Issue
44 May-July 2005
This issue of the OGT was paid for by advertising from the following
businesses:
Gabby
Morris,
Dunedin
First National Real Estate
284
Stuart Street
,
Dunedin
467-7277
(wk), 456-2566 (hm), 025-228-7900
R&R
Sport
70
Stuart Street
Dunedin
474-1211,
www.rrsport.co.nz
Anja
Klinkert Lawyer
83
Moray Place
, 2nd
Floor
477-7267
or 027-497-2337
Public
Health South
57
Hanover Street
,
Dunedin
474-1700
Bodyworks
Club
127
Stuart Street
,
Dunedin
477-8228
University
Book Shop
378
Great King Street
,
Dunedin
477-6976,
www.unibooks.co.nz
The
Bronx Bagel Co
134 Stuart Street
,
Dunedin
479-0209
Sea
Kayaking Company
PO Box
94
Havelock
, Pelorus Sounds
021-796-770
[email protected]
www.havelockseakayak.co.nz
Gray’s
Studio
201 North Road
,
Dunedin
473-7774
NZAF
South – Te Toka
269
Hereford Street
,
Christchurch
03-379-1953
[email protected]
www.nzaf.org.nz
Mark
Bridgmount Optometrist
183
King Edward Street, South
Dunedin
455-3459,
www.eyeballsdunedin.co.nz
John
Robinson – JZR Jewellery for Men
Available
from Lure
130
Stuart Street
,
Dunedin
Passion
For Framing Ltd
027-446-6895
[email protected]
Philippa
Jamieson, Ritual Maker & Civil Union Celebrant
473-9293
[email protected]
Shag
River
Rhododendrons
SH1,
3kms north of Palmerston, off
Chisholm
Rd
03-465-1278
Editori
al
by
Tor Devereux, Editor
Hello again - and welcome to winter! As I write this,
the cold weather has suddenly struck and it’s quite a shock to the
system after the relatively mild autumn that we were enjoying.
This issue of the OGT marks a new phase in the
paper’s history in terms of how it’s put together and printed. Up
until now we’ve created paste-up sheets and sent them through to the
Oamaru Mail where the paper’s published. Now, though, the OGT has moved
into the 21st century and the paper is being sent through to Oamaru as
computer files and printed from that. This has meant that the paper has
had to purchase a new computer programme - Adobe InDeisgn - and I’ve had
to learn (very quickly!) how to use it. This issue it’s been a case of
just acquiring the basics in order to get the paper completed on time, but
as I get to know the programme better I expect to be able to experiment
with it a bit more. So, you may notice a some layout changes in future
issues of the OGT.
There are a few thank yous that I’d like to make in
regard to this technological advancement. First of all, a big thank you to
Dykeworks who a while ago gave the OGT some money to assist with the
purchase of this new computer programme. Secondly, thank you to Murray at
the Oamaru Mail who is always answering various technical questions I have
about the paper and who does a wonderful job of printing the paper and
getting it back to Dunedin within as fast a timeframe as possible. And
thirdly, thanks to Barb who tracked down the programme and has helped me
understand how it works and listened to me when I’ve been frustrated
with it!
Once again lots of people contributed copy to this
issue of the OGT and there’s a real range of material here. As you’ll
read, there are some events coming up that you may wish to attend and, of
course, there are also all the regular groups as listed on the back page.
A couple of things coming up are: the Candlelight Memorial (May 15), the
Pride Exhibition (July 10-15) and a play called Beautiful Thing at the
Globe (August 4-13). As always we need to support these as the people who
organise them put a lot of effort into them, and it’s important that we
celebrate our culture and commemorate significant events within our
community. Of course, in the next few months the first Civil Unions will
also be taking place and these will be wonderful opportunities for us to
celebrate our lives and our loves in a relatively public way.
Finally, I’d like to draw your attention to a new
campaign called “Safety In Schools For Queers” (SS4Q) which is working
to make high schools a safer place for students and teachers. This
campaign includes Out There, the NZ AIDS Foundation, the Family Planning
Association and other groups, and it is being launched around the country.
There’s an article about the campaign on Page 11, and if you’d like to
find out what’s happening locally contact PFLAG or Pride Dunedin Youth
(see Page 12 for contact details). Meanwhile, keep warm and safe and enjoy
the winter months!
Top of Page
1.
When did the Civil Union Act come into effect in
New Zealand
?
2.
What street in
New York
was the scene of the
Stonewall rebellion in 1969?
3.
What does PFLAG stand for?
4.
Elton John and his partner David Furnish are planning to enter into a
Civil Partnership in
Britain
later this year or early
next year. How long have they been together?
5.
What is the title of Stella Duffy’s new book?
Answers
Top of Page
Wanted
…
Looking for lovely lesbians
interested in coming to a good ol' pot
luck and/or being part of a walking
group.
If you’re interested, phone Amy
on 021-116-7927.
Top
of Page
by
Andrew Metcalfe
As I
write, the president of the Scottish Catholic Education Commission, Bishop
Joseph Devine, is busy trying to dig himself out of a rather large hole. A
week ago he was quoted as saying that hiring or promoting “openly
homosexual teachers” was incompatible with Catholic social teaching.
Since then there has been loud protest from various anti-discrimination
organisations accusing him of fuelling prejudice and ignoring employment
law. It all cumulated with Jack McConnell, the Scottish Parliament’s
First Minister, saying that teachers should be chosen on the basis of
their ability, not their sexuality.
Well,
the Bishop has come back into the fray, shovel ever at the ready. He
maintained that his comments had been “misrepresented” - they were
directed only at homosexuals who chose to promote their lifestyle in the
classroom i.e. any teacher who chose to promote a lifestyle in opposition
to church teachings, such as abortion, would be treated in the same way.
“The sexual orientation of teachers is not – in itself – an issue of
interest to the church,” he said. Another Catholic Church spokesperson
waded in further, saying that where a teacher was known to be in a
homosexual relationship or an adulterous one, the issue would be a factor
if they applied for a promoted post.
Well,
there you go. An adulterous relationship is on the same par as a loving,
committed relationship with someone of the same gender. Keep shovelling,
boys, it just gets better! I can’t for the life of me think how a
teacher – or anyone else for that matter – could “promote” some
kind of “lifestyle”. I’m sure the last thing any teacher would want
to do would be to give details about their personal life to inquisitive
teens (or Bishops). But, if they were to demonstrate, by their very
presence, that all kinds of people in this world can get on and have a
life – a good life – what’s the harm in that? It would seem to me to
be immensely liberating, in a very ordinary sort of way, and do some of
these youngsters a world of good.
I
was reflecting on this as I cleaned graffiti, penned by local school
children, off the communal stairwell today. Amongst all the usual
declarations of love and relationships were a number of lines accusing
various peers of being “gay” or “a poof”. The sad thing is that
they don’t really have the opportunity to see anything else promoted.
All that gets perpetuated is the same tired old prejudice and shame
espoused by the esteemed Bishop and others.
I look forward to the day when, if these young folk
still feel the urge to write on my walls, calling someone gay is an
immense compliment rather than a curse. And that’s something I’m very
keen to promote.
Andrew
is currently living and working in Perthshire,
Scotland
. You can
contact him at: [email protected]
Top of Page
World
Watch acknowledges the source of these stories as 365Gay.com,
gaylesbiantimes.com, GayLinkContent.com, GayWired.com and
rainbownetwork.com
First Gay Radio Station
Argentina
Argentina
’s first gay radio
station has begun broadcasting on the web at Argentinagayradio.com.ar. The
emphasis is on music, but there are also segments on health and gay-rights
issues, and “a lot of joking around”.
Region
Bans Discrimination
Italy
Tuscany
has become the first
region in
Italy
to ban discrimination
based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The law “grant[s] to
every person free expression and manifestation of the person’s sexual
orientation and of the person’s gender identity”. It also gives
same-sex couples rights in the area of healthcare decisions, and promises
to promote cultural events “open to all lifestyles”.
Gay
Sex In The Military Okay
Peru
Peru
’s constitutional court
has overturned a law that prohibited gays in the military from having sex.
The army had banned same-sex relations on or off military bases under
threat of imprisonment or expulsion. The court said the ban was
“completely discriminatory” and unconstitutional.
Court
Okays
Partner Inheritance
Tel
Aviv
,
Israel
Israeli
gays and lesbians will now automatically inherit a deceased partner’s
estate unless it has been willed to someone else, following a recent
ground-breaking court decision. The suit was brought by a gay man who had
shared a house with his partner for 40 years. The government had rejected
his claim, arguing that the law applied only to common-law opposite-sex
couples.
New
Justice Commissioner Gay-Friendly
Strasbourg
,
France
The
new nominee for European justice commissioner, Franco Frattini, is more
gay-friendly than the previous nominee, who withdrew after coming under
fire for calling homosexuality a “sin”. Frattini has said that
same-sex couples who are legally coupled in any one of the 25 nations of
the European Union must be recognised as a couple by all of the nations as
required by the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.
Slovakia
and
Austria
, among others, have
balked at this requirement.
New
Gay Character On Tv
USA
The
ABC Network has unveiled a new escapist drama, Eyes, about a
discreet, high-tech private investigation firm. Handling cases with the
highest possible stakes, the firm operates on the fringe of the law. One
of the staff is Chris Didion, a gay man and former psychiatric patient.
Chris is played by Rick Worthy. The fact that Chris is gay is dealt with
in a matter of fact way that blends seamlessly into the story line. There
is no “coming out” episode.
Pair
Granted Bail
Suva
,
Fiji
An
Australian tourist and a Fijian sentenced to two years in prison for
having gay sex have been released on bail pending an appeal against their
sentences. In passing the original sentence, Magistrate Syed Muhktar Shah
had described their behaviour as “something so disgusting that it would
make any decent person vomit”. However, lawyers for the two men say the
convictions are unconstitutional. Gays and lesbians have protections under
Fiji
’s 1998 Constitution,
although old former colonial laws banning gay sex remain on the books.
Men
To Be Flogged
Saudi Arabia
In a trial held behind closed doors and without defence
lawyers, over 100 gay men have been imprisoned and sentenced to flogging
for dancing and “behaving like women” at a private birthday
celebration. About a third of the men received 200 lashes each and two
years in prison; the remainder were given a year in prison. Scott Long of
Human Rights Watch has condemned the sentences: “Prosecuting and
imprisoning people for homosexual conduct are flagrant human rights
violations. Subjecting the victims to floggings is torture, pure and
simple.” Homosexuality is illegal in
Saudi Arabia
and is punishable by
flogging, jail or death.
Top of Page
by
Tor Devereux
Now that the Civil Union Act has become law (as of 26 April
2005) you may have set a date for your Civil Union, made a list of people
to invite, chosen and booked a venue and started to think about things
that you’d like the ceremony to include. What else do you need to
organise? Probably lots! Obviously many aspects of a Civil Union are
optional and even if you go with them they can be as simple or as lavish
as you like. I’m thinking of things such as flowers, clothes, a cake,
the reception afterwards … But there are a few things that you have to
arrange if you want the event to be legal!
There are essentially two different
kinds of Civil Unions: one that is held before a Registrar of Civil Unions
in a Registry Office and one that is held before a Civil Union Celebrant
in a venue of your own choice.
Civil Union Celebrants
Only people officially appointed as a Civil Union Celebrant are allowed to
carry out Civil Union ceremonies. The Department of Internal Affairs is
responsible for appointing Civil Union Celebrants and started calling for
applications earlier this year. Marriage Celebrants are not automatically
also Civil Union Celebrants, but some will have applied to be registered
as Civil Union Celebrants as well so they can then officiate at both types
of ceremonies.
An initial group of Civil Union Celebrants have now been appointed and
here’s a list of local people who are authorised to conduct Civil
Unions:
DUNEDIN
Atkinson, Russell Geoffrey,
7
Chisholm Place
,
Andersons
Bay,
Dunedin
Brown, Nicola Tracey,
73
Lonsdale Street
, Belleknowes,
Dunedin
,
453-6322
Clark
, Joy Campbell Kerr,
85G
Victoria Road
, St Kilda,
Dunedin
,
455-9534
Duke, Ngaire Jean,
18
Caldwell Street
,
Dunedin
,
476-3880
Edmunds, Aelred Russell,
13
Haig Street
,
Mornington,
Dunedin
,
453-1947
Jamieson, Philippa Ruth Glennie,
106
Evans Street
, Opoho,
Dunedin
,
473-9293
Shackleton, Denise Marilyn,
PO
Box 190
,
Dunedin
,
471-0409, 021-408-261
Vine, Geoffrey Francis,
26
Franklin Street
, Dalmore,
Dunedin
,
473-1434
Wahanui, Manaia,
19 Stirling Street
,
Andersons
Bay,
Dunedin
,
454-6976
Wallace, Marlene Theresa,
5
Mataora Road
,
Mornington,
Dunedin
,
453-6760
OTAGO
Allan, Betty Isabella, Unit 4/
46
Hull Street
,
Oamaru
Cook, Phillipa Margaret,
23
Oregon Drive
, Queenstown, 442-7143
Smith, Carolyne Barbara,
3
Seaforth Street
, Karitane,
East
Otago
Ward, Lynley Isabella,
17
Lachlan Avenue
, Hawea Flat,
Central
Otago
Wooliscroft, Michael John,
58
Henry Street
, Waikouaiti, 465-7721
Zimmerman, Walter James Lyall,
5
Vancouver Drive
, Queenstown, 442-7377
Lists of Civil Union Celebrants are also available from your nearest
Registrar of Civil Unions or by phoning 0800-22-52-52.
Civil Union Licence
Something else that you have to do before your Civil Union can take place
is to apply for a Civil Union Licence. These Licences are available from
Births, Deaths and Marriages (perhaps a name change is needed here?!) and
generally take three days to process so you can’t spontaneously decide
to get unionised.
Here’s the process that’s involved:
•
The couple completes the “Notice of Intended Civil Union” form
(available online at www.bdm.govt.nz or
from any Births, Deaths and Marriages office).
•
One of the parties must personally deliver the completed form to a
Registrar of Civil Unions and make the required statutory declaration that
both parties are free to be joined in a civil union and that all the
details provided on the form are correct.
•
The fee must be paid ($120 if you are using a Civil Union Celebrant
and $170 if you are having your ceremony at a Registry Office).
•
The Registrar will issue the Civil Union Licence (generally 3 days
after the application is lodged). Two copies of a document called “Copy
of Particulars of Civil Union” are also provided.
•
All three forms must be delivered to the Civil Union Celebrant
before the ceremony takes place.
The Births, Deaths and Marriages website contains loads of information
about the legal details pertaining to Civil Unions and is well worth
checking out if you are planning a Civil Union or have any questions (www.bdm.govt.nz).
If
you’re planning a Civil Union and you’d like to write something about
it for a future issue of the OGT and/or provide some photos for
publication, then we would love to hear from you. Contact Tor by email on [email protected]
or phone 453-1108. And, good luck!
Top of Page
An
excerpt from a presentation given by Jacinda Boivin at the South Island
Children’s Librarians Seminar, Timaru, 2005
The first young adult novel to broach the subject of homosexuality was
published in 1969. The book, which had a great title - I’ll Get
There: It Better Be Worth The Trip - focused on the guilt of a young
boy who “fooled around” with his male friend. In the 1970s there were
seven young adult novels published relating to homosexuality. Now it is
quite common for young adult novels to have a gay or lesbian character and
increasingly the fact that a character is gay or lesbian is not central to
the story.
This trend is also reflected in children’s picture books, with early
books aiming to explain and normalise our familles whereas more recent
picture books show gay or lesbian parents but this is not central to the
story.
The first children’s picture book depicting a gay family was published
in 1981 in
Denmark
, and
in 1983 it was translated into English and published in
England
. The
book - Jenny Lives With Eric and Martin by Susanne Bosche - caused
huge demonstrations in England and became central to many debates
surrounding Section 28 which passed in 1988 and made it illegal to
“intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the
intention of promoting homosexuality” or “to promote the teaching in
any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended
family relationship”.
This legislation (which was repealed in November 2003) meant that Jenny
Lives With Eric and Martin was removed from nearly every school and
library in
England
. The
book was so controversial because it shows a little girl called Jenny
living with her dad Martin and his boyfriend Eric. Jenny’s mum lives
nearby and visits often, but Jenny lives with Eric and Martin.
The story, in photo essay format, depicts and explains their daily lives
and includes photos of a surprise birthday party, doing housework,
breakfast in bed and Jenny having a tantrum because she doesn’t want to
go to the laundromat. The photos and story depict a warm loving family
and, although the photo essay format means to an adult it looks dated,
I’m not sure a child would notice this. The text is quite detailed
perhaps making the book more suitable for primary school children. Jenny
Lives With Martin and Eric is unfortunately now out of print and
secondhand copies start at $100 US on Amazon. It is available at the
Dunedin Public Library.
In 1989 the first children’s picture book to show a lesbian couple
choosing to have a child together was published. Heather Has Two
Mommies by Leslea Newman is one of the most heavily challenged and
most banned books in the
United States
. Heather
Has Two Mommies is the story of a little girl whose favourite number
is two - she has two arms, two legs, two pets and two mummies. When
Heather starts pre-school she starts to question whether she is the only
little girl who doesn’t have a dad, but the teacher gets all the class
to draw a picture of their family and the pictures include children with
two dads (biological and step), adopted children and children in
wheelchairs. Heather realises that all families are different and the
teacher makes the point that, “Each family is special. The most
important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each
other”.
When Heather Has Two Mommies was initially published it included an
explanation of artificial insemination. This has been removed in the 10th
anniversary edition making the text more suitable for the preschool age
the book is aimed at. The 10th anniversary edition is widely available at
a cost of about $20.00.
Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite was published a
year later in 1990 and was the first book written specifically for
children of gay men. After Mum and Dad divorce, Dad moves in with Frank.
Dad and Frank do everything together - work, eat and sleep. When Nick
stays with Dad and Frank in the weekends they do all sorts of things
together - visit the zoo, go to the beach and work in the yard. Mum says
Frank and Dad are gay and that “Being gay is just one more kind of love.
And love is the best kind of happiness”. Nick serves as the best man in
the sequel, Daddy’s Wedding. Again this book was banned in a
large number of libraries and schools because it showed Dad and Frank in
bed together.
Daddy’s Roommate has bright colourful illustrations and
basic text making it great for preschoolers. The 10th anniversary edition
is available for about $15.00.
by
Marg Madill & Trisha Bennett
Lesbian Mental Health - by Trisha
New Zealand
research focusing on the
mental health of lesbians indicates similar rates of poor mental health to
our overseas counterparts (Liddle, 1999). Importantly there is significant
evidence confirming that the mental health needs of lesbians and gay men
differ from those of heterosexuals (Cochran, 2001). Research suggests that
mental health is affected by the experience of belonging to a stigmatised
and marginalised group. The rates of poor mental health in our communities
are connected to the impact of social stigma related to sexuality. The
increased risks for depression, suicide attempts and substance abuse noted
in overseas studies are echoed in
New Zealand
(Welch, 1995; Cochran,
2001). Though much is written on issues of identity confusion, it appears
that social stigma is the greater challenge for a person coming to terms
with a same sex orientation. The risk of rejection is present for lesbians
whenever they reveal their sexual orientation. “To live a two-world
existence requires a great deal of psychic energy and is thereby
inherently stressful” (Bradford et al., 1994, p.229).
My
research indicated that for some women significant alcohol and/or drug
problems and periods of depression were related to difficulties accepting
their sexuality, particularly when coming out. This is not necessarily an
indication of widespread problems in our communities, but rather that
struggles with the “coming out” process and mental health status are
connected. The discovery of same sex attraction may evoke a period of
confusion as women make adjustments towards their sense of self, their
relationships with others and their wider social sphere (Kahn, 1991;
Welch, 1995; Saphira & Glover, 2001; Pearson, 2003). Age, ethnicity,
religious background, socio economic status and education do not appear to
protect women from these challenges, although any one factor, such as
education facilitating access to resources, may advantage individual
women.
New Zealand
leads the way in youth
suicide figures. The potential for suicide in lesbian and gay populations
is widely indicated in research (Bagley, 2000; Kulin, 2000; Skegg et al.,
2003). Though there is evidence that gay youth are at greater risk for
completed suicides, lesbians are not immune and it is not uncommon for
women to report suicidal thoughts, particularly when confused and
conflicted about their sexuality. It is common knowledge in the mental
health arena that when suicidal thoughts and alcohol and/or drug misuse
are found together the risk of suicide is increased. Social withdrawal,
isolation and depression, commonly experienced and reported by lesbians
particularly in the coming out process, add to this possibility. Current
overseas and New
Zealand
research also links sexual
orientation to higher rates of self-harm (McBee-Strayer & Rodgers,
2002; Skegg et al., 2003). Reports in my study echoed the connection
between social acceptance, self-identity and suicidal thoughts and
behaviours despite a greater acceptance of same sex relationships in
New Zealand
.
In
my research lesbian participants overwhelmingly reported vigilance towards
other people’s attitudes and reactions to their sexuality. There were
numerous examples of social withdrawal, alertness to safety and secrecy
about important aspects of their lives. This indicates the existence of
ongoing stresses related to sexual orientation. It is suggested that some
stressors overwhelm normal coping mechanisms that enable people to feel
connected, in control and able to find meaning (Herman, 1992). This author
notes that humans usually respond to threat physiologically and
emotionally, “changes in arousal, attention, perception, and emotion are
normal, adaptive reactions” (ibid, p.34). These responses prepare people
for fight or flight. Long-term repetition of this survival response is,
however, thought to impact on mental health (Solarz, 1999).
The
vigilance, social withdrawal and secrecy reported in this study are
comparable to these stress reactions. The negative impact of experiencing
and/or anticipating discrimination or abuse from others cannot be
underestimated.
The
news is not all bad however. There does appear to be a link between
“being out” and positive mental health (Lewis, cited in Bradford et
al., 1994). However, there can be a conflict. While constant secrecy may
no longer be necessary, there may be an increased potential for
discrimination. Many examples of overt and covert discrimination were
given by participants in my study. They illustrate a non-acceptance of
same sex orientation that is still alive and well in
New Zealand
, despite changes in the way
sexual orientation is viewed by health professions and the law, which
suggest otherwise. My study indicated that the greater acceptance of same
sex orientation, apparently indicated by such changes, sits on rather thin
ice. Covert negative attitudes were evidenced in many examples ranging
from being left out of conversations/enquiries about significant
relationships to important information related to sexual orientation being
left out or dismissed as irrelevant in mental health settings.
It
is not surprising that research indicates vulnerabilities in those with
same sex orientations. It is important, however, not to presume that
challenges to mental health have always resulted in negative outcomes as
there is much resilience displayed by lesbians in relation to their health
and wellbeing.
Lesbian Parenting, Health and
Wellbeing - by Marg
Lesbian
parenting may be seen as a threat to traditional family values, both by
lesbians – for its potential to transform the inequitable and
patriarchal structures inherent in such values – and by those who
support traditional heterosexual family values as being necessary to the
health and moral wellbeing of society.
While
some suggest that parenting is essentially the same, whoever does it,
others maintain that there are particular qualities to “lesbian”
parenting that may lead to it being either socially transformative or
toxic.
Lesbian
parents and their children have, therefore, often lived lives involving
daily considerations of the politics of who they are and with an acute
awareness of the implications of the various ideas about what this means.
Considerations, for example, that relate to what they disclose and to whom
about their home life. Further to this, many lesbian parents and their
children have faced issues of discrimination and oppression from families
of origin, legal and political structures and also, as many report, from
within queer communities themselves. While multiple stress factors such as
these (as Trisha points out) can increase the potential for challenges to
mental health, the majority of research undertaken with lesbian parents
and their children overwhelmingly shows that these families and children
are not any less happy or healthy than their heterosexual counterparts
(Flaks et al., 1995; Graff, 2002; Golombok et al., 2003; Jones, 1997;
Patterson, 2003; Patterson & Chan, 1999; etc etc etc etc). The
challenges and stresses are definitely there, but there is no indication
that there is any inherent quality in lesbian parenting that is
detrimental to the health and wellbeing of either the parents or the
children.
So
far so good – but … There is a crucial and increasingly acknowledged
gap in this research. It predominantly relates to the experiences of
white, middle class, nuclear lesbian families. As Adrienne Rich (1995)
pointed out as early as 1980, although an increasing number of families
were not conforming to the nuclear family form, this form was still
presented and enshrined in legislation as “the” legitimate family
arrangement. The nuclear family still very much determines what is
expected in relation to the health and wellbeing of children and families
whatever lip service may be paid to an acknowledgement of family
diversity. Both the Civil Union and the Relationships (Statutory
References) Bills are examples of the further legitimation of nuclear
family forms. They reinforce certain social meanings, certain relationship
forms and maintain, particularly through the Relationships (Statutory
References) Bill, the primacy of nuclear families as the basic social and
economic unit of our society. Adults within nuclear families are to be
economically interdependent. The economic situations of these two adults
(and by implication any children involved) are legally connected to the
overall economic structure of the state and society. Challenges to this
structure would be truly socially transformative and, as feminists have
pointed out for decades, would be hugely significant for the wealth,
health and wellbeing of many women (lesbians) and children. Such change
would allow for a much wider and representative recognition of the
contemporary diversity of families.
Being
a parent is not easy or stress free. Increasingly parenting is closely
monitored. Public and media are quick to label the “good” and the
“bad” parent and judge the degree to which either conform to dominant
social expectations. Providing for the “good” and “appropriate”
development of children is a competitive and expensive social concern.
Parental guilt over “failures” in this regard is a source of mental
anguish to rival any more commonly recognised mental illness.
Parents
with adequate resources (including money) and support are far more able to
withstand other stresses in their lives. The Relationships (Statutory
References) Bill outlines how much money will be saved as a result of the
new responsibilities of lesbian and heterosexual (de facto or otherwise)
couples. The reduction of state spending on social assistance will amount
to millions in savings. The families from whom this money will be taken
are generally those who rely on social assistance and are the least able
to withstand such losses of income.
If
you are in a legally defined couple relationship (you do not have to be
living together all the time) think of what it would be like if you had to
survive on one income. Now think of what it would be like if you had to
survive on this income and had two children. Now think of what surviving
would be like if your income was around $399 per week (basic benefit rate
for a couple with two children). What do you think this would do to the
mental health and wellbeing of you and your children?
As
Boggit (2003) states: “Queer parents are not only educated, comfortable,
employed, dual income “guppy” (gay upwardly mobile professional)
couples. We are also people who live in cars with our kids … some of us
not only can’t afford a copy of Daddy’s Roommate or Heather
Has Two Mommies or the other books depicting gay families, but the
lives reflected in the pages of these books bear no resemblance whatsoever
to the lives we lead. We are families on welfare, living in public
housing. We are incarcerated, we are homeless” (p.176).
Contact
Details:
Marg
Madill, [email protected]
Trisha
Bennett, [email protected]
or 473-6200
Top of Page
by
Tor Devereux
Human Rights (Gender Identity)
Amendment Bill
Early
in February Georgina Beyer MP introduced to Parliament the Human Rights
(Gender Identity) Amendment Bill. This is a Private Member’s Bill and
was drawn out of the ballot late last year. What this Bill does is to add
gender identity to the grounds in the Human Rights Act on which people
cannot discriminate. Some of the other grounds that are already included
in the Human Rights Act include marital status, sexual orientation, sex
and race. Essentially, therefore, this Bill would prohibit discrimination
against those who identify as transgender (transsexuals, transvestites,
cross-dressers, etc.) and intersex people.
According
to Beyer this Bill is about protecting transgender people, but MPs
opposing it have slammed it as gender-bending legislation (whatever that
means!) and come out with statements such as the following from Dail Jones
(NZ First): “If
you’re born a male, you stay a male. If you’re born a female, you stay
a female. If you want to start fiddling around and changing your body,
that’s a decision you make and you must bear the consequences that
follow from it.” Richard Worth (National) described it as “foolish
legislation”, while Stephen Franks (Act) condemned the Human Rights Act
in general and claimed that “It says there are some category of human
behaviour or relationship that it is illegal to laugh at, or criticise, or
decide not to associate with”.
The
progression of the Bill has been postponed now until after the election
while Georgina Beyer gathers more information to ensure that MPs
understand the Bill properly. Beyer explains, “Many MPs have expressed
support in principle for the Bill but it is clear they also have a lot of
questions.” So, we’ll have to wait for the debate on this Bill until
later in the year – and, given what was said during the debates on the
Civil Union Bill and the Relationships (Statutory References) Bill
recently, I can imagine just how insulting and insensitive some of the
discussion will be. We can only hope, though, that it will be worth it in
the end when the Bill is successful and transgender and intersex people
are granted the same protections under the law in this country as other
groups.
Parental Rights Under The Care Of
Children Act
The Care of Children Act comes into effect on 1 July
this year and it is my understanding that under this Act lesbian mothers
whose partners have conceived and given birth to children using assisted
reproductive procedures will be granted parental rights retrospectively
(since all women in this situation after 1 July will automatically be
granted such rights).
I am
currently seeking information in regard to the process for obtaining these
rights, but I am still awaiting a reply from Marion Hobbs MP, Associate
Minister of Justice and the person responsible for this issue. I will
include the information she provides me with in the next issue of the OGT,
but if you would like this information as soon as it’s available then
please contact me by email ([email protected]) or phone (453-1108).
Funding For Sex-Change Operations
A new government policy means that funding is being
provided for four sex-change operations over two years. The amount being
made available for these surgeries is about $170,000. The money will pay
for three male-to-female operations (which cost about $30,000 each) and
one female-to-male operation (which costs about $80,000). The
male-to-female operations will be carried out by Peter Walker, a cosmetic
and reconstructive surgeon in
Christchurch
, while the
female-to-male operation will need to take place in overseas (probably in
Australia
).
Transgender
groups and individuals have been lobbying for some time now for public
funding to be made available for these operations. The Ministry of Health
has said that the policy will be assessed in a year or two.
Relationships (Statutory References)
Bill
The
Relationships (Statutory References) Bill was introduced at the same time
as the Civil Union Bill and they were considered together during the
submission process, but the Justice and Electoral Select Committee
reported back on the two Bills separately. While the Committee reported
back on the Civil Union Bill last year and then the Bill’s 2nd and 3rd
readings took place towards the end of 2004, the Committee only reported
back on the Relationships Bill in March 1 of this year.
The
Relationships Bill proposed amending all existing laws to eliminate
discrimination on the basis of marital status or sexual orientation and to
recognise civil unions by changing laws to provide civil union couples
with the same rights, protections and responsibilities as married couples.
The Relationships Bill needed to become law by April 26 so that the civil
unions that took place from that time onwards had meaning within the law.
The
2nd reading of the Relationships Bill took place on March 8 and the Bill
passed this reading by a significant majority. The following day MPs
debated the committee stage of the Bill until the debate was interrupted
at
10pm
. The Bill’s committee
stage was continued and completed on March 10. March 15 saw the 3rd
reading of the Relationships Bill and its passage into law by roughly a
two thirds majority.
As
happened when the Civil Union Bill was debated, the 2nd and 3rd readings
of the Relationships Bill meant a deluge of nasty, offensive and
prejudiced rhetoric within Parliament (and outside it) from those opposed
to the Bill and the granting of equal rights to LGBT people. Once again we
were vilified, our lives and loves denigrated and our realities maligned.
Even though we were victorious at the end of the day, we still have to
live with knowing what some MPs said and how vehement they were in their
efforts to deny us our human rights. It’s been a scary process, and the
struggles are by no means over. But, we also found some wonderful allies
and, despite everything, I still believe that the average New Zealander
supports the concept that everyone should be treated equally under the law
and that legally recognising same-sex relationships is okay!
There’s Going To Be An Election This
Year …
by
Tor Devereux
There
will be a general election in
New Zealand
later this
year. Although a date has not yet been set, it’s definitely not too
early to start thinking about it and to seriously consider getting
involved in some way.
The
past couple of years have been very interesting ones for the LGBT/queer
community on a political level and we need to be proactive when it comes
to voting if we don’t want to see the progress that we’ve made in
terms of rights and recognition halted – or, even worse, reversed.
Of
all the Parties that are represented in Parliament at the moment, there
are just two that have Rainbow Policies within their manifestoes – these
are the Labour Party and the Green Party. While some individuals from
other parties are sympathetic to our issues and may even support them,
these parties do not include policies specific to our community in their
platform, and some of them are even quite hostile towards us as a minority
group. And then there are other parties, such as Destiny New
Zealand
and the Christian Heritage Party, who will be seeking seats
in Parliament and who would like to make homosexuality illegal again.
We
can’t afford to be apathetic when it comes to this year’s election
because there’s actually a lot at stake. During the Civil Union debate
and throughout the last few years as issues crucial to the LGBT/queer
community have become more public and prominent and as we’ve struggle to
be accepted as full citizens with equal rights and responsibilities
we’ve had to endure a lot of homophobia and prejudice. This highlights
that we have to make our voices heard at the polls – we simply cannot
afford a “she’ll be right” or “my vote won’t make a
difference” attitude. You can bet that the
Destiny
Church
and other churches too
will be working hard to ensure that their members and anyone else who will
listen to them gets out and votes for traditional, conservative candidates
and parties, so we have to be just as assertive and take this election
very seriously.
So,
a few things to keep in mind as we progress toward the election:
Make sure you’re
enrolled to vote.
Make sure you vote on
election day. Your vote does count.
Take responsibility
for finding out about candidates and parties and make an informed decision
about who you’re going to vote for. Remember that you get two votes -
one for a candidate in your electorate and one for a party.
Think about getting
involved with a political party and assisting with their election
campaign. (If you’d like to support the local Greens campaign then
contact Philippa on 473-9293 and if you’d like to support the local
Labour campaign then contact Barb on 453-1108.)
Top
of Page
The
Rainbow Families group exists for all those in the LGBT/queer community
who have, want or are trying to have children to get together for support
and social activities.
The
Rainbow Families group has been running for over two years now and
there’s a range in the ages of the children – babies, toddlers and
older school-aged children. The group runs very informally, but provides
those who are part of a rainbow family with the opportunity to talk about
issues and share ideas and information. It’s also great for the children
to grow up knowing that there are other families like theirs.
The
group meets monthly, generally on the first Saturday of the month. Below
are listed the events that have been planned for the next few months. For
more information about the group, contact Barb on 453-1108 or [email protected]
or Jacinda on 471-9495.
Saturday
June 4
•
Dunedin Public Library, followed by coffee - Meet at the
children’s play area in the Public Library at
2pm
. The kids can read
some books, play on the computers, build with the blocks - and then we can
go to Nova for a coffee.
Sunday
July 3
•
Museum - Meet by the moa at
2pm
. We can look around
the museum and then have a break at the Museum Cafe.
NOTE:
This month’s event is on Sunday rather than Saturday!
Saturday
August 6
•
McDonald’s - Meet in the playground at the McDonald’s on
George St
at
2pm
. After the kids have
had a good run around we can have some afternoon tea and a bit of a chat.
Top
of Page
Don’t Postpone Joy: A Life Of Purpose and
Passion
by
Peter Taylor
(Random
House, 2005)
Reviewed
by Mike Wooliscroft
This
book is a good read and a fine example of positive thinking in sustained
action. Surrender Dorothy, Peter’s nationally renowned bar in
Ponsonby, was well-known, at least in gay circles, on both sides of The
Ditch, and Le Brie, the restaurant which he helped to establish,
were nationally innovative in terms of a finer dining experience than most
New Zealanders were accustomed to at the time. At both of these
establishments Peter’s presence was a large and a generous one. The
motto of Surrender Dorothy gives the title to this book –
“don’t postpone joy”.
Peter,
at 52, is in the midst of life in spite of being HIV positive and having
contracted Leishmaniasis donovani, an incurable parasitical disease.
Amazingly, he seems to be a “medical mystery” as he continues to cope,
albeit with physical constrictions. One suspects that Peter’s continued
determination to live well accounts, at least in part, for this. Clearly,
he is more conscious that many of us of his vulnerability as the severe
treatment for the latter disease has caused him to be partially sighted
and has required, thus far, 8 years of chemotherapy at 9 week intervals.
Yet rather than yield to the diseases fighting within his body, he treats
them as a challenge to be overcome. Determinedly outward looking, he
shares his positive approach to life at motivational sessions for
Celebrity Speakers.
Peter
grew up on a Northland farm, the son of parents whose relationship was far
from happy and with a mother who appears manipulative and bullying. Early
in the book we discover the possible root causes of this as she, too, grew
up in a dysfunctional family and such patterns are all too commonly
repeated.
Following
his time establishing Le Brie Peter picks up again his love of
horses and a large part of the rest of the biography tells us of his
relationships with horses, his participation in dressage and eventing
against many odds, including participating in the Olympic Games.
Interspersed throughout are accounts of Peter’s relationships, those
with women usually receiving more attention than those with his male
lovers and partners. Yet there is nothing salacious. Just an almost blunt
level of honesty, at least as far as the details go. Peter appears, too,
to be very self-aware even if some of this has recently been achieved with
the benefit of that great teacher – hindsight.
Included,
briefly, are comments on his time as a sex worker in Paddington, Sydney
and, in rather more detail, his establishment of Surrender Dorothy.
The
following two quotations from Peter’s story will give you some idea of
the style of the book and of Peter’s life, and help determine whether
you would want to read the book:
“A childhood filled with heartache taught me to
survive. Those lessons, on how to get through when everything looks
hopeless, went with me as I travelled the world. I had adventures and met
amazing – and some terrible – people. I loved with all my heart, I
lost, and twice, I almost got married. I worked hard, I lived hard and I
made things happen.”
“I
stomp on mediocrity with a tall pair of riding boots caked in horse sweat,
and I plan to go out that way too.”
As
someone almost wholly unfamiliar with the world of horses, dressage and
eventing, I found this book a “good read” providing a fast, moving and
honest account of a man of considerable vitality whose tenacious spirit
and refusal to be self-pitying one can only admire.
I read
many years ago that joy cannot be found by searching for it, but it is
likely to steal up and surprise and delight you if you attend to other
things in your life. Peter certainly deserves the joy which has come to
him and even in his more constrained current circumstances it is obvious
that he is open to it still.
From
Freyberg
by
Bill Edginton
(National
Pacific Press, 2004)
Reviewed
by John Z Robinson
It’s
a well known fact that people in
Wellington
can have the most
extraordinary sexual adventures. There’s something in the waters there,
something in the air. So when I picked up From Freyberg and read
the author’s preface warning the squeamish reader, I prepared myself for
the best - sex in the city and all that.
The
plot of this novel isn’t new to literature, or to life, but Bill
Edginton tackles it from a thoughtful gay viewpoint. A happily
“married” couple’s coupledom is challenged and threatened by the
appearance of a third party. In this case, Craig, a trade commissioner
turned gardener, cosily living with General Assembly Librarian Paul, has a
fling with the younger Neil, an ex-naval man he encounters at the swimming
baths.
In a
late 80s
Wellington
, still pretty much free
of cellphones and cyber sex, the three men carefully examine their lives,
loves and expectations. We learn quite a lot about them and their circle
of friends.
Eventually
Craig and Paul and Neil make their choices. I was half anticipating
something more radical, but the long shadows cast by the Kirk and by
Lampton Quay prevail. Craig and Paul stay happily together up in Wadestown
and our Neil moves in with a character we met early on in the story, and I
would bet that he is still doing his laps down at the Freyberg.
Top of Page
Feelings
Have To Give – A Short Story (Part 2)
by
Leebee Lu
Nothing
seemed right to me lately … my life … my work. I had a very important
meeting to go to, but all I could think about was
Taylor
.
Taylor
was my
ex-girlfriend who broke my heart. Yeah yeah I know, what is love anyway?
Honestly I cannot tell you. What I can tell you was one day we were
perfect for one another and the next thing I knew I was sitting at the
breakfast table alone.
As I walked out of the office, I decided I better grab
an espresso at Ciao Ciao café before heading to my next meeting. This café
was the best, all the coffee was imported from
Columbia
. Don’t ask me how the
coffee was imported, I just paid for the luxury. The smell of the coffee
was to die for … clearly overwhelming. I often had mild orgasms from the
smell of the coffee, it was that good. Quite often while waiting in the
café for my coffee its aroma and smell made love to my mouth and nose. It
often seemed I could not get to the counter fast enough. Sometimes I would
get so eager waiting in the line up for my coffee I wanted to physically
jump over the counter and put my lips onto the newest coffee made.
Oh
thank god I could see the café on the corner. Walking from my office to
get coffee was my idea of walking to a mirage in the desert. It took
forever. The coffee wasn’t real until my eyes glazed due to the sugar
rush and I had an outsized grin. Finally I could see the café. I grabbed
the door to the café and, as I entered, the feeling, the heat and the
excitement of the café hit me all at once. I hurried to get to the
counter for my daily erotic fix as the time was getting on and I had to be
back at the office by twelve for a meeting with Thomas, my in-the-closet
regional representative for
Chicago
.
As I
got myself into the line up to place my order I heard the cash register
ring. I started to thumb through my wallet. Damn, I still had the colour
sample to give to Thomas for next year’s show. Oops - he was not going
to like that. “Here you go miss - your coffee.” As I came back to
earth I searched for my five dollars. Where the hell did I put that money?
“I’ll pay for that,” a voice said. “No that’s ok, I’ve got
it,” I said. No employee of mine was going to pay for my coffee outside
the office! I looked up from my wallet and there was Shawn. Shawn was no
employee of mine. Shawn was only the hottest lesbian in the city of
Chicago
!
“Hey
Sarah. How are you?” Shawn said. “I’m fine,” I said. I looked past
Shawn as I was clearly in shock. I had wanted to date this woman for
years. She was so beautiful and witty. Witty women were rare in this town.
She looked into my eyes and said, “Hey Sarah, have you got a minute?”
I did not know what to say. Oh crap, I thought. I’m not ready for this
interaction - my brows are awful, my hair is a mess and I’m going to be
late for my meeting. But, oh well, screw it. I was dying for this moment
my whole lesbian career. “Yeah, sure, I have a minute. What’s up,
Shawn?” I asked.
“Sarah,
I was wondering if you would like to go out for a drink this evening?” I
was in shock. I looked down at my shoes. Oh dear, how I handled this
moment could affect the rest of my lesbian life aka lesbian career. I
forced oxygen into my mouth hoping she wouldn’t notice. I looked up into
her most beautiful brown eyes. “So, would you like to meet for a
drink?” Shawn asked again.
“Sure,
that would be great.” “Wonderful,” Shawn replied. “I’ve wanted
to ask you out for a long time. I’m glad you said yes.” “Really,”
I replied. I was still in shock, and clearly it was showing because my
mouth was open. Shut your mouth, I kept telling myself. Shawn, too, looked
puzzled. Oh dear, my shock is showing. “Hey Shawn I have to run,” I
said.
“So
I’ll meet you at Carters Cocktail Bar on
Broadway Ave
at
7pm
,” Shawn said. “Yeah,
that would be great.” I was in shock that this lovely woman clearly had
her eye on me and I never knew. Life is not always how it seems, I guess.
And I guess that is GREAT.
I walked
away and found myself skipping. Cool it, cool it, I told myself, she is
still watching. I could hear the sound of the violins and the cellos
escape from the strength of the strings. Hey, what the …? Violins and
cellos? The music was coming from my head. Oh god, I think I’m in love
again. It seemed I was going to be just fine - I had a woman back in my
life. I had a reason to shave my legs.
Top
of Page
A
Thought From A Poet
by
Jane E Libeau
Time
spent
Thinking
Wondering
Reflective
thoughts
Scenarios
formed inside my head
And
I wonder as I wander
Through
feelings
Full
of thought
Void
of organic reality?
I am
the thinker
The
poet
Like a sculptor
I
mould and chisel
Dance
the form to reflect
What
is in my mind
Folding
my energy
Over
and around my creation
Being
part of my work
Becoming
my work
For
I am my work
The
words are the sculpture
I
peruse the finished product
Touching
Caressing
its rough textures
Soothing
and smoothing
Romancing
and falling into its form
I am
the living reflection
Of
what I create
A
three dimensional insight
To this
thinker’s thoughts.
Top of Page
Families
Commission Seeks Input
by
Tor Devereux
The
Families Commission is currently trying to find out what families need so
that it can be an effective advocate for families in
New Zealand
. (The Families
Commission was set up in July 2004. It is an independent organisation
funded by and accountable to the Government, and one of its purposes is to
provide a voice for
New Zealand
families.)
In
order to get the information it needs, the Families Commission is
currently seeking input via a questionnaire. This can either be completed
online at www.familiescommission.govt.nz/voices/index.php
or by calling toll free 0508-544-544 to get a question pack sent to
you. You have until 30 June to complete the questionnaire.
It’s
really important that the Families Commission receives feedback from a
wide variety of families, including Rainbow Families, so please take the
time to answer their questions and help to make our families more visible
within this organisation.
The
Families Commission webpage given above also provides the options of
signing up to:
be involved with further
research
be on the Families
Commission mailing list
receive a summary copy of
the results of the current project
Top of Page
UniQ
by
Pamela Dwyer, UniQ Coordinator
Well, the beginning of UniQ 2005 was a bit rocky with
the late start of the new Coordinator, but here I am now and after quite a
learning curve I’ve settled (somewhat) into the “queer” job that is
the UniQ Coordinator.
FUNQ
nights are continuing along under the experienced guidance of Nathan Brown
and Grant Benson with the next Disco being Grant’s last as Coordinator.
The WAQD lunches are happening every Wednesday from
12.30pm
in the Otago Room at
Clubs and Socs and they’re also planning some film screenings in the
evening (queer films of course!). On May 25 David Benson-Pope MP will be a
special guest at the WAQD lunch and the topic for discussion will be
“Using Our MP Resources in
Dunedin
”. Everyone is welcome
to attend.
A
few weeks ago UniQ presented a new annual/biannual event “The Queerest
Tea Party” on the Union Lawn with free tea and cake for all who
celebrate Queerdom with a queer special live on the lawn from Radio One.
The event was well supported and mother nature was fairly supportive too.
A
big push this year is to start providing a little affirmation to those of
us who are non-heterosexual or gender diverse. I believe a lot of queer
people’s struggles with their identities come from the lack of
visibility of people or situations that we can relate to in our sometimes
overwhelmingly “straight” society and mainstream media. So UniQ is
endeavouring to set up a resource library of books (fiction and non
fiction), comics, films and music to provide an easy access point for
people who are tired of watching Kate and Harry kiss, or for that matter
have never seen anything but.
UniQ
continues to offer peer support to students who can get in touch with us
through our email [email protected]
or by phoning 479-5445. UniQ’s website is also up and running – check
it out at www.uniq.ousa.org.nz
Anyone
who would like to be involved in peer support or organising
campaigns/events with UniQ please call or email me!
Top of Page
Review
by John Z Robinson
Kare
Grayson is a 4th year art student exhibiting at the Segue Gallery in
Burlington Street
. She has named her
exhibition EX-INHIBITION.
One
wall of the gallery features “The Community Pride Construction
Project”, which is a giant rainbow flag. This is a real treat. It
consists of hundreds of snapshot size portraits painted on hardboard.
Close-up, these portraits are engagingly individual, and then when viewed
from across the room, they merge to form a shimmering international gay
emblem. The range of facial expressions and attitudes is quite breath
taking. Michael Jackson looks like, well, Michael Jackson, but most of the
others look as if they are sharing jokes and cigarettes and generally
happy to be part of the gay crowd. On opening night this flag had echoes
across at the bar where there was a line-up of rainbow vodka jellies.
“Just
What It Is That Makes A Lesbian Home So Different, So Appealing” is an
oversize sapphic take on pop artist Richard Hamilton’s “Just What Is
It That Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing”. Kare Grayson
maintains the cheeky symbolism of
Hamilton
’s collage with such
images as an artist at her easel beside a photocopier producing a picture
of a sunflower. This work was made with the very latest technologies,
distancing itself from the scissors and paste used by
Hamilton
in 1956.
There
are another three large paintings, this time black and white
amplifications of Flannelette and Corduroy cartoons that normally grace
the pages of the OGT.
Other
works in the show are easel paintings. They continue with the theme of
domestic cosiness in an artistic lesbian household. Two are based on a
famous David Hockney oil of “Mr & Mrs Clark and Percy, their white
cat”. They are transcriptions in which the Mr & Mrs are replaced by
tripod easels with blank canvases and a creature called Geoffrey.
EX-INHIBITION
has a gentle celebratory feel to it. Nothing is overstated. It is quietly
confident and evidence of a well spent apprenticeship.
(NOTE:
Kare’s exhibition ran from 19-29 April)
Top of Page
A
Gay Play on an August Day
by Anna Chinn
Every one of our readers is a beautiful thing, which is a
good reason for you all to make sure you see the play Beautiful Thing,
showing at the Globe Theatre in August. Another good reason is that the
beautiful thing to which the title refers is, presumably, the sweet
relationship that forms between the two young men at the centre of the
play. In other words: Yay! - theatre with a queer focus!
Ste and Jamie are teenage neighbours in a working-class
housing project in
London
. Jamie is bookish and
shy, while Ste is more athletic. Neither has an ideal home life, as
Jamie’s mother is bitter about finances and romances, while Ste’s
father and brother are abusive towards him. After a fight with his family,
Ste asks Jamie’s mother Sandra if he can stay at her house, and she
suggests he and Jamie top and tail. Things get steamy – in an innocent,
G-rated way, of course – and the boys soon find they are in love. Sandra
has a bit of trouble coming to terms with this, but another neighbour, the
Mama Cass-worshipping Leah, is supportive. And at the end of this urban
fairytale, without giving too much away, it’s safe to say Jamie and Ste
are better off than they were before. But that’s always the way with
coming-out stories, isn’t it?
Beautiful Thing, an award-winning play by Gimme, Gimme, Gimme
scripter Jonathan Harvey, will be directed by the talented Jeffrey
Vaughan, and will feature a set by Andrew Cook, whose sets are always
beautiful things. When asked to provide some exclusive goss about the play
for the OGT,
Vaughan
noted: “The show was
on at Circa [
Wellington
] in 1994, and I heard
one story of a guy who took his parents to see the show as a way to gauge
their reaction, and came out to them after the show. And also the other
way around, where a mum, suspecting her son was gay, took him to the show
as a way of letting him know it would be okay if he was.”
And so you see, this play changes lives. Let’s have full
houses, people!
DIARISE IT: Beautiful Thing, by Jonathan Harvey, opens at the
Globe on August 4th and runs until the 13th. Shows
are at
8pm
, except August 7th
when there is a matinee at
3pm
. No show Mondays. There
will be a discussion after the matinee where the audience can meet and ask
questions of the cast and crew.
WIN:
To be in to win a double pass to Beautiful Thing at the Globe, just
drop us a line (before June 15) and tell us in 50 words or fewer: “What
is your beautiful thing?” Ours is getting to decide who wins!
Write to
PO Box 6171
,
Dunedin
or email [email protected].
And don’t forget to give us your contact details (which we’ll only use
to get tickets to you if you win, of course!).
Top of Page
Call
for Artists
Call For Artists
The annual Pride Exhibition will be held 2-16 July 2005 at the Community
Gallery on
Princes Street
. Any
gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender artists wishing to participate in
this group show can contact the organisers listed below.
All works must be for sale. A 25% commission will go into a fund to secure
the Pride Exhibition for 2006 as well as helping to cover costs of this
year’s scheduled show. Each artist may submit up to two works. Selection
will be by committee. All works to be received by 24 June.
Contacts:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Kare
ph. 021-116-7927
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God,
Penquins and Others
by
Sue Thompson, PFLAG South
Recently
I was reading a piece in an overseas religious magazine (
London
“Tablet”,
March 5th 2005
), and
almost began cheering at what I read. It was a story about the Humboldt
penguins at the
Bremerhaven
zoo in
Germany
. The
males had been forming “relationships” which had bothered some people
mightily. The zookeepers brought in some “voluptuous females awash with
pheromones” (to tempt them out of their wicked ways, no doubt!).
However, the experiment was a failure. The gay penguins stayed faithful to
one another and “defiantly started raising stones in lieu of eggs”!
The
article went on: “This should be allowed to join the growing mass of
evidence that homosexuality is not unnatural. It is something that occurs
in creation whether we like it or not … not, as harsh evangelicals
claim, curable by prayer and conditioning … You can persuade or bully
people out of doing bad things, but not out of perceiving a particular
type of beauty and lovability and caressability and companionableness in
one group rather than another. You can punish and exclude people for what
they do, but not for where they most naturally glimpse their archetypes of
divine glory.”
It
is a relief to hear written so plainly and with such grace what many of us
have thought, or have known from lived experience. It would be wonderful
if the churches could ever allow themselves to examine the truth of this
and not only acknowledge, but respect the fidelity and kindness and mutual
support of honest unions.
Meanwhile
we do our best as opportunities are presented to us. One such opportunity
occurred in early May when the AIDS Foundation, Out There, the Family
Planning Association, Pride Dunedin Youth and PFLAG South made
presentations and offered resources at a meeting. Those invited to attend
included school staff, health nurses and community agencies who are
interested in the welfare of GLBT high school students. It is impossible
to predict the outcome of this meeting, but we are hoping that it will
begin a process of schools becoming safer and more respectful places.
We’ll keep you posted. (See separate article for more details about this
new project for making high schools safer.)
We
welcome visitors at our monthly PFLAG meetings on the 4th
Monday of the month at Community House at
7.30 pm
.
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PFLAG
South has many helpful publications designed to help you, your friends and
your family. You can check them out on our website http://au.geocities.com/pflagsouth
or email [email protected]
PFLAG
(Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) has an office. Here
are the details:
95 Fitzroy St
,
Kew
,
Dunedin
(within the
offices of the Dunedin Methodist Mission)
Office
telephone: 477-2000
Help
line: 025-686-9304
Email:
[email protected],
Postal
address:
PO Box 5266
,
Dunedin
Hours:
10am to 2pm
on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays
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International
HIV/AIDS Conference
by
Tor Devereux
In
October
New Zealand
will host the Pan Pacific
Regional HIV/AIDS Conference, “Te Whanau o te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, me te
Mate Parekore - Family of the Pacific and HIV/AIDS Conference”. This
major international HIV/AIDS Conference will take place in
Auckland
from October 25-28.
The
Conference’s organising committee includes individuals from the New
Zealand AIDS Foundation, Body Positive New Zealand, the Pacific Islands
AIDS Foundation, UNAIDS and the Auckland University of Technology, as well
as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
According
to the NZ AIDS Foundation’s Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier,
“HIV/AIDS has the potential to be one of the most serious health issues
in the Pacific region. The UNAIDS group recently stated that HIV had
spread further and faster in the world than ever predicted. We are now
seeing it enter our neighbouring Pacific nations in concerning numbers,
and
New Zealand
and
Australia
are both battling with a new
surge in HIV diagnoses.”
Abstracts
for papers to be presented at the Conference are currently being accepted
with the deadline being 16 June. The Conference will include papers and
discussion about the following:
·
Improving Care
– clinical research, treatment and care
·
Engaging
Communities – health promotion, intervention and community action
·
Building
Knowledge – basic science, epidemiology and social research
·
Strengthening
Leadership – policy, leadership and human rights
As
Le Mesurier points out, “This conference is an important opportunity to
bring people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, researchers, educators,
clinicians, policy makers, health promoters, tribal and church leaders,
and community organisations together to share ideas, successes, challenges
and identify opportunities for cooperation. The exciting aspect of this
conference is that it will prioritise our region and be done in a way that
respects and includes our cultural norms.”
The
deadline for earlybird registrations is 28 July, although registrations
will be accepted until October 13. For more information about the
Conference, including abstract submission details and forms, check out the
Conference website at www.panpacific-hivaids05.net.nz
or email [email protected]
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Has
coming out alienated you from your church family? If so you might feel at
home at Glenaven.
Glenaven
is a
Methodist
Church
with an
ecumenical congregation and a special ministry to the gay and lesbian
community. Even if you don’t think of yourself as Christian you can
belong and be valued. Theologically, Glenaven is at the cutting edge and
our Sunday sermons are followed by some pretty lively dialogue. Be
prepared to be challenged.
Try
us out on Sunday mornings. We have coffee and cookies from
10:40am
and our
service is from
11am
to
12pm
. You’ll find
Glenaven in
Chambers Street
, just two
blocks along
North Road
from the
Garden’s supermarket.
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New Diagnoses of HIV
- In 2004 Remain At
Previous Year’s High Levels
“Late
diagnoses of HIV such as this mean that HIV treatments are unlikely to be
as effective at preventing illness, and onwards HIV transmission is less
likely to be avoided. The continued high incidence of new HIV diagnoses in
New Zealand
cannot be put down to a
single factor, Hughes said. “The fact is that while HIV prevention
remains as straightforward as it has always been – properly used condoms
provide near complete protection against HIV – the human factor in this
epidemic has become increasingly complex. While most MSM do use condoms
most of the time, there is still enough unsafe sex behaviour to drive this
epidemic forward rather than halt or reverse it.”
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by
Anna Chinn
The Otago
Gaily Times had heard there were GLBT police liaison officers
operating somewhere in
Dunedin
. We initiated a manhunt
called “Operation Whoarethesepeopleandwhatdotheydo” and, after many
smoke-filled emails and late-night phonecalls, we finally found our
suspect. His name was Matt Scoles, and just before
1:00am
on a cold Friday morning
(he was on a late shift), we caught him and he spilled. What was revealed
was a genuine commitment, on his part, to keep an eye out for us all.
A
bit of history. The first GLBT liaison officer cropped up in the
Waikato
about three years ago.
This was not officially endorsed by the New Zealand Police, but it soon
saw the creation of “diversity liaison officers” in every policing
district. There are now 25 coppers nationwide who include the role of DLO
among their portfolios. In March this year, several DLOs attended the Big
Gay Out in
Auckland
as a way of introducing
the role, and the police’s intention “to enhance relationships with
the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities” was signed,
sealed and delivered.
In
Dunedin
city, the initial three
liaison officers have been whittled back to one (one guy was promoted,
another sent to Mosgiel), but Officer Scoles seems, at least, to have the
enthusiasm of three people.
“Once
the role became a focus for police, volunteers were asked for and I put my
hand up. I’ve been in the force nine years now, and I’m very much
sorta siding towards communities and working with communities, and I’m
really excited about being involved in this.”
Scoles
says Otago, particularly with its large student population, is probably
more pro-gay than other regions, so the queer community is pretty safe.
This begs the question, has he actually been required to do much in his
capacity as diversity liaison officer?
“Well,
that’s the thing; no, I haven’t really. We went to a couple of events
in Pride Week last year but, at the time, we had no official brief as to
what our role was … But we went to a three-day course in Wellington this
year, which involved various topics including hate crime, and I’m
feeling a little bit more informed about the role now.”
At
some OGT distribution points, such as the Dunedin Public Library,
self-appointed “moral guardians” sometimes come and take the copies
away and destroy them. I asked Scoles if giving advice for that would be
within his scope.
“That
sort of thing is not acceptable. And that, I guess, is a low-level form of
what I might deal with. Actually, I wish someone would throw something
down on paper because I’d love to tackle that. We could sit down with
the people at the library and work something out … That’s exactly the
sort of thing I’d love to sink my teeth into.”
There
will, of course, be readers who remember being “criminals” in the eyes
of the law, and who will, therefore, remain understandably sceptical of
the police. And while Scoles does not deny taking “a great deal of
grief” from his colleagues when he was appointed DLO, it is clear that he
can be trusted. During our discussion, he flatly referred to
homophobes who yell things out of cars while driving past The Pit as
“dickheads”, and some of his final, emphatic words were: “Certainly
if any people in the gay community have any problems, I would hope they
would touch base with me.”
Matt
Scoles can be reached (with perseverance) on 471-4800 or by writing c/-
the Dunedin Central Police Station,
25 Great King St
.
For
more information about the launch of Diversity Liaison Officer role within
the police, check out the following webpage: www.police.govt.nz/tenone/20050304-270/feature_bgo.htm
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On May 4
Dunedin
schools and community
members were given a presentation on a new action kit promoting safety for
gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. The presentation of the
Safety in Schools action kit was made by Out There spokesperson Sarah Helm
and members of Pride Dunedin Youth.
A new study accompanying the kit showed 9 percent of
non-heterosexual students did not feel safe at school, with a further 25
percent feeling safe only “sometimes”. Ms Helm said the information
was taken from an analysis of non-heterosexual respondents’ data in the
Youth 2000 survey, which covered 114
New Zealand
schools. The study also
showed there were at least two non-heterosexual students in an average
class of thirty.
The safety kit provides schools with a positive model
to deal with homophobic bullying. The kit defines and explains the impact
of homophobia on students, and then sets out positive things schools can
do to create supportive environments for non-heterosexual students. “We
knew from experience that non-heterosexual students were facing harassment
and bullying, but the study confirms the extent of the issue. It is
unacceptable that any young person should feel unsafe attending school,”
said Ms Helm.
Homophobic bullying affects both gay and straight
students because bullies also target straight students who do not fit
gender stereotypes. “Bullying makes a profound and lasting dent in the
self-esteem of young people. Schools have to take responsibility for
ensuring their students’ safety,” she said. “It is important for the
health, well-being and educational performance of students that school is
considered a safe place. I have heard horror stories about the victims of
bullying being asked to leave their school to solve the problem. Meanwhile
other schools are doing fantastic work around inclusion and countering
bullying,” added Ms Helm.
The kit will help iron out the inconsistencies between
schools by arming teachers, boards of trustees, principals and staff with
information, practical ideas and support. There is a suggested method for
teachers to challenge the use of the word “gay” as an insult in the
classroom. “Schools have a legal obligation to ensure all students are
safe, but we know that they need support to do it,” Ms Helm said,
“which is what this resource provides.”
Out
There has been holding presentations around the country, and preparing for
a national conference in
Wellington
on June 11-12 which will
launch the Safety in Schools for Queers (SS4Q) campaign demanding safety
for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and teachers. SS4Q has
brought together a number of prominent organisations including the New
Zealand AIDS Foundation, Rainbow Youth, the Human Rights Commission, the
Post Primary Teachers’ Association, Out There and the Family Planning
Association.
For
more information or to register for the conference contact Sarah Helm ([email protected]
or PO Box 9247,
Marion Square
,
Wellington
). Funding may be
available for travel to attend the conference if you are a young person,
student or PPTA member.
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1.
26 April 2005
2.
Christopher Street
3. Parents,
Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
4. More than 11
years
5.
Parallel Lies
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