Date: Sat, 8 Jun 1996 19:45:48 +1000 From: leto@rabbit.com.au (Brendon Wickham) Subject: (Australia) Brother Sister News - 30/5/96 Due to production changes at the Brother Sister office, this posting is a week late. My apologies for any angst this may have caused. BROTHER SISTER - QUEER NEWS FROM DOWNUNDER Issue 107 - 30/5/96 Including: 1. Senate Bill sex inquiry 2. Call for more church reforms 3. Salvation Army slams festival 4. Gay reform in Tas stalls 5. Cat calls Crows poofs 6. Equality in the workplace This and previous postings are archived for the QRD. Point your URL to http://werple.net.au/~leto/news - or go through the Pacific Region of the QRD at http://www.qrd.org/qrd/world/pacific/ =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ SENATE BILL SEX INQUIRY *Senator Sid Spindler's Sexuality Discrimination Bill is poised to become the subject of a Senate Inquiry after he moved to have his bill referred to the Legal and Constitutional References Committee for inquiry.* With a vote to pass the bill unlikely to happen immediately, Democrat Senator Sid Spindler formally notified the Senate yesterday of this intention. With assurances of cross-party support for the motion when a vote is taken today, an inquiry is likely to be set up later this year with a report to be delivered by the first Senate sitting of March 1997. Spindler told Brother Sister, "I am quite confident the bill will go through after the inquiry." The bill was introduced to protect people from discrimination and vilification on the grounds of their sexuality or transgender identity. Spindler wants the inquiry to investigate the need for such a bill in Australia, what other measures need to be taken to remove any legislative and administrative provisions that are currently seen as discriminatory and what amendments could be made to the bill to make it more effective. Spindler said, "The inquiry will bring the whole subject into the public arena and will be an educational process." Spindler also wants the inquiry to investigate how far current State legislation covers these areas of discrimination and if Commonwealth laws should take these into account. It is hoped the inquiry would also deal with issues regarding public education in relation to sexuality discrimination, appropriate exemptions from the bill, dispute resolution, remedies, class actions and review of the legislation in the future. The inquiry will be the first to investigate the subject of discrimination on the grounds of sexuality on a national level, making it a landmark in the development of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. The controversy surrounding the bill's clause relating to the recognition of same sex couples has continued as well. The Australian Council for Lesbian And Gay Rights is still coming under fire for its calls to drop the clause. Anthony Shaw, one of the council's founders has spoken out against their official stand on the clause. Shaw said to Brother Sister, "It is by no means a consensus opinion. Not all states were asked about the clause and not even all Victorian delegates were consulted." Shaw now intends to stand for the position of male Victorian delegate when the council next have elections. Shaw also disputes council claims that Spindler did not have enough contact with gay and lesbian community groups before drafting his bill. Shaw hopes that as a delegate with the council he would be able to fathom community feeling toward the bill and, in particular, the same sex couple clause, and judge if the council's comments have been in step with public opinion. Andrew Mast CALL FOR MORE CHURCH REFORMS *Catholic gay group Acceptance has warned that the church faces increasing irrelevancy if it fails to follow the sexual reforms currently being reviewed by the Uniting Church. * Acceptance spokesperson Bernie Huckle said the report, which advocates same-sex marriage and the acceptance of openly gay clergy, was "fantastic", and warned that parishioners would leave the Catholic Church for more progressive religions if Rome failed to move with the times. "The Catholic Church has big problems and hang-ups with sexual issues, and the longer it takes to deal with it, the bigger the chance of it becoming irrelevant." Huckle said the church faced losing more followers if it failed to successfully tackle sexual issues. "The Uniting Church's (proposed) position is attractive. People will go where they feel nurtured." "It's refreshing to see one of the mainstream churches tackling these issues. I hope that the Anglican and Catholic churches follow." However, Reverend John Fowler, of the Metropolitan Community Church, said the Uniting Church's paper had come decades too late for some of its former parishioners. "I think (the report) is what we at the Metropolitan Community Church have been espousing since 1968. I'm amazed it's taken them 27 years for them to get this far." The MCC has been accepting openly gay clergy and performing "Holy Union" ceremonies since its inception, he said. While he was sceptical about the Uniting Church's acceptance of the report's recommendations, Reverend Fowler said he hoped the church would chose to go forward with the proposed reforms. The Uniting Church's Assembly Task Group on Sexuality report says the church should not discriminate against gay people in either marriage or ordination. It emphasises that "right relationships" are characterised by the "love, caring and compassion embodied in Jesus Christ". "From the perspective of right relationships, there is no legitimate reason for rejecting homosexuality or homosexual relationships per se. The same ethical standards apply." The paper also asserts that gays should not be rejected from the clergy because of their sexuality. "To reject a person from ministry purely because that person is homosexual is a rejection of their personhood. It is similar to the rejection of women from ordained ministry in previous years." The report points out that twentieth century Christians do not follow many Biblical practices, because times and perceptions have changed. "The historical distance between our times and biblical times means we cannot simply translate the writers' conclusions about sexuality into our own time. For example...purity laws regulating sexual behaviour were never rescinded, persons with deformed sexual organs were ostracised..." "It is not clear that simple references to such sources are helpful in our century which has different understandings of and extended information on aspects of sexuality." The report is the product of four years of biblical study and consultation within the church. It has yet to be approved by the church, and does not represent its official position. Matthew Denby SALVOS SLAM FESTIVAL *South Australia's division of the Salvation Army has condemned plans for a gay and lesbian festival to be held in that state.* A spokesperson for the division, Lieutenant Colonel Ian Smith, has responded to a heads of churches letter about the proposed gay and lesbian festival. Smith, who says he is speaking on behalf of Salvation Army members, believes "that benefits to the City of Adelaide through increased tourism and spending will be more than outweighed by the effects of promoting a lifestyle which has many negative effects on individuals and the community." When asked how he feels his stance will affect gay or lesbian parishioners, Smith says that he is "not aware of any gay or lesbian Salvation Army members", but understands that gay and lesbian people attend worship services and seek help from their Social Service Centres. The original letter from the heads of churches stated that the concern of the leaders did not arise from a discriminatory attitude against gay or lesbian people, however, Smith states that his own concerns relate to "a major highly visible promotion of homosexuality and lesbianism as valid alternative lifestyles". He says that all sexual relationships outside marriage are wrong and feels that the majority of Adelaide people do not want a gay and lesbian festival because it "is out of harmony with the image of their city they would like to project to the world". He concedes that his stance could have an effect on fund- raising and support normally given by gay and lesbian people but says "The Salvation Army does not put fund- raising concerns ahead of making statements expressing its view on matters that are against its principles". He finishes by saying that gay and lesbian people are welcome to attend Salvation Army services. Adelaide GT GAY REFORM IN TAS STALLS *Tasmanian gay and lesbian groups are concerned that an opponent of gay law reforms has won an influential seat in their State's parliament.* The seat that may prove crucial in the upcoming debate on gay law reform in the upper House is likely to go to an opponent of reform, but gay law reform campaigners still hold out hope that a majority can be persuaded to support a change to the law. Gay law reform supporter, Ray Bailey, is likely to keep his Upper House seat of Cornwall, but it is understood that the likely winner in Huon, Paul Harriss, is opposed to reform. According to Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, the election of Paul Harriss makes the passage of gay law reform more difficult, but not impossible. "Over the next four weeks we will be pulling out all the stops in an effort to persuade MLCs that it is time for gay law reform," says Croome. He added, "We still believe that the State election of February 24th was the best test of public opinion on this issue, with that election giving the Lower House a mandate for gay law reform." CAT CALLS CROWS POOFS *Former football hero and Footy Show host Sam Newman is courting controversy once again, this time by referring to Adelaide football team, the Crows, as a bunch of poofs.* Newman made the comment on 3AW during the weekend's Crows match against Footscray at Whitten Oval. He then repeated his comments on South Australian radio station 5AA. While Adelaide supporters called for an apology for supposedly slurring their team's manhood, gay and lesbian groups are outraged that such a term is still being used as a slur in the sporting arena. John Davey, a Victorian delegate for the Australian Council of Gay And Lesbian Rights, slammed Newman's comments as "straight out of vilification." One Adelaide newspaper was so incensed, interpreting the term as belittling their home team, they censored the word 'poof' in the headline they ran when reporting Newman's comments. Davey says this type of reaction is proof that discrimination laws are urgently needed to protect gays and lesbians from this type of language. "he fact people still use homosexuality in a derogatory manner proves that we need an anti-discrimination bill." Newman was reluctant to apologise for his use of the term explaining that he used "poof" as it's defined in the dictionary. There, he stated, it means, "men who display typical characteristics of a woman, lacking in firmness or vigour." He claimed the term was equal to describing the team as "a bunch of old sheilas, tarts or moles." Newman eventually made a public apology for his comments on A Current Affair, not because it was offensive to gays but because he called the Crows' "sexual prowess" into question. He also said that he's unaware if he's ever played on a team with gay men but that "it wouldn't worry me if I did." An ALSO spokesperson, Darren Ray, commented on the debacle, saying "I will now be bidding for the Footy Show table for eighth prize at the Laird Auction this Saturday." Andrew Mast EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE The Equal Opportunity Commission has launched a campaign to promote rights for gays and lesbians. Following the first discrimination complaints on the basis of sexual orientation lodged under 1995's Equal Opportunity Act, Victoria will lauch a campaign informing gay men and lesbians of their rights. Commission Chief Executive, Diane Sisely, said they had received eight formal complaints of discrimination based on sexual orientation since the act came into force on January 1. Sisely stated, "The majority of these complaints were in the area of employment and one has already been successfully resolved whil the others are now under investigation." The commission is targeting gays and lesbians with a promotional campaign encouraging more use to be made of the act's protection against sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace. =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ BOTTOM LINE SMARTARSE Everywhere you look, we're there Police officers, politicians, judges and lobbyists; they're all clambering onto the gay gravy train this week, flippant reader. I'm going to award a few prizes to the protagonists of these news stories, and at least one member of the judiciary needs his prize, bestowed a couple of weeks ago, rescinded INSTANTLY! The prize for the Most Bizarre Use of the Gay Community in a Conspiracy Theory goes to the gorgeous gun lobby up in Queensland. Pro-gun groups are kicking and screaming at the moment as governments move to introduce gun control legislation. At one rally, a shrill, nearly hysterical spokesperson, was carrying on about the role of gay people in the anti-guns push. Mr Gun Lobby claimed that there are plenty of homosexuals in the GayBC (catchy title there) and that everyone knows that there is large number of homosexuals advising ministers in Canberra. No evidence was offered for why homosexuals in particular are against guns. Perhaps we're all a pack of lefty-pinko-poofter-heads, eager to remove the right of red-blooded Australian citizens to bear arms. I had no idea that the nation's gay community had access to such power that we could influence the Prime Minister and State Premiers. And the prize for Poofiest State Premier must surely go, this week, to our own delightful Jeff Kennett. No, he hasn't been seen in the Sling Room at Club 80 (to my knowledge anyway). Last weekend the Premier declared that if more patrons who were strip searched on the night of the Tasty raid last year were to be awarded damages by the courts, then the Victorian Police Force would have to pay for these out of its own budget. When the raid took place the Deputy Premier and the Police Minister, Pat McNamara, was publicly supportive of police force's diabolical tactics. Now that one patron has been awarded $10,000 damages, the Premier has distanced his Government from the affair, and has criticised the police for their use of strip searches. Perhaps our handsome old Premier should consider launching an inquiry into the raid, as a way of demonstrating his new-found commitment to the gay and lesbian community. And finally, the REMOVAL of an honour which I mistakenly awarded Justice James Wood, of the NSW Police Royal Commission, some weeks ago for his handling of the paedophile inquiry. I suggested that Woodsy should be made an honorary homosexual for his strong comments at the outset of the investigation. He commented that the Royal Commission would strenuously refuse any attempt to link homosexuality with paedophilia. Fine words, stirring words, but now gay Sydney is in UPROAR. So far the inquiry has focused on homosexuals who have had sex with boys and adolescents. Woodsy claims that he will go on to investigate all adults who sexually exploit kids (including heterosexuals) but this has not yet happened. If Woodsy is going to reclaim his title then he'd better do a bit of fancy footwork to disentangle himself from claims that his inquiry is becoming a homosexual witch hunt. Jeffrey Smart =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Brother Sister is a fortnightly newspaper published in Melbourne, VIC and Brisbane, QLD, Australia. I have selected the main news stories as well as items of interest. Overseas media who utilise any or all of the above material please credit Brother Sister as your source (and by-line if it is listed). Thank you. Brendon Wickham