Queer News Aotearoa (New Zealand) Issue 8

26th November 1995

This issue:

NZAF Prevention Appointment

NZAF has appointed Tony Ewing as manager of its prevention programme. Tony Ewing is a member of gay men fighting AIDS (GMFA) and has been critical of the level of government funding provided for prevention work amongst men who have sex with men. His appointment is also significant as he was one of the signatories to a letter in express criticising NZAF's Auckland Prevention programme.

The acting prevention manager Steve Willcox will remain with NZAF in an administrative role. A permament person has not held this position since March when Robin White resigned after six months.

NZAF Moving Offices

NZAF National and Auckland Prevention offices are moving in late December to a Ponsonby office. The foundation had hoped to find enough office space to also have the Burnett Centre in the same building.

The Pride Centre which has used space at the Auckland prevention office for the past year on a temporary basis will now have to find new premises.

NZAF Elections

Wellington Catholic sister Paula Brettkelly and Christchurch priest Jonathon Kirkpatrick were elected to the board of the NZAF at its recent AGM.

This result means that David Curry, a recent arrival in Auckland, is the only Auckland gay man on the Trust Board. NZAF is hoping to address this issue when it appoints further Board members in early December.

AIDS Hotline last day before automation

Today is the last day of the NZAF 24 Hours AIDS Hotline been staffed by volunteers. From Monday the hotline will be answered automatically with callers selecting from a tape menu. Callers will also be able to have there calls diverted to Gayline or Lifeline in Auckland.

The decision to automate the line was due to government funding cuts.

Television complaint upheld

(filed by Henry James)

On the 7th May 1995, Bays Television of Nelson broadcast a programme called "Craving for Love" in which Dr. Neil and Briar Whitehead purported to examine sexual development with particular reference to homosexuality. The argument put forward was the one so diligently put forward by Christian fundamentalists. Through its secretary, Henry James, Spectrum Nelson's group for gay and bisexual men lodged a complaint through the Broadcasting Act 1989 that the programme breached standards G4, G6 and G13 of the Television Code of Practice.

The Authority has ruled that the programme did breach Standard G6, in that "....the commentators were not impartial in dealing with a controversial issue..." and that the broadcast did not meet the requirement in Standard G6 for balance and impartiality.

This programme had been shown in Christchurch in 1993, and in December of that year, the Broadcasting Authority upheld a complaint that the programme breached standard G6. It is a strange quirk of the law when despite a programme having been the subject of a successful complaint, that same programme can go to air again without any additional penalty. Presumably this programme could go all round the country generating a string of complaints behind it as it went?

One lesson is the need for us to be constantly watchful of TV programming as it was only the vigilance of a Spectrum member that alerted the group to this instance.

Gay TV a reality in the new year

Horizon Pacific TV and express newspaper announced this week plans for a half-hour programme which will have overseas and local gay news, current affairs, interviews, events and entertainment. They expect the programme to begin in the first week of February and run for 46 weeks. The programme will be broadcast through Horizon Pacific's regional stations in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Executive Producer of Horizon Pacific, Chris Goldsmith, was reported in the NZ Herald as saying the show would provide a "more correct portrayal" of the gay community than images seen through "the likes of news footage of protests and parades".

World AIDS Day

A number of events are occuring around the country to mark World AIDS Day on December 1st.

Devotion venue announced

The Wellington Devotion party will be held in the new Events Centre on the waterfront and also part of Shed 6. The Devotion Party is on Saturday 10th February 1996.

Events - Reviews

Auckland HIV Walk for Life

Despite Aucklands very wet weather a few hundred people turned up for the 2nd annual HIV Walk for Life.

Events - Upcoming

Wellington events for lesbians (from srg3dbn@dbv.grace.cri.nz)

LILAC - The Wellington lesbian library is open:

  • DOODS Dance 25th November at Escape Nightclub - upstairs at 9 Edwards St. (behind Caspers.
  • Lesbian Ball - 9th December, old Town Hall 8pm to 2am.

    Lesbian Overland and Cafe Club Programme, Oct. - Dec.:

    meet outside the Wellington Railway Station at 10 am stout walking shoes or boots; bring lunch, drink and raingear

    Lesbian Mountain Bike Riders

    Ascent Wellington events

  • 13 December : Ascent Mass at St Marys Convent, Guildford Tce, Thorndon, Wellington. 7.45pm. Contact Roger/Ron for details (Ph 64-4-387 3205)
  • Advent Carol Service for the Lesbian/Gay/Bi-sexual Community. Sunday 3 Dec, 7.30pm at St Andrews on the Terrace, Wellington.

    CHRISTCHURCH FREEDOM DANCE PARTY

  • December 2 at the Ministry on Litchfield Street, for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and their friends. From 10pm - 6am, show starts at 12.30am.
  • Tickets are $25, and $30 door sales. Tickets can be purchased from UBQ Niteclub, Nonames Bar, Echo Records, Scissors Hair Salon, and MenFriends.
  • The show is coreographed by Sheryl Robinson from Dance Core and is set on three separate stages. Barumba (formally the Forum Bar) will be set aside as a quieter place, with food, performers and other entertainment.
  • FREEDOM raises funds to help those with HIV-AIDS, and is the Christchurch lesbian, gay and bisexual community's big event for the year. For more information, you can e-mail <t.page@student.canterbury.ac.nz>, or ph. 64-3-3487514

    Concert FM programmes on AIDS

    On Saturday 25 November at 12.05pm, and repeated on Monday 27 November at 10.00pm, "Arts Week" includes an interview with Wayne Marriott from the Southland Museum and Art Gallery about its involvement in the World Day Without Art on 1 December. The programme will also feature extracts from "Angels in Australia," a soundscape which movingly tells the story of a man who has died from AIDS.

    And at 9.30pm on World AIDS Day itself (December 1), Concert FM is presenting "A Day Without Art," an hour-long soundscape commemorating artists throughout the world who have died from the AIDS virus. The programme blends interviews, music, drama and poetry. The producers are Jonathan Dennis and Elizabeth Alley.

    On December 2 and 5, at the times noted above, "Arts Week" examines art and censorship, focusing on the forthcoming exhibition of Mapplethorpe photographs at Wellington's City Gallery. The programme includes a number of interviews with those involved with Mapplethorpe exhibitions overseas.

    TV programs on HIV/AIDS

  • TV One is showing the documentary series 'The Plague' on Wednesday 9.05am on November 29, December 6,13 and 25.
  • On December 1 TV One will have the film 'Fatal Love' at noon and TV 2 will have the film 'Longtime Companion' at 10:30pm.

    Auckland Community Church

    Meets every Sunday 8pm at St Matthews in the City.

    Auckland AIDS Media Awards - December 3 1995

    10:30am. Contact NZAF 64-9-303-3124 for more information.

    Auckland Coming Out Day 3 December

    Starts at 3 Lamps Ponsonby at 2pm. Fair and concert to follow at Western Park

    Auckland GABA Christmas Function December 3 1995

    To be held after the Coming Out Day Parade.

    Nelson Queer Carnival - 1 December 1995

    Back bar of Molly Maguires.

    World AIDS Day - 1 December 1995

    A number of activities are been held in all centres. Check the calendar for the latest information.

    Auckland Roseneath Gardens Picnic - 29 November 1995

    A fundraiser for the Herne Bay House. Contact Greg Millar Ph 64-9-379-2395.

    More details on the above events can be found on the web at http://nz.com/NZ/Queer/1995.calendar.of.events.html

    What is happening on the Internet

    The big news on the Internet will be those sites which participate in the day without graphics, for World Aids Day. Akiko International will be joining those sites by having special pages without graphics. Akiko International will change its front page http://nz.com/ for 1st December NZST and 1st December EST.

    Copyright, Subscription and Contribution information

    Overseas media who utilise any or all of the above material please credit QNA as your source. Thank you.

    QNA is a weekly news service of events, activities and other items of interest that are happening in the queer community in New Zealand. The news is distributed via the QNA mailing list (email proffitt@iconz.co.nz to be included on this list), posted to soc.motss and nz.soc.queer.The news articles only are distributed via the GLBNews and Queerplanet mailing lists.The news will also archived at Akiko International web site (http://nz.com/NZ/Queer/QNA/), the most current issue will be also found at the QRD (http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/world/pacific/nz/qna.html) and on Social Tendancies BBS (64-7-846-2603).

    Contributions to QNA can be sent via email to proffitt@iconz.co.nz, fax 64-9-376-1404 or 64-21-787-264 or toll free fax 0800-771-404 or snail mail.

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    [QRD] [WORLD] [PACIFIC] Last Updated: 26 November 1995
    Mark Proffit <proffitt@iconz.co.nz>