Date: Tue, 5 Nov 1996 17:40:45 +1000 From: leto@rabbit.com.au (Brendon Wickham) Subject: (Australia) Brother Sister News - 31/10/96 BROTHER SISTER - QUEER NEWS FROM DOWNUNDER Issue #118 - 31/10/96 Including: 1. Churches force Virgin Mary's name change 2. ALSO offers OutReach 3. Court rulings slammed 4. Small town flies rainbow flag 5. Massive boost for carers 6. More leather celebrations 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+ CHURCHES FORCE VIRGIN MARY'S NAME CHANGE *The gay and lesbian Virgin Mary's bar in Commercial Road has been forced to change its name after the Administrative Appeals Tribunal ruled on Friday that the name is unacceptable for corporate registration.* A spokesperson from the Australian Securities Commission (ASC), which had registered Virgin Mary's name, told Brother Sister that on October 25 the majority voted 2 to 1 that the name is likely to be offensive to a section of the public (namely members of the Christian and Islamic faiths) and is consequently unacceptable for registration. When the name was originally registered, he said, they did not consider the wider implications of its use. Witnesses in support of the application said they found the name offensive, repugnant, disrespectful, blasphemous, and misleading, and that the name was being exploited in a commercial context without any connection to a recognised Christian religious faith. Witnesses said that the Virgin Mary occupied a special and unique position in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Islamic faiths. They believe the Virgin Mary to be the mother of Jesus Christ. At the tribunal one woman describing herself as a Catholic mother gave oral evidence in the form of the "Hail Mary". She added, "Mary epitomises the dignity of every woman". Babette Francis, a representative of the Christian Endeavour Foundation told the Tribunal that she found it so offensive that she had discontinued her shopping and no longer went to restaurants in the area, avoided driving past it and would not take visitors to the area. At the Tribunal, Father Robarts, an Anglican priest and the National President of the Association for the Apostolic Ministry expressed that "She's God's property, not some company's". The disappointed owner of Virgin Mary's, Bill Tianoulas, said, "It's ridiculous but when you've got a bunch of old fogies what can you do". Tianoulas told Brother Sister that the application has already cost him $15,000 and unfortunately he can't afford to take the matter to the Supreme Court. He added that he did not have the financial backing of his adversaries, "The Catholic Church has the funds but I don't." The Tribunal hearing also revealed the Securities Commission had earlier refused "Jesus Christ Marketing and Public Relations Pty Ltd" as a company name on the basis that it was thought undesirable for the name "Jesus Christ" to be associated with "public relations". The bar has been forced to abbreviate its trading name to VM's by December 6. Lee-Anne Richards ALSO OFFERS OUTREACH *The Kennett Government's gay and lesbian spokesperson, Louise Asher will join with ALSO's Community Development and Welfare Working Group to publicly launch an exciting Internet Project called Outreach.* Outreach is a project developed by former Brother Sister contributor Brendon Wickham and consultant Virginia Barratt, the Working Group, Executive Officer Darren Ray and many community volunteers. The project is aimed at young people who are facing the confusion and isolation of coming to an understanding of, and embracing, their sexual difference. Research has shown that these teenagers and adolescents often experience significant trauma in the process and many are unable to see a way out. Co-convenor Rosemaree McGuinness said that Outreach was "about reclaiming the youth suicide agenda within the gay, lesbian and allied communities". McGuinness continued: "It's not a crass American 'how to commit suicide' page or an unwieldy academic labyrinth. Outreach talks to young people in their own language. "Whether queer, gay, lesbian or whatever, it attacks the myth that young people grappling with their sexuality are alone." Internet designer and publisher Virginia Barratt explained that the site acts in two ways. On the first level, there are easy to read pages on topics such as films, music and religion. The second level backs this general information with a comprehensive links page to allow young people to interact with and seek support from each other. ALSO's Executive Officer Darren Ray said that Outreach would receive an enormous amount of net traffic. Ray: "The word will get around that Outreach's links page is among the most comprehensive and up-to-date net resources on youth sexuality and culture currently available. "There are very few similar sites on the net and Outreach's accessibility will be a fresh addition." The project will be launched on November 7. COURT RULINGS SLAMMED A district court judge who presided over two controversial court cases involving "homosexual advance" has come under fire from senior legal figures and is the subject of a complaint lodged with the Judicial Commission. Crown Prosecutor Nick Harrison confirmed this week that he had asked the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to examine Judge Graham Armitage's handling of an assault case involving a North Coast gay man, Michael Peoples. The DPP decided not to take action but a complaint about the judge's behaviour was subsequently lodged with the Judicial Commission by Michael Peoples. Peoples sustained multiple and severe cuts to his face and neck earlier this year when a man he had invited back to his motel room assaulted him with a broken beer bottle. The man admitted to the assault in a police statement, but said he was defending himself against a homosexual advance. People pressed charges, but when the matter came before a Lismore court earlier this year, Armitage told the jury there was little evidence to convict. The matter was dismissed. In a separate court hearing in Sydney this month, Armitage heard evidence involving a gay man who was drugged and robbed by another man after they met in Oxford Street and went home together. The man who was robbed was not asked to give evidence during the trial, and Armitage said he was satisfied the accused had not drugged the gay man to rob him but to keep him "quiet" and to prevent homosexual advances. The accused in this case was sentenced to one year's periodic detention. "If the reports of the judge's behaviour are correct, then it is an example of why we need education of the judiciary as recommended in the NSW Attorney-General's discussion paper on 'homosexual advance defence'," said barrister David Buchanan. "I have to say it's fairly difficult to understand who the judge could tell the jury [in the Lismore case] that there is no evidence to convict, and how that direction can be consistent with the judicial oath. "When you take the Lismore and Sydney cases together, there would appear to be a clear example of homophobia skewing the operation of the judicial system." Crown Prosecutor Nick Harrison said this week he was so concerned by Armitage's comments that he applied to have the trial aborted. Armitage refused his request. The chief executive of the Judicial Commission, Ernie Schmatt, said this week secrecy provisions attached to the Commission prohibit him from disclosing any information regarding complaints. However, the Commission is empowered to deal with complaints against judicial officers, and is obliged to conduct a preliminary investigation. If the complaint is substantiated and classified as "serious", Parliament may be asked to consider removing the judge from office. Dominic O'Grady SMALL TOWN FLIES RAINBOW FLAG Despite some opposition, the Town of Vincent will become the first local authority in Western Australia to fly the Rainbow flag in recognition of its gay and lesbian citizens next week. The flag will be raised at the Town of Vincent's chambers on the corner of Loftus and Vincent Streets in Leederville from October 28 to November 3, the final week of the 1996 Pride Festival. One of Vincent's two openly gay councillors, John Hyde, moved to have the flag raised as an acknowledgement of Pride celebrations. Hyde said that while Australians were not prolific flag flyers, in a walk through five of Vincent's precincts he had noted one Australian, one Vietnamese, one Aboriginal and four Rainbow flags displayed by residents and businesses. "As with our flying the Aboriginal flag during NAIDOC Week, I was approached by Vincent residents requesting we recognise Pride," he said. Councillors voted 6-3 in favour of the motion, with Mayor Jack Mark's supporting the motion despite not being required to do so. Mount Hawthorn ward Councillors Joan Watters, Basilio =46rancina and John Little opposed the motion. Little said his opposition to flying the flag stemmed "solely from the fact that there's no precedent to do so". "Research done by our officers shows that the Aboriginal flag is recognised by international authorities, but the Rainbow flag is not," he said. Earlier this month Little announce that for the remainder of the 1996 Pride Festival he would donate five per cent of the takings from his business, the Red Rose Caf=E9 in North Perth, to the Australian Council for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The Rainbow Flag, also known as the Freedom flag, was designed by American Gilbert Baker and was first flown in 1978 and originally featured eight stripes. Pink and indigo were deleted before the flag was widely adopted. Hyde said that while the flag was internationally recognised as representing diversity, tolerance and the lesbian and gay community, it also embraced conservation and social justice groups. "I proudly stuffed envelopes for Jesse Jackson in Seattle under the Rainbow Flag for his 1988 Presidential bid," he said. WSO MASSIVE BOOST FOR CARERS *Carers of people living with HIV/AIDS have been promised a $2.5 million boost from the state government.* The Health Minister Rob Knowles this week announced a four-year programme aimed at boosting standards for carers. The $2.5 million dollar promise was part of a larger $100 million package for all types of carers, including those who care for the elderly, the mentally ill and physically disabled. The boost to carers of people living with HIV/AIDS is intended to help expand the carers' networks and improve access to support services and respite care. The package was initially promised during the March elections and has finally come about after nearly half a year of negotiations with various health organisations. The government claims that the package was influenced research into carers' needs not by any imposed prescription. Programs that are a part of the package are promised to be sharply tailored to those needs. Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett hopes that the package will also increase the profile of carers in the local community, a task that he believes is often thankless and overlooked by a majority of the public. The package includes new strategies for carers of people living with HIV/AIDS in both the metropolitan and regional areas. MORE LEATHER CELEBRATIONS Melbourne will again experience a mini-leather festival over the Melbourne Cup long weekend with lots of fabulous events scheduled. Tonight at The Laird is Leather Night starting at 9.30pm with the Melbourne Leather Men. Tomorrow from 9pm-3am join the Eagle Melbourne, Australia's first Eagle Bar, at The Laird for one night only. On Saturday, November 2 from 8 till late catch the Rubber Gang in action at the Eagle Lodge. On Sunday, November 3 the Leather Bikers ride at 9.30am. It's not over yet! on Monday, November 4 there's a Leather Gang Bang at Eagle Lodge, 8.30pm. The long weekend wraps up on Tuesday, November 5 with a Melbourne Leather Men Beer Bust at The Laird from 1-5pm. More details are avaialble from Eagle Leather and The Laird Hotel. =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 other day I had an attack of the Pauline Hansons. I was listening to some right-wing political mouthpiece on the radio going on about lowering immigration levels, cutting support to aboriginal people, and unnatural homosexual acts. The mouthpiece kept getting her tenses all jumbled up (you know, one minute she was speaking in the present indicative, then she'd slip into the pluperfect before zipping effortlessly from the conditional to the subjunctive), and saying "somethink" and "nothink" for "something" and "nothing". "They shouldn't let people into this country unless they can speak the Queen's English!" I roared, without a glimmer of irony, outraged at the grammatical licentiousness of the speaker. Then I recognised the snarling nasal tones, the moral affront and self-righteous indignance; it was Pauline herself! Good heavens, I warbled as I collapsed to the pavement; even Pauline Hanson would be refused a resident's visa on the basis of her strict new immigration requirements. How many more of us would have to pack our bags and depart these sunburnt shores if Pauline's suggestions were adopted by Federal Parliament? People of Asian descent, I guess, would be forced to leave. Homosexuals would definitely have to go (or reform). Aboriginal people might need to go too, unless they cleaned up their act and became good little entrepreneurs or something. It'd be a pretty boring place if the lot of us shouldered our duffle bags and fled to New Zealand, wouldn't it? There'd really just be Pauline, John Howard, and a couple of Queensland Nationals left tooling around in the vastness of Australia. They wouldn't even fill the dance floor at Club Deluxe. I can't understand why Pauline Hanson is so popular. She's hardly a Versace house model, in her shoulder pads, big faux brass buttons, lapels like you wouldn't believe and waist line clinched by fabric-covered belts. She used to run a fish and chip shop, she's never recorded a song, and there's not even a Pauline line of fragrances and lipsticks. Pauline Hanson is a creation of John Howard. During the election campaign she made characteristically appalling remarks about aboriginal people; the comments were racist and cruel. The Liberal Party, quite uncharacteristically, moved quickly to dissociate itself from her by disendorsing her for the seat of Oxley. The whole story, potentially extremely politically damaging, was over within days. John's feeling a bit more daring as Prime Minister, and has refused to condemn Hanson and her views since she made her maiden speech (what a silly term) as an Independent to the Federal Parliament. The Australian and international media have seized on this refusal and the story will not die. The longer it goes on the more "support" Hanson garners, and the more damage we suffer domestically and internationally. Pauline Hanson is just a shopkeeper from Ipswich who has something against poofs, blacks and migrants. Problem is she's getting so much press that she has acted as a lighting rod, attracting support from like- minded people all over the country. I think competitors in this year's Ms Wicked competition better watch out; there's one Queensland entrant who's currently tipped hot favourite, even though she's not a dyke. 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