Date: Sat, 2 Dec 1995 18:21:46 +1100 (EST)
From: leto@werple.net.au (Brendon Wickham)
Subject: (Australia) Brother Sister News - 30/11/95

BROTHER SISTER - QUEER NEWS FROM DOWNUNDER

Issue 94  -  30/11/95

Including:
1. Democrats sexuality Bill tabled
2. Aboriginal Health body gains gay officer
3. Mardi Gras gets tourism praise
4. Activists attack 'red-necked' WA
5. Tassie govt cracking?
6. IBM supports HIV charities

This and previous postings are archived for the QRD. Point
your URL to http://werple.net.au/~leto/news/index - or
go through the Pacific Region of the QRD at
http://www.qrd.org/qrd/world/pacific/


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DEMOCRATS SEXUALITY BILL TABLED

*The Australian Democrats this week introduced into Federal
Parliament the most comprehensive homosexual anti-
discrimination bill in the country's history.*

In a speech delivered to the Senate yesterday, Senator Sid
Spindler said: "The purpose of this bill is to ensure that
people receive equal treatment in areas governed by
Commonwealth law and are protected against discrimination
on the grounds of their sexuality or their transgender
identity."

If passed, the Sexuality Discrimination Bill 1995 would treat
anti-lesbian, gay and transgender "discrimination in
employment, education, superannuation, accommodation, the
provision of goods and services and other areas of
Commonwealth law .. in the same way that existing laws
prohibit discrimination on the grounds of gender, race and
disability."

Spindler said the bill was the product of more than a year's
consultation with gay,
lesbian and transgender communities in cities throughout
Australia. However, he accepted that "introducing a bill [into
Parliament] doesn't [necessarily] mean it'll be pushed to a
vote ... there's a possibility of waiting until after the election."

In a media release issued yesterday, Spindler said: "The bill
provides a challenge to the Keating Government and
Coalition parties to support basic legal equality for all
Australians."

But Mark Lever, spokesperson for Federal Attorney-General,
Michael Lavarch, dismissed the bill as "a gimmick". He said
introducing it in the last session of Parliament before an
election almost guaranteed the bill would lapse before being
voted upon, and be shelved.

He also said the bill may impinge on States' rights, exceeding
the Federal Parliament's constitutionally-mandated powers to
legislate.

"I don't want to belittle the bill," he said on Tuesday, "but
what Spindler is doing is of symbolic value only. It'll be
interesting to see how he gets around the constitutional
problems [the bill] raises."

On Wednesday, Spindler said: "In its 'view' on the Toonen
case, the UN Human Rights Committee said that the
reference to 'sex' in articles two and 26 is to be taken as
including sexual orientation." Spindler argued it is this,
according to the government's obligations under its
international treaties, which makes his legislation viable at
the Federal level.

This position was endorsed by Australian Council for
Lesbian and Gay Rights spokesperson, Brian Grieg. Grieg
denied the bill was "merely symbolic" and described it as "the
most profound and significant piece of human rights
legislation Australian has ever seen."

He said it was impossible for the Bill to lapse until it had been
voted on, which raised the question of "what the
government is going to do with it".
"Ironically, the Labor Party might be more likely to support
[the Bill] in opposition," said Grieg.

Liberal Party shadow Attorney-General, Amanda Vanstone,
said she had not seen Spindler's legislation and could not
comment on it. But she accepted there could be opposition
to it from individual MPs within the Federal Coalition.

In an effort to forestall what he described as "the hysterical
misrepresentations that will undoubtedly flood the airwaves",
Spindler said: "Let me emphasise the Bill does not promote
homosexuality, does not give any support to paedophiles,
does not attack the institution of marriage, but simply
equalises the legal position of same sex couples with defacto
heterosexual couples."

Spindler admitted the Bill "contains exemptions for
employment in churches and church schools for teachers and
persons seeking ordination and for accommodation in a
private home. The religious exemption applies if the
institution is acting in good faith and in accordance with the
tenets, beliefs or teachings of the particular religion."

Co-convenor of the NSW Gay and Lesbian Teachers and
Students Association, Derek Williams, said: "There should be
no exemptions for church schools because no evidence
exists to show why there should be an exemption. There's no
evidence to show that gay and lesbian teachers are a danger
to children, and if they are, they shouldn't be teaching in the
state system either."

Ben Widdicombe, SSO


KOORI HEALTH BODY GAINS GAY OFFICER

*The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service has been granted
funding to create a gay Kooris' project as part of their
HIV/AIDS work within the community.*

Director of the Aboriginal Health Service Dr Ian Anderson
has announced Les Baksh will be heading up the project
which has been funded for a trial period until the end of June
next year.

Anderson told Brother Sister that the Service had been
funded specifically for the role and that it would be
evaluated after six months.

"I will be very disappointed if it is not ongoing," said
Anderson. "We had previously put in joint submissions with
the Victorian AIDS Council without any success."

The Commonwealth-funded gay project was eventually
given the green-light without the AIDS Council as a partner.

The general manager of the Council, Bernard Gardiner, is
enthusiastic about the appointment: "That we have applied
for three years in a row to create a position for a Koori liaison
officer shows how important we think it is."

The AIDS Council hopes it can still play a part in the
development of the new project at the Aboriginal Health
Service.

"We are really excited and are willing to support Les in any
way that we can. The AIDS Council is making its facilities
available to him.

"Our facilities may be needed for those who wish to make
use of the project but find it difficult to come out within their
own community."

The Victorian Health Department also claims to be taking on
a supportive role for the project with a spokesperson
reporting that they had extensive consultation with the
Koori community as to the structure of Baksh's position.

Anderson also reiterated that different groups within the
Koori community were consulted to decide exactly what was
needed for gay Kooris living with HIV/AIDS.

"We had to develop models of peer education," explained
Anderson. "We had to work with the already existing
Aboriginal networks and use them as a basis for developing
this new project."

The Aboriginal Health Service has had a HIV/AIDS team for
10 years and began liaising with different Koori community
groups when the gay project was initiated last year.

Anderson views the project as pro-active and hopes it has
been created soon enough to combat what he sees as
"increasingly an issue across Australia."
The project, according to Anderson, is one of very few gay-
identified Koori initiatives in Australia.

Andrew Mast


MARDI GRAS GETS TOURISM PRAISE

*Premier Bob Carr has cited the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
Festival as an important factor in boosting Sydney's
international profile as a tourist destination.*

Opening last week's NSW Tourism Conference - which for
the first time included a workshop on the niche market of
gay and lesbian travel - Carr announced that Sydney has
been voted the world's best city for tourists in a survey
conducted by the magazine publishers, Conde Nast.

He made specific mention of the significance of the Mardi
Gras Festival to the state's tourism industry, not only in dollar
terms but in its unique celebration of arts and culture.

He added how important it was to protect the relevant areas
of the showground for ongoing use by the gay and lesbian
community.

The conference was also told that Sydney ranks among the
world's tope three holiday destinations among North
American gay tourists.

Lynne Hocking, founder of the travel group Destination
DownUnder, said a recent survey of US travel agents
revealed that Sydney, Greece and Amsterdam were the most
popular destinations for gays and lesbians.

The survey also confirmed that gays are an extremely
lucrative market for travel agents - they take 4.2 times as
many trips by air as the national average and they have 4.6
times more American Express Gold cards than the national
average.

Hocking, whose company now organises holidays for more
than 1,500 gays and lesbians a year, said that mainstream
travel agents are increasingly educating their staff to meet
the needs of gay and lesbian travellers in a bid to be regarded
as gay friendly.

Professionalism without prejudice was the key to being part
of this growing market, she concluded.

Mardi Gras president, Bev Lange, told delegates that over 50
major events will be featured in next year's month-long
Mardi Gras Festival.

According to the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Association,
international visitors to the festival pump an extra $12 million
into the Sydney economy during their stay.

Tourism New South Wales chief executive Tony Thirwell
said the latest figures released by the Bureau of Tourism
Research confirmed that the state's tourism industry was
booming.

International travel to NSW grew 15 percent in 1994-95 to
reach a record 2.3 million visitors - well above the national
increase of 11 percent.

Rosemary Hopkins, SSO


ACTIVISTS ATTACK 'RED NECKED' WA

*Western Australia is fast becoming the most red-necked and
backward state in Australia according to one Perth gay
activist, outraged by weeks of attacks on gay and lesbian
rights by the Liberal Party.*

The WA Liberal Party State Council this month passed a
motion to ban all government funding of "events such as the
Sydney Gay Mardi Gras and the Perth Gay and Lesbian
Pride Parade."

The motion was put forward by the WA Young Liberals and
ratified by State Council.

Young Liberals president Marc Dale said that governments
shouldn't be propping up or funding events or festivals
aimed at minority groups that are not accessible to the
broader community.

Dale claimed the Young Liberals "very much support" the
rights of people to take to the streets and very clearly and
loudly express themselves, but drew the line at lewd
behaviour.

"We have problems with promotion of events in which there
are acts or displays that under normal circumstances would
come under rules of censorship, and are sanctioned because
they are part of the parade."

Dale said that it was not just the Pride Parade that was at
issue but also other gay and lesbian events funded by
Healthways and organisations such as the WA AIDS
Council.

WAAC executive director Mark Goggin said that the
Council's sponsorship of the Pride Parade and Festival
amounted to $500.

Approximately $2500 was raised by WAAC from donations
during the parade.
"The sponsorship money came from non government funds
as do all community events," Goggin said.

"Even if it didn't, why would that not be defensible? It is part
of the community development plan of HIV AIDS prevention
in the context of the gay community."

WA's Australian Council for Lesbian and Gay Right delegate
Brian Grieg said the motion was simply idiotic prejudice
because the Pride Parade does not receive any funding from
the State Government.

"This motion was passed purely as an attack on the political
and cultural expression of the gay and lesbian community,"
he said.

"WA is fast becoming the most red necked and backward
state in the country."

Danae Gibson, WSO


TASSIE GOVT CRACKING?
The Tasmanian Government is showing cracks in its hardline
stance against the gay and lesbian community. At a national
youth conference in Hobart last week, Tasmanian Health
Minister, Roger Groom released a youth health strategy
which mentions lesbian and gay youth as a disadvantaged
section of the youth population.


IBM SUPPORTS HIV CHARITIES
In a new campaign for IBM's PC operating system, OS/2
Warp, the company is donating $5 from each package sold
through the campaign to AIDS support groups. Among the
beneficiaries of this campaign will be the David Williams
Fund. If purchasing one of these systems make sure you
present the coupon on page 13.


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BOTTOM LINE

BACK TO SCHOOL

Last weekend I went to the 10 year reunion of my HSC class
from Ballarat High School. I was sure I'd be bashed about
one second after walking into the pub (where else do you
have a school reunion), but I survived, and even enjoyed
myself.

When I left Ballarat ten years ago to come to Melbourne I
was a burgeoning homosexual. I had known I was gay since
about grade 4 when I had my first major crush on another
boy, but I didn't know how to deal with the fact.
In the past ten years I've grown up and come out, and
everyone in my life knows that I'm a screaming queen. So it
was bizarre, when planning on headin' on down to the
school reunion to think that most of the people there would
not know (officially) that I am a homosexual.

I went looking for closure, to be truly me in front of people I
had spent my adolescent years with, to prove that I could do
it.

The minute I arrived in Ballarat a friend and I - Michael
(divine and also gay) - went to a pub and ordered four pots
and plenty of ashtrays.

A bit of dutch courage and two more steps on the road to
emphysema later we arrived at the reunion. The first person I
saw was Wendy, a girl I went out with in year 10. As I
downed my fifth beer in about half an hour she asked (all
peaches and cream), 'So are you married, do you have any
kids?' I spat my dentures into the glass and spluttered, 'Um,
no.' I raced straight to the bar and ordered a double vodka
on ice.

Back in the fray I grew braver. Whenever someone asked if I
was married I'd say, 'No, I'm gay and single.' Reactions varied;
one person hugged me, a couple raised their eyebrows and
changed the subject to babies. Most people were not
surprised and took it all in their stride.

Wendy came over to talk again after I'd downed about three
kegs. I brazenly opened the conversation with, 'Wendy,
before when you asked me if I was married I said no. In fact I
should have said that I'm gay and can't get married (legally).
Just thought I'd let you know.'

Poor Wendy; talk about putting a girl on the spot. She
nodded and smiled nervously (well, what else do you do?),
and was as reasonable and understanding as I knew she
would be.

It was like stitching my life together, in a way. Now I'm
totally and completely out, as far as I know. There is no one
left to tell. Feels peculiar, and slightly anti-climatic. I thought
that maybe Michael and I would return to the ten year
reunion as a couple of pink avengers, savaging homophobes
and canonising those who did not blink an eye at the news.
Instead we added another dimension to our stories about
ourselves, in the same way that other people did by telling us
about their children and partners.

I ended the night in a drunken stupor, having lost my heart
to a boy I barely remember from school but who had the
cutest bum and the sweetest smile at the reunion. I had a
dream that night: Mr Bum and I were standing at a picket
fence with our arms around each other, dressed in our
uniforms and aged about 80. Must have been all the talk
about weddings.

Jeffrey Smart

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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