04/08/2010
News Sent - 4th August 2010
In this week's e-mail newsletter: Equality Network News: Inverness: Everywhere Equal; Annual Conference: Save The Date; Forums News: Sunday Times claims that "sensible" gay people accept homophobic jokes; LGBT end of life care questionnaire; BBC: Money! documentary; Scottish Connections: celebrating eastern & central European heritage; Stop Hate In Central Scotland; Talk Scotland Events: Glasgow: Charity Sale for Amina Muslim Women's Resource Centre; Glasgow & Edinburgh: LGBT History Month; Edinburgh: Do We Really Care About Poverty In Scotland?; Argyll and Bute LGBT Events; Tayside: Cameraderie; Local Tobacco Alliances: Value of voluntary and community sector involvement; Edinburgh: Shakti Women's Aid training; Ayrshire: Who am I? Who are you?; STUC: 2010 Annual Women’s Conference; UK News: Norwich: Take Pride With The Largest Rainbow Scarf; Liverpool's first Pride celebration; London: One Society Many Cultures Conference; The Independent's Pink List; Can the Pope be arrested?; Philippa Stroud: going places; International: BBC Trust dismisses complaints of homophobia; China: Smile For Gay Campaign; Working for All: GARA Political Shadowing Scheme 2010; Equal Approach: Vocational Rehabilitation vacancies; Legal Member to Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission; LGBT Families: Ireland: March for Marriage; US: Discrimination against LGBT elders;
You can now register and add events to the National LGBT Forum:
www.scottishlgbt.org/Events
If you have a Facebook account, you can join the
Equality Network group. Regular news updates and writings on the wall. You can also follow LGBT News on Twitter:
EN_LGBTNews.
If you enjoy receiving LGBT News, please consider becoming a
Friend of the Equality Network.
Please send material for inclusion in the weekly e-bulletin to ENnews@equality-network.org by end of day Friday each week.
Equality Network
Inverness: Everywhere Equal
National LGBT Forum, Ramada Inverness Hotel, from 1.00pm until 4.30pm on Saturday 4th September. A buffet lunch will be provided and a travel bursary scheme is in place where travel costs are a barrier to participation. If you would like to register to come along and take part or would like to suggest a speaker, topic for discussion or other agenda item please contact scott@equality-network.org or phone 0131 467 6039.
Annual Conference: Save The Date
The 2010 annual conference will be held in Glasgow on Saturday 23rd October. As ever, we'll hope to see our network there, and will be looking for volunteer note-takers and other assistance before and on the day.
Forums News
Sunday Times claims that "sensible" gay people accept homophobic jokes
Clare Balding, BBC presenter, has registered a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission following AA Gill's comments about her in his Sunday Times TV column as a "big lesbian" and a "dyke on a bike", and response from Sunday Times editor John Witherow that such complaints were an attempt to claim a "special victim status" and failure to "behave like any other sensible group that is accepted by society", to accept being the butt of jokes. Witherow offers as an example Jeremy Clarkson, whom Witherow claims is "constantly jeered at" for being a heterosexual male. In fact, a recent Stonewall study (
Unseen Onscreen) into how lesbian and gay people are portrayed in TV programmes watched by young people found that many depictions are negative, demeaning or stereotypical, and that in 39 hours of output, BBC1 showed just 44 seconds of positive and realistic depictions of gay people. (
Pink Paper,
PinkNews)
Contact details for Sunday Times
LGBT end of life care questionnaire
Are end of life care services LGBT friendly? Are there improvements that can be made for LGBT people? The LGBT Consortium in partnership with the National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC) is looking to better understand the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people around death and dying and whether there are any improvements that could be made in end of life care provision. If you have any experience either personally or through the work that you do, they would very much like to hear what you have to say before Friday 13th August 2010..
More information and a link to the questionnaire can be found at
the LGBT Consortium website.
BBC: Money! documentary
The BBC is making a thoughtful documentary series about attitudes to money, and want to speak to a diverse range of couples about the role money plays in their home. No matter how you feel about your finances, the BBC want to hear from you. To find out more about this exciting new series, please get in touch in confidence. Call Tara Nolan on: 0207 557 2364 or email moneyresearch@bbc.co.uk
Scottish Connections: celebrating eastern & central European heritage
This project aims to celebrate the connections between Scotland and the A8/A2 countries in eastern and central Europe - Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Estonia, Romania and Bulgaria. They're looking for others to share their story too. Many Scots have ancestors with eastern and central European heritage - your own family may have a connection? Or perhaps you have recently settled here? Or maybe you have emigrated from Scotland to eastern or central Europe? If so you can upload your story, and share photographs, at the
Scotland Against Racism website.
Stop Hate In Central Scotland
Individuals who become victims of intimidation, harassment or physical assault because of prejudice relating to race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity will be the focus of the Multi-Agency Hate Response Strategy (MAHRS). (
Glasgow Equality Networks Forum,
Pink Paper)
www.stophateincentralscotland.org.uk
Talk Scotland Events
Glasgow: Charity Sale for Amina Muslim Women's Resource Centre
11th August, 2pm - 4pm, at Network House, 311 Calder St, Govanhill G42 7NQ Admission 50p per Adult, Children Free. Charity Sale Of New / Nearly New Childrens Toys Clothes & Equipment. All proceeds to fund charitable work of Amina Muslim Women's Resource Centre Charity no: SCO 27690. Donations of goods welcome - to arrange collection phone 07949 653 845 or email management@mwrc.org.uk
Glasgow & Edinburgh: LGBT History Month
6-8pm, 12th August Glasgow; 17th August Edinburgh; Would you like to be part of a planning group for LGBT History Month? LGBT Youth Scotland are looking for people who either already link into another project, or would like to be involved through LGBT History Month to identify, plan, deliver and evaluate LGBTI History Month events in 2011 around the theme of Relationships. Having plannings groups enables us to learn from each other - maybe share ideas for fundraisers, identify spaces for exhibitions or even decide on a range of films that would link into the themes? Please contact ann.marriott@lgbthistory.org.uk / Tel:0131 5553940
if you'd like to attend.
http://www.lgbthistory.org.uk/news_item.php?id=77
Edinburgh: Do We Really Care About Poverty In Scotland?
Wednesday 18th August at 5pm, Scottish Parliament. With the new socio economic duty just around the corner, and this year marking the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, the Scottish Parliament's equalities team invites you to attend "Do we really care about poverty in Scotland?" at the Scottish Parliament's Festival of Politics. More info at:
http://enf.org.uk/blog/?p=1260
http://www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk/
Argyll and Bute LGBT Events
Campbeltown Group: Wednesday 4 August, 7pm; Gateway Group: Oban Saturday 21 August, afternoon meet, 2pm; Campbeltown Group: Wednesday 1 September: film night; For more information and dates of meetings from September onwards, e-mail katrina.mitchell@tht.org.uk, or phone 0141 332 3838
Tayside: Cameraderie
22nd August-venue tbc. Lesbian Photography Club meets monthly in and around the Tayside area. If you haven’t got around to buying a camera, don’t let that put you off if you are genuinely interested in getting into photography. I will bring a couple of spares for people to borrow and help will be on hand to advise on what sort of camera you should buy. Contact: Pam Wardlaw spamdd7@yahoo.com
Local Tobacco Alliances: Value of voluntary and community sector involvement
9.30-4.30, 24th August 2010, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire. Find out more about the potential for partnership working between public sector and community and voluntary sector organisations in addressing the impact of tobacco on your local community. This event will celebrate the success of voluntary and community organisations in developing and delivering tobacco related work as well as identifying the opportunities for involvement in the planning and implementation of co-ordinated tobacco work in partnership with the statutory sector and discuss with community and voluntary organisations how they might be able to help reduce tobacco-related health inequalities. Chair: Alastair MacKinnon, Chief Executive, Fast Forward (Positive Lifestyles). Event funded by NHS Health Scotland and planned by ASH Scotland's Local Tobacco Alliances with the assistance of Voluntary Health Scotland and Community Health Exchange. Free event; register online at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/24th_August_2010_Event_Registration
http://www.ashscotland.org.uk/ash/8149.html
ASH report on smoking within the LGBT community in Scotland
http://www.ashscotland.org.uk/ash/8248.1939.html
Edinburgh: Shakti Women's Aid training
New training: "Domestic Abuse and BME Women, Children, & Young People". Each training event runs over two days. 1st day 9:30-4:30, 2nd day 9:30-12:30. On 23rd/24th Sept, 20th/21st Oct, 10th/11th Nov, 2nd/3rd Dec 2010. At Norton Park, 57 Albion Road, EH7. £20 per person. Lunch provided. Open to all statutory & voluntary staff, community workers and interested individuals. Phone 0131 475 2399 or e-mail thilini@shaktiedinburgh.co.uk
http://www.shaktiedinburgh.co.uk
Ayrshire: Who am I? Who are you?
In response to a need identified by young people, a new Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender information resource has been produced in partnership with NHS Ayrshire and Arran and will be launched on Saturday 2nd October 2010 from 1pm until 3.30pm in the County Buildings, Ayr. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the new resource and to identify if there is a need for more local support for Ayrshire LGBT community. For further information please contact David Bingham on 0141 332 3838 or email david.bingham@tht.org.uk
STUC: 2010 Annual Women’s Conference
Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd November at the Perth Concert Hall, Perth. The conference is attended by around 150 women delegates from the trade unions and trade union councils that are affiliated to the STUC.
http://www.stuc.org.uk/about/equalities/womens-committee
UK News
Norwich: Take Pride With The Largest Rainbow Scarf
Since March an army of knitters from Norfolk and further afield have made 1,500 panels for the giant rainbow scarf, which has one million stitches, in support of last weekend’s Norwich Pride. The scarf was carried from St. Gregory’s Church, in Pottergate to the city hall, where Councillor Jeremy Hooke made an address and the Rev Philip Young blessed the scarf. Unveiled on the balcony of Norwich City Hall, it measured over thirty metres long. When the scarf is removed from display it will be broken up into blankets and sold, with proceeds being given to charity. Local artist Helen Simpson-Slapp, whose idea the scarf was, said “It is just tremendous and its rainbow colours sum up what Norwich Pride is all about." To several news sources accustomed to reporting "Christian" and "LGBT" issues as if in opposition, the headline news was that Christians had helped to knit the Pride scarf.
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/3586/4/08/2010/christians-knit-30m-rainbow-scarf-in-honour-of-norwich-pride.aspx
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/eveningnews24/norwich-news/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=xNews&itemid=NOED30%20Jul%202010%2015%3A40%3A37%3A280
http://www.norwichpride.org.uk/knit.html
Liverpool's first Pride celebration
“Pride is our one day a year when people can actually be openly proud of who they are, rather than being ashamed, or afraid, or feeling they have to explain themselves.” - Tommy McIlravey, chair of Liverpool Pride
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-life/liverpool-lifestyle/2010/08/02/liverpool-pride-a-day-for-not-being-afraid-100252-26976258/
http://www.liverpoolpride.co.uk/
London: One Society Many Cultures Conference
Sat 27th November, 10 - 6pm. Our most fundamental human rights include the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and cultural expression. The conference is an opportunity to discuss these challenges and to strengthen support for the values of freedom of conscience and expression, defence of multiculturalism and opposition to racism. Registration fees: Organisation delegates £20; Individuals £10 (waged) £5 (unwaged); Free places for the first 100 students. To register e-mail onesocietymanycultures@gmail.com with your name, address, email, and number of places.
http://www.onesocietymanycultures.org
The Independent's Pink List
The pink media scrutinises a list produced by the Independent on Sunday of “the 101 most influential gay and lesbian people in Britain today”. Questions about who compiled it, who's on it, who's not, the hierarchical nature of a numbered list, the definition of "most influential", and above all why the list is "lesbian and gay" rather than LGBT or even LGBTQQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Intersex).
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/the-iiosi-pink-list-2010-2038777.html
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/3556/1/08/2010/independent-on-sundays-pink-list-grades-great-and-good.aspx?xtra=email&dm_i=3XT,7K3R,RYJ55,J0TO,1
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/08/02/independent-on-sundays-pink-list-ranks-gay-victors-and-villains/
http://lgbthmuk.blogspot.com/2010/08/sue-sanders-hits-pink-list.html
The Lesbian and Gay Foundation asks:
"Is it a fair representation of the most powerful lesbian and gay people in Britain? Who would be on your list that isn't on the Independent's? Let us know in the comments box!"
http://www.lgf.org.uk/who-made-the-pink-list-2010/
Can the Pope be arrested?
The UK government has proposed changes to the law which would prevent campaigners arresting the Pope when he visits the UK in September. Whitehall officials were said to be "seriously concerned" that figures such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Peter Tatchell could attempt to bring a private prosecution against the Catholic leader under international criminal law, regarding the cover-up of the sexual abuse of children by the Catholic church. The changes will make it necessary to get the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions before an arrest warrant can be granted. The Ministry of Justice say they are changing the rules in order to prevent arrests happening after the presentation of “flimsy” evidence. Those who fear arrest under the current system range from Israeli ministers to the Pope. Pope Benedict will be in the United Kingdom from 16 September to 19 September.
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/3497/23/07/2010/government-plan-could-prevent-pope-benedict-arrest.aspx
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/07/23/government-plans-to-stop-pope-arrest/
http://ukhumanrightsblog.com/2010/07/29/strong-reaction-to-universal-juridiction-rule-change/
http://lezgetreal.com/2010/07/uk-to-change-law-to-prevent-arrest-of-pope-benedict/
Philippa Stroud: going places
Two months after the 2010 election Philippa Stroud has put the £650,000 five-bedroom house that she bought only six months ago in the Sutton and Cheam constituency, up for sale. After being defeated in the General Election, Stroud was appointed special adviser to Iain Duncan Smith at the Department for Work and Pensions. In early May it came out that Philippa Stroud had founded a church and night shelter in Bedford, the King's Arms Project, which tried to "cure" LGBT people by driving out their demons through prayer.
http://www.suttonguardian.co.uk/news/8302154.Stroud_political_career_is_really_going_places/
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2010/05/stroud-observer-media-demons"
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/contact-us/
International
BBC Trust dismisses complaints of homophobia
In December 2009, the BBC published an online discussion thread with the heading Should Homosexuals Face Execution? after the Ugandan government proposed anti-gay legislation.
Patrick Stoakes, then Director of the Equality Network, wrote to the BBC Trust: "By instigating a debate on the state execution of LGBT people, and presenting the BBC as a neutral moderator of such a debate, you are suggesting that such state-sponsored killings exist within a continuum of potentially morally justifiable actions. It was inappropriate and irresponsible in the extreme for the BBC to report on the situation [the Anti-Homosexual Bill in Uganda] using the "Have Your Say" poll format. By doing so you have deliberately given a world platform not just to homophobic and transphobic viewpoints, but to comments which support and could act as incitement to violence against LGBT people ... you genuinely risk increasing the likelihood of the muder of and violence against LGBT people in the region and internationally."
The BBC Trust's editorial standards committee has decided that – because the BBC management had apologised promptly – the issue is officially resolved.
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/3581/4/08/2010/bbc-trust-reject-world-service-homophobia-complaints.aspx?xtra=email&dm_i=3XT,7L4F,RYJ55,J491,1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/index.shtml
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/12/17/comment-a-murderous-breach-of-impartiality/
China: Smile For Gay Campaign
"Love is the most beautiful law," "everyone has the right to love and be loved," and "to show compassion and understanding to gay people is the responsibility of every senior in society" were just three among the 4,409 messages of support and smile pictures collected from heterosexuals for the launch of the Smile for Gay campaign on Liangmahe Nanlu, Chaoyang district. Campaign founder Hou Haiyang, 23, a fresh graduate from Changchun, Jilin Province, said "I feel so excited and gratified. I had only expected to collect 1,000 photos at the beginning and never imagined one day it would be an exhibition."
http://www.globaltimes.cn/www/english/metro-beijing/update/top-news/2010-08/558465.html
Working for All
GARA Political Shadowing Scheme 2010
Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance recognises that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) people are under-represented in the Scottish political arena. The scheme is designed to counteract this by empowering and inspiring BME people and giving them the opportunity to gain first hand experience of the work of an MSP or councillor which will hopefully enable more BME people to become involved in Scottish Politics. The scheme will run for two days a month over six months and will involve training in: public speaking; political and media skills; anti-racism; the work of the Scottish Parliament and of Glasgow City Council. The scheme is open to all BME people. You should have an interest in politics. Party membership not required. Training provided, no previous experience required. To apply or for more information contact Ms Kam Kaur on 0141 418 6530 or email kam@gara.org.uk.
http://www.gara.org.uk/
Equal Approach: Vocational Rehabilitation vacancies
Operations Manager – Vocational Rehabilitation Services (£40,000 - £45,000)
Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant - Scotland (£21,837 - £24,000)
Contact: Lesley Price: 01283 744278 or e-mail lesley.price@equalapproach.com
Equal Approach is a specialist diversity recruitment provider with a strong focus on attracting candidates from a diverse background. Equal Approach will be making a donation to those diverse organisations that assist us with promoting vacancies which result in a successful placement. If you contact EA about these positions, please say that you heard about them via the Equality Network.
http://www.equalapproach.com/remjob.php?id=1045
Legal Member to Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission
The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission's role is to consider alleged miscarriages of justice. Currently there is a vacancy for at least one legal Board Member of this important body which is responsible for reviewing and investigating cases where it is alleged that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred in relation to convictions, sentences, or both, imposed by a Scottish Court. Applicants are being sought directly from the Scottish Bar as a result of the legal experience and expertise required. This is in addition to the statutory requirement for legal Members (either an advocate or solicitor of at least 10 years’ standing). Location of Meetings usually Glasgow. Deadline: Friday 13 August 2010. Application requests and returns should be e-mailed to: paapplicationsmailbox@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
http://www.sccrc.org.uk
LGBT Families
Ireland: March for Marriage
Sunday 22nd August, gathering to the right of Dublin City Hall (just beside Dublin Castle) (more details to follow). If you have a mailing list or a facebook profile please spread the message far and wide! The march is for everyone who supports equal marriage for all. If you live outside of Dublin and would like to organise a bus, a minibus or a car pool to the March, or want to be a march steward on the day, contact Noise at info@lgbtnoise.ie for help publicising it.
http://lgbtnoise.ie/
“The Civil Partnership Bill provides a semblance of legal recognition for gay couples and it affords some new rights – but it’s not marriage, and that’s the point”, writes Alan Flanagan
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0802/1224276041957.html
US: Discrimination against LGBT elders
In April 2008 (one month before the California Supreme Court lifted the ban on same-sex marriage) Harold Scull fell down a flight of steps. His partner of 25 years, Clay Greene, called paramedics. Claiming (without evidence) that Greene was abusing Scull, the county separated the two men, canceled their lease, auctioned their possessions, took their cats, ignored their mutual power-of-attorney documents, forced them into separate nursing homes and never let the two men see each other alone again. Harold Scull died in August 2008. Clay Greene brought suit against Somona County earlier this year, and the country have agreed to settle his claim with $600K.
"This victory sends an unmistakable message that all elders must be treated with respect and dignity, regardless of their sexual orientation, and that those who mistreat elders must be held accountable," said attorney Amy Todd-Gher of the National Center for Lesbian Rights in San Francisco, which represented Greene.
http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-07-25/bay-area/21997308_1_public-guardian-nursing-home-sonoma-county
http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/meet_harold_greene_and_clay_scull.php
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=3562&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PinkPaperNews+%28Pink+Paper+News%29
http://www.nclrights.org
Voting analysis of same-sex marriage ban now available: David Fleischer in the LA Times on the California ballot against same-sex marriage: "Polling suggests that half a million people who opposed same-sex marriage mistakenly voted against the proposition. They were confused by the idea that a 'no' vote was actually a vote for gay marriage. This 'wrong-way voting' affected both sides, but overwhelmingly it helped the 'no' side. Our analysis suggests that the division among California voters on same-sex marriage at the time of Proposition 8 was actually 54% to 46% — not so close. We are actually 1 million votes away from being able to reverse Proposition 8."
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-fleisher-gay-marriage-20100803,0,7125032.story
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
Attachments
Web Links
Related Documents
No Related Documents Found