Auckland City makes queers invisible again

Last week's Auckland City Council rejected all attempts by Auckland's queer community to form closer relations with the council.

The issue was set to be controversial given the extremely conservative nature of the council.

The public meeting was closed to television cameras as the Mayor, Mr Les Mills, believed having cameras would turn a serious debate into something less than serious. Councillor Rev Dr Bruce Hucker unsuccessfully challenged the Mayor's decision to ban television cameras.

The council meeting was addressed by Jeremy Pilcher and Amy Ross who spoke of the difficulties with the current processes of consultation of council and how by setting up a six monthly formal liaison group would enable the City Council to achieve it's strategic plan, Outstanding Auckland.

However it was clear from the beginning of the meeting that the majority of councillors minds were made up on this issue. When the council began to debate the two recommendations from the Recreation and Community services committee they were made impotent by an amendment proposed by Doug Astley. He proposed an amendment which removed the words gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities and replaced them with all communities in the two recommendations. The two recommendations were for the council to give representatives of the queer community places on the Safer Community Council and to consider the queer communities involvement along with other communities in parades and events run by the council. This amendment was passed by a vote of 14 to 10.

Rev Dr Bruce Hucker then moved an amendment to have restored the council staff recommendation for the establishment of a liaison group to meet six monthly. Speaking in support of the motion Catherine Harland spoke that it appeared obvious that the current systems were not working effectively. Penny Sefuiva also said the council was avoiding giving a political response to the group's request and that if the gay community wanted to talk to the council it did not seem like a big request.

Those speaking against the establishment of the council continued to speak of the council providing special rights for one group other another despite these arguments been refuted in the deputation earlier in the evening.

After the meeting members of the queer community said that the council had missed the point. What they wanted was more input into council plans and policy. The proposed recommendations had been suggested to council two months earlier, had been reviewed by council management, recommended to a council committee, which had rejected three of the five recommendations, and now the remaining two were rejected by the council itself.

Amy Ross described the loss of the motions by saying we had nothing, we have minus nothing (now). She continued by saying the point was that the existing systems are not working.

Mark Proffit said that the queer community would continue to laision with the council informally and had a number of ideas of how to keep the debate alive.

Screening of Gay Right, Special Rights abandoned again

(from Kevin Jensen, Nelson)

On Sunday, August 11, the Potter's House had another attempt to screen the contoversial film 'Gay Rights, Special Rights' in Nelson. As with the previous attempt, two weeks earlier, things did not go their way with the screening being abandoned after about 20 minutes of the film being shown.

During this 20 minutes, it was clearly obvious that it was filmed about 30 years ago and that there had been no attempt to correct the misinformation it contained (such as gays being made, not born etc.). The film presented this information in such a way that it was up to the minute and in a way as to promote anti-gay behaviours etc. that would breach the discrimination clauses of the Human Rights Act.

Before the screening was abandoned, the power main was thrown, stopping the screening until power was restored, and there were children present (with their lesbian protester mothers) who played with a ball in the aisles during the screening (the children were aged approx 9 - 14, and the film is R16 - apparently there was no known attempt to restrict entry to these children who were obviously under 16).

This screening was attended by about 6 congregation members, their pastor (and his small family) and about 20 gay and lesbian protestors. Again, the Police were called, but this time the Potter's House did not get the same response as they did two weeks earlier when 7 police officers arrived (in 5 cars). This time, only one policeman arrived and it appears as though it may have been reluctantly as he didn't stay long. His visit didn't end with a cup of tea and biscuits as the first attempt at screening did (a cuppa which was not attended by the lesbians protesting, as erroneously reported by the local paper).

If the Potter's House attempts to screen this film/video in your area, what can you do?

Have a close look at their advertising material. All advertising material for public screenings of films and videos must display the 'censorship' rating for the film/video (in this case, R16). It doesn't matter whether this advertising is by public notice in the newspaper, handout flyers, or a noticeboard outside the venue - they should all display this rating. If it doesn't make a complaint to:
Paul Duke,
Inspector of Publications, Southern Region,
Internal Affairs,
P.O. Box 1308,
Christchurch.

The Potter's House has had their one warning (after a complaint) about this requirement, a warning that they have ignored since, with another complaint having been made. Fines are now in the pipeline with eventual confiscation of the film a very likely outcome.

Pride Centre elects new trustees

Auckland Pride Centre AGM see the election of four new trustees to the Centre Board. They are Roxanne Henare, Sandy Gauntlet, Michael Bancroft and Philip Patston.

The evening saw the presentation of the annual report in which Rosemary Segedin, Pride Centre Manager, outlined the variety of acitivities which have occured in the last year, including the establishment of the anti violence project, the council liaison group, and the Pride Media Team.

Express Report to become Out There

Express Report is now to become Out There from September. In a move to change the style of the program and to signify its independence from Express newspaper the program is been relaunched and renamed in September.

Gay TV and Radio

Express Report every Monday 10.00pm on ATV, Capital City, Coast to Coast, Southern and CTV. and repeated on TV One, Saturday 12.30am

City Life, TV2, Monday 7:30pm.
Shortland St, TV2, Monday to Friday 7pm.
The Topp Twins - Do Not Adjust Your Set TV3, Thursday 7.30pm
The Band Played On - Sky TV, Tuesday 20th August 4.40pm and Saturday 24 August 5.15pm.
South Bank Show special on Andy Warhol, on ATV, Capital City, Coast to Coast, Southern and CTV, Sunday 25 August 7.30pm
Work of Art features Michael Parmenter's The Dark Forest, TV1, Sunday 25 August 9.40pm

Radio

Regular gay and lesbian shows

Auckland - G & T Show, 810AM Access Radio, Thursday 7 to 8am
Auckland - This Way Out, 810AM Access Radio, Saturday 11:40am
Auckland - In The Pink, 95BFM Student Radio, Sunday 8 to 9pm
Auckland - Girls Own Show, 95BFM Student Radio, Sunday 7 to 8pm
Hamilton - Different Strokes, Contact 89FM, Sunday 6 to 8pm
Wellington - Gay BC, 783AM Access Radio, Gay BC, Saturdays 11:15 - 12:15
Wellington - Reading Lesbian Writers, 783AM Access Radio,Saturdays, 1.00 - 1.15
Wellington - Lesbian Radio Programme, 783AM Access Radio,Sundays, 10 - 11 am
Wellington - Boy Trouble, 89FM Student Radio, Sunday 6-7pm
Top of the South - Dyke FM, 99.4FM Fresh FM, Sunday 10am
Top of the South - Gaytime FM, 99.4FM Fresh FM, Sunday 11am
Christchurch - RDU 98.3FM Student Radio, has no specific queer show but does have queer news, play queer artists and all the rest as part of their daily programme.
Christchurch - Outwaves, Plains, 96.9FM , Monday 8pm
Christchurch - Lesbians on Air, Plains 96.9FM Monday 9.30 - 10pm (note 9-9.30pm from 18th March)
Dunedin -Dykes on Mikes, 91FM Radio One, Tuesday 8pm
Dunedin -Tea with the Boys, 91FM Radio One, Sundays 9-10pm

Reviews

None this week

Events - Upcoming

Auckland Lesbian Ball - 24 August 1996

Auckland Community Church - Every Sunday 8pm
Auckland Metropolitan Church - Every Sunday 7.30pm
Auckland Gay Bowling Association - Every Sunday 5pm
Auckland Gay Space DKD - Every Sunday 4-6pm
Team Auckland Runners - Every Sunday 10am
Team Auckland Swimmers - Every Tuesday and Thursday 8pm, Saturday 10am
Te Waka Awhina Takatapui Kapa Haka - Every Tuesday 7pm.
Auckland Lesbian Support Group - Every Thursday 7pm
Auckland Womens Social Drop in - Every Friday 7pm
Auckland Uni Gays - Every Friday 5pm
Auckland AA Aquarius Group - Every Tuesday 7.30pm

Hamilton International Film Festival - 16 August to 29 August 1996
Hamilton Gaylink dropin - Every Wednesday 8pm

Palmerston North International Film Festival 9 August to 22 August 1996

Wellington Judy Small in Concert - 31 August 1996
Wellington Doods Dance - 30 August 1996

Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - Every Wednesday 6-8pm, Saturdays noon - 3pm

Nelson Spectrum - Every Thursday 7.30pm

Akaroa Lesbian and Gay Group meets every 3rd Saturday.

Dunedin Gay Affirmers Service - Every Sunday
Dunedin lesbian indoor cricket team - Every Sunday
Dunedin Queerspace - Every Thursday 8pm
Dunedin Beyond the Closet - Every Monday 1pm

Events - Previews

None this week

Gay Switchboards and information lines

What is happening on the Internet

Will lots happened this week but house shifting has meant nothing has been seen.

Copyright, Subscription and Contribution information

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