18/08/2010
News Sent - 18th August 2010
In this week's e-mail newsletter: Equality Network News:Marriage by any other name...?; National LGBT Forum: Everywhere Equal; Forums News: Save Violence Against Women Services Campaign; Cervical Screening Test: Put it on your list; Lawyer's survey points to increasing homophobic prejudice; Trans in the Crowd; Poll Shows More Work Needed Against Islamophobia; The mental toll of hate crime; Handholding research: gay male couples; Talk Scotland Events: Glasgow LGBT Centre To Close; Edinburgh: Waverley Care Presents Choral Classics; Orkney LGBT Meeting; Glasgow: An Overview of Mental Health Law; Elgin LGBT Meeting; A Day In Hand: SSHH! Saturdays; Edinburgh: Different Strokes; BIG Lottery Fund: BIG Information Days; Edinburgh: Mainstreaming Equalities Organisational Development Programme; Glasgow: Too Embarrassing To Talk About? - Sexuality And Young People With Learning Disabilities; Glasgow Women's Library: Auction of Pleasures; Glasgow: HIV Services Clinical Standards Open Meeting; UK News: Pope to speak on Catholic schools; Wales: Out, Proud and Living with It; Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize; International: XIV ILGA-Europe annual conference; Cameroon: First Amnesty International investigation; Bulgaria: Prosecutor's Office lifts local LGBT Pride ban; Japan: Tokyo Pride parade returns; Working for All: A Day In Hand: Professional Photographers; Evolve: Social Networking; Schools Out Web Resource; Computer for your charity project?; LGBT Families: Should registrars be allowed to "avoid" civil partnerships?; US: the Proposition 8 ruling: What the judge got right about morality;
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Equality Network
Marriage by any other name...?
Summary of the Equal Marriage survey carried out by the Equality Network from the end of 2009. 430 people responded, three-quarters of them living in Scotland, over 1 in 5 in a civil partnership.
http://www.equality-network.org/Equality/website.nsf/webpages/F39A7373032F7DBE80257782005758D1/$FILE/Survey%20summary.pdf
National LGBT Forum: Everywhere Equal
1-4:30pm, 4th September, Ramada Inverness Hotel. Buffet lunch provided and a travel bursary scheme. To come along and take part or to suggest a speaker, topic for discussion or other agenda item please contact scott@equality-network.org or call the Equality Network on 0131 467 6039.
Forums News
Save Violence Against Women Services Campaign
Rape Crisis Scotland and Scottish Women's Aid are calling on the Scottish Government and MSPs to pledge their support to continue ringfence funding for violence against women services in Scotland. Removal of this type of funding would mean that many frontline services may have to close in Scotland, potentially leaving women without support in many areas of the country.
http://www.vawpreventionscotland.org.uk/news/save-violence-against-women-services-campaign
Cervical Screening Test: Put it on your list
Health chiefs in Scotland are embarking on a new campaign to encourage more women to have cervical screening tests. Specially commissioned leaflets will explain what is involved in the examination to detect the potentially-fatal cancer. The NHS acted after finding that, of the 300,000 women in Scotland eligible each year to take the so-called smear test, about 75,000 fail to show. The test saves about 5,000 lives in the UK every year and has prevented eight out of 10 cervical cancers from developing. The campaign includes a leaflet specifically to address questions considered by lesbian and bisexual women about the smear test. Dr. Richard J. Curtis at The London Gender Clinic writes on the issue of trans men and the smear test.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-10975463
http://www.gires.org.uk/hysterectomy.php
More information for trans people on cervical cancer:
http://www.transfaithonline.org/intersections/cancer/cervical/
Lawyer's survey points to increasing homophobic prejudice
Almost one fifth of LGB lawyers have experienced homophobic abuse at work, resulting in a small but rapidly growing number of employment tribunal claims. This is according to the preliminary results of the 2009-10 LGB Careers Survey, the most comprehensive research of its kind ever carried out for the profession and published exclusively in The Lawyer today. The research also finds that while most LGB solicitors enjoy positive professional experiences, many are not ’out’ in the workplace for fear that this would be career suicide.
http://www.thelawyer.com/survey-points-to-increasing-lgb-prejudice-in-legal-sector/1005291.article
Trans in the Crowd
Review of "Lost in the Crowd," a documentary about transgender young people who live on the streets of New York City. Premiered this June in San Francisco.
http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/yb/148673174
http://www.lostinthecrowd.net
Poll Shows More Work Needed Against Islamophobia
The Scottish-Islamic Foundation have said that an opinion poll of Scottish society about Muslims shows mixed feelings when it
comes to community relations. But respondents to the poll also expressed a feeling that integration was easier in Scotland than in England.
http://www.scottishislamic.org/index.php?go=news&id=507
The mental toll of hate crime
David Stocks from RADAR shares his personal experience of the devastating consequences hate crime can have on mental health. "To understand how far-reaching the effects of hate crime can be I will first pose the question: what is hate crime? Is it a crime on someone who the perpetrator hates? The answer to that second question may well be yes, but it doesn’t address why the victim is hated or the reason the perpetrator feels the need to target that person in a vindictive way." Mind asks people with a disability to share their experiences directly with the EHRC . You can respond to the Inquiry here before 10 September or share you story with Mind directly by contacting action@mind.org.uk.
http://www.mind.org.uk/blog/3808_the_mental_toll_of_disability_ha
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/legal-and-policy/formal-inquiries/inquiry-into-disability-related-harassment/call-for-evidence/
Handholding research: gay male couples
What does handholding mean to you? Do you and your partner hold hands often, and what are the circumstances in which you and your partner hold hands. The researchers are also interested in exploring if differences between you and your partner relate to the way you hold hands.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=u3PC_2bwUJoF_2b_2fvgOVazMjYg_3d_3d
Talk Scotland Events
Glasgow LGBT Centre To Close
The Herald reports that the LGBT Centre on Bell Street may be closed within a week.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/gay-and-lesbian-centre-run-by-purcell-ally-to-be-shut-1.1047934
Edinburgh: Waverley Care Presents Choral Classics
6pm-7:30pm, 21st Auugust, Salisbury Church, Mayfield Road. Gregory Batsleer, Chorusmaster of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra Chorus and Director of the Hallé Youth Choir, conducts a massed Come and Sing choir (these performances differ from choral workshops in that they culminate in a public performance and take place over a single day) in a concert of some of the best loved music from the sacred choral repertoire. The programme includes extracts from "Messiah" and anthems by Hubert Parry and James MacMillan. To join the chorus as a singer (daytime rehearsal), please contact Waverley Care directly on 0131 556 9710 (admin@waverleycare.org). Singers' tickets are £12.0 (£9.50).
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=766
Orkney LGBT Meeting
7-9pm, 25th August, St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall. Meetings will take place regularly on the last Wednesday of the month, everyone is welcome and confidentiality is assured.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=842
Glasgow: An Overview of Mental Health Law
Thurs 26 Aug, 10.30-1pm. Free event, booking essential. The objective of this seminar is to provide a basic overview of the law relevant to those with mental health problems or dementia, their relatives and their carers. The speaker is Ronald A. Franks, LSA.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=722
http://lsa.org.uk/freeanoverviewofmentalhealthlaw.aspx
Elgin LGBT Meeting
7:30-9pm, Thurs 26th August: LGBT Moray group meeting in The Cooperage (across from Marks & Spencers in Elgin) from 7.30pm onwards in the recessed reserved seating area at the back of the pub on the left. If you're nervous about coming along, someone can meet you in advance. Feel free to bring along a friend for support if you wish. All welcome.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Events/Details.aspx?id=807
A Day In Hand: SSHH! Saturdays
25th September 2010 is the first anniversary of Same-Sex Hand-Holding Saturdays. This event was voted 4th Best Gay Event in the UK by the Pink Paper Awards 2010 - (A Day In Hand was voted 3rd Best Gay Organisation). The next Sshh! Saturday is 28th August. For more information on how to take part in "Same-sex hand holding (Sshh): Our Silent Revolution" e-mail David Watkins on info@adayinhand.com
http://www.adayinhand.com
Edinburgh: Different Strokes
The swimming group exclusively for the trans community! Glenogle Swim Centre will be opening its doors 4-6pm on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays. Not only will the swimming pool be trans only but also the steam and sauna too so come join us for a very relaxing afternoon in the pool! Swim with the group on 28th August. The group is an open group but you are asked to sign up via the LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing (LGBT Health, 9 Howe Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6TE; By Phone 0131 523 1100; By Email admin@lgbthealth.org.uk) beforehand so that they know numbers for the day.
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Community/Events/Details.aspx?id=750&a=1#content
BIG Lottery Fund: BIG Information Days
Half day events providing information and advice on BIG funding opportunities: full day events in partnership with other organisations providing information on BIG & other funding opportunities. Free to attend, registration essential. If you have any queries relating to the BIG Information Days contact BigScotlandInfoDays@biglotteryfund.org.uk or call 0300 123 7110.
South Lanarkshire: 26 Aug, 10-12.30 or 1.30-4.00. Deadline: 19th Aug.
Borders: 31 Aug, 10 - 12.30 or 1.30 - 4.00. Deadline: 24th Aug.
Dumfries & Galloway: 1 Sep, 10 - 5. Deadline: 25th Aug.
Inverclyde/ Renfrewshire/East Renfrewshire: 2 Sep, 10 -4. Deadline: 26th Aug.
Registration website:
https://secure.tylerevents.co.uk/ei/getdemo.ei?id=156&s=_3JW0LKPEV
Edinburgh: Mainstreaming Equalities Organisational Development Programme
The Programme will be running in Edinburgh over five days (14th Sept, 14th Oct, 18th Nov, 16th Dec & 11th Jan,10.30am - 4.30pm). Look out for further courses in Dundee, Dumfries and Inverness later in 2010/2011. This run of the Programme is especially aimed at CVSs, VCs, Interfaces and national intermediaries. It aims to build capacity to deliver effective equality mainstreaming for organisations and their members. Participants will share their equalities knowledge and experience and explore the practical, reasonable actions they can use to mainstream equality. Deadline to apply at 27th August. The brochure and application form can be downloaded at
http://www.gcvs.org.uk/learning_and_development/development_for_organisations/mainstreaming_equalities
Glasgow: Too Embarrassing To Talk About? - Sexuality And Young People With Learning Disabilities
Sat 18 September, 10am - 3.30pm, Wolfson Medical Building, University of Glasgow Do you find it difficult to talk to your son or daughter about sex and relationships and do you know what local resources and support are available? This event presents the latest research and looks at how parents, especially mothers, of young people with learning disabilities deal with their child's sexual awareness and transition to adulthood. Free to parents; £15 for professionals. Contact Lynnette Shand on 0141 225 1605 or email lynnette.shand@enable.org.uk or visit
http://www.enable.org.uk
Glasgow Women's Library: Auction of Pleasures
A Dinner and Auction to raise funds for the refurbishment of our new home at the Mitchell Library. Friday 17 September 2010 at St Andrew’s in the Square, 6pm to 11pm £45 per person or £400 per table (10 people) The Auction of Pleasures will be a memorable, magical evening within a stunning venue. At the heart of the night will be the opportunity to bid on imaginative gifts, adventures, treasures and treats that excite and please the senses. From bespoke garments, year-round culinary delights and truly fine artworks by groundbreaking women artists, an array of auction items will be on offer that are designed to tempt and delight, whatever your pleasure. Book by 8th September.
http://www.womenslibrary.org.uk/supportgwl/auction/
Glasgow: HIV Services Clinical Standards Open Meeting
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland is currently developing national clinical standards for HIV services. The draft standards and a questionnaire for your comments will be available online from 1st October. There is an Open Meeting for interested members of public, especially people living with HIV or AIDS, their friends and families, and for health professionals, in Glasgow on Wednesday 3 November 2010. Please contact the Standards Development Team to register for the event as places are limited. Karen Grant, Standards Development Unit, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, qis.sdu@nhs.net
UK News
Pope to speak on Catholic schools
The head of the Roman Catholic church, Benedict XVI, will visit the UK in a £20 million state-funded visit, next month, flying into Edinburgh on 16th September. At St Mary's University College in Twickenham, south west London, on 17th September, the Pope will talk about his views on education, which have included his support for separate faith schools and the right of these schools to discriminate in their admissions policy and their recruitment of staff.
Five years ago Bishop Joseph Devine, president of the Catholic Education Service, asserted that Catholic schools would not hire or promote LGBT teachers: Cardinal O’Brien responded: "If there happens to be a gay teacher and he does happen to be living with a partner, that’s their personal, private life. I don’t see it as a problem." He added there would be no investigation into whether a prospective or practising teacher was gay or lesbian, saying there was no "witch hunt with regard to morality or lifestyle". Church insiders said at the time that the cardinal had stepped in to exert his authority and defuse what may be perceived as a row among the hierarchy over issues of faith and morals. A number of groups have threatened to protest during the Pope's visit to locations throughout the UK including London and Birmingham.
Stonewall's School Report established in 2007 that 75% of young LGB people in faith schools experience homophobic bullying and are less likely than pupils in other schools to report it. There is little research into how many LGBT teachers conceal their sexual orientation or gender identity in order to protect their employment. Reported trends in discriminatory attitudes towards gay men and lesbians show a drop of 6% from 27% of people in 2002 thinking a gay man or lesbian is always unsuitable as primary school teacher, to 21% in 2006.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/lancashire/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8920000/8920369.stm
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/3644/12/08/2010/anti-pope-protesters-to-gather-for-public-meeting-in-london-today.aspx
http://news.scotsman.com/faithschoolsdebate/OBrien-insists-gay-teachers-will.2613777.jp
http://news.scotsman.com/faithschoolsdebate/Fury-as-bishop-says-no.2612195.jp
http://news.scotsman.com/faithschoolsdebate/RC-bishop-faces-storm-over.2613357.jp
http://www.stonewall.org.uk/education_for_all/research/1731.asp
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/212871/0056591.pdf
http://www.midlandszone.co.uk/news.asp?thisId=1334
Wales: Out, Proud and Living with It
An information and advice booklet has been launched by Cardiff’s young LGBT group, Loud and Proud, for young people aged 14 to 25. Members have spent the past year compiling information on topics including relationships, sexual health and coming out. The booklet aims to complement national publications and offers a more localised look at partner organisations available in South Wales. Members have also commissioned a short film depicting what it can be like for an LGBT young person in the capital of Wales. The group gives support to LGBT young people on a one-to-one basis and works to engage in the city centre every Saturday on an outreach basis.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education-news/2010/08/17/out-proud-and-living-with-it-offers-advice-to-young-91466-27074494/
Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize
Is there a UK-based individual or group that you would like to see recognised for their commitment and hard work around violence against women? Why not nominate them for the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize? This year the awards will be presented at the London Reclaim the Night rally on Saturday, November 27th. The deadline for nominations is September 15, 2010.
http://www.emmahumphreys.org/nomform/nomform2010.aspx
International
XIV ILGA-Europe annual conference
28-31 October, The Hague. Closing date for registration 11th September: “Expressing our differences, challenging our prejudices, developing our alliances."
http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/about_us/annual_conference/the_hague_2010
Cameroon: First Amnesty International investigation
"We've got a lot of concerns," Godfrey Byaruhanga of Amnesty International said. "We're concerned about the situation in some cases of for example, people accused of being gay or lesbian being arrested detained and imprisoned for their sexual orientation. We have been concerned about the prison conditions, which in some cases are life threatening."
http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/cameroon
http://www1.voanew.com/english/news/africa/Cameroons-Government-Welcomes-Human-Rights-Research-Mission-100621494.html
Bulgaria: Prosecutor's Office lifts local LGBT Pride ban
A recent ban on public displays of homosexuality in Bulgaria's Pazarzhik has been revoked with an intervention of the Supreme Administrative Prosecutor's Office in Sofia. The scandalous ban in Pazardzhik was upheld by the local prosecutor Stefan Yanev who backed his decision with extensive deliberations on human sexuality, “natural law,” and “propriety”, and essentially described public displays of one's sexual orientation as debauchery. Yanev issued his decision after Bulgarian gay rights activists appealed against a ban on gay parades introduced by the local authorities in Pazardzhik.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=119166
Japan: Tokyo Pride parade returns
Drag queen shows, debates and theater plays are being held in the lead-up to the parade which was put on ice due to a lack of staff as many gay Japanese don't dare to come out to their families or workplaces. For Japanese gays in Tokyo's Shinjuku "2-chome" district where some 250 gay bars operate, the event is an opportunity to get together and celebrate in style, but also to seek understanding from other Japanese for their homosexuality.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67B1GB20100812
View online:
http://www.euronews.net/nocomment/2010/08/15/tokyo-gay-pride-parade-/
http://parade.tokyo-pride.org/6th/english/
http://japanvisitor.blogspot.com/2010/08/7th-tokyo-pride-parade.html
Working for All
A Day In Hand: Professional Photographers
A Day In Hand organises photoshoots of same-sex handholding events with professional photographers who offer their services for the purposes of equal rights. We are extremely grateful to these photographers for capturing images that we hope will give people courage and inspiration.
http://www.adayinhand.com/news/thephotoshoots
Evolve: Social Networking
27th August, 7pm -12, Revolution (Vodka Lounge) Edinburgh. Launching a new social networking event for gay professional ladies and guests. Introductions will be made at the event and the guest speaker is Rhona Cameron, tickets cost £10 and can be booked at the Evolve website or e-mail evolve-me@live.co.uk.
http://www.evolve-me.com
Schools Out Web Resource
Schools OUT has been funded by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to produce an online resource to all educators who wish to deliver engaging and thought provoking lessons around LGBT issues in the National Curriculum for England and Wales. SchoolsOUT/A Day In Hand are now distributing an Invitation To Tender (ITT) for the construction and maintenance of this important website. This is an exciting and innovative project, email David Watkins at info@adayinhand.com if you are a web designer or run a web design agency, to see how you might be a part and to read the tender.
http://www.adayinhand.com/news/schoolsoutwebresource
Computer for your charity project?
IT Schools Africa is offering refurbished computer systems from £99 inc VAT. Min spec is: Intel Pentium 4 processor; 15" Flat screen, keyboard and mouse; 60-80 Gigabyte Hard Drive; 1 GB RAM; CD ROM; USB ports; Network cards/modems available on request. Pre-installed with Microsoft Windows XP (Home or Pro edition) o/s. Microsoft Office 2003 for additional £20. Delivery £15 per computer. By buying from IT Schools Africa you will be directly helping our work transforming IT education in some of the poorest countries in Africa. For more information or to order your computer, please call Phil Layton on 01242 228800 or e-mail PCSales@itschoolsafrica.org.
http://www.itschoolsafrica.org
LGBT Families
Should registrars be allowed to "avoid" civil partnerships?
Two registrars at London's Lambeth Register Office are being investigated after claims they covertly swapped shifts to avoid performing civil partnerships. Take the poll on the National LGBT Forum website to say what you think.
http://news.pinkpaper.com/NewsStory/3679/17/08/2010/registrars-investigated-over-claims-of-rota-fixing-to-avoid-civil-partnerships.aspx?xtra=email&dm_i=3XT,7X27,RYJ55,K4NA,1
http://www.scottishlgbt.org/Community/
US: the Proposition 8 ruling: What the judge got right about morality
This week's ruling by a three-judge panel on the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said that gay-marriage licenses cannot, for the time being, be issued despite Judge Vaughn Walker's recent ruling overturning Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages in California.But the panel also ruled that the case will be expedited. An appeals court will begin hearing arguments on the constitutional challenge to Prop 8 on Dec. 7. The three-judge panel directed opponents of gay marriage to make the case in an opening brief due Sept. 17 for "why this appeal should not be dismissed." Yet even if the Ninth Circuit determines that they lack that evidence, opponents of gay marriage can still appeal to the Supreme Court.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/17/what-s-next-for-gay-marriage.html
John Greenman, assistant professor of constitutional law at the University of Oregon Law School: "This is why gay-marriage opponents lost the legal fight in California -- because their argument was inconsistent with their stated principles. Proposition 8 supporters argued that marriage is designed to foster procreation, and that allowing same-sex couples to marry would weaken that link. But if this were true, gay-marriage opponents would be trying to stop opposite-sex couples who can't or won't have biological children from marrying. It would be easy to do this. The state, for instance, could make people sign an affidavit that they intended to have children before they got married. But gay-marriage opponents have not proposed such a law. Nor have they lobbied to prevent elderly opposite-sex couples from marrying because they can't have children. Gay-marriage opponents thus want to apply a rule to same-sex couples that they apply to no one else. The principles supporting gay marriage, on the other hand, are both embedded in our culture and profoundly moral."
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/08/the_proposition_8_ruling_what.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
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