Date: Sun, 30 Jul 1995 18:02:37 -0500
From: leto@werple.mira.net.au (Brendon Wickham)
Subject: (Australia) Brother Sister News - 27/7/95

 BROTHER SISTER - QUEER NEWS FROM DOWNUNDER

This and previous postings are archived for the QRD. Point your URL to
http://werple.mira.net.au/~leto/news/index

- or go through the Pacific Region of the QRD at

http://www.qrd.org/qrd/world/pacific/


=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

FAIRFIELD FUTURE IN JEOPARDY

*HIV services at Fairfield Hospital are likely to shut down if claims of a
Health Department plan to move research laboratories from the site are
borne out.*

Fairfield AIDS Action Coalition (FAACT) has accused the Department of
pushing "very strongly" to see the laboratories at Fairfield Hospital
reduced in size and moved to the Alfred Hospital.

Such a move would be in contrast with the Melbourne Hospitals Planning
Board's initial indication that Fairfield, the MacFarlane Burnet Centre and
the Victorian Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory need to be kept on a
combined site.

FAACT spokesperson, Geoffrey Harrison said the removal of the laboratories
would lead to a reduction in the range of diagnostic tests available and a
downgrading of services essential for Fairfield to remain an
"internationally respected centre of excellence" in HIV/AIDS.

Harrison also said there were internal pressures from other hospitals to
reallocate up to $4 million earmarked for Fairfield Hospital.

"It's the continuation of death by a thousand cuts for Fairfield Hospital,"
he said.

"It will lead to the final destruction of the hospital as a service for
people with HIV/AIDS."

Harrison said proposals to move HIV/AIDS services to the Alfred Hospital
were "only a short sighted vision" as the Hospitals Planning Board reviews
suggest the Alfred may eventually be moved from its current inner city site
to the Box Hill Hospital site.

Openly HIV positive Fairfield Hospital Board member, David Menadue said
shifting the laboratories would probably mean that Fairfield was no longer
a viable campus for HIV/AIDS services.

"We would then have to admit we need to look at the alternative to make
sure HIV positive people don't miss out," he said.

"It's regrettable, but we have to look at what's the best deal."

Menadue said it was a dilemma for the HIV community to support shifting
services to the Alfred, because the future of that campus was uncertain.

A spokesperson for the Health Department's director of public health, Chris
Brooks said he denied the assertions attributed to him by FAACT.

During the second week of September supporters of Fairfield Hospital are
planning protests actions in the Bourke Street Mall.



MARRIAGE STILL SACRED ACCORDING TO SURVEY

*Most Australians and people in Western countries approve of sex before
marriage, according to a survey of more than 18,000 people from 14
nations.*

Attitudes towards extramarital sex were found to be much more conservative,
with most disapproving.

Same sex relationships also attracted disapproval, though it was
significantly less than survey findings 10 years ago.

The findings are part of the 1993 International Social Survey Program which
asked 2203 Australians about sexual attitudes.

The local research was undertaken by Mariah Evans and Jonathan Kelly of the
Australian National University's Research School of Social Sciences.

People surveyed were selected randomly from the electoral role.
The survey found that 53 per cent of Australians in 1993 did not approve of
same sex relations, down from 64 per cent disapproval in 1994.
(Interestingly 57 per cent disapproved of gay male relations and only 50
per cent disapproved of lesbian relations).

Evans admitted her survey results found harsher attitudes towards
homosexuality than most recent surveys investigating social views on gay
law reform.

She explained this by saying there was a significant group of people who
personally held conservative social attitudes but did not want to impose
them on others through criminal sanctions.

Same sex marriage was supported by only 14 per cent of Australians compared
to 35 per cent support in the Netherlands.

On the general question of premarital sex, 59 per cent fully supported it,
with only 11 per cent always against. On extra-marital sex 57 per cent were
always against it.

The survey found that men were slightly more positive than women on both
questions of premarital and extra-marital sex.

People whose parents were Catholic were slightly more approving of
premarital sex than people whose parents were Protestant, though though
they were less approving of extra-marital sex. Religious believers were
markedly more conservative than secularists on both
questions.

The educated and uneducated did not differ on their views towards
premarital sex, though the educated were more liberal towards extra-marital
sex.

The old were decidedly more conservative on the question of premarital sex,
and slightly more conservative towards extra-marital sex.



FALLOUT IN QLD POLL

*Queensland Democrats have complained to the State Electoral Office over
homophobic leaflets distributed by National Party frontbencher Nick Veivers
leading up to the July 15 poll.*

The leaflets claimed the ALP and Democrats planned to stage a "homosexual
Mardi Gras" through the streets of Southport as well as legalising gay
marriage and adoption.

They also falsely claimed the Democrats planned a private Member's Bill to
force all schools to "teach our children homosexual practices".

Australian Democrat candidate for Southport, Noel Payne said the leaflets
were built on lies about Democrat policy.

"This man (Veivers) will not miss an opportunity to do some minority
bashing to shore up his own vote," he said.

"It's not just gays he doesn't like, he once said if a family of unemployed
Aborigines moved into his street he'd be outraged."



MARDI GRAS FUTURE SAFE

*President Bev Lange last week moved to assure members that the future of
the Mardi Gras parties was safe, after a front-page story appeared in the
Sydney Morning Herald headlined 'Murdoch to get all Showground under new
deal'.*

The article, which claimed the plan to be "much bigger than envisaged by
the previous State Government", prompted Lange to issue a statement saying
Mardi Gras' access to the Royal Agricultural Showground had been assured.

She told the Star Observer: "according to the feedback we've got so far,
Fox are in favour of Mardi Gras' continuing use of the site."

A Mardi Gras press statement said the acting Minister for State
Development, Carl Scully, had written to Lange saying: "It is the
government's intention that these pavillions [the Horden and the Royal Hall
of Industries] would continue to be available for community uses such as
Mardi Gras".

Lange told the Star Observer more than two weeks ago that smaller parties
would "certainly" have to be held after Fox moved into the Showground. But
last week Mardi Gras confirmed that Fox had also agreed to allow the
organisation access to the Banquet hall (known as the Dome) for the
parties.

"Mardi Gras has asked that this be formalised in the agreement between the
NSW Government and Fox," the press statement said.

Independent Member for Bligh, Clover Moore, warned as early as June that
the final deal with Rupert Murdoch's Fox Studios could involve far more of
the showgrounds that had been popularly anticipated.

On Monday she said: "I am appalled at Government appropriation of public
land as a corporate lure. In this case, there is the strong suspicion of
political sycophancy towards a media baron. I question whether the Carr
government is negotiating on the Showground in the interests of the people,
the proprietor of the [political] party."

Ben Widdicombe



CAMPAIGN FOR SAME SEX SUPER

*Community lobby groups meet today to finalise strategy for a national
campaign to end discrimination against gays and lesbians in
superannuation.*

The move coincides with a NSW Teachers Federation decision to press for
recognition of same sex couples in teachers' superannuation funds.

At its annual conference earlier this month, the 82,000 member Teachers
Federation "with deep concern" the "discriminatory elements still existing
in schemes for part-timers, women and same sex couples in de facto
relationships."

Deputy president Ray Cavenagh said the Federation will now take its claim
for recognition of same sex couples to the NSW Department of Education and
to the NSW Treasury.

"We'll also be talking to other public sector unions to make sure they
understand the nature of the discrimination which exists. The move has been
endorsed by the annual conference, and is written in as part of our
salaries and superannuation claim.

"We want the State Superannuation Fund and other superannuation schemes to
be brought into line so that all members have equal access to benefits,"
Cavenagh said.

Meanwhile, the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, the Australian Council for
Lesbian and Gay Rights, and Homodefacto meet today (Thursday) to agree on
strategy for a concerted effort on the superannuation issue.

This week, the Lobby sent Federal and State politicians in finance,
treasury, justice and health a discussion paper which details the extent of
the superannuation industry's discrimination against gays and lesbians. The
document suggests a series of legislative and policy reforms.

Lobby co-convenor Stevie Clayton said the paper is also being sent to AIDS
councils around the country, the Council for Civil Liberties and
superannuation organisations.

"Contrary to the many provisions promising fair and equitable treatment for
Australian workers, lesbians and gay men continue to be denied the benefits
of superannuation that their heterosexual workmates enjoy," says the Lobby
document.

"What is more, the compulsory contributions of lesbian and gay workers are
being used to subsidise the benefits received by their heterosexual
workmates."

Legislative reforms proposed by the Lobby include changes to the
definitions of dependant and spouse so that they include same sex couples
and children within those relationships.

The Lobby also calls on the Commonwealth to enact national legislation
making it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of homosexuality and
transgender status.

Many superannuation schemes covering state and federal employees currently
refuse to pay same sex de facto couples entitlements which are paid to
straight de factos as a matter of course.

Partners in gay and lesbian relationships do not receive the joint pensions
or death benefits automatically paid to heterosexual de factos.

Gays and lesbians also suffer a tax disadvantage when they receive a
deceased partner's lump sum entitlement because the money is paid into an
estate rather than to the nominated beneficiary.

Dominic O'Grady



=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
BOTTOM LINE

TEDDIES ON SALE AGAIN

Women in uniform is one of the themes at this year's Mitchell Tyrie Teddy
Auction. The Australian Service Woman, Patricia was dressed by Nina
Mitchell of Nambucca Heads.

Patricia bear has been dressed in an authentically detailed Australian
Women's Army costume, including a custom-made felt hat and khaki-twill
uniform.

She went on display in Melbourne last week, prior to auction in Sydney on
October 16. Proceeds go to the Victorian AIDS Council and the AIDS Council
of New South Wales.

So with punch in her heart and pep in her soul, let this spirited young
bear defend your pride and property.

 ***


 Brother Sister is a fortnightly newspaper published in Melbourne, VIC and
Brisbane,  QLD, Australia. I have selected the main news stories as well as
items of interest.

 Overseas media who utilise any or all of the above material please credit
Brother Sister as your source (and by-line if it is listed). Thank you.

Brendon Wickham