. The interviewee brings up their complex relationship with their father, marked by a lack of affection and the impact of alcoholism. This familial tension perhaps contributed to their eventual identification as gay, as well as their expansive travels seeking connections and adventure. Born in a small town called Place of Wild Honey, they later moved to Gosford—a transition that offered more opportunities.

The podcast also deeply explores the interviewee's journey living with HIV since 1983. They share their initial reactions to the disease, their decision to avoid medication for over two decades, and an acute brush with death that led to a subsequent acceptance of treatment. Throughout their narrative, the theme of personal health and diet emerges, pointing to the influence of a health guru who shifted their perspective on wellness.

Additionally, the podcast delves into the interviewee's perspective on sexuality. Intertwining love, sex, and identity, they discuss relationships with both men and women and embrace a fluid understanding of sexual orientation. Labeling themselves as pansexual at one point, they hold complex views on sexuality that evolved over time.

Another significant aspect of the conversation is the sense of fortune and happenstance that leads to memorable and life-changing experiences, including overseas travels and exposure to different cultures. This includes learning to speak French at a young age and consequent encounters with prominent figures in France.

Coming full circle, the interviewee reflects on their return to Australia, their educational pursuits, their caring role for their mother, and their views on spirituality and the belief in reincarnation. The dialogue touches on the interviewee's activism in AIDS awareness, alternative therapies, and their contributions to related publications, as well as broader issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, especially those pertinent to ageing individuals.

The podcast serves as a reflection on a life marked by diversity, strength, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to personal growth and seeking truth. The interviewee's story is a testament to survival, the pursuit of love, and the acceptance of one's own path, regardless of societal expectations or obstacles.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Tags

1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, acon (new south wales), activism, addiction, ageing, alcohol, alcoholism, aldo gennaro, alternative therapies, amphetamines, angels in america (play), ann wigmore, anti-azt, anti-medication, aotearoa new zealand, arts, australia, ava gardner, azt, ballet, bisexual, body positive, books, brinley newton-john, california, canada, cannabis, caregiver, cd4 count, chez ivy's (sydney), christian dior, christianity, christopher isherwood, civil rights, closeted, complementary therapies, continuum (magazine), countertenor, creativity, cruising, dance, death, death wish, denial, derek jarman, detoxification, disability, drag, dream, drugs, education, elder care, elder issues, elders, equality, family, farm, fate, film, food, fortune telling, france, free spirit, french, gay, germaine greer, german, gosford, grim reaper (advertisement), growing up, hasheesh, head prefect, health, health system, hitchhiking, hiv / aids, homosexual, hospitality, indigenous rights, interfaith, jean-paul sartre, kaposi's sarcoma, kelver hartley, labels, law, life force, london, love, marcel proust, marlene dietrich, marriage, masturbation, medications, melbourne, minority, modeling, morocco, movies, māori, new york city, night sweats, nightclub, nina simone, pansexual, paris, passport, past lives, personal ad (newspaper/magazine), peter blazey, photography, pneumocystis pneumonia (pcp), police, poofter, pornography, proof of the pudding (nyc), purple onion (sydney), reincarnation, relationships, rex cramphorn, richie havens, roy cohn, rudolf nureyev, rural, salvador dali, saunas, serendipity, seroconversion, sex, sex addiction, sex work, sexual revolution, ships, simon townsend, spain, spirituality, stonewall inn, stonewall riots (1969), support, sydney, sydney gay solidarity group march (1978), sydney mardi gras, tangier, tasmania, theatre, theorem: a dream of change (film), timothy leary, travel, trick, tunisia, united kingdom, united nations, united states of america, university, university of newcastle (australia), values, vancouver, venues, violence, virginity, vogue (magazine), warialda, wellington, wheatgrass, world aids day, world war 2

Record date:12th April 2015
Interviewer:Gareth Watkins
Copyright:pridenz.com
Location:Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand
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Archive:The master recording is archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library (OHDL-004355).
URL:https://www.pridenz.com/paul_profile.html