Accident Compensation Law unfair to gay and lesbian Couples

In a submission to the labour select committee, Mary Bramwell, said that same-sex relationships were not acknowledged in the current Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance legislation. She said this left many gay and lesbian couples out of pocket because policies did not cover them.

In telling the committee of the partner's death in a car accident two years ago, she said it was impossible to get anyone to accept that they had lived as a couple, for nine years, and that she should be entitled to payouts after the fatality.

She said the "institutionalised homophobia" that existed within the corporation structure was in clear breach of the Human Rights Act.

Mr Max Bradford, head of the committee, said he would take up the matter with Mr Kidd, the Minister for Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance, and the government caucus.

Latest HIV and AIDS Statistics

The last quarter statistics to 31 December 1995 were published by the AIDS Epidemiology Group last week. In the final quarter of 1995 eleven males and one female were notified as having AIDS. 25 people were found to be infected with HIV. Of those 25, 20 were male and 5 female.

Since monitoring began in 1984, 1077 people have tested HIV positive and 523 people have been notified of having AIDS.

Nelson Bay TV and express report

As it turns out, there has been very little movement with Bays Television and Bob Hansel. No-one has been hearing anything from the station on the issue of screening express Report, and there have no new items in the paper.

The letters to the Editor in the paper have been averaging about four a week, some very supportive of our stance and others very homophobic in content and/or tone. A bit over half of the letters tend to be about homosexuality in general (mainly from the anti brigade) and the letters from the ones in support of us tend to be the ones pulling the issue back on to original issue of station management trying to censure what we can (or not) see.

The general trend of the 'campaign' is tending more to the censorship of the station management.

Spectrum has written to the mayors of Nelson and Tasman (which encompases the entire Nelson region, including Golden Bay) and Tourism Nelson pointing out the possible effects of Bob Hansels censorship on the gay tourist trade in the region. We have even had a couple of overseas visitors writing on the issue as well, including one letter to the editor of the paper (one of the supportive - to us - ones).

We are having a 'stall' in Trafalgar St. (the main shopping street in Nelson) on Thursday, 4th April (the day before Good Friday) which will be a combined gay/lesbian one with a bit of info for those who want it about our dealings with Bays Television, and we will have a petition for people to sign to help show that there are people who are in favour of express Report being screened other than those of us who have had our names in the paper.

We are also arranging to have a tv/video unit set up showing some of the programmes from this month to show people what the programme is all about (one of the lesbians has arranged with a friend in Wellington to tape them and send them over to us to be here in time, hopefully).

For those who are from outside of Nelson who may want to add to the correspondence etc., some usefull telephone/fax/postal contacts are:

Phillip Woollaston,
Mayor of Nelson City,
Civic House,
101 Trafalgar St,
Nelson
+64-3-546-0200 (no fax number in the phone book)

Kerry Marshall,
Mayor of Tasman District,
189 Queen St.,
Richmond,
Nelson.
+64-3-544-8176 +64-3-544-7249 (fax)

Tourism Nelson,
Founder's Park,
87 Atawhai Dr.,
Nelson.
+64-3-546-6228 (no fax number in the phone book)

Mr. Bob Hansel,
Manager,
Bays Television,
P.O. Box 128,
Nelson.
(Founder's Park, 87 Atawhai Dr.)
+64-3-548-1208 +64-3-548-8400 (fax)

Saatchi & Saatchi Advert

Saatchi & Saatchi, a major advertising company, have produced an interesting advert in response to the problems with some car rubber seals leaking when they expand as a consequence of using the new unleaded 96 octane petrol.

The advert has a picture of a condom in the middle with the words:

Not all rubber seals leak when they expand.

Keep yourself safe, always drive with a condom.

Gay TV and Radio

Television

Express Report every Monday 10pm on ATV, Capital City, Coast to Coast, Southern and CTV.

Shortland St, TV 2, Monday to Friday - 7pm, NZ own soap opera now has Jonathon, a gay character, back again.

And The Band Played On, Sky TV Sunday March 24, 8:30pm, Saturday March 30, 2pm

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, Thursday 6pm

Reviews

None this week.

Events - Upcoming

Team Auckland Swimmers - 30 April 1996
Dunedin Beyond The Closet - 29 April 1996
Auckland Community Church - 28 April 1996.
Auckland Gay Bowling Association - 28 April 1996
Team Auckland Runners - 28 April 1996
Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - 27 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 27 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 25 April 1996
Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - 24 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 23 April 1996
Auckland Community Church - 21 April 1996.
Wellington Lesbian Mountain Bike Riders - 21 April 1996
Auckland Gay Bowling Association - 21 April 1996
Team Auckland Runners - 21 April 1996
Auckland Community Church - 20 April 1996.
Dunedin Women's Dance - 20 April 1996.
Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - 20 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 20 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 18 April 1996
Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - 17 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 16 April 1996
Dunedin Beyond The Closet - 15 April 1996
Auckland Community Church - 14 April 1996.
Team Auckland Runners - 14 April 1996
Auckland Gay Bowling Association - 14 April 1996
Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - 13 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 13 April 1996
Wellington Ascent Retreat - 12 to 14 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 11 April 1996
Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - 10 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 9 April 1996
Auckland Community Church - 7 April 1996.
Auckland Gay Bowling Association - 7 April 1996
Team Auckland Runners - 7 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 6 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 4 April 1996
Nelson Gay & Lesbian express Report stall - 4 April 1996
Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - 3 April 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 2 April 1996
Dunedin Beyond The Closet - 1 April 1996
Auckland Community Church - 31 March 1996.
Auckland Gay Bowling Association - 31 March 1996
Team Auckland Runners - 31 March 1996
Wellington Blatant GLBT Dance - 30 March 1996
Hutt Lesbian Group - 30 March 1996
Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - 30 March 1996
Wellington Lesbian & Gay Fair - 30 March 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 30 March 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 28 March 1996
Wellington Lesbian Library (LILAC) - 27 March 1996
Team Auckland Swimmers - 26 March 1996
Auckland Community Church - 24 March 1996.
Wellington Lesbian Overland and Cafe Club - 24 March 1996
Auckland Gay Bowling Association - 24 March 1996
Team Auckland Runners - 24 March 1996

Gay Switchboards and information lines

(Thanks to everyone who has pointed out errors, corrections and ommissions - hopefully I have fixed them correctly.)

AIDS Hotline - Auckland +64-9-3580099 Toll free 0800-802-437 24 Hours
Whangarei Gay Help - +64-9-437-7620, Tuesday and Thursday 7 to 9.30pm
Auckland Gayline - +64-9-303-3584 10am to 10pm weekdays, 2pm to 10pm weekends.
Hamilton Gayline - +64-7-854-9631, Wednesday 8 to 10pm
Rotorua Gayline - +64-7-348-3598, Tuesday 7 to 9pm
Napier Gayline - +64-6-835-7482, 5pm to 8am.
Palmerston North - +64-6-358-5378 24 hour answerservice.
Wellington Switchboard - +64-4-385-0674, 7.30pm to 10pm
Wellington Lesbian Line - +64-4-389-8082 Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 7.30 to 10pm.
Greymouth/Reefton Gayline - +64-3-768-4366, Wednesday to Friday 6 to 9pm.
Westport Gayline - +64-3-789-6027, Friday 7-8.30pm
Hokitika Gayline - +64-3-755-6270, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 7-10pm
Christchurch Gayline - +64-3-379-4796 Mondays 8-9pm, Saturday 7.30 to 10pm
Christchurch Gay Information line - +64-3-379-3990 24 hour recorded service.
Dunedin Gayline - +64-3-477-2077 24 hour recorded service. Answered on Wednesday 5.30 to 7.30pm, Friday 7.30 to 10.30pm
Dunedin Lesbian Line - +64-3-477-2077 24 hour recorded service. Answered on Tuesday 5.30 to 7.30pm

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