Date: Mon, 12 Aug 1996 23:18:42 +1000 From: leto@rabbit.com.au (Brendon Wickham) Subject: (Australia) Brother Sister News - 8/8/96 BROTHER SISTER - QUEER NEWS FROM DOWNUNDER Issue #112 - 8/8/96 Including: 1. Uniting Church backlash 2. Persecuted Pole finds refuge 3. No same sex de facto in SA 4. Same sex registry 5. Bishop slams lifestyle 6. Police arrest attacker 7. Gay hate study 8. Briefs, including : Worthy wills, New ANCA man, Human Rights plea, Diverse Prahran, Anti-violence campaign This and previous postings are archived for the QRD. Point your URL to http://werple.net.au/~leto/news - or go through the Pacific Region of the QRD at http://www.qrd.org/qrd/world/pacific/ =3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+= =3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+ UNITING CHURCH BACKLASH *The Uniting Church Interim Report on Sexuality, which includes supportive comments about homosexual relationships, has stirred up a backlash from some church members.* Chairman of the task group which wrote the report, the Reverend Alistair Macrae, has been receiving hate mail and abusive phone calls. He has been called an anti- Christ and servant of Satan. The Uniting Church main office in Melbourne has also received many abusive calls since the interim report was released in May. It has prompted the moderator of the Uniting Church, the Reverend Dr Warren Bartlett, to write to all ministers and parish councils, raising concerns about the hostile reaction. The report found no evidence that a homosexual person was less fit for ministry than other people. =46ailure to accept homosexual church members was similar to the past rejection of women ministers, and a "right relationship" should be based on honesty, trust and commitment, and not on the couple's sexuality, marital status or age. "The critical moral issue that faces the church is not homosexuality but the unjust treatment of people and their devaluation as sexual-spiritual persons," it said. Other findings included: * sexuality is God-given, normal and healthy; * guilt, shame and denial felt by some Christians may be due to the church's failure to deal openly with sexuality; * the "living in sin" phrase could alienate couples in committed, unmarried relationships. On Tuesday, a small group of gay and lesbian members of the Uniting Church discussed issues of discrimination with the Equal Opportunity Commission's gay and lesbian reference group. Bartlett, the church moderator, said: "The report did put the cat among the pigeons. When people get stirred up, they can act in a destructive and vehement way as well as a mature way. "I've heard stories that people have gone bananas and blasted the people who wrote the report. But it is just like politics, attacking the messenger and not dealing with the issues. "Of course, there are plenty of people who have looked at the report in a serious and considerate way, thoughtfully and sensitively, who still disagree with it, but are prepared to sit down and talk about it. "Some are arguing emotionally and trying to discredit people on the other side, and derail discussion. "We have a formal commitment to talk about sexuality and we need to be open and understanding and perceptive. My job is to watch over the health of the Uniting Church, and some of the comments have been very unhealthy." Bartlett added that the report came from a four-year investigation, following the church's Year of Listening on Sexuality in 1992. The work included seeking comments around Australia on case studies involving sexual abuse, de facto relationships and homosexuality. "It gave people a sense of freedom to talk about these issues. There is so much guilt out there, and the church must take some responsibility for that." The report will be open for further responses to November, before going back to the task group. Petrina Dakin PERSECUTED FIND REFUGE *A gay Polish man, 31, living in Adelaide, became the first European to be given refugee status in Australia on the basis of his homosexuality.* In recent times, gay men and lesbians have been granted refugee status in Australia in the past three years, on the grounds that they feared persecution in their own country. The Polish man claimed he had been persecuted by police, discriminated against in the workplace, and that he feared oppression or "outing" by the Catholic Church. A Refugee Review Tribunal spokesperson said 24 gay men and lesbians have applied for refugee status because they were a member of a social group that was persecuted. Of these, 11 were granted refugee status (including six people from China and some from Iran) and 13 refused. But this does not represent a flood of "pink" applications for sanctuary. Overall, the tribunal has handled 11,000 cases since it was set up in July 1993. At the Polish man's hearing, he told the Refugee Review Tribunal that homosexuality was not illegal in Poland, but the Catholic Church created a climate of oppression and intimidation against homosexuals. Priests sometimes publicly identified gays or suspected gays, he said. He said police in Poland had taken him from his workplace, called him derogatory names and detained him for six hours. Another time he had been in a mall to arrange sex, when he was picked up by police, taken to a cell and punched and kicked and held for two days without charge. At another gay meeting place, he was assaulted by several people, whom he believed were police. He eventually changed jobs from a post office to a process worker, to have a lower public profile. "The applicant stated that he felt hated as a homosexual in Poland and that beating up a gay man was widely regarded as sport," the tribunal said. "He lived an isolated, repressed lifestyle and eventually decided that he would try to forge a new life away from Poland." The man came to Australia in 1986 on a visitor's visa. His application for refugee status based on his support of the Solidarity movement was refused in 1994. He applied for a review, claiming homosexuality as the reason he was persecuted. Petrina Dakin NO SAME SEX DE FACTO IN SA *Attempts by South Australia Labor and Democrat State politicians to have gay relationships recognised in the De =46acto Relationships Bill have finally been defeated.* Had the bill been passed, South Australia would have been the first state of Australia to legally recognise gay relationships as having de facto status. The De Facto Relationships Bill was introduced into the Upper House by Attorney General Mr Griffin and was intended to allow heterosexual couples in de facto relationships to settle property disputes before the Family Court rather than civil courts. The Bill was passed in the upper House in May, but only after Labor and the Democrats insisted the definition of "De Facto" include gay relationships. The bill then went to the Lower House, where the gay amendment was rejected after a conscience vote. Two weeks later, the bill was re-introduced into the Upper House. Labor and the Democrats refused to accept the bill without gays being included in the definition. The bill became deadlocked. A committee was formed to resolve the differences. After confidential discussions, the committee announced that the bill would be passed but without gay relationships being recognised. Carolyn Pickles, Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House, says she is bitterly disappointed with the Brown Government. "The utterly ridiculous arguments put forward by Liberal Members as to why gay couples should not be afforded the same legal rights as heterosexual couples-which means it is discriminatory-is downright astounding." Ms Pickles went on to say that another attempt will be made to rectify the legislation so that it does not discriminate against gay couples in the future. The Australian Democrats have hit out at the Liberal party for having a backward attitude. Sandra Kanck said that she strongly supported the inclusion of homosexual relationships in the bill but had to equally support the backdown because of what would have been lost by women had the government carried out its threat to withdraw the entire bill. Speaking in the Legislative Council, Ms Kanck described some Liberal MPs as "troglodytes" and "living in the 1950s". "I acknowledge the Government for bringing in the bill in the first place, as it will allow property disputes arising from the breakdown of de facto relationships to be more equitably settled. But sadly the government has allowed its outdated morality to hold sway in the decision to oppose homosexual couples having the same rights to Court intervention as heterosexual couples." Adelaide GT SAME SEX REGISTRY *Australia's largest department store chain, Myer-Grace Brothers, last week changed their bridal registry system to recognise same-sex couples.* The new computer program, in place in 70 store across the country, will also accommodate women who want to keep their maiden name after marriage. Myer-Grace Brothers public affairs manager, Suzanne Pigdon, said yesterday the company "made the change because...we didn't want to offend part of our customer base". She said more and more gay and lesbian couples are wanting "marriage", with all the traditional trappings. "The feedback I've found is that the same-sex couples who've been using the service...actually do see themselves as getting married-they're making the commitment and they want to communicate that to their family and friends," she said. "They could couch [their announcement] in terms of a 'special occasion' or whatever, but they actually want to use the bridal service. And this is why we've actually changed the system so that we can meet the needs of those customers." Pigdon also saw the change as a shrewd business move. Ben Widdicombe BISHOP SLAMS LIFESTYLE *Melbourne's new Catholic archbishop slams homosexuals in a book to be released later this year.* Archbishop George Pell's new book, Issues Of Faith And Morals, will hit bookstores in October and covers many areas of sexuality that caused controversy in the church for some time. Pell, who replaced Frank Little in July, describes the gay and lesbian lifestyle in his book as "a difficult life". He also states that "they have every right to be respected and well treated" before further condemning gays and lesbians. In the book, aimed at secondary school students, Pell writes, "the lifestyle should not be encouraged". He continues, "In accordance with the Church's teachings, homosexual unions should not be given the same legal status as heterosexual marriages." The bishop also claims men are naturally aggressive therefore they should be the protectors of women, that lust is a male affliction and that abortion should be opposed. Groups within the Catholic Church are concerned that Pell is expressing opinions that are too conservative for the nineties. POLICE ARREST ATTACKER *Police have arrested and charged a man for the recent knife attack on a gay St Kilda resident.* Thirty year-old Jehan Anushirvani has been charged with attempted murder, intentionally causing serious injury and recklessly causing serious injury. Anushirvani appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates to hear the charges on July 31, only three weeks after he allegedly stabbed his victim six times. Police believe that Anushirvani met his victim at a beach-side park in Elwood before going back to the man's flat in St Kilda. They believe that once inside the flat he attacked the man without provocation and that a violent struggle ensued before he stabbed his victim. GAY HATE STUDY *A new study shows that heterosexual men who say they hate gays are likely to have homosexual leanings themselves.* Researchers compared two groups of men-29 and 32 in each-who said they were heterosexual. One was homophobic, defined as having an irrational fear and hatred of homosexuals and also a dread of being close to them. The other group was not. When scientists exposed both groups to heterosexual, gay and lesbian erotic videos, more than half the men in the homophobic group showed arousal to videos showing gay sex, while less than a quarter of the non-homophobic group were aroused. BRIEFS Worthy wills A group of local solicitors are offering to draw up simple wills for people for only a small donation during Will Week between Monday, August 19 and Friday, August 23. Participants will be asked for a donation of $50 ($25 for pensioners and students) that will go towards raising money for the Gay & Lesbian Switchboard and the Victorian AIDS Council. For further enquiries phone ALSO on 9510 5569. New ANCA man The Minister for Health and Family Services, Michael Woolridge, has announced Chris Puplick, the President of the NSW Anti-Discrimination Board, as the new Chairman of the Australian National Council on AIDS (ANCA). Puplick said he was looking forward to the challenge of guiding ANCA through the next phase of the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS, including the Third National Strategy on HIV/AIDS, on which the Government will soon be seeking public comment. Human rights plea A submission was presented to the Sexuality Discrimination enquiry in NSW on August 7 by Human Rights Commissioner Chris Sidoti. He argued that there is a need to protect human rights on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender identity. Sidoti said, "There is a clear gap in federal human rights legislation. Gay men and lesbians and people of transgender identity have no effective protection under federal law and receive very inconsistent treatment under State and Territory law. Human rights are too important to be left to the accident of where the person happens to live." Diverse Prahran On Sunday, September 8, Diversity hits Commercial Road with 12 hours of non-stop celebrations. The street closure begins at midday with everything from a garden expo to a drag entourage. There will be 5 stages of music, colour and fashion with guests Babba, the King and Queen of Commercial Road, Naked City, Koruption and chart band Eclipse. Anti-violence campaign A Youth Violence Prevention Campaign developed by the Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project in NSW was launched at Sydney's Hard Rock Caf=E9 on the weekend. The campaign is an initiative to urge young people to get involved in promoting the message that violence is not acceptable against lesbians and gays. =3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+= =3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+ BOTTOM LINE Smartarse by Jeffrey Smart OLYMPIC APPETITE I've been knocking back so much Olympic Spirit, athletic reader, that I've done a hammy and popped my ligaments in sympathy with some of the competitors. Apart from a steamy passing interest in the footy, and a voyeuristic thrill during the men's tennis at the Australian Open, I am not normally a sports fan. Rugby leaves me cold, snooker tournaments see me reaching for the remote control, and lawn bowls gives me low blood pressure. But for the past two weeks I've been glued to the television, almost to the point of eschewing a pulsating evening full of fun at Virgin Mary's (whoops, apologies to the Catholics in the audience, I said The Name!) to stay home and watch the windsurfing time trials. Gay male Melbourne has been obsessed with Aleksandr (ain't that spelling cute?) Popov's performance in the 50 metres freestyle, and with Michael Murphy's form going into the diving heats. And after doing a quick straw poll at Virgin Mary's the other night (shit, sorry Mr Archbishop, I did it again) I can now announce that the exceptionally gorgeous South African woman who won a make-up bag full of medals in the pool will become the k d lang of the late 90s. Seeing her surging through the water so powerfully, the water sluicing off her tanned biceps and her fringe capriciously falling across her face, sent me into quite a spin I must say. Of course, for most of the time you had to watch with the sound turned down. Channel 7 must have paid a heck of a lot for the exclusive rights to broadcast the Games: so much that they had nothing left over to hire anyone who could actually write decent scripts for the announcers. Every night we were subject to more inane, sentimental rubbish. Take this tiny example from the commentary on the closing ceremony on August 5, in which the commentator was suggesting that viewers had formed close personal bonds with each member of the Australian team: "...and young athletes who perhaps we didn't know 16 days ago but who now, most enchantingly, are friends." Oh yeah? If they're such enchanting friends then give me the number of Andrew Ginn from the Oarsome Foursome and I'll have him over to dinner. On the subject of rowing, why is there a competition for the "Men's Coxless Fours"; they all looked quite intact to me when they were on the dais. I'm a sentimental old queen; I end up in tears every Olympic Games. You know how there's always some little competitor who wins a gold medal who comes from a country where she has to dodge bullets in order to train, or she has to swim with crocodiles, or has to practice the 400m sprint in gumboots because she doesn't have enough money to by Nike crosstrainers? These sorts of stories just choke me up. As do all those gorgeous divers, swimmers, gymnasts, cyclists, rowers, hockey players.... I might apply for the position of Supervisor of Young Athletic Things (Who Are a Little Bit Naughty and Perhaps Too Adventurous) in the Olympic Village when the Games come to Sydney. They're sure to hire a sports fan like moi. Jeffrey Smart =3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+= =3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+=3D+ 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