Date: Sun, 8 Sep 1996 17:26:08 +1000 From: leto@rabbit.com.au (Brendon Wickham) Subject: (Australia) Brother Sister News - 5/9/96 BROTHER SISTER - QUEER NEWS FROM DOWNUNDER Issue #114 - 5/9/96 Including: 1. Catholics attack Virgin 2. New strategy rejected 3. Census bash 4. Kennet angers Tasmanians 5. Suicide study 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/ =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ CATHOLICS ATTACK VIRGIN *The Catholic Church has once again dragged gay and lesbian bar Virgin Mary's before a tribunal in an attempt to get the venue's name changed.* Former Catholic Church archbishop Sir Frank Little and his replacement George Pell are named as two of the party leading the fight against Virgin Mary's. Since the bar first opened earlier this year, Catholics have bombarded both the Stonnington Council and the venue with complaints about the name of the Commercial Road establishment, which they claim is blasphemous. A case against Virgin Mary's had already been thrown out by the Victorian Security Commission after the found nothing offensive about the name. The Catholic Church, along with representatives of the Islamic community, have now pursued the case with the Australian Security Commission. Three members of the commission, Graham MacDonald, David Elsun and Lula Rodopoulos heard the case at the Administrative and Appeals Tribunal earlier this week. The hearing drew over sixty spectators, reportedly the largest public showing for a tribunal case this year. Counsellors representing the church groups presented photos showing members of the drag nun organisation Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence at the Sydney Mardi Gras as evidence that the bar was an insult to Catholics. Ian Sutherland, QC for Virgin Mary's, accused the church's evidence as irrelevant and stood firm that the bar's name was not offensive. It is not known when the Commission will publish its findings. A representative told Brother Sister "it could be anything from a week to a month before the reserved decision is made". Bill Tianoulas, owner of Virgin Mary's, says he is prepared to appeal the decision if the finding is in favour of the church groups. He said to Brother Sister, "Personally, I believe they (the Catholic Church) are pursuing us only because we are a gay and lesbian establishment." The council is also interfering with the bar's name, forcing them to keep Virgin Mary's neon sign covered until they have a separate hearing to decide if its deemed offensive. If the council find it offensive, the bar will be still be allowed to trade under the name but will have to remove the sign and take the name off their awnings. Andrew Mast NEW STRATEGY REJECTED *Controversy has erupted with a peak body representing people living with HIV/AIDS condemning the final draft of the third National HIV/AIDS strategy.* The annual meeting of the National Association of People with HIV/AIDS in Sydney voted unanimously to condemn the draft Strategy on the grounds that it failed to address the importance of treatments in the quality of life of HIV positive people. Association President Alan Brotherton said, "our concerns about HIV treatments in the National Strategy were being ignored. People with HIV will not support the new National Strategy until it recognises the crucial importance of treatments in our lives and in our future." The draft National HIV/AIDS Strategy 1996-7 to 2000-1 states that "while the availability of new treatments and technology may have a profound effect on the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS, the commitment to education and prevention remains fundamental to this Strategy." Bill Whittaker, the Association's Treatments Spokesperson, said, "access to new treatments is a constant battle for people with HIV and our doctors. Australians with HIV continue to experience long delays in accessing new treatments, particularly because of the unresponsive Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme. "The draft Strategy makes no mention of these problems and proposes no solutions," he said. The Strategy, prepared by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services, defines the Federal Government's policy and program direction. It sets as its goal the elimination of HIV transmission, and the minimisation of the personal and social impact of HIV infection. Two significant changes include placing HIV/AIDS in the context of sexual health and other communicable diseases, and a change from Matched Funding and Special Funding Programs to consolidated Public Health Agreements with each State and Territory operational in the 1997-8 financial year. Announcements in the Federal Budget of the withdrawal of pharmaceutical subsidies and an end to tax rebates for those spending more than $1000 per year on pharmaceuticals may impact on the access of new treatments to HIV positive people. Also of concern is the renegotiation in 1998 of the Medicare Hospital Funding Grants for AIDS. Chargn Keenan CENSUS BASH *A series of gay bashings in the North Melbourne area is believed to be linked to the recent census survey.* Three gay men were attacked in their homes during one week of August. One of the victims told Brother Sister, "The two attackers were dressed smartly, they actually resembled police detectives which is why I answered the door to them." The attackers have known each of the victims' names and have robbed them following the assaults. Each victim had recently filled out their census form, indicating on them that they were gay. Not all victims had reported the crimes to the police and they believe that the census form, although confidential, is the link between the attacks. Police are not treating the reported attack as a gay bashing. Reports of gay bashings to the Brother Sister have increased in the recent weeks. One man was attacked with a broken glass at the Xchange Hotel on Sunday September 1 and required several stitches in the forehead. His attacker has been known to frequent gay bars in Melbourne and approaches men, identifying himself as straight. He is believed to have assaulted patrons in other venues around town. KENNETT ANGERS TASMANIANS *Tasmanian Gay And Lesbian Rights Group representative Rodney Croome reports how they are witnessing history repeating itself as Victoria hinders their High Court action.* In the 1860s, the Victorian Parliament passed laws that restricted immigration from Tasmanian to Victoria at a time when more and more people were sailing north across Bass Strait to try their luck on the Gold Fields. The Tasmanian establishment colluded. A mass exodus would undermine the highly repressive political system upon which its privilege was based, and with the end of convict transportation it needed to keep as many able- bodied workers as possible in Tasmania. 130 years on it seems that history is repeating itself. In June this year the Victorian Government intervened against the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group in our High Court challenge to Tasmania's anti-gay laws. The Court challenge itself was launched in November last year and is the latest stage of our eight-year battle to rid Tasmania of laws which stigmatise gay, lesbian and bisexual people as criminals. The case we have lodged asks the Court to find that Tasmanian anti-gay laws and the 1994 federal sexual privacy law are inconsistent and that therefore the Tasmanian laws are invalid under the Federal Constitution. A High Court decision in this case is important because the sexual privacy law was too vague to directly override the Tasmanian laws, and until a Court invalidates these laws, the Tasmanian Government will continue to use them to justify its many acts of discrimination against the gay and lesbian community. So that it can continue its regime of homophobic discrimination the Tasmanian Government has opposed our case. Its argument is that the case should not proceed because no-one has been arrested for private consenting adult gay sex for almost 15 years and there is no real issue at stake. Our response is simple. Even when the laws are not used to arrest people they create a climate of fear and intimidation. Furthermore, they continue to be used to justify everything from the banning in schools of any discussion of homosexuality, through to Hobart's annual gay and lesbian film festival. The Human Rights Commission will appear alongside us in Court to back up this claim, and much to our surprise even the Commonwealth Government has decided to make representations to the Court in support of our right to challenge the Tasmanian laws. But this list of powerful allies has not deterred Jeff Kennett from throwing his support behind Tasmanian Premier Tony Rundle. When the Court sits on September 10, legal counsel representing both Premiers will be standing shoulder to shoulder in defence of gay and lesbian oppression. When it was revealed that the Victorian Government has become involved in our case the State Attorney- General, Jan Wade, was quick to point out that her lawyers will be defending State's Rights and not the Tasmanian laws. What this means is that the Victorian Government wants to be able to violate the rights of its citizens with impunity. In Jeff Kennett's perfect world, neither the United Nations nor the Federal Government, and certainly not the High Court, should be able to intervene to protect the rights of ordinary Victorians from the predations of his Government. "We want to manage our own affairs free of outside interference"-it's the kind of argument that is run by despotic regimes the world over to camouflage human rights abuses. If this was the whole story it would be enough to warrant outrage and protest. But the scandal runs deeper. The fact is that the Victorian Government could have chosen any number of other cases as a hook from which to hang its State's Rights hat. Equally it could have chosen to quarantine this case from its war to the death with Canberra. It knows full well that the welfare of an untold number of gay and lesbian Tasmanians rests on the outcome of this litigation. But it is callously indifferent to such concerns. The fact is that it is happy to contribute its influence to the continued persecution of gay and lesbian Tasmanians. Jan Wade may employ rhetoric that dehomosexualises the issue. But whatever the professed goal of her Government, the effect of its intervention in our High Court case is the maintenance of sexual apartheid below the fortieth parallel. For this reason the Victorian Government's action is blatantly homophobic. Jeff Kennett's strategy relies on public apathy. Human rights test cases make poor copy. But it is possible to over turn this apathy if gay and lesbian Victorians shout loud and long enough. The kind of public revulsion over Tasmania's anti-gay laws that made Melbourne pivotal to the success of the boycott of Tasmanian produce in 1994 still has some resonance two years on. In particular, the fact that Victorians will be spending $15,000 every day that their lawyers appear in the High Court to oppose our case should be enough to stir ripples of discontent in a State starved of essential public services. When our opponents form alliances to oppress us, we too must work closely to ensure our freedom. Join with us to talk, write, fax and march and just maybe our Governments will think twice before they try to steal this freedom away. A rally opposing Kennett's intervention will take place on Parliament House steps, 5.30pm Monday September 9. SUICIDE STUDY A pilot study into the issues faced by young gay and bisexual men with suicidal tendencies looks set to pave the way for more detailed research and prevention programs. The study 'Sexuality Issues and Risk Taking Behaviour amongst WA gay and bisexual youth' has highlighted several key areas where prevention programs would be able to tackle issues that face young gay and bisexual males who have suicidal tendencies. The Western Australian AIDS Council and the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service of WA will jointly coordinate the Sexuality and Youth Suicide Project with the aid of a $200,000 grant from the Department of Health Services (Mental Health Branch). The project hopes to assist other youth suicide prevention programs across the country. The pilot study found the majority of respondents were aware of their sexuality by their early teens, but rarely considered approaching teachers, counsellors or nurses at school for support. It was also reported in the study that "since realising they were gay, the contemplation of suicide dropped to half of the sample and less than a third attempted suicide". The majority of respondents wished they were able to meet other gay people to help in "coming to terms" with their sexuality. They also cited isolation and limited knowledge of support agencies as problem areas. Brendan Bolger =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ BOTTOM LINE Smartarse by Jeffrey Smart DIVERSE PARTYING Coming soon to a shopping strip near you; a gay pride march to celebrate the wonders of our community. I can just see the homosexual social calendar ten years from now: Jan 1 Mordialloc Mixed Businesses Gay Pride March Jan 2 Murrumbeena Madness: Gay March Past Murrumbeena Mall Jan 3 Seddon Shops Salute the Homosexual Community Jan 4 Queens of Queens Street: Queer Parade in the City Jan 5 Doncaster Delights: Small Businesses of Doncaster Celebrate Homosexuality The number of street parties and pride marches in gay Melbourne has grown faster than a queen's credit card bill after a Saturday morning in Chapel Street. There's the opening of Midsumma in Brunswick Street, the Pride March in Fitzroy Street, and the Midsumma Carnival. On Sunday, September 8 we also have a street party in Commercial Road which aims to celebrate Diversity in the gay community. That's one party for every gay ghetto in Melbourne. They're popular things, these street parties, as the recent tussle between St Kilda and South Yarra for the rights to host the 97 Pride March demonstrated (pardon the pun). St Kilda won the battle, but never mind, South Yarra now has its own gay street parade. Let's hope the concentration of gay men and lesbians around North Fitzroy, St Kilda and Prahran/South Yarra continues. Imagine if we had to attend street parties all over Melbourne, from St Albans to Sassafrass! As every ghetto gets a party, you have to begin to wonder what they are really about. Do they give us a chance to show the world that we're gorgeous, gay and happy, or is their primary aim to promote the local gay and gay- friendly business? Street parties are, self-evidently, a great opportunity for business to have a bumper day and to demonstrate their commitment to the gay and lesbian community. In this sense a street party or march in a gay ghetto is a great marketing opportunity for small business. Socially they're fantastic too. We're a hedonistic bunch and love nothing more than showing off, swanning about and looking for opportunities to meet new people and spend some money. These bits of social and commercial frippery are fine and fun, and should be supported, but let's not forget that we also need to make bold, courageous public statements which challenge, shock, and educate. There is not, to my knowledge, a major gay street party or march outside the Melbourne metropolitan area. Perhaps the gay communities in Castlemaine, or Ballarat, or Traralgon or Wodonga need major public celebrations of homosexuality. Some of the locals would hate it, no doubt, but then that's what Pride Marches and street parties are all about; confronting, demonstrating, and celebrating. We shouldn't be getting pissed and congratulating ourselves for a show of community strength at yet another commercialised sausage sizzle in a gay ghetto. We need to make sure that these street parties are social statements and community celebrations first, and commercial opportunities second. Enjoy yourself on Sunday, September 8! Jeffrey Smart =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 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