Roberts was to have had his first appearance in a commercial film in Eucalyptus, a Russell Crowe-Nicole Kidman vehicle that wound up being scrubbed. With the demise of the project, he signed on with Dancing with the Stars, one of the country's most highly-rated television shows. Somewhat improbably, Roberts and his partner, Natalie Lowe, reached the finals in April 2005.

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Paul Malone of the Courier-Mail noted that "the scorn of one or two of the show's judges towards Roberts's good-spirited efforts during the series have been ill-concealed," but the audience loved him, and their phone-in votes kept him on the show as the eventual runner-up. Roberts called the experience "a wondrous journey because of the public vote."

Roberts will make his feature-film début in Bryan Singer's Superman Returns, scheduled for release in the summer of 2006. The handsome actor will play Riley, one of villain Lex Luthor's sidekicks.

Roberts has a tattoo on each of his extremely muscular arms. One represents his awareness of and commitment to the need to help others: "24,000 people die every day of starvation." The second is more personal: "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived." By having the courage to come out as a gay professional athlete, Roberts conquered his own fear, went on to great success, and stands as an example to those still plagued by fear.

"All I can do is to be the best person I can be, take responsibility for my own actions. If you do that, you make a statement," he said. "Hopefully one day everybody can appreciate that love is love in whatever form it comes along."

The recent efflorescence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, and queer themes in Australian film must be placed in the context of a film industry that, prior to the 1970s, was characterized by social conservatism and censorship.

Despite some important breakthroughs in the depiction of gay men and lesbians in the past, Australian television today lacks any regular and open discussion of queer issues and lives.

Given its history, it is somewhat surprising that Australia now has exceptionally gay-friendly laws and public attitudes, with widespread public tolerance and acceptance of the glbtq community.

While sports, at least on the major competitive level, may be the final closet for gay men, there have nevertheless been a number of gay male elite athletes.

With thriving glbtq communities, an accommodating atmosphere, and a mammoth Mardi Gras celebration, Sydney is a center of glbtq culture and a favorite destination for tourists of all genders and sexualities.

Closeted throughout his professional basketball career, John Amaechi is the first player from the National Basketball Association to acknowledge that he is gay; since coming out, he has become an eloquent spokesman for glbtq rights.

Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia is respected not only for his legal acumen but also for his devoted commitment to the cause of social justice in his homeland and also around the globe.

Film director and producer Bryan Singer overturns standard narrative formulae and develops complex characters; he consistently emphasizes the fluidity and ambiguity of identity categories, including those pertaining to gender and sexuality.