An Island Calling

A new documentary by Annie Goldson relates the 2001 murder of John Scott and Greg Scrivener in Fiji.

The movie explores the relationship of church, the homophobic comments made by the Fijian authorities and the tragic death of two gay men.

It is a documentary well worth watching and if you are in a major centre in New Zealand you will be able to see it at the cinema or wait till later in the year when it will be on TV3.

An Island Calling

News about the murder of John Scott and Gregory Scrivener at their home in Suva, Fiji in 2001

Internet for better or worse.

FH Out has an interest blog today:

How the internet changed gay society: for better or worse?

It links to interesting news report on the UK Channel 4 More4News.




It raises some interesting points but seems to assume that social networking sites started with Gaydar in 1999. Of course there were gay social networking sites before this on the internet with IRC and before that Gay bulletin boards. Then there were the phone chat lines during the 80s and 90s as well. Let's not forget the beats, cottages, beaches, saunas and other places to pick up guys which have existed for ever.

Whatever one has to say I would say the internet has been a huge step forward for gay and lesbian visibility and for helping people to discover their sexuality - whatever that may be - and also other people who are similar interests so you don't feel alone no matter who or where you are.

Four new kiwi blogs

Four new kiwi gay blogs have just been launched on gaynz.com

David Herkt - Works for Me

David is well remember from the nz.soc.queer newsgroup during the 90s writing his Regular Saturday Morning Post.

He has undertaken a number of projects - best covered by Poneke's review of David's new blog.

His first post is direct and to the point wondering what has happened to HIV campaigns and has already generated comments.

David's post as always will be interesting and often provocative.

Michael Stevens - The Gay Blade

Michael is well known in Auckland and his blog reflects this. His first two posts support NZAF against criticism from Express Newspaper. His next post is about HERO and wonders what has happened to it.

Craig Young - Proclamations of the Red Queen

Craig has written extensively online about religion and politics and the glbt communities. Already a number of posts covering a range of topics. Craig is already a major contributor on gaynz.com

Kitten Power - Listen Up

Here is a new voice which I haven't seen before - and good to see a 20's dyke posting - I will be watching her blog with interest.

Racist gay response

The Sydney Morning Herald picked up a disturbing undertone in the current debate about recent homophobic bashings:

The bashing of Craig Gee, of Redfern, two months ago sparked outrage in the gay community, and a boil-over of tensions between the state's peak gay organisations, local police and Aboriginal groups after police reports described Mr Gee's attackers as Aboriginal.

Anger was also fuelled by the poster used to publicise the street protest, a "Reclaim the right … to be who you are" rally to be held on Australia Day in Harmony Park, next to Surry Hills police station.

The red, militaristic posters depict a phalanx of muscle men holding red flags on steel poles.

The images have been described as racist. The event's organiser withdrew the poster from public display last night.

Chris Lawrence, an Aboriginal Redfern resident who is gay, said the posters depicted "a sea of white gay men". He said coverage of gay bashings by a local gay and lesbian newspaper, the Sydney Star Observer, risked inspiring a racist backlash.

"Our concern is that the paper is beating the story up in a racial way and it risks reprisals against Aboriginal people who are homeless and frequent Oxford Street," he said. Mr Lawrence said he had never been abused for his sexuality in 16 years in Redfern. "The only abuse I've had is [for being Aboriginal] from a few white gay guys."

Another inner-city gay resident, Andre Rispler, said the poster was over the top. "To me it reads as if it is fascist and militant … If I saw images likes this over and over again I'd be concerned."

An example is the following two letters published in Sydney Star Observer below are disturbing for the underlying racist undertones:

by Fred from Surry Hills | 16/01/2008 6:41:11 PM


NOT SORRY

I personally never felt that I had to say sorry for past generational actions against indigenous Australians.

When the gay community marched in support of various indigenous causes I was neutral.

During the last year there have been many incidents involving indigenous persons that have made me more non-committed to the push to say sorry.

After reading reports in SSO re the alleged perpetrators of the brutal bashings of Craig and Shane being of Aboriginal appearance, I have no intention in the current or near future of having any sympathy for the push to say sorry.

It appears that some of the Aboriginal community feel we can be treated like they often treat their own race. I say shame on the perpetrators of the recent bashings.


by Jon from Cremorne | 16/01/2008 6:39:51 PM


SHAME ON YOU

It has made me so angry to read that the suspected perpetrators of this crime are Aboriginal males.

If this is the case the Aboriginal community should be very disturbed and ashamed of what has happened.

What gives one minority group the right to attack another minority group?

Obviously there is a need for the Aboriginal leaders in the community to take a good look at what their expectations are from other non-indigenous community members and identify where they obviously fail to educate their community in mutual respect.

Shame on you. This attack has seriously eroded any respect I had for the local Aboriginal community.

While the attacker may have been an aborigine in this case, he could equally have been a "white" Australian.

If one wants to look for people to blame for the rise of homophobic violence it should be directed at the "Christian" and political leaders who deny gays equal rights and in worse cases demean gays (and normally at this stage gay men).

While the violence is often undertaken by young men it is driven by what respected leaders in their local church, politicians, etc say or don't say about gays having equal rights.

While violence is never acceptance neither is jumping to the conclusion that all aborigines are gay bashers which some gays seem to be implying in their comments.

Yes it is okay to get angry but direct the anger where it belongs:

• at the police for their inaction
• politicians for not supporting equal rights for gays
• church leaders who portray gays as second class citizens.

Oxford St Woes

There have been increasing reports of homophobic bashings and incidents in what was Sydney's golden mile gay district - Oxford St.

This has been extensively discussed in the gay media but is also been picked up by the mainstream media making page one of the Sydney Morning Herald with the headline:

Unhappy days for strip where the city parties

There is currently a lot of frustration with what seems to be no effective response from the Surry Hills police who patrol this area.

Anyone who visits Oxford Street in recent times will notice the decline with the number of restaurants gone and gay venues closed - this really starting happening in 2000 and can be traced back to the financial collapse of Mardi Gras, the Gay Games in 2002 and the collapse of the Satellite Media.

While some gay venues have thrived the number has shrunk and a number of straight nightclubs have opened.

What is clear is if one is out in Surry Hills you should take a taxi home as a number of the incidents have happened within a few blocks of the main area.

What else can be done:

• Go out with friends and make sure you all get home safely
• If something doesn't feel right look for an exit, cross the street, etc.
• Report all incidents no matter how minor to the police
• Persist and follow up incidents
• If you go home with someone text a friend to let them know where you are going.
  
• Attend the "Reclaim the Right" community vigil in Harmony Park (next to Police Headquarters) in Surry Hills from 4pm 26th Jan.

There is some other worrying trends with some of the responses focused on the race of those who have been captured on video bashing gays. What should violence can come from anyone (though it is generally male) and from any age (though it is often younger men).

Big Gay Out 8 Years old

The press release announcing the 8th Big Gay Out makes one realise how far ahead New Zealand is in acceptance of gay rights compared to Australia.

It is hard to believe that it is almost expected that the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, will attend the Big Gay OUT as she has previously. It wouldn't be surprising if the National Party leader, John Key, also attended given 2008 is an election year.

One can go back over 10 years to the Hero Parade to remember that when opposition leader Helen Clark attended the parade and when Jenny Shipley became Prime Minister she also attended in 1999.

Meanwhile in Sydney Mardi Gras enters it's 30th year. It will be interesting to see if with the change in government does the Prime Minister attend any of the functions in 2008. Hopefully unlike his predecessor there will be at least a message of support.

Let's see what happens in 2008 and if Australia is ready to enter into the debate around civil unions and equal rights that New Zealand has had in the past ten years.

China Filtering for Australia

Australia is looking at introducing mandatory filtering of the internet in a similar method to China and Singapore.

For those wanting an unfiltered internet they will have to request their ISP to provide them an unfiltered stream.

Now this may seem ok but what isn't clear is what will actually be filtered - i.e. who decides what is on the black list - and how one objects to something been on the black list.

The only major issue is why the internet needs to be filtered for adults. Adults can easily avoid anything on the internet they do wish to see by simply not clicking on it. Issues such as the trade of child pornography can already be managed by existing controls and laws. Unless one actually goes searching for illegal adult material it is unlikely you will actually stumble on - even if you do a simple click takes you back to legal material.

The filtering system as proposed is easy to avoid as a number of news articles have demonstrated. In fact it is likely that the filter will only stop adults not their tech savy children.

What it also does is give parents a false sense of security as ultimately children are smart enough to work around the filter and the system won't be perfect. One only has to look at email spam filters to see that.

Some important questions have to be answered around the whole filtering process which include:

• Who manages the blacklist
  
• Can anyone view the blacklist to remove a site from the blacklist
• How will sites get off the blacklist
  
• Who will have access to those people who request to be removed from the filtering system.

So if you are in Australia send off emails to your MP now and make some noise.

And if it does get introduced get the filtering removed by your ISP.

US Conservative News - 2007

I am never sure whether to laugh or cry at what passes as US conservative news.

The top 10 under reported articles in 2007 according to WorldNetDaily.com is a very interesting list. The list is below:

1. Developments moving U.S. and continent closer to a North American Union
2. Bush's refusal to pardon imprisoned Border Patrol Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, who were prosecuted by the president's friend, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton
3. Research refuting man-made global warming
4. Lack of action on border fence mandated by Congress
5. California bill introducing homosexuality to young children
6. Hillary and her felonious fundraising
7. Illegal aliens who rape, murder, kill driving drunk, commit voter fraud, welfare fraud and burden the system
8. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's resignation from the Senate Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, which she chaired, amid a conflict of interest due to her husband's ownership of two major defense contractors
9. Progress of Law of the Sea Treaty
10. Syria's alleged WMDs and Israel's attack

An interesting list indeed which really shows they fear anything that isn't the same as them. These poor people are going to be in for a hard 2009, if as the polls predict, the Democrats win the presidential election.

Some NZ gay online diversions

Looking for short book to read then check out Eve and Adam in Suburbia

A novel about love, friendship and infidelity. Covering a period of 2.5 years, it follows the comical and dramatic events that lead neighbors Eve and Julien to an important decision: should they leave their cheating partners, Adam and Romeo, or not? The story shows suburbia as a modern-day Garden of Eden, where men, rather than women, are enticed to be naughty. Romeo’s temptation comes from bisexual bus driver Nick, whose wife Cynthia seduces Adam.When Eve and Julien discover these indiscretions, they initially attempt to hide them, until they realize they need each other’s help to make up their minds about the future. In the background, Eve’s single sister Dawn takes her religious devotion to, literally, insane levels. This is a problem, since Eve appointed Dawn in her will as guardians to her twins.

Website: eveadamsuburbia.blogspot.com
Planet Franck: planetfranck.blogspot.com

For another Auckland gay blog check out Uroskin's blog - Put 'em all on an island
Blog: uroskin.blogspot.com

PC or not?

BBC Radio 1 found it at the centre of a controversy over the censoring of the words "faggot" and "slut" from the words of "Fairytale of New York" and then reinstating them.

As reported in The Independent.

"Embarrassed BBC bosses have climbed down over attempts to ban words it deemed offensive in the Christmas hit song "Fairytale of New York".

The emotionally gritty song boils over as the late Kirsty MacColl and The Pogues' Shane MacGowan engage in a vocal domestic that rings bells in households across the world every year."

So what do you think it is offensive to use the word "Faggot" in a derogatory manner. This is bound to divide between those who think the BBC was been politically correct and those who think the words should be changed to be less offensive.

This on top of this weeks "gay" comment does make you wonder about language and how it changes over time.

So is it offensive or not? The only test I can apply is to replace it with other words which refer to other ethnic groups.

It is an interesting debate and there is no right or wrong answer other than listening to what is been said. One thing is clear is that if someone attempts to go for the PC gone mad respond then they are not listening and fail to understand why some people might be offended.

Sometimes of course there can be no resolution other than agreeing to disagree.

So what do people think - should the words be changed in this song? Comments welcome below.

Deena Pawson you are the weakest link

Not only was Deena Pawson not smart to post critical comments about her workplace on her Bebo profile as follows:

“well work sucks, guyfawkes are coming up, and we have to close @ midnight, which is totally gay.. like the frickn management there! and OMG the GOSSIPS! zOmG, i dnt nO eNgLISh1!!!oneoneexclamationmark!!!! LOL LOL”

An employment lawyer commented that reading the comment that the word gay = crappy.

OUTLine NZ's general manager Neil Denney was reported in gaynz.com as saying:

Although the user does not recognise any sexual connection to the word [gay], it is still there and the word is still as harmful when commonly used as a tool against a minority,"

"As an organisation, OUTLine NZ cannot agree that the word 'gay' has a meaning of "crappy" under any circumstance."

Of course it is nothing new the word "gay" is continuing to move and the saying "Oh that so gay" crept into use during the late 90s to mean that is so stupid as opposed to really gay.

Still an insult though but does it offend?

What about young people struggling with their sexuality. Does it make it harder for them.

So put some comments below.

Beware of the Lavendar Mafia

Christopher Pearson latest opinion piece on moves for Civil Unions in the ACT would be laughable if he didn't believe what he wrote.

With the headline "Arrest this abomination" he makes some sweeping statements as follows.

The first misconception to nail is that the opposition to gay marriage is a homophobic response. Insisting that, in terms of universal human values, the marital union of a woman and a man is qualitatively different from other intimate relationships cannot sensibly be construed as anti-homosexual. Resisting the libertarian rhetorical assertion of moral equivalence between straight and gay relationships is not the same as condemning the latter.

Funny how those who oppose gay marriage and civil unions always claim that they are not homophobic but marriage is only available to heterosexual couples.

He then goes on:

From a conservative Christian perspective, the survival of our civilisation depends on societies where stable, fruitful marriages are the norm and the state intervenes proactively in their support.

Again the classic argument against gay marriage. If he really believed this then those who cannot have children should be banned from marriage. And of course lets not forget a lot of gay and lesbian couples have children.

The next statement is the funniest

When the law allows civil unions and ceremonies that, as the ALP's pre-election undertaking puts it, "mimic marriage", it sends out all the wrong signals, especially to the young and impressionable, and to people whose sexuality is at its most fluid.

There are lessons to be learned here from the hardball tactics gay activists engaged in, playing the politics of identity. Think of all the boys and girls who would once have been understood to be "going through a phase" in late adolescence, and who were as often as not given tea and sympathy and time to sort things out.

By the late 1960s the lavender mafia was on hand, looking for new recruits and dispensing a one-size-fits-all, ready-made gay identity to anyone remotely interested. Who knows how many of the denizens of Sydney's Oxford Street really belong there and how many were encouraged to reach premature conclusions about their nature and their needs?

This has to be the funniest statement I have read. Firstly he ignores the fact that a lot of gay and lesbian's were married and leading a double life (and a number of people still do). The second he associates gay life with Oxford Street which is only a small part of the gay and lesbian spectrum of people.

Oh and I love the "lavendar mafia" statement!

As for Christopher Pearson read his profile at SourceWatch and you will discover who he really is

US Democrats work to end HIV+ Visitor ban

While the Bush regime is moving to "streamline" entry for HIV positive visitors 30 Democrats have called for the ban to be lifted.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Oakland, CA) led Members of Congress to sign on to a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to oppose a proposed rule, prompted by the Bush administration, to impose a travel ban on certain individuals afflicted with the HIV infection who wish to come into the United States.

This is welcome news and while it may not lead to an immediately lifting of the ban following the departure of Bush at the end of 2008 this ban may actually get lifted leaving just a handful of countries which ban HIV positive visitors.

ACT Civil Union get the green light

Kevin Rudd has stated that he won't veto the ACT government's move to implement Civil Union legislation.

This is good news for same sex couples in Australia and the first step to removing discrimination and is a nice change to the Howard legacy.

It should also mean the same sex civil unions entered into overseas will be recognised by ACT.

The pressure will now go on the other Australian states to introduce similar legislation.

Australia shows movement on civil unions

During the Australian election campaign a lot was made that there was no difference between the Labor Party and the National/Liberal coalition.

What is becoming clearer is there is a fundamental shift occurring on the social and environmental issues and a new direction for Australia.

The decision to proceed with ratifying Kyoto is the most visible sign of this.

For the gay and lesbian population the signs are encouraging that same sex relationships will no longer be discriminated against.

It is also appearing that changes at the state level will bring about some form of civil union legislation.

The ACT plans for civil unions have now been revived with the exit of the conservative Howard Government in Australia which blocked the legislation last time.

In addition Victoria has announced plans to introduce a register to allow same sex relationships to be recognised.

The Federal government has indicated it will not support gay marriage, but has said it will remove discrimination against same sex couples in areas such as superannuation, taxation and other areas.

All these are positive signs.

There is still a long way to go before Australia catches up with New Zealand but it is heading in the right direction.

Penny Wong now a Minister

The changes keep coming in Australia with Senator Penny Wong been appointed to the Australian cabinet and becomes Australia's first openly lesbian federal Minister.

She has been appointed as Minister for Climate Change and Water.

While the lead up to the election there didn't seem much difference between the Liberal/National coalition and Labor, Kevin Rudd's announcement of the new cabinet and this appointment highlights the real change that has occurred with the defeat of the conservative Howard government.

Gays and feminists to blame for society ills!

I really should stop reading this stuff. Today I read a opinion piece by Garth George in the New Zealand Herald titled:

Garth George: A nation festering in a moral cesspit

His first point I agree with but not necessarily the conclusion (Yes there are issues but it is hard to know if it is really any worse than previous generations where much of the bad things were hidden and swept under the carpet):

The measure of a society's soul is the way it treats its most vulnerable members - children, the elderly, the poor and the disabled - and on this measure we fail miserably.

His reasons however I disagree with as with his conclusion we should all get back to been good "Christians". The underlying theme is that "feminists" and "homosexuals" are to blame for society's downfall. In it he blames:

• No fault divorce
• Birth control pill
• Abortion - which he considers the number one evil
• Homosexual law reform
  

His solution:

Perhaps a good start would be for parents to send their kids to Sunday school - any Sunday school. Then our next generations might at least resurrect their spiritual dimension, without which life is largely meaningless, and learn the timeless virtues and values that have throughout history make communities and nations great. It's not much, but it would be a start.

Then this wonderful piece from "SOLO - Sense of Life Objectivists" entitled "Femi-Nazis & Homo-Nazis Condemned By Silence" where Sandra Ashworth lays into "Feminists" and "Homosexuals" for not speaking out about the current rape case in Saudi Arabi

What of course is interesting is how they selectively quote part of Helen Clark's press release:

In a recent media release addressing this situation with "dismay," Helen Clark declared that "New Zealand fully respects the judicial system of Saudi Arabia."

The original press release went on as follows:

Prime Minister Helen Clark said today that she has asked New Zealand diplomats to raise dismay over the sentencing of a 19-year-old Saudi rape victim.

“New Zealand fully respects the judicial system of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and notes that the case is still working its way through the courts,” Helen Clark said.

“Nonetheless I hope that justice will prevail and that the young woman, who is the victim in this case, will be shown leniency by the Saudi judiciary.

One will note the different feel between the two quotes. Interesting New Zealand's dismay has been very similiar to diplomatic responses from other Western countries.

The SOLO people again use the "Nazi" tag and from the soft touchy side one has to wonder what "evil" has occured to them to so dislike certain groups of people.

The Gay Hood

With the sudden closure of the Newtown Hotel in Sydney and the temporary closure of the Imperial Hotel it feels like a part of the gay community in Sydney has gone.

Along with some of the recent issues in Oxford St as straight clubs open up and bring more straight people into Oxford St one gets a feeling that Darlinghurst and Newtown aren't as gay as they used to be.

Having lived in Auckland of course one is used to not having a gay district and those gay bars which do appear come and go around New Zealand.

As Franc noted while visitor the Vancouver gay district

Auckland has no gay village. There is a part of K-Road, about half a block long (or short) that has a gay bar, and a couple of shops with rainbow stickers on the door, and that's about it.

So does it matter that Oxford St isn't as gay as it used to be?

Probably not but what does matter is the rise of homophobic violence in Oxford St. Of course when people have been out drinking all night some violence is bound to occur but it looks like it is on the rise again and directed against gay men and women.

This is partially been countered by opening a safe space in Oxford St.

It is times like this that you realise that maybe there is still a need for a gay district and gay space where been queer is the norm.

Bye Bye Howard

The Liberal/National coalition lost the election yesterday and looks likely that John Howard also lost his seat.

Howard's claim to fame was that the economic boom but the real reason for the boom is the Chinese economy and the consequent mineral boom.

Howard rejected gay marriage and all attempts to provide equal rights for same sex couples. Labor under Rudd will be an improvement and probably more in line with the National Party in New Zealand.

Other changes are the Greens look like they will hold the balance of power in the Senate.

Hopefully the change in government will finally get some improvement in the treatment of same sex couples in Australian law and maybe open the way for some form of Civil Union at least at a state level.

My kind of Homo: Dan Matthews

Dan Matthews was recently on ABC National Radio Morning Breakfast and then the next day on National Radio Saturday Morning with Kim Hill.

Dan Matthews is vice-president of animal rights activist organisation PETA. While you may not always agree with some of his comments he came accross as a committed, thoughtful and concerned person.

He was promoting his book Committed but also explored some interesting and thought provoking discussion around animal rights and some of the events that PETA have organised.

The Radio New Zealand broadcast can be heard here (not sure how long it will be there for) .

His most controversial point is around animal testing for an HIV Vaccine and medications. He is opposed to it and sees it as money misdirected. Instead he wants money spent on education on how to prevent HIV spreading. Of course given the American lack of spending on HIV Prevention it is more understand his comments though many would disagree with them.

Listening to the interview he came across as a provocative, thought provoking and committed individual and while not agreeing with all his views I came to the conclusion he is my type of "Homo"!