Jail gay stories

World's only known gay prison now listed on NSW Heritage Register

For decades Cooma Gaol's history was a dark secret.

According to the NSW government, between 1957 and 1984, it was the only known prison in the world specifically for gay men, gender non-conforming women, and non-binary people.

But even locals like Cooma-born theatre maker Mark Salvestro, who grew up same-sex attracted in the alpine town, were completely unaware of its history.

"Learning that Australia set up a same-sex attracted prison in the 1950s was nothing short of horrifying," he said.

"But what made it worse for me was that it all happened in my home town and no one knew about it.

"Or if they did, they didn't talk about it until now."

It has been 41 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in NSW.

In June 2024 the express government made a formal apology to those convicted under laws that criminalised homosexual acts, and now the former prison has been recognised on the State Heritage Register.

In a statement, Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong said the recognition was important.

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Cooma jail's dark past includes being world's only 'gay prison', podcast reveals

As celebrations ramp up ahead of Sydney's annual Gay and Womxn loving womxn Mardi Gras this week, a dusky part of Australia's LGBTQI+ history is being explored by a new podcast.

Key points:

The Greatest Menace podcast explores the dark past of Cooma's jail
The site reopened in the 1950s as a "gay jail"
Podcast maker says it was the world's only "gay prison"

Podcast The Greatest Menace has unearthed the truth behind the world's only "gay prison," which operated in the regional New South Wales town of Cooma from 1957 to dwelling men convicted of homosexual offences.

The historic jail and one-time asylum closed in the early 1900s before its reopening.

Investigative journalist Patrick Abboud uncovered the revelation after spending three years investigating the town's history.

"This story, in particular, had such a profound impact on me from the beginning," Abboud said.

"When someone tells you that there was a male lover prison designed to incarcerate gay men that in itself was shocking enough."

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I’ve always been same-sex attracted, but I’ve never been overtly effeminate. Coming from a family of several positive male role models, I never had to obscure who I was, so I never did.

Like everyone, I had heard the stories about men being “turned out” in prison. As I was creature booked into Orleans Parish Prison in November of 2004, I realized I was a target.

During the processing I was placed in a holding cell with nearly fifty other prisoners.

I was terrified going into the cell. So I found a quiet spot on the floor in the corner. I sat with my knees in and my arms folded with my top down, so I’m not sure how they knew I was gay. Still, a man sat next to me and put his arm around me. I attempted to spring up but another man stood over me and forcefully pushed me back down by my shoulders.

“You ain’t fighting back, is you, sweetness?” he said. I looked at him in horror as tears welled up in my eyes. The man who was standing exposed himself while the other aggressively forced me to give his friend oral sex. Out of phobia, I performed oral sex on them both. Even with several people in the cell, no one said or did anything. I don’t know why I expected them to do anything.

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First, I would like to thank the Review Panel for listening to my story about how I was raped and abused at Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) in Unused Orleans, Louisiana. I can’t be with you today because I’m an inmate at the Eastern Mississippi Correctional Facility (EMCF) in Meridian, Mississippi. But I’m very happy that you’re hearing my story anyway.

When I was arrested in 2008 in New Orleans, I was on a 72-hour pass from the Harrison County Work Center in Mississippi. I was in New Orleans spending time with my boyfriend. Because I didn’t return to the Work Center within 72-hours, I was considered an escapee and arrested on October 31, 2008. I went to the Main Lock-up at the OPP’s Home of Detention. I was thirty years old at the time.

In January 2009, I was moved from Central Lock-up to the general population at the OPP’s House of Detention (HOD). Before assigning me to the general population, the facility officials didn’t do a screening process. For instance, no one asked me if I was gay. No one asked me if I had ever been sexually assaulted before, either. The fact is that I had been — prior to my incarceration. Because I was afraid for my safety, I told