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Fashion police alive in Queensland

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The fashion police will be out in force in Queensland where “bikie colours” will be banned in public because they create fear; although there may be a loophole.

The controversial ban is one of many proposals under the Queensland Labor Government’s long-awaited review of the controversial VLAD laws.

While there is a little relief for some motorcycle riders in the proposed laws, the ban on colours has been extended from licensed venues to any public place because “members of the public have the right to enjoy themselves in licensed premises free from any fear or intimidation”. 

Although the fines on licensed venues have been reduced, those who wear colours in public would be fined up to $45,712 on a first offence and face 18 months’ jail on a third offence.

Ex-Detective Inspector and now university professor Terry Goldsworthy says “we now have the fashion police alive and well in Queensland”. 

“I look forward to seeing the evidence of linkage between the wearing of an item of clothing in public and the commission of acts of organised crime activity,” he says.

However, there is an interesting loophole in the new laws that allows you to wear “colours” for a “genuine artistic, educational, legal or law-enforcement purpose”.

While most motorcycle clubs forbid their colours and official logos to be worn or used by non members, the Hells Angels make big business out of selling supporter fashion gear.

Hells Angels stall at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally fashion
Hells Angels stall at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

It is unknown whether you would be allowed to wear such apparel under the new legislation’s “loophole”. You could argue you are wearing it for a “genuine artistic, educational or legal” purpose. 

And what about “pseudo colours” of recreational clubs such as Ulysses, the fictional Sons of Anarchy or colours of overseas bikie gangs not operating in Australia? Would these be considered to cause fear among the public and land you in jail?

How would the police practically be able to patrol such laws? After all, shortly after VLAD was introduced police accidentally arrested a Mt Isa man for showing his “colours” because he was wearing a Sons of Anarchy t-shirt.

And what would they make of this t-shirt?

Sons of Anarchy time limit
What would the police make of this?

Unlike the previous government’s 11th-hour rushed legislation, these proposals will be debated in coming months and aren’t planned to be introduced for at least two years, or after the next election.

Many of the intricate details are yet to be sorted out and there will be a five-year review of the new laws.

The good news is that members of declared outlaw motorcycle club will not be prevented from working in various industries such as tattooing, electrical, security, towing, racing and plumbing.

However, Terry attacks the proposed new consorting laws for those over the age of 18.

“The person accused of consorting does not need to have any criminal history, only those they consort with do,” he says.

“Those included as being capable of consorting include anyone convicted of an indictable offence for which the maximum penalty is at least five years’ imprisonment. That would include a lot of people convicted of having possession of a couple of joints of marijuana. Why this wasn’t limited to organised crime offences is beyond me.

“You might also have to be careful of who you LinkedIn with, befriend on Facebook and don’t like the Tweets of those you don’t know as electronic communications is now expressly provided for.”

  1. This is getting ridiculous.
    Tattoos create fear in me — but I don’t expect anybody to not show their tatt’s just for little old me! It’s up to me .. it’s their free choice.
    This is the continuation of a very “slippery slope”.

  2. we have had several murders by islamic extremists in full costume.
    yet any mention of banning such garb is met with howls of protest
    by the chattering classes, Consorting laws? ,What about the mosques?
    If you asked the average punter what he feared most, your local biker
    or a lone wolf attack by a religious nutter i bet i know what the answer would be.
    No i am not calling for a clamp down on religions. But there is a deathly silence
    on basic human rights here from people who should know better.

  3. Even a so called left wing government, is so right wing, its beyond crazy.

    A very slippery slope, indeed, all the way to total fascism. Will make Hitlers, laws and doings, along with his mate Mussolini, look like a walk in the park.

    Is it only the bikers that can see past the distraction, of setting up these laws.
    We have laws to deal with Rapists, Murderers, Drug Dealers, and Manufactures.
    USE THE LAWS YOU ALREADY HAVE. But, I don’t think they really want too.

    Star Chambers, no evidence, no trial, just Jail, for anyone who lives or thinks a little bit differently (within the law).

    I Love this country with all my heart, but I’m already starting to pity my kids and their kids.

  4. I’m not really up with the Queensland definition of what ‘bikie colours’ is and who they belong to, but I think from memory that the gang or club using them has to be declared. The ‘colours’ are usually in the form of a top and bottom rocker plus a picture in the middle.

    As previously mentioned, there are many other motorcycle clubs that have ‘colours’ or back patches show their affiliation. Will this non-display of ‘colours’ also affect the non criminal clubs?

    I’m thinking of the Ullysses, the Blue Knights, the Red Knights, the Veterans, Vietnam Veterans, plus many of the other ADF clubs, all of which display a back patch. Will they be permitted to cross the border wearing their ‘colours’?

    To the uninformed public, these people – police, firefighters, ambulance, ADF veterans and just ordinary citizens – wearing their ‘colours’, will stand out like the proverbial organ stops. Will the public know the difference? They may or may not, especially when in a group on foot or riding their bikes?

    This just a simple thought of who could be affected or not affected, creating a double standard. Unintended consequences.

  5. I wouldn’t wear “sons of anarchy” or HAMC supporters gear anyway. Pfffft!! Way to look like a complete wannabe try-hard tough guy if you ask me! If your not doing the wrong thing, you’ve nothing to worry about. If you’re selling drugs, standing over people or just playing dress-ups on the weekend to act tough, then have at it and deal with the blowback.

    1. hey robert .Me 65 year old pensioner leather jacket [plain]
      t-shirt [plain] broke the chain on my harley on a very quiet road
      on the sunshine coast. I called racq and wandered back and picked up the chain. I hadn’t been back at the bike for long when a police car pulled up. I walked back thinking he was checking if i was ok.
      i smiled and said i was just waiting for the racq. He actually looked
      embarassed and said ‘actually we had a report of a bikie carrying a gun or stick’ “are people really that paranoid ‘ i said and explained
      the chain ‘well people see a bikie…..’ ‘well we’ve got newman to thank
      for that i said’ he wished me a good day and left.
      Now in over 40 years of riding i have been pulled over plenty of times
      but not reported by a member of the public.
      newman did that along with that unused bit of shit paper the courier mail. fact is your average punter is more likely to be bashed by a copper than a bikie on the gold coast the omg crime rate was1% of
      the total the whole thing was a political fabrication. and people
      like you fell for it hook line and sinker
      Think it won’t affect you…so did i

      1. Firstly, on the matter of the police – “He wished you a good day and left” – so you just proved my point.
        Secondly, You don’t know me from a bar of soap so I don’t really think you’re qualified to reference me as “people like me”.
        I re-iterate once more, if you’re doing the right thing, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

  6. What would happen if the next time they start cracking down on vicious lawless Tshits everyone showed up in one I mean thousands of people not just a few can you imagine the fear in the faces of the wanabe Nazis if they thought everyone was a bikie?

  7. Yea!!!

    I wear that Sons of Arthritis shirt even when I’m not on the bike. Always get at least one comment.
    Can’t wait to get pulled over. LOL

  8. What a strange collection of odballs Queensland is – you can be fined twice the price of an average car for wearing clothes a policeman doesn’t like.

    1. just look at the interntionally famous Jamie Evans video – pulled over 21 times for wearing clothes police didn’t like
      including once by 4 police cars
      & interrogated by police about his clothes.
      This is a circus.

  9. As a member of a club yes when I was younger I was attracted to the image of being different yes I was attracted the the bikes girls and the fast free flowing life style but once I was a member I found out it was more about being there for your brother when his kids was sick or his wife or family was in hospital and I had inevitably had joined a family with all the normal troubles every large families have from the small bickering to the large weddings that every one of us have to help out with and it’s nothing like wat we are made out to be in most media we are not drug fueled monsters we are loving father’s husbands do we look like we don’t care about the establishment well that’s becouse we don’t we don’t agree with the government we don’t like there rules and laws against us they are Nazi laws that Hitler would be proud of our grand father’s took on the Nazi to defend our rights to wear wat we want and to think wat we want and not be oppressed but yet we are being oppressed by our own government daily

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