Gay Marriage and Property Rights

Doug Graham's announcement that the Matrimonial Property Act would be reviewed and extended to include de facto and same sex couples has resulted in a call for gays to be given the legal right to marry.

Judith Tizard announced she would take a proposal to the Labour Party caucus to support a private member's bill modelled on the Swedish law allowing registration of same-sex marriages.

Ms Tizard said "If that's what gay and lesbian people want (the right to marry) ... I don't see why the rest of the community should stop that recognition."

Neville Creighton, Auckland Gay and Lesbian Welfare co-ordinator, said he did not personally believe legal recognition of same-sex marriages was necessary but he did back registration of relationships as in Sweden.

John Jamieson, Christian Democrat spokesman, opposed the move and said "the push to legalise gay marriage can never successfully replicate a union which has the potential for reproduction and is the basic component on which our society is built."

Graeme Hunt, in a column in the National Business Review (NBR) said the Doug Graham's 'odd-ball proposals' could 'attract the less-than-welcome tag of the minister who attacked the family' to his name. In attacking the proposals Mr Hunt wrote that 'Mr Graham is going down this path in the interests of so-called fairness to people who cannot be bothered getting married or are not legally allowed to marry.' Mr Hunt made no comment on the fact that gay's cannot legally marry.

Gay Marriage in Wellington

Wellingtonians Jool Joslin and Jenny Rowan had a wedding earlier this month. They had applied for a marriage licence but were turned down by the Registrar General because of common law tradition.

The actual Marriage Act does not specify that those seeking a marriage licence must be male and female however common law interpretation currently does.

Southern TV will screen Express Report

Bevan Rickerby, Southern Television general manager, announced on Thursday that Express Report would now screen on Southern Television.

Despite 60 to 70 percent of the callers and faxes been supportive of Southern Television's decision to not screen the programme a number of prominent people criticised Southern Television's decision.

Those critical of Southern Television's decision included the Dunedin Mayor, Sukhi Turner, the president of the Dunedin Retail and Wholesale Merchants Association, Richard Thomson, Otago University Students Association president, Chris Tozer, ACT NZ (a small free market political party) Dunedin North chairman, Mike Steeneveld, Carterton Mayor (a transexual), Georgina Beyer, and a number of spokespersons from the Dunedin gay and lesbian community, including David Verrall.

Mr Rickerby when interviewed on National Radio about the reversal of his decision stated that "we obviously hadn't consulted deeply enough into the community" about our original decision. Mr Verrall was reported as saying that he did not know of anyone in the gay or lesbian community who had been asked about the programme. Also given the comments made by a number of people one has to wonder who Mr Rickerby actually consulted.

When asked, on National Radio, about who they actually consulted in the first place, Mr Rickerby said, "We spend a lot of time in the community, and the people that we spoke to at the time... didn't want the programme. However, when we took a lot more time over it, and talked to the people in the city, we found that there was a large number that wanted to watch the programme."

Auckland City Council Gay and Lesbian Liason group

The first meeting to discuss how a gay/les/bi/tran Auckland City Council advisory committee can be formed was held last night at the Pride Centre.

A number of ideas were floated with the main proposal been the need to arrange a deputation to the city council to seek their agreement to set up the committee.

The decision to proceed with this idea follows Les Mills, Auckland City Mayor, stating categorically during the recent local government elections that he would support the establishment of such a committee.

Coca-Cola and School Textbooks

The recent recall of thousands of Coca-Cola posters in New Zealand and Australia, after the image of an erect penis and an open mouthed person was found hidden in the artwork, caused much embarrassement for Coca-Cola executives.

However this case appears not to be an isolated incident with another sexually explicit image been found in the New Zealand Economic Studies Text, Budgeting, Banking, Insurance and Accounting, which features on its cover a view of the city which includes a dormer window view through which a couple can be seen having sexual intercourse.

Gay TV and Radio

(New Section - Suggestions appreciated)

Hopefully this new section will list TV and Radio programmes that have gay related themes so if you see some send them to me.

Television

Express Report every Monday 10pm (Starts February 5th) on ATV, Capital City, Coast tp Coast, Southern and CTV.

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, 89FM Student Radio, Sunday 8pm
Wellington - Gay BC, 783AM Access Radio, Gay BC, Saturdays 11:15 - 12:15
Wellington - Reading Lesbian Writers, 783AM Access Radio,Saturdays, 1.15 - 1.30pm
Wellington - Lesbian Radio Programme, 783AM Access Radio,Sundays, 10 - 11 am
Wellington - Boy Trouble, 89FM Student Radio, Sunday 6-7pm
Nelson/Motueka - Gaytime FM, 90.4FM Fresh FM, Sunday 11am
Christchurch - Loud & Queer, RDU 98.3FM Student Radio,Wednesday 6pm to 7pm
Christchurch - Outwaves, 96.9FM Plains FM, Every 2nd Monday 8pm
Dunedin -Lesbian Show, 91FM Radio One, Tuesday 6pm
Dunedin -Tea with the Boys, 91FM Radio One, Thursday 6pm

Events - Reviews

HERO Opening GA(Y)LA - Saturday 27th January.

Events - Upcoming

What is happening on the Internet

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