16/06/2010
News sent - 16th June 2010
In this week's e-mail newsletter: Equality Network News: Pride Scotia 2010: Saturday 26th June; Forums News: EHRC calls in evidence on disability-related harassment in Britain; Refugee Week 2010: 14th - 20th June; World Cup 2010: Lesbian footballers fight South African homophobia; Talk Scotland Events: Inverness: GirlZone lunch; Kilmarnock: Anti-SDL march; Glasgow: Amnesty Speaker Training Day; Edinburgh Drama Course with Annie George; Glasgow: Blue Spine and Women's Heritage Walk; Glasgow Mela; Edinburgh 'First Steps' LGBT Jogging Group; Edinburgh: Raising our Game: Secondary Schooling in Scotland; Scone: Caledonia Counties Trans Group; Pride Scotia Events - 19th-26th June 2010: Pride Scotia Banner Making; Pride Breakfast; & What's Happening Elsewhere That Weekend; Glasgay!, Playfest: Phase One; Inverness: Pink Picnic; Edinburgh: Badminton Drop-In; UK News: Lib-Con launches LGBT policies for Pride; Pride London Festival Fortnight; 40 years of Gay Liberation; Racism and Homophobia in 2010; Gloucester wedding with Pride; Pink protest against homophobic BA pilots; Queen's Birthday Honours list; International: Europe's Human Rights Commissioner: Pride is the right of free assembly; Help Free Courageous Iranian Activists; Working for All: Stewards for Pride Scotia; Press For Change Webmaster and fundraisers needed; LGBT Families: Iceland approves same-sex marriage; US: Lesbian and gay families at Disney World
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 News
Pride Scotia 2010: Saturday 26th June
Look out for the Equality Network & Scottish Transgender Alliance banners in East Market Street from 12:30, if you'd like to march with us (volunteers for banner-carrying welcome!) March leaves 1.30pm and will route down the Royal Mile, pass the Scottish Parliament, up Abbeymount, and terminate at the Omni Centre. Look out for our stalls in the Health and Community Fair in Picardy Place, and, if you'd like to get involved on the day, contact us about helping to staff the stall or contributing to our traditional bakesale. Free cake for Equality Network volunteers!
Online guide (we're found on page 12 wishing you a rainbow day)
Forums News
EHRC calls in evidence on disability-related harassment in Britain
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is investigating whether public bodies and public transport providers are fulfilling their legal obligations to prevent disabled people from being harassed. Councils, police forces, schools and other public bodies as well as bus, train companies and other public transport providers found to be failing in their duties could face enforcement action. The Inquiry is examining how victims of disability-related harassment, which includes name-calling, intimidation, bullying or violence, have been supported by public bodies and public transport providers. The first wave of evidence will be collected until Friday 10 September 2010. More information and how to give evidence can be found on the
Commission's website, by sending an email to disabilityharassmentfi@equalityhumanrights.com or by contacting the Commission's helpline by telephone (08456 045 510) or textphone (08456 045 520).
Refugee Week 2010: 14th - 20th June
UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group
From the UK Government's programme for
Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality: "We will stop the deportation of asylum seekers who have had to leave particular countries because their sexual orientation or gender identification puts them at proven risk of imprisonment, torture or execution. The UK is recognised as a world leader on LGB and T rights. While we will use our international status to influence other countries, encourage them to repeal anti-homosexuality laws and show further understanding of LGB and T issues, we are also aware that this will not happen overnight." (
UK Gay News)
www.refugeeweek.org.uk
World Cup 2010: Lesbian footballers fight South African homophobia
"We're all lesbians so I feel like I'm with my family. They always put a smile on my face," says Tumi, breaking off from a twice-weekly practice session. "In township teams lesbians are not allowed." We talk about the World Cup. The women have mixed feelings - happy it's coming to South Africa, frustrated that they can't afford tickets, and angry that women's football is not given the same high profile. (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/andrewharding/2010/06/chosen_few_south_africas_lesbi.html
Jamie Cleland, now a senior lecturer in sports sociology at Staffordshire University, is a retired professional footballer. After the Professional Footballers’ Association withdrew support for an anti-homophobia campaign in February 2010, Cleland conducted a survey into homophobia in the sport: the results suggested four-fifths of fans would be “relaxed” about the presence of gay players and would welcome more honesty about their sexual orientation. Dr Cleland said: “In many other sports, including rugby, athletes have ‘come out’ and fans encourage footballers to come out too. The environment is not as hostile as people think."
http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2010/06/10/ex-coventry-city-keeper-jamie-cleland-fans-not-homophobic-92746-26622902/
Ad aimed at raising awareness of and tackling homophobic abuse in football
http://www.kickitout.org/1057.php
Professional Footballers Association chief Gordon Taylor told BBC 5 live in February that the issue of homophobia is not high on the sport's agenda.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8513284.stm
Linda Green: "Why I can't support 'our lads' in the World Cup": By the mid-90s, my relationship with the game was increasingly acrimonious and from the last Premier League match I attended, when Spurs were playing my local team, Coventry City, all I can remember was the barrage of homophobic abuse directed at Tottenham's David Ginola by his own fans. I knew it was time to hang up my scarf.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/10/world-cup-not-supporting-england
From the UK Government's programme for "Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality": The Government will work with governing bodies of different sports to tackle homophobia and transphobia in sports, so that people participating in and watching sport feel safe and unacceptable behaviour is challenged. "
http://ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/10/Jun/Working_for_Lesbian%20_Gay%20_Bisexual_and_Transgender_Equality.pdf
Talk Scotland Events
Inverness: GirlZone lunch
12.30-2pm, Friday 18 June: GirlZone lunch from the restaurant upstairs in Debenhams (take the lift to the very top floor in the Eastgate shopping centre, don't go to the cafe on the ground floor!). Look for the blue box or contact GirlZone if you wish to be met in advance.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Organisations/Girlzone.aspx
Kilmarnock: Anti-SDL march
Saturday 19 June, assemble 11.15 am for 11.45 am set-off, marching through Kilmarnock and returning to Howard Park for a Rally at approx 1.15pm. Kilmarnock and Loudoun United are holding a March and Rally to oppose the Scottish Defence League's demo against the opening of Kilmarnock's new Mosque and Muslim Education Centre. The march organisers, a community alliance of trade unions, faith groups, local companies and political parties, want to put 1000 people on the streets of Kilmarnock to let the Scottish Defence League know that they are not welcome.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=706
Glasgow: Amnesty Speaker Training Day
10-4:30, 19th June. Amnesty International UK runs a network of Speakers for Schools: people trained to speak to school-age students about AIUK campaigns, and who are supported to develop their interests in specific human rights issues. Training is free to attend.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=707
http://amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=10671
Edinburgh Drama Course with Annie George
10-1pm, 19th June. Develop your writing skills and see your work come to life. Annie George will lead you on a dramatic journey from page to stage! This is a four week course, please book as places are limited. Annie George is the founder and Artistic Director of Wave Theatre. She is an actor, producer, writer, arts manager and award-winning filmmaker, based in Edinburgh since 1991.
http://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/
http://www.wavetheatre.co.uk/annie_george.php
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=686
Glasgow: Blue Spine and Women's Heritage Walk
11am-4pm, 19th June. Shauna McMullan and Glasgow Women's Library invite you to the exhibition of Blue Spine. Presented in the Jeffrey Room at the Mitchell Library. As part of the project the artist would like to invite contributors to the Blue Spine to take part in a group photograph at 3pm. Let GWL know in advance if you have any mobility or access requirements to help them support your visit on the day.
http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/2010/06/blue-spine-exhibition-19-june-2010/
Sunday 20 June, 2pm, This pioneering women’s heritage walk, developed by women historians at GWL, reveals a hidden history of the West End. Another will take place on 25th July 2010.
http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/2010/06/west-end-festival-walk/
Glasgow Women's Library has been awarded full status as an Accredited Museum by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. The GWL is the home of the UK's Lesbian Archive and Information Centre..
http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/2010/06/were-now-an-accredited-museum/
Glasgow Mela
20th June, Kelvingrove Park, noon-8pm. Free entry. Nothing compares to the energy, vibrancy and colour of the O2 Glasgow Mela – shimmering saris, fabulous food, and inspiring music and dance are just some of the sights and sounds of this summer event.
http://www2.seeglasgow.com/glasgowmela/
Edinburgh 'First Steps' LGBT Jogging Group
6:30-7:30pm, 22nd June. 8-week beginners jogging course for anyone that wants to get off their sofa and walking, jogging or running anything up to 5km. The group meets at Inverleith Park outside the Botanical Gardens.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=692
http://www.lgbthealth.org.uk/
Edinburgh: Raising our Game: Secondary Schooling in Scotland
24th June 2010, Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh, A major end-of-term conference by the Centre for Scottish Public Policy (CSPP). "The education debate in Scotland is rapidly moving from the staffroom to the newsroom, with an increasing recognition that Scotland’s schools are at a crossroads."
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=705
http://cspp.org.uk/public/raisingourgame.jsp
Scone: Caledonia Counties Trans Group
The party continues in Perthshire, at The Scone Arms, Perth Road, Scone, 3rd July. 6pm till late. Saturday 3rd July. A social evening for all within the Trans community, friends and family alike, no admirers, no fetish wear. no fetish wear. All areas are used by those that have attended,and they have been welcomed and accepted. With each month that has passed, the hearts and minds of those that use this venue has been changed.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=704
Pride Scotia Events - 19th-26th June 2010
Pride Scotia Banner Making
Saturday 19th May, 1pm-4pm. LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, Edinburgh. Make a banner or a T-shirt to wear with Pride on the day! All materials will be provided.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=684
http://www.lgbthealth.org.uk
Pride Breakfast
10am-noon, 26th June. Meet new people and make the most of Pride! Get into the swing of things and start the celebrations with other community members and supporters with a continental breakfast. Proceeds towards your local LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing. Please Book! Tickets are £5 for Adults £2.50 for Children.
& What's Happening Elsewhere That Weekend
Glasgay!, Playfest: Phase One
1pm, Friday 25th June, Citizens' Theatre Glasgow. (Also 17th June) A short season of new works in development. "Nature versus nurture?” Professionally performed readings given with writers and directors present. Free event, booking essential.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=677
http://www.glasgay.co.uk
Inverness: Pink Picnic
1-4pm, Saturday 26 June, picnic at the Ness Islands. Meet at the circular seating area and remember to bring your own picnic basket! All ages of the LGBT community are welcome.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=663
Edinburgh: Badminton Drop-In
2-4pm, Sunday 27th June, at Crags Sports Centre, 10 Bowmount Place. Edinburgh's LGBT beginners badminton group is back running weekly sessions for anyone wanting to pick up a racket and hit a few shuttlecocks.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=696
UK News
Lib-Con launches LGBT policies for Pride
Home secretary and equality minister Theresa May announced an "ambitious" programme of the coalition government's LGBT policies today. The document sets out many of the election promises made by the Tories and Liberal Democrats, although it does not mention full marriage equality. This week's Pride reception at Downing Street will see gay charity heads, campaigners, businessmen and celebrities flock to shake new prime minister David Cameron's hand – but not the man who is arguably Britain's most famous gay rights campaigner. Peter Tatchell said it was "no big deal" he was not invited to the event: he had written earlier in the week in the Independent: "Let's face it, marriage is the gold standard. Civil partnerships are marriage lite for queers. They are second best. No thanks. Even though I am no fan of wedlock and would not want to get married myself, I defend the right of other same-sex couples to make that choice, if they wish. We should all be equal under the law. If the government is sincere in its commitment to gay equality, it should forget about fancy Downing Street receptions and concentrate on delivering gay rights policies, including marriage equality."
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/peter--tatchell-ban-on-samesex-marriage-must-be-lifted-2000521.html
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/06/16/coalition-government-publishes-gay-policies-but-no-action-on-gay-marriage-or-blood-ban/
Pride London Festival Fortnight
18th June - 3rd July. The two-week programme of music, theatre, dance, comedy, visual arts, sport, debate, film, fashion, participation and literature events takes place every year all across London before London's Pride March on Saturday 3rd July.
http://www.pridelondon.org/festivalfortnight
40 years of Gay Liberation
1pm, Saturday 26th June 2010 Electric Cinema, Notting Hill. Pride London and Queer Question Time present 'COME TOGETHER'. An afternoon of film and debate celebrating the 40th anniversary of the London Gay Liberation Front Raising funds for Pride London. 'Come Together' is an afternoon of celebration, challenge, cinema and chin-wagging looking back over the last 40 years since the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) was formed in London; looking at where we are today and looking ahead to where we could be.
http://www.pridelondon.org/pride365/pride365events
Racism and Homophobia in 2010
Monday 28th June, TUC Congress House, London. Challenges to Equality & Co-Existence. To explore contemporary homophobia, society attitudes, homophobia in the music industry, and racism amongst the LGBT community.
Speakers will include Nikk Mager and Yemisi Ilesanmi from the Nigerian Labour Congress. Tickets are £25.00 for an individual, £100.00 for corporate groups. Places are limited, to book email campaigns@pridelondon.org
http://www.pridelondon.org/conference
Gloucester wedding with Pride
A potential clash between a wedding and next week's Gloucester Pride’s parade has angered Douglas Drane, a local church leader. Both events are taking place in the city’s docks on 26 June and, as a result, Douglas Drane, from the Mariners’ Chapel in the centre of the docks, is concerned the march may disrupt the wedding service. However Gloucester Pride’s Joseph Picknell said Pride "will be taking place very close to the chapel, but we’re not starting until 1.30pm, so unless the wedding is going to be an hour-and-a-half long it shouldn’t be a problem. We’ve told the people setting it all up to get it finished by 12pm, so it’s not going to disturb the wedding. We have also spoken to the couple and they are fine with it. It’s our first year using the docks, and we’re very excited about it.”
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=3207&xtra=email&dm_i=3XT,6JZH,RYJ55,G71X,1
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Reverend-worried-gay-pride-event/article-2309625-detail/article.html
http://www.gloucestershirepride.org.uk/
Pink protest against homophobic BA pilots
Protesters involved in a dispute with global airline carrier British Airways wore pink earlier this week - after three pilots posted abusive and homophobic messages online. The pilots, who volunteered to act as cabin staff during the strikes, reportedly wrote messages on Facebook about how much they hated passengers, while one made a homophobic remark about gay flight attendants, calling them "bum boys".
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=3181
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/06/09/ba-pilot-posted-homophobic-rant-on-facebook/
Queen's Birthday Honours list
International Pride activist Clare Dimyon is to be awarded an MBE for promoting the rights of lesbian and gay people in central and eastern Europe. Dimyon made history in 2008 by persuading British embassies across Europe to fly the rainbow flag in order to raise awareness in former soviet republic countries that do not have gay rights enshrined in their law. (Pink Paper) Also, Bernard and Terry Reed, two of the trustees of Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES) have been awarded the OBE in recognition of their services to the charity.
From "Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality"
"We will continue to support overseas posts and Embassies in celebrating Pride events and the International Day against Homophobia in their locality."
http://ukgaynews.org.uk/Archive/10/Jun/Working_for_Lesbian%20_Gay%20_Bisexual_and_Transgender_Equality.pdf
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=3199&xtra=email&dm_i=3XT,6JZH,RYJ55,G71X,1
http://www.gires.org.uk
International
Europe's Human Rights Commissioner: Pride is the right of free assembly
States must protect peaceful demonstrations, the Council of Europe's human rights commissioner, Thomas Hammarberg, reminds European countries. On his official blog this month: "Gay pride events planned this spring have met with obstacles yet again. Meetings and marches to promote equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons have been banned or subject to threats and violence in Moscow, Bratislava, Vilnius and Chisinau. ... The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fundamental rights in a democratic society and belong to all people, not just the majority."
http://commissioner.cws.coe.int/tiki-view_blog_post.php?postId=42
Help Free Courageous Iranian Activists
You can show your solidarity with the One Million Signature Campaign. This past weekend, on the one year anniversary of the disputed June 2009 elections, Narges Mohammadi, a feminist and vice-president for Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi's human rights organization, was arrested. No information is known about where she is being held or the charges against her. Send e-mails to protest the arrests via:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1400/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4102
Working for All
Stewards for Pride Scotia
Stewards needed for Pride on Saturday 26th June 2010! Stewards will each receive a free T-shirt and the undying gratitude of the Pride Scotia organisers. If you haven't stewarded for Pride Scotia before, the training session is on Thurs 24th June from 7-8.15pm, Edinburgh LGBT Centre (58a Broughton Street). Volunteers with a current First Aid Certificate can be added to the Pride list of First Aiders. Contact John Hein volunteer@pride-scotia.org.
http://www.pride-scotia.org/
Press For Change Webmaster and fundraisers needed
A volunteer webmaster - ideally one experienced in Drupal management and Windows Office Live sites desperately needed by Press for Change
http://www.pfc.org.uk and
http://www.transequality.co.uk. “We would hope the person would be willing to be a key member of the PFC executive board, fully participating in the development of our campaign and project work.” Email your current CV, and details of sites you have worked on, to office@pfc.org.uk Expenses paid. It is hoped that there might be possible of some payment towards your work in the future, but with proposed government spending cuts, PFC have no certainly of future funding.
Online archives of PFC:
http://www.pfc.org.uk/pfclists/news-arc/index.htm
LGBT Families
Iceland approves same-sex marriage
Althingi, the parliament of Iceland, voted to change the country’s marriage laws on 12th June. 49 of the country’s 63 MPs voted in favour of the bill and none voted against. The law changes the wording of the law so that marriage is the legal union of two individuals and not only of a man and a woman: it was also decided to end the country’s system of registered partnerships for same-sex couples, meaning marriage will become their only option – as was always the case for mixed-sex couples. Iceland's new legislation is expected to become law by 27th June. Althingi is believed to have been established at Thingvellir in 930 AD, the date which marks the foundation of the Icelandic state, making this the oldest Parliament in the world.
http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2010/06/11/iceland-parliament-votes-for-gay-marriage/
http://www.care2.com/causes/civil-rights/blog/icelands-parliament-passes-gay-marriage-bill-49-0/
US: Lesbian and gay families at Disney World
Gay Days started modestly in 1991 as a way for some 3,000 lesbians and gays from central Florida to become more visible by wearing red shirts on one day, the first Saturday in June, in the theme parks that dominate the region's economy, but with about 150,000 people attending this June's six-day gathering, Gay Days is now one of the largest and most child-friendly Pride events in the world. Thousands of LGBT people and their families watched Disney's afternoon Celebrate a Dream Come True parade on 5th June: as one lesbian mother, there with her partner and their three children, said: "That was really awesome and empowering. The kids really felt part of the bigger picture."
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1995839-1,00.html
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