Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 08:26:00 +1000 From: leto@rabbit.com.au (Brendon Wickham) Subject: (Australia) Brother Sister News - 3/10/96 BROTHER SISTER - QUEER NEWS FROM DOWNUNDER Issue #116 - 3/10/96 Including: 1. Police need more education 2. Commission decision fought 3. New VAC board 4. Rugby team smash pub 5. Sexuality is suicide issue 6. Homophobic vendetta 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+ POLICE NEED MORE EDUCATION *Despite attempts at trying to patch up the relationship between police and the lesbian and gay community in this state, the Victorian police force is still seen to be lagging behind other states.* Members of the Police Lesbian and Gay Liaison Committee claim the Victoria Police is very backward in comparison to New South Wales and other countries in treating gay and lesbian issues seriously. Committee members are concerned that statistics of homophobic crimes and domestic violence are not kept by Victorian Police. Peter Horsley, a spokesperson for the committee, told Brother Sister: "Steps need to be taken for police to take gay and lesbian violence seriously." Whilst the Victorian Police have an advisory unit staffed by three to five people dealing in specialist areas such as Aborigines, ethnic minorities and youths, there is no lesbian and gay advisory unit. There is only one Gay Liaison Officer, Chief Inspector John Winther, located in Melbourne who devotes three per cent of his time to gay and lesbian issues, whereas within the New South Wales police force, there are 130. The Committee believes that not enough has been done to make a clear statement to the lesbian and gay community that their needs are being addressed and that police are taking gay hate violence seriously. "Until police see the special needs of countering homophobic hate crimes and domestic violence, appropriate strategies cannot be implemented," said Horsley. He also believes that there is a need for police to be educated in gay and lesbian issues. Horsley fears that the lack of education at supervisory levels has negated the effect of the training at lower levels, which is currently minimal. The committee wants a proper education programme instigated within all levels of the police force in order to develop the best methods of delivering material on homosexuality, homophobia as well as lesbian and gay violence. There have been between 25-30 gay murders in New South Wales since 1990 and perhaps five in Victoria. Because of the lower number of crimes there has been less pressure from the lesbian and gay community in Victoria, Horsley believes that the police have felt less warranted to direct serious action toward these cases. Horsley added: "Issues surrounding sexuality are still of a controversial nature, with some police maintaining the attitude that gays and lesbians are sex offenders. Hence, inadequate coverage is given as part of overall training. "For example, had the two key police officers at the Tasty Nightclub raid been educated in gay and lesbian issues, this [raid] may not have occurred." The Police Lesbian and Gay Liaison Committee invites members of the community to discuss what they feel needs to be done in the gay and lesbian community and police force. Their aim is to elect a working committee to establish aims and objectives. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 15, at 7.30pm at the Chris Gahan Community Centre, Greville Street, Prahran. Lee-Anne Richards COMMISSION DECISION FOUGHT *The Federal Government will contest a Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission decision which awarded spousal entitlement to a gay man and his partner.* The Government move, described by a Commission spokesperson as "ridiculous", follows a six-year battle by Jeff Kelland against his employer, the Department of Social Security (DSS). Kelland said that the department denied him "recognition of my partner as a dependent or dependent spouse for purposes of remote locality leave fares and district allowance" when he relocated to Darwin in 1988. Head of the commission Chris Sidoti found the DSS and the Department of Industrial Relations had acted in a discriminatory way by not paying those allowances. He recommended the department pay $6,380 for loss of allowances suffered because of this discrimination. Jeff Kelland has branded the Government's Federal Court application for a review of the commission recommendations as "small minded". "It all appears to stem from their obsession with what is marriage and in Commissioner Sidoti's determination, he made some comments on the definition of spouse which leaves it open for debate." The Government's application, to be heard on October 11, has indeed focussed on the commission's interpretation of the term "spouse" in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission Act 1986. It requests an order quashing the decision and a declaration that the Government has not engaged in a discriminatory act on the grounds of sexual preferences. It also asked for costs. A commission spokesperson said it was "ridiculous" for the Federal Government to be contesting Sidoti's recommendations. "It is pretty damn weak for the Government to take this action in the issue-it is a fairly clear-cut case of discrimination on the grounds of sexual preference," the spokesperson said. "Ours is a shaming power more than anything else. The DSS can refuse to pay the allowance anyway. "If the Federal Court finds the commissioner has erred in the law in some way, the HREOC will hear the case again, and ultimately Commissioner Sidoti will find the same form of discrimination," the spokesperson said. A spokesperson from Federal Industrial Relations Minister Peter Reith's office said: "This government has inherited from the previous government a number of instances involving public service determinations, regulations, awards and agreements which are inconsistent in the treatment of gender in terms of access to entitlements. "The government will treat the policy implications of these inconsistencies in due course." Ruth Pollard NEW VAC BOARD *New Victorian AIDS Council and Gay Men's Health Centre board members will meet next week to vote on new positions.* Recent elections found former president Joseph O'Reilly elected to both boards. Vocal opponent to recent Council reforms Mark Riley was also elected to the Health Centre board. Also elected onto the boards was their first ever country representative Jean Wyldbore, convenor of the Central Victorian HIV/AIDS Information, Resource and Support Group. Others elected included Darryl O'Donnell, Gary Ferguson, Brian Price, David Menadue and Michael Beresford-Smith. The boards are still awaiting a representative from the PLWHA community. President and treasurer positions are to be decided on once the boards are filled. RUGBY TEAM SMASH PUB *An end of season pub crawl by a Queensland Rugby Union Club ended in a violent spree at one of Brisbane's popular gay night clubs.* The Brothers' team ended their crawl at the Sportsman Hotel where equipment was broken, punches were thrown and beer glasses were smashed on the ground. Sportsman Hotel's Manager, said he was stunned when about 30-35 grown men flooded into the bar where twelve others were passing time. "There was really only one or two idiots among them but they caused a lot of damage pouring drinks on pool tables, breaking cues," he said. "The new clauses in the Liquor Licencing Act, that came in last June, forbids us to serve inebriated customers," the manager explained, "but the public doesn't know this so when we refuse them they become violent." The barman on duty was just one of the casualties. "It was pretty horrible and pretty quick," he said. "One boy was getting bashed really badly. I only got hit because I stepped in to pull them apart." Brother's President, David Dunworth, was distressed and disappointed by the incident. "I want to apologise to the gay and lesbian community. We do not condone this type of behaviour and have spent time and energy getting the club back on track and winning so this is last thing I expect," he said. "We are fully assisting police with their enquiries, giving them the names and addresses of all members concerned," Dunworth said. "We want it fully investigated. The club has already suspended players." The police, who are still investigating the incident, "were fabulous through the whole thing," the hotel's manager said. Rea Dennis SEXUALITY IS SUICIDE ISSUE *Lack of a gay role model or confidante is a leading cause of young homosexual men in rural Australia to commit suicide, a report released from the Central Queensland University says.* The report, which surveyed a series of international studies on suicide and homosexuality said antagonism toward homosexuality in country centres puts intolerable pressure on young men who may be struggling with their sexuality. The age of the highest incidence of suicide among young men is 17, just the age when confusion over sexual identity is likely, the document said. Greater attempts must be made in regional Australia to accept homosexuality. Citing statistics, the report says the suicide rate among 15 to 19 year old males has risen from 7.3 per 100,000 in 1968 to 17 per 100,000 in 1988. Pierre Baume, director of the Australian Institute of Suicide Research and Prevention, said there is no conclusive evidence that homosexuality is a significant factor in youth suicide. Alcohol and depression are more likely causes, he said. The report's author, Edward Green, who believes differently, said: "If we are to tackle the issue of youth suicide we must be honest and confrontational. It might be fashionable to be gay from a subcultural perspective, it is not fashionable, let alone acceptable, to ascribe a person's difficulty in coping with their sexual identity as a cause of suicide." The link between homosexuality and youth suicide will be further explored at the Health in Difference conference in Sydney this weekend. Additional research is currently being conducted in Western Australia. Rea Dennis (The ALSO Foundation is about to launch a new WWW site that aims to prevent lesbian and gay youth suicide by providing them with a tool to boost self-esteem. The site is now up and running and is located at http://www.also.org.au/outreach) HOMOPHOBIC VENDETTA *There have been more calls for the resignation of Chris Hunt from the p=E6dophilia inquiry he is heading up.* Hunt has been reported as telling people on a recent visit to Asia that he believes many of the p=E6dophilia allegations laid against our diplomats are because of a "homophobic vendetta". The Age reports that one leading organisation is now claiming that these comments mean the inquiry is no longer impartial. Previous calls for Hunt's resignation had come in response to an article that appeared in the Canberra Times in which Hunt claimed that the inquiry had so far only uncovered homophobia in the Department of =46oreign Affairs and Trade instead of the gay mafia that was claimed to have existed. The Federal Opposition is believed to be prepared to demand that a royal commission look into the affair if Hunt is disqualified. =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 THE MARLBORO NANCY I have no vices. Whatsoever. My days are full of good deeds, virtuous thoughts and healthy wheatgerm. My body is my temple, and I have the ticker of a fellow half my age. Those who know me are continually amazed by my commitment to a vigorous health regimen. Jane Fonda regularly consults me on topics from healthy bowel movements to appropriate yogic posture. After performing my mantras at dawn I swallow a handful of legumes and toss back a glass of fresh spinach juice. By midmorning I have munched my way through 3 of the 5 food groups; lunch sees me complete the set with some nuts, dried fruit, raw fish and a couple of seaweed capsules. I am normally in bed shortly after nightfall, following a hearty meal of bran. I sleep on a rock platform under a gushing waterfall deep in the bush, and I normally dream of world peace and complex environmental issues. Sometimes you'll find me at Virgin Mary's ordering the odd vodka from the similarly gorgeous and healthy Kia, but I only drink it for its digestive properties (all that bran, you understand). If I have a beer every now and again it's because I need the yeast. And the bubbles (they exercise the spleen, or so I'm told). Of course I do have one small vice. It's only minor really, a piffling concern: I smoke. I mean I'm really a non- smoker, I am absolutely not addicted and I can give it up whenever I want to. It's just that I haven't wanted to give up in the last ten years, that's all. Now I read that gay men and lesbians, according to presenters at the First National Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual Health Conference, are more likely to smoke than heterosexual men and women. What's more, it's worse in country Australia (I knew I was doomed, I'm from Ballarat). More alarming, according to research to be delivered at the conference, lesbians are actually being targeted by cigarette companies overseas, who are aiming advertising campaigns at them. Look out for the Marlboro Woman on a billboard near you. Honestly, smoking is a terrible and vile thing which none of us should be involved in. I have been trying to give up in the last two months or so (again). I was OK until that Diversity thingo in Commercial Road a couple of weeks ago; it was then, as we all got together for a drink and a chat, that I realised that just about everyone in the whole world, except for me, was smoking. Everywhere I looked, nancies and dykes were lighting up. This did nothing for my frame of mind and I went home in a foul mood. If you're trying to give up, stick at it with me, won't you? I did have a relapse last weekend at VM's and Uranus, where I think I single-handedly smoked my way through 3 tobacco plantations; but I'm off them again this week. If unscrupulous tobacco companies really are after the gay dollar, let's play hard to get. Perhaps it's time for a Queer Quit campaign. 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