Date: Mon, 27 Feb 1995 15:02:59 -0500 From: David B. O'Donnell To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS Subject: Brother Sister - News from Oz [ Send all responses to leto@WERPLE.MIRA.NET.AU only. Any responses to the list or list-owners will be returned to you. ] ~~~~~~~~~~BROTHER SISTER - QUEER NEWS FROM DOWNUNDER~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brother Sister is a fortnightly newspaper published in Melbourne, JAustralia. I have selected the main news stories as well as items of Jinterest. If you have any contributions or questions, please e-me on J(leto@werple.mira.net.au). Subscription information follows news Jitems. NB: If you are representing overseas media and wish to utilise any or Jall of the following material, please credit Brother Sister as your Jsource (and by-line if it is listed). Thank You. Brendon Wickham ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLUB X FIGHTS BACK *Owners of the Club X chain of stores have attacked reports in 'The JAge' newspaper that described them as Melbourne's merchants of porn.* The article, printed on February 11, has led to the withdrawal of Jmany erotica video titles from Club X shelves and jeopardised the Javailability of many popular gay erotica videos. In an open letter to Victorian parliamentarians, Club X owner Eric JHill, called the report in 'The Age' "true British tabloid style" Jtagging the story a forerunner for a new tabloid trend in Australian Jprint. The story linked Club X with the availability of a hardcore bondage Jvideo in which unwilling participants are tortured. The video, not Jsold in Club X stores, referred to in the story, 'Gwen's Tit JTorment', has since been proved to be professionally filmed and using Ja lead actor that went onto appear willingly in several of the Jcompany's productions. The author of the piece is a one time English tabloid journalist that Jhas been known to have penned a similar anti-erotica piece for a JBritish newspaper three years ago. Hill's letter points out that the journalist "relied on hearsay Jinformation, speculation, snippets from previous inaccurate Jeditorials and...untested material from a Victoria Police brief." Hill goes on to question why material gathered under police search Jand warrant powers was made available to a journalist, noting that Jthe information was compiled some time ago under an operation he Jclaims was "hypocritically" called Operation Jack. Club X maintains they have not dealt with the type of violent videos Jthat are referred to in the article, reiterating its stance with a Jmemo sent out to all its staff in Victoria. The memo states, "Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES do any of our stores stock, Jhire, sell or otherwise trade in material that could not be Jclassified." David Newnham, a spokesperson for the Club X chain, says that the Jcompany has been lobbying to have the state's classification laws Jamended since the sale of X-rated videos, including gay, non-violent Jerotica titles, were prohibited ten years ago. So far, the company has had no response from the state's Attorney JGeneral, Jan Wade, to even meet and discuss the classification laws. 'The Age' newspaper recently went on a blitz of 'anti- pornography' Jstories beginning with the February 11 front page piece which Jconcluded with a full page later in the paper and was backed with an Jeditorial. A few days later the paper then reported, again on the front page, Jthat Club X had withdrawn a number of its video titles. It also Jreported on a Club X-distributed pamphlet that stated that the store Jsupported people's rights to view explicitly sexual material in their Jown homes "subject to adequate controls for the protection of Jchildren." On the same day, the newspaper ran another story on page 3 about the JClub X owners, despite a letter to the editor from Jan Wade stating Jthat there seemed to be a "misunderstanding of the history and Jcurrent position under Victorian legislation" in the newspaper. Club X, self-described by Newnham as "gay-friendly", estimates that Jwell over half of its staff is gay. The company continues to Jchallenge what it considers "unjust laws" and hopes that X-rated, Jnon-violent, gay erotica can one day again be sold in this state. Recent surveys have shown that 97% of Australians support the sale of Jnon-violent erotica to be available through restricted venues. 'The Age' claim that their most recent stories on the Club X chain Jhave sparked an order from the chief commissioner of police for an Jinternal report on the policing of pornography. CENSORSHIP BID FAILS *Attempts to censor 'Her-etical', the University of Queensland JUnion's Women's Equal Opportunity Area's annual publication, failed Jfollowing a ruling by the University Committee for the Status of JWomen.* A ban on the publication was suggested by Vice-Chancellor Brian JWilson, following a complaint by a 1st year student's parents. Colin Newman, who made the complaint said he was offended by the Jpublication for including what he described as a graphic depicting J"two naked lesbians...engaging in oral sex, explicit cartoons of Jwomen's genitalia and derogatory four- letter words." He also criticised the inclusion of an article by a university Jlesbian and gay support group, Queer Tribes as "anti-heterosexual Jfamily" and because it "encourages bisexuality". "Young and impressionable 17 year olds... know their sexuality and Jdon't need to be told that becoming a homosexual is great and a lot Jof fun," Newman said in a recent 'Courier-Mail' article. Vice-Chancellor Wilson referred to 'Her-etical' to the University JCommittee for the Status of Women to make a ruling on whether its Jcontent was demeaning to women, and it so, to recommend appropriate Jaction, such as the banning and confiscation of the publication. The Committee found however, 'Her-etical' to be worthy of praise, not Jcriticism, and praised Women's Collective members who produced the Jpublication for the quality and breadth of "positively empowering" Jinformation and images presented within it. In a recent press release Queer Tribes said, "Mr Newmans's opinions Jtypify the homophobic attitudes the 'Her-etical' attempts to Jcounteract." Queer Tribes also said they were considering making a complaint Jagainst the 'Courier-Mail' to the National Press Council for Jdescribing 'Her-etical' as "tawdry drivel", "dangerous", "aberrant" Jand sexually deviant", in a follow- up article and editorial. by Nicole Hills POLICE FIGHT GAY HATE *A new report launched by the NSW police reveals that gays and Jlesbians in Sydney are four to six times more likely to be assaulted Jthan heterosexuals.* 'Out of the Blue', the new police survey, also revealed that most Jgays and lesbians were unlikely to report the crime, believing that Jthe crime wasn't significant enough to police for them to act upon. The NSW police are setting up a new campaign to crackdown on gay hate Jviolence. Police are hoping to encourage victims of gay hate assaults Jto come forward. The NSW Police have appointed 95 gay/lesbian liaison officers in 75 Jpatrols over the past five years. QUILT DISPLAY THREATENED *The newly amalgamated Candlelight Vigil and Quilt Project Groups Jfear that they may not have the funds to display the national quilt at this year's vigil.* Quilt Melbourne Inc, the newly formed group that will organise both Jthe vigil and the annual quilt unfolding, believes that the cost of Junfolding the entire national quilt has become too expensive. The vigil, to be held on May 13 this year, usually concludes at JMelbourne's Exhibition Buildings where the national quilt is Jdisplayed. This year is the last time that the Exhibition Buildings are Javailable to the Melbourne Quilt group, as the state government plans Jto use the building as a museum. Now, it seems that the final display at the Buildings may not go Jahead as the group is finding that the cost of hiring the building Jfor two days is difficult to finance. The group is currently seeking corporate sponsorship that may ease Jsome of the hefty $18,000 bill and also hope that some community-Jbased fundraising may benefit towards the cost. A spokesperson for the group said, "it will be a shame if the final Jdisplay doesn't happen." Display of the quilt in the future was already in doubt when Jorganisers realised that there may not be another building in JMelbourne large enough to house it once the Exhibition Buildings are Jmade unavailable. The national quilt organisers are also becoming concerned that the Jquilt is now too large to move around and that states may only be Jable to display their own sections of the quilt in future. While the vigil will definitely go ahead this year organisers are Jadamant that they "may have to rethink having the quilt displayed." Anyone interested in offering assistance to the group can contact Jthem, care of the Fairfield Hospital, PO Box 65, Fairfield VIC 3078. MORE GAY HATE Slogans from an anti-gay pamphlet, reported in the last issue of J'Brother Sister', have now begun to appear on t-shirts in Melbourne.JThe t-shirts are emblazoned with such logos as "Gay Bashers of JAustralia" and "Stop AIDS Kill Faggots". The t-shirts are believed to Jbe printed privately and could not be traced to any public outlets. BUG SLOWS HIV It has been reported that a bug, capable of turning itself invisible Jwhen attacked by the immune system may hold the key to slowing the Jprogression of the HIV. Researchers at Melbourne University believe Jthat if they can discover the bacteria's "tactics" it may reveal a Jway to slow the virus. The bug is believed to be very similar to one Jof the major AIDS infections. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BOTTOM LINE The Victorian AIDS Council's first charity golf day was considered Jsuccessful and groundbreaking by the organisation. The event, the Jfirst of its kind in Australia for AIDS was instigated by Bradley JHughes, Australian Masters Champion 1993. The fundraiser was in Jmemory of John Hore, Hughes' uncle, who dies of AIDS soon after the J1993 masters win. Hughes thanked all his colleagues, family and Jsponsors on the day at Rossdale Golf Course, adding, "We can all make Ja difference when it comes to this horrible virus." Items sold at a Jsports auction held on the same day helped to raise more that $25,000 Jfor the AIDS Council. *** Subscription to Brother Sister is available for USD$100 per annum. Send money order and address information to: Brother Sister 67 Bevan Street Albert Park VIC 3206 AUSTRALIA