17/04/2009
News Sent - 17th April 2009
In this week's e-mail newsletter: Equality Network News: we're looking forward to the next year; Forums News: #AmazonFail: Twittering for LGBT equality; Dumfries LGBT Youth in cash crisis; Glasgow: Children banned from ShOUT; Learning Launchpad: investing in growth; Money Saving Expert (MSE) Charity; Talk Scotland: Glasgow: Our Vivid Stories; Edinburgh: Abortion and Choice - Past, Present, Future; Edinburgh: Voices of Congolese Women; Glasgow: Gude Cause meeting; Glasgow: Media Images of Women and the Impact on Self Esteem; UK News: Cleve Jones salutes Stonewall; Stonewall's 20th birthday party: Friday 24 April 2009; International: President of Brazil: "living in harmony and in diversity is a goal to be pursued every day by us all"; To Friends and Donors of Iraqi LGBT; LGBT Families, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation: Ireland: Noise rally for marriage equality; Petition the Scottish Parliament: Right to same-sex marriage and mixed-sex civil partnership
If you're interested in using the Equality Network's bulletin boards to share information about local and international news and events in your area, e-mail ENnews@equality-network.org by close of day Friday each week for inclusion in next week's mailing.
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Equality Network News
We apologise for the late arrival of LGBT News this week.
We're all looking forward to a new financial year filled with plans, events, and news. The
National LGBT Forum and the
STA Forum will be meeting this summer.
EveryoneIn, the ME/LGBT Project, will publish their first report on their work this past year. A new LGBT Community website will be launched at Pride in Edinburgh. And of course we still intend to keep sending you
LGBT News and
Equality Network News, and to keep you up to date with the progress of legislative changes that affect LGBT people in Scotland.
Forums News
#AmazonFail: Twittering for LGBT equality
On Thursday 9th April, many LGBT books vanished from Amazon's sales rankings because books which had been tagged "lesbian", "gay", "bisexual", or "transgender" had been reclassified as "adult books". This meant that the books were not as easily found on the Amazon websites, and did not appear in any bestseller lists, no matter how popular they had been. Authors disappeared in this wholesale ban included Jeanette Winterson and E. M. Forster. (
Guardian) When some authors queried this, they received emails from Amazon saying that this was now "company policy". Over the Easter weekend, online discussion about this disappearance on the networking site
Twitter.com, marked with the tag #amazonfail, had grown to record proportions. Amazon made a public statement on Sunday 12th April that the disappearance had been caused by a database glitch that would be fixed as soon as possible and that there was no new policy (
Publishers Weekly). However, some authors have come forward to say that their books had been affected by the "glitch" for months or years (
AfterEllen), and software experts say the problem is not just a glitch but a symptom of how Amazon structures its database (
TechCrunch.com)
Dumfries LGBT Youth in cash crisis
LGBT Youth Scotland's services and staff in Dumfries and Galloway may have to be cut after a council meeting last month where the group received £32,4456 of local authority funding for 2009/10 compared to around £80,000 the year before. Council equality officer Melinda Dolan said: “This is unfortunate as the work here has been nationally recognised and is seen as an example of good practice which is being copied elsewhere.” (
Dumfries and Galloway Standard)
Fergus McMillan : Our work is about improving young lives (
The Scotsman)
Glasgow: Children banned from ShOUT
shOUT is part of Goma's long-running Contemporary Art and Human Rights programme is the gallery's main summer show. It will run until 9th November 2009. Children aged 12 and under, who are not accompanied by an adult, will not be allowed to see a controversial new art display. Secondary school pupils were originally to be invited to view the art, but after details of the exhibition were revealed last week, James Coleman, deputy leader of Glasgow City Council, said the council would not "facilitate" any school visits. The shOUT exhibition at Glasgow's Gallery of Modern Art, explores the sexuality and lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. An explicit photograph by artist Robert Mapplethorpe is featured as well as art from the likes of Grayson Perry, David Hockney, Holly Johnson and Scottish artist Chad McCail. (
The Herald)
Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow G1 3AH
www.glasgowmuseums.com
Learning Launchpad: investing in growth
The Learning Launchpad fund provides investment to organisations in their early stages of development, both for people who are starting out with a new idea, as well as for organisations or initiatives that are already up and running and want to grow. "We are looking for individuals (or even better, teams) that are committed to solving problems facing young people with ground-breaking ideas." The Learning Launchpad is a fund delivered by the
Young Foundation working in partnership with Edge to enable young people, whatever their background, to achieve their potential. The next deadline by which to apply for funding is 5pm, 30th June 2009.
www.learninglaunchpad.org
Money Saving Expert (MSE) Charity
MSE Charity provides grants to individuals and charities to improve knowledge of consumer, debt, or personal money management: also innovative projects that have the potential to help a lot of people can be funded if they help educate and inform people about consumer or debt issues. Individuals can apply for up to £500. Charities and groups can apply for up to £5,000.
www.msecharity.com
Talk Scotland Events
Glasgow: Our Vivid Stories
Our Vivid Stories is a project by the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) and LGBT Youth Scotland showcasing the stories of LGBT young people in Glasgow. The stories will be a part of GoMA's sh[out]: Contemporary art and human rights exhibition in April.
www.lgbtyouth.org
Edinburgh: Abortion and Choice - Past, Present, Future
Sat 25th April 2009, 10.30am - 4.00pm, at the Workers Educational Association, Riddles Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh.
There's still time to book for this day of discussion bringing together those who have campaigned in the past with those who may be the campaigners of the future, women and men, older and younger, those who are pro choice and those who are unsure." Invited speakers include Judy Bury from Doctors for a Woman’s Right to Choose, Kainde Manji NUS Scotland, a representative from the STUC and a member of the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Sexual Health.
www.abortionrights.org.uk
Edinburgh: Voices of Congolese Women
28 April 2009, Committee Room 1 at the Scottish Parliament, 6 - 8 pm
Michael Russell, Minister for External Affairs, will open the event. DRC activists living in the UK will lead the evening seminar-style. Speakers include:
Marie-Louise Pambu, Kongosi Onia Mussanzi, and Marie-Claire Faray. If you would like to attend this event, please contact Helen Kay or Janet Fenton at Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre, St John's Church Terrace, West End Princes Street,
Edinburgh EH2 4BJ / email gudecause@peaceandjustice.org.uk. or call 0131 229 0993 or 07985 914143. Space will be limited and for security reasons the event requires prior registration.
Glasgow: Gude Cause meeting
Glasgow Women's Library, Wed 6th May 2009, 6pm
A meeting for Glasgow women who want to be involved in the anniversary celebrations of the Women's Suffrage Procession in 1909. "We will show some historical photographs of the original procession in 1909 and newspaper reports of the time, and give you an up-to-date report on the planning for the commemorative procession on 10 October 2009. We hope that you will take the opportunity to share your ideas for participation and associated activities. There will be tea, coffee and biscuits available at 6pm to keep you going!"
www.gudecause.org.uk
Glasgow: Media Images of Women and the Impact on Self Esteem
7th May 2009, 10am to 12noon, at The Adelphi Centre, 12 Commercial Road, Glasgow G5. This session will raise awareness of the unrealistic representation and goals set by the media industry and its role in heightening women and young women’s vulnerability to poor mental health, extreme behaviours including self harm and commercial sexual exploitation. Free event, registration essential by 30th April: email: lorna_wisewomen@hotmail.com or phone 0141 550 7557.
Glasgow Women's Network
UK News
Cleve Jones salutes Stonewall
At Stonewall's Equality Dinner in London on 2nd April 2009, Cleve Jones, human rights activist, founder of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and instrumental in the campaign to get Harvey Milk elected, (
PBS) said: "I salute you on your work. Peace and social justice was Harvey Milk's vision and it's the vision of the founders of this organisation. Young people in this country are being beaten and killed just as in my country. Our struggle against homophobia is not over."
www.stonewall.org.uk
Stonewall's 20th birthday party: Friday 24 April 2009
As a big fan of Stonewall, Tom Winchester will be hosting a party at the Paramount Club in London in aid of Stonewall's 20th birthday.
Stonewall Events
International
President of Brazil: "living in harmony and in diversity is a goal to be pursued every day by us all"
In response to a question from Kürsad Kahramanoglu, former co-secretary general of ILGA, about why human rights issues (including LGBTT rights) had been made such a priority by his administration, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said: "...the respect for the human rights have their place assured in the agenda of this government, from the beginning. We have tirelessly fought any form of intolerance, discrimination and prejudice. We considerably advanced in terms of race and gender. Our administration has, for example, the program "Brazil without Homophobia" and supports a bill that criminalizes offensive or discriminatory attitudes on sexual orientation." Read full interview on the boards.
Equality Network > International > South America
To Friends and Donors of Iraqi LGBT
We have received an urgent appeal for donations to Iraqi LGBT "to all our friends and supporters all around the world to help us with our new campaign and demonstration and to continue the fight for LGBT rights in Iraq. Donations helps activist inside Iraq to continue monitoring, reporting the situation for our LGBT community all over Iraq. With over 24 activists around Iraq putting their lives at risk to help, support the lgbt rights movements. We need to pay for their phone calls, transportation, and accommodation and food."
Paypal email address: Iraqilgbt@yahoo.co.uk or by cheque (UK currency only) payable to "Iraqi Lgbt" to:
Iraqi LGBT: 22 Notting Hill Gate, Unit #111, London, W11 3JE, Mob: ++44 798 1959 453
Website :
iraqilgbtuk.blogspot.com
- "Dozens of young men and boys killed by death squads in Baghdad" (Independent)
- "Iraqi leaders 'ignoring murder of homosexuals'" (Telegraph)
- "Fears over Iraq gay killing spate"(BBC)
LGBT Families, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation
Ireland: Noise rally for marriage equality
The next Noise rally for civil marriage equality takes place on Sunday 19th April outside the Central Bank, Dame Street, Dublin from 2pm: "Inequality? RED CARD!" "We're hugely grateful to Queen of the Scene Miss Panti Bliss, who has generously offered to open PantiBar before the rally so that people have a place to gather - come along for tea and cake!"
www.lgbtnoise.ie
Petition the Scottish Parliament: Right to same-sex marriage and mixed-sex civil partnership
Petition by Tom French, on behalf of the Equal Marriage Campaign, calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend legislation to allow same-sex marriage and mixed-sex civil partnership.
Click here to sign the petition.
The Equality Network’s website for information on all aspects of LGBT family law – including civil partnership, cohabitation, having children, breaking up – is
www.lgbtfamilies.org
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