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WIMMINS-WEB
NEWS ARCHIVES
2002
TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES SAME SEX COUPLE LAW CHANGE LEGISLATION.
Lesbian and Gay Media Release
Tuesday September 24th 2002
Tasmanian gay and lesbian advocates have welcomed the State
Government's announcement that it will soon introduce legislation to recognise
same sex and other significant personal relationships.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said that
the proposed legislation will bring together the best elements of similar laws
in other states and provide Tasmanians with the most comprehensive and
progressive relationship laws in the
country.
"The Government is to be commended for its proposal to recognise not only
same sex couples, but all significant personal relationships, in all those
Tasmanian laws which currently disadvantage them", Mr. Croome said.
"This reform will ensure Tasmania continues to set benchmarks for gay and
lesbian law reform in Australia."
The Government announcement came during the speech by Governor Sir Guy Green
marking the opening of Parliament.
In his speech, Sir Guy also noted that "there has been an undeniable
improvement in the way Tasmania is perceived nationally and internationally
because of gay law reform and the introduction of the best anti-discrimination
legislation in Australia".
State Attorney-General, Judy Jackson, said that the proposed legislation will
recognise that the concept of family and
relationships in Tasmania has moved into the 21st century.
"The Tasmanian law in relation to many areas is deficient and
discriminatory when dealing with parties to a non-traditional personal
relationship such as a same sex relationship", Ms Jackson said.
"It's significant that following the September 11th terrorist attacks in
the United States, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Governor George Pataki
successfully lobbied the White House for compensation for surviving partners of
same sex relationships."
"As a Government and a community, we must respect the diversity of our
community in all its forms."
"The Government will amend all Acts of Parliament which discriminate
between married and de facto heterosexual couples on one hand, and same sex
couples and people in significant relationships on the other."
Ms Jackson has established a working group to collate the more than 120
different state laws which currently discriminate against significant personal
relationships and finalise details of the legislation.
Mr. Croome said he believes reform has a good chance in the states traditionally
conservative and largely independent Upper House.
"The Upper House is much less antagonistic to lesbian and gay issues
than it once was, and the fact that the Liberal opposition has agreed to a
conscience vote on the issue will encourage Upper House members to support
reform."
Legislation is expected to be introduced to the House of Assembly well before the end of the year.
For further information contact the TGLRG office on 0409 010 668 or State Government media officer, Andrea Davie, on 03 62332305 or 0419873219.
TWO MUMS PLUS A DAD EQUALS NO WORRIES
By Adele Horin.
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
31st October '02
Most lesbian parents enjoy a high level of acceptance and support in the community, a new study by Melbourne University reveals. And most of the children have continuing contact with their fathers - even when the men had been sperm donors.
The study will be
presented at a national conference on lesbian and gay health starting in Sydney
tonight.
Lesbian mothers reported
little discrimination and said their children were well accepted. But many
mothers felt under scrutiny, as if they had to prove themselves, the study
found. And many had carefully selected their support networks - doctors,
schools and child care centres - to maximize acceptance.
"They have spent
a lot of time thinking and planning before they even attempted to get
pregnant," said the study's lead author, Dr Ruth McNair, a senior lecturer
in the Department of General Practice at the University of
Melbourne.
The survey of 267 lesbian mothers found most had a strong belief in children's right to know their biological father and to have some contact with him. And these women were happiest when the men wanted to be known to the child and to be involved to some extent. More than 68 per cent of the men described as "fathers" by the women - many of them ex-husbands - were actively involved in their children's lives. As well, 40 per cent of the men described by the women as "donors" were also actively involved.
About 40 per cent of
the women had their children while married. Where children were born in the
context of a lesbian relationship, only a few of the sperm donors were fully
co-parenting. The same-sex couples saw themselves as the parents, and the
biological father - usually a friend or acquaintance - as a donor with limited
rights and responsibilities.
Jo Tilly and Penny Sharpe, of
St Peters, are good friends with the man who fathered Jemima, 3. "We
wanted to make sure our children knew who their biological father was," Ms
Tilly said. "We were not looking for someone to be 'Dad' but someone
who would be available."
She said the man was not
special to Jemima at the moment but if she wanted to get to know him better that
would be fine.
The study, also involving La Trobe University and the Australian Institute of Family Studies, found a minority of women had used anonymous donor sperm from a sperm bank.
 |
FIRST AUSTRALIAN STUDY ON YOUNG LESBIAN HEALTH
MEDIA RELEASE
31st October '02
Results of the first Australian population-based study to
compare the health status of young lesbians and bisexual women with heterosexual
women will be presented at the Health in Difference 4 Conference tomorrow.
The fourth national conference on lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual health
is part of the part of the Global Rights Conference program of Sydney 2002 Gay
Games VI opens today and will conclude on Saturday.
----------
"A collaborative team from the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society and the University of Melbourne will present findings from the Women's Health Australia study in 2000 which, for the first time, included a question about sexual orientation," said Health in Difference convener Maude Frances.
"Speakers Lynne Hillier, Ruth McNair and Philomena Horsley will discuss the comparisons regarding drug use, mental health status and health service usage.
"More than 9,000 young women participated in the WHA
study and it is a significant study for lesbian health research in Australia.
The findings clearly demonstrate the need for health promotion work to
specifically target lesbians," Ms Frances said.
Young lesbians and bisexual women consulted with a greater variety of health
care services including a higher use of alternative health practitioners and
reported lower levels of overall satisfaction with health services.
Data from the middle-aged group of women in the WHA study will be analysed early
next year and WHA researchers are being lobbied to include sexual identity as a
question in the surveys for older women.
GAY LAW REFORMS TO HIT CHURCH SCHOOLS
Wayne Smith, Matthew Franklin and Michael McKinnon
Courier-Mail
7th November '02
CATHOLIC schools no longer will be able to refuse to employ a teacher simply
because he or she is homosexual, under amended anti-discrimination legislation
introduced to State Parliament.
An exemption granted by the 1991 Anti-Discrimination Act to religious schools to
reject a teacher on the grounds of sexuality has been taken away under the
Discrimination Law Amendment Bill brought in by Attorney-General Rod Welford on
Wednesday.
Premier Beattie said yesterday the Catholic system still would be permitted to
discriminate in favour of Catholics. "If the Catholic system wants to
employ a Catholic teacher, they can," he said.
If two equal candidates -- one Catholic, the other Anglican -- applied for a
teaching position in a Catholic school, the school would still be entitled under
the new legislation to favour the Catholic.
However, the Premier said if two Catholic candidates -- one heterosexual, the
other homosexual -- presented for an interview, the position would have to be
determined entirely on professional merit.
"You can't be discriminated against on the grounds that you're gay,"
he said.
The National Party has cautiously backed most of the reforms, only three years
after deputy leader Vaughan Johnson said anyone who backed a previous package
would be struck down by Jesus Christ.
Opposition Leader Mike Horan said community attitudes towards gays and lesbians
had changed in recent years.
"Society has got to the stage where we accept that it has gays and lesbians
and they have jobs in just about all different areas of the workforce," Mr.
Horan said.
"They are not necessarily the sexual predators. Sexual predators come from
a whole range of people."
Mr. Horan said he had told his National Party annual conference this year
that his idea of leadership involved ensuring all members of society had "a
fair go". This extended to equality for people regardless of their
sexuality.
Mr. Horan said his MPs had not yet had the chance to discuss the proposals in
detail but that the party room would take a tolerant but cautious approach.
Based on what they knew of the legislation, the Nationals would back acceptance
of gay teachers but baulk at the idea that people who have sex-change operations
should be able to have a new birth certificate issued in their new name.
Liberal Party leader Bob Quinn said the changes would have his party's full
backing.
"We believe that individuals have the right to choose their own living
arrangements free from discrimination in the workforce and other areas,"
Mr. Quinn said.
Christian Schools Australia yesterday opposed the legislation, saying Christian
schools should be able to discriminate against teachers on the basis of
sexuality.
Chief executive Stephen O'Doherty said the proposals were divisive,
ill-considered and unnecessary.
"The lack of open public debate on the issues shows no case has been made
for such a radical change to current practice," Mr. O'Doherty said.
He said religious schools should be able to discriminate against teachers on the
basis of sexuality because of the importance of teachers abiding by Christian
beliefs at school and in their lives.
"Based on the Bible, Christian schools teach that God's ideal for
individual families and society is a commitment to monogamous, faithful,
heterosexual relationships," he said.
"The law as it stands recognizes that to teach in a religious school
setting -- Christian or otherwise -- requires that teachers adhere to the faith
concerned."
discrimination
laws to be reviewed.
12 November 2002
ABC News Online
The South Australian
State Government has announced a review of the state's
discrimination laws.
The review will look at protection for same sex couples, and an expansion
of the grounds of discrimination including age and family and caring
responsibilities.
The review group will include the Equal Opportunity Commissioner, as well
as representatives from the Office of the Status Of Women and the Minister
for Aboriginal Affairs.
The Attorney-General, Michael Atkinson, says while Equal Opportunity and
Racial Vilification laws were reformist and contemporary when introduced,
it is now time to re-examine them.
Recommendations are due by mid-2003.
ABC 2002
SOURCE
Democrats'
Laws Protect Gay Teachers
14 November 2002
Federal anti-discrimination laws negotiated by the Australian Democrats in 1996 protect gay and lesbian teachers from unlawful dismissal, despite state attempts to do otherwise.
Democrat spokes person for Law and Justice, Senator Brian Greig, says his party successfully amended the Workplace Relations Act in 1996, to outlaw unlawful dismissal on the grounds of sexual orientation.
"The current fuss being made by some Church groups and National Party MP's in Queensland demanding the right to refuse employment to homosexual teachers is a nonsense," Senator Greig said.
"The fact is you cannot know someone's sexuality unless you ask them,
and
such questions are inappropriate and should not be asked during job
interviews.
"Once employed, it is then unlawful to sack them for being gay or lesbian if employers later find out. This Commonwealth protection applies to all workers, both State and Federal, and includes Church schools," Senator Greig said.
"Attempts to make it legal to refuse employment to gay and lesbian people, simply means homosexual workers will hide their sexuality, or lie about it, in order to achieve employment."
Senator Greig says the National Party and Church groups are guilty of
anti-gay fear mongering, by suggesting that gay and lesbian people are a
threat to children.
"Homophobia is just sexual racism," Senator Greig said. "People should be employed on the basis of their ability to do the job properly. A persons sexuality is irrelevant to their capacity to be competent and professional," he said.
For comment contact Senator Brian Greig on (02) 6277 3338
POLL SHOWS GROWING SUPPORT FOR GAY ADOPTION
19
November 2002
A surprising number of Tasmanians support adoption by same sex couples according to a poll released by the Launceston Examiner.
The Examiner internet poll shows that 43% of Tasmanians favour adoption by same sex couples while 57% are still against.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said the figure is surprisingly good.
"Given that there has been little debate on this issue, the result is encouraging", Mr Croome said.
"Support for the decriminalization of homosexual
sex was at about the same level in the mid levels and went on to peak at
60%. I'm confident support for adoption rights will follow the same
trend."
Mr. Croome said a public education campaign is planned prior to the
introduction of legislation next year.
"Face-to-face contact with large numbers of Tasmanians was what swung
public opinion behind decriminalization and it will do the same on this
issue."
Further information contact the TGLRG on 0409 010 668.
Yahoo Ordered To Pull Homophobic Ad
by Peter
Moore
365Gay.com
November 26, 2002
(London) Yahoo has been ordered to stop running a television ad in the UK that the broadcast industry watchdog labeled 'homophobic'.
The ad showed a naked bridegroom tied to a tree in a bachelor party prank. From behind he was eyed up and down by a stereotypically effeminate gay man. The voiceover said: "You can't trust the kindness of strangers."
After complaints from viewers and gay rights group
Stonewall, the Independent Television Commission took
the unusual step of ordering the internet company to
remove the ad from the air.
Stonewall has been particularly critical of a number of portrayals of gays in in the media British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has likened the "stereotyping and scare mongering" about gay people to the way the Nazis demonised Jews.
The commercials were stopped at midnight Tuesday.
The ITC said the ban is only temporary but could
become permanent after a further investigation.
The Yahoo! ad was created by Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper,
which also makes ads for Cadbury, Abbey National and
Peugeot. It was written by the ad agency's chairman
and executive creative director, Mark Wnek.
Neither Yahoo nor the agency were available for comment.
BILL PASSES AT 5:30pm.
29 November 2002
Hooray!
and congratulations to all those who are now officially a 'REAL' couple.
The Qld Discrimination Law Amendment Bill 2002 passed at just after
5:30pm. The only amendment was the slight addition to Clause 25, that
being a definition of the extreme case scenario when religious schools may
be exempted from obligations regarding the protected categories of
sexuality and marital status.
It was a momentous occasion.
The gallery all hugged each other and Shayne Wilde slipped quietly out the front door of Parliament to let out a blood curdling scream.
Later lobbyists were shouted drinks by Attorney General Rod Welford and John Frame congratulated all the Labor politicians he could find.
Sincere appreciation is owed to the dedicated
heterosexuals who have worked hard to make this come to pass. It is
significant that they were the true major players on this matter of social
equity.
We are still glowing with Pride.
PS: The letters of support and emails were really really important in the
last week. I'd suggest sending messages of thanks now to follow up.
