Meeting hears of Posss’s sex lure

Hamish Heard
A Torquay meeting has heard evidence clothing-optional status attracts men to Point Impossible for illegal gay sex orgies, according to a Torquay councillor.
Cr Ron Humphrey read excerpts from a gay “cruising” website to the meeting this week, including a posting from a man claiming to be campaigning to keep the beach open to nudists.
The website stated Point Impossible was “particularly safe” for illegal public sex “because you are not breaking the law by being naked and there is ample opportunity for privacy”.
The site also contained lurid descriptions of sex acts performed in the dunes behind Point Impossible.
One contributor warned other people who used the site to arrange sex rendezvous at Point Impossible to behave themselves.
“Really guys, (masturbating) in front of young bathers, male and female, is not a good way to preserve a great spot with huge tolerance,” the posting stated.
A person posting on the site under the pseudonym ‘Nude-massage’ wrote he was leading a push to preserve the beach’s clothing-optional status.
“I’m running my own campaign in the local press but it’s made difficult by the fact that (the website) plays up the nude action here,” Nudemassage wrote.
“In fact a local journo who interviewed me quoted information from (the website) to prove there is loads of gay sex happening here.
“We know what happens guys but it makes our case pretty hard to prove.”
The posting suggested removal of Point Impossible from the list of cruising locations “until things have clarified themselves”.
The posting had a link to a profile for Nudemassage, which included a photograph also appearing on a literary webpage for author and former Catholic priest John Bartlett.
Mr Bartlett represented Free Beaches Australia at Monday’s meeting to argue in favour of the nude beach.
After the meeting Mr Bartlett said he no longer represented Free Beaches Australia.
He would not say whether he had posted comments on the gay cruising website.
Nudemassage’s profile link was removed from the site within hours of the Independent sending a copy of the web pages to Surf Coast Mayor Rose Hodge last month.
Surf Coast Shire ran this week’s meeting behind closed doors after former Planning Minister Rob Hulls ordered council to run public consultations on its application for a nude bathing ban at Point Impossible.
The shire gagged meeting participants from speaking to the media about the meeting.