Police Minister Bob Cameron's office confirmed the government was considering abandon its eight-year ban on condoms in prisons, after studies showed more than half of Victorian male prisoners have hepatitis C. Prisoner officers said they had no objections if prisoners had to buy the condoms, but opposed a free supply.
|
|
The Church of Sweden, the country’s largest, will allow same-sex couples to wed in church, saying that marriage and civil partnership are equivalent forms of unions. However, it will only call heterosexual unions “marriages’. The Swedish government is currently drafting a gender neutral marriage law.
|
|
|
When Jodie Foster received a special award last week from by Women In Entertainment, she thanked "my beautiful Cydney who sticks with me through all the rotten [sic] and the bliss". This is the first time Foster has publicly acknowledged her same-sex partner, Cydney Bernard. |
|
Read more...
|
|
The Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner will investigate complaints a Liberal Party federal election pamphlet incited hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation. The controversial Liberal pamphlet condemned same-sex marriage by declaring it "extreme" and "harmful" and associating it with the universal symbol of poison and death, the skull and cross bones.
|
|
Ricky Martin may have been accidentally outed by one of his beauticians, skin-care guru Ole Henriksen who was recently interviewed in a Swedish magazine. When asked who he’d spend a romantic vacation with – other than his partner – Henriksen replied: “I’d go for Stig Tøfting (former Danish soccer player) but since he’s straight, I’d say my client Ricky Martin.”
|
|
Israel's Supreme Court says the government must recognise foreign adoptions by same-sex parents and treat both parents as equal. The ruling followed the appeal of a 2000 ruling that found both Nicole and Ruthie Brenner-Kadish must be registered as the parents of a child they adopted in California. The leader of the National Religious Party immediately called for a law specifically banning same-sex families.
|
|
Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan stars in a video clip to promote condom use and raise AIDS awareness in China. The campaign, entitled '’Life is Too Good’, emphasises that while danger is fine for the movies, it's best to play safe in real life. About 700,000 people are estimated to be living with HIV in China, with an estimated 50,000 new cases and 20,000 AIDS-related deaths this year.
|
|
|
The former girlfriend of Wentworth Labor candidate George Newhouse, running as an independent, has introduced three ‘climate hunks’ into her campaign. The shirtless men will accompany Dani Ecuyer at public appearances as she tries to siphon off gay and environmentalists votes from her former beau and the Liberal champion of gay rights, Malcolm Turnbull. Ecuyer decided to run after both Labor and the Coalition decided not to oppose the Tasmanian pulp mill. Latest polls have Wentworth and Turnbull running neck and neck. |
|
Sydney taxi driver Stuart Baanstra, a Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) activist, is facing huge fines for refusing to complete the 2006 Census. “Question 6 refuses to classify homosexuals as married. I refused to sign because it makes same-sex marriage invisible.” Baanstra, who will appear in court November 27, is charged with "failing to comply with a notice of direction" by The Bureau of Statistics. Penalties could include a fine of $110 for everyday the census remains undone ($39,000 so far), plus court costs a good behaviour bond of up to three years.
|
|
There are many Somali refugees across the world, including Australia, where they’ve had a bad press recently. For gay Somalis’ life is even more difficult, but now that have a place on the web – in their own language as well as English – where they can get in touch and find support and understanding. “It is crucial to recognise that we are not alone and that there is a big gay community where one can find all manner of support and acceptance,” say the site. The site says gay friendships are vital as in most cases they become our second family especially when cut-off from traditional families. http://somaligaycommunity.org/
|
|
|
Ben Cooper, 20, a gay activist from Lismore NSW, has been the target of death threats after campaigning against a religious group that tries to convert young gays to heterosexuality. Cooper, founder of Lismore Activists for Same Sex Equality (LASSE), received four death threats over the last fortnight. “One of the letters said 'I know where you live, I know what you do if you don’t stop with your AIDS carrying activism it will be stopped for you'. The letter was signed 'proud national party voter and Christian'.” |
|
|
Orthodox RABBI Chaim Ingram has launched an attack on Australia’s Progressive rabbis when he said that by allowing same-sex commitment ceremonies, the rabbis are being hypocritical and questioning God. The rabbi claimed the Progressive rabbis who met at the Union for Progressive Judaism’s (UPJ’s) biennial conference last month were clearly confused by their own ideology, because they read from the Torah on a weekly basis, but did not listen to its teachings. |
|
Read more...
|
|
2006 VCA graduates Elka Kerkhofs and Kylie Plunkett won the Award for best Tertiary animation and best Tertiary documentary at the 2007 EnhanceTV ATOM Awards, at The Plaza Ballroom in the Regent Theatre, Melbourne. Elka’s short film “Filled with Water” won Best Production Award at the My Queer Career and has taken the Gay Film Festival Circuit by storm. Kylie’s short documentary “The Butcher’s Wife” won the Best Student Film at the Melbourne International Film Festival in Melbourne in July.
|
|
|
On the eve of the election the Howard government quietly reversed one of it’s few pro-gay reforms. Workplace Relations Minister Joe Hockey approved the transfer of seven companies from state-run schemes to self-insurance with Comcare on October 16, three days before the election was called and mere hours before the government went into caretaker mode. |
|
Read more...
|
|
If you have a creative bent, Pride March Victoria is calling on you to design its poster image for 2008. Entries close November 30. Prizes include 2 tickets to T Dance, 2 tickets to Mass Debate, and an iPod Nano. Pride March on February 3, will be the closing event of the Asia Pacific OUT Games and promises to be one of the biggest events Melbourne has ever seen, followed by a beach party. Go to (www.pridemarch.com.au ) for entry details and conditions.
|
|
|
A celebration of multiculturalism will kick off at the State library at 1pm on Sunday November 17, moving on to Alexandra Gardens. It’s a non-political celebration of Multiculturalism after what many Australians have seen as its recent death, which peaked with Kevin Andrews’ comments earlier this month. Bronwyn Pike, Father Bob, Les Twentyman, and numerous volunteer organizations and community groups have already signed on. Details Mohammed El-leissy on: 0432 890 423 |
|
Australia's first Jewish same-sex commitment ceremony could take place at Sydney's Emanuel Synagogue this summer, after Progressive rabbis agreed on a format for same-sex unions. The Council of Progressive Rabbis of Australia, New Zealand adopted the British model for commitment ceremonies because it makes a clear distinction between a commitment ceremony and a marriage ceremony. Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins said the distinction was also necessary to conform to Australian law.
|
|
Singapore has repealed a law making oral and anal sex between consenting heterosexual adults illegal. But Section 377A, covering the same acts between men, remains in force with a maximum penalty of two years in jail. The government says it’s what citizens want. Gay rights advocates said they were disappointed with the decision by the country's parliament, but hoped for more informal dialogue on the issue in the future.
|
|
bheadlines 
