26/11/2008
News Sent - 26th November 2008
In this week's e-mail newsletter: Equality Network News: The National LGBT Forum - 5th December; The Big LGBT Conversation: Scotland's Future; Forums News: Scottish Government Consultation: Patients' Bill of Rights; TUC calls for end to discrimination against transgender people; Vulnerable children still waiting too long for placements; Sharing Tongues: Black LGBT Oral testimonies; Policeman who said gayness is sin sacked for misconduct; Talk Scotland Events: World AIDS Day: 1st December; Glasgow: World AIDS Day Service; Edinburgh: NHS Lothian launches new HIV awareness drive; Dundee: Youth End Poverty; Glasgow: Domestic Abuse & the Links with the Continuum of Violence Against Women; Amnesty International: "Our World, Our Rights" conference; Big thinking: public consultation; New researchers in families and relationships; UK News: Homophobic ad found in breach of ASA code; ID cards enforced with fines of up to £1,000; UK Education minister addresses LGBT History Month prelaunch; Stonewall runner-up for Public Services Awards 2008; Edward Carpenter - A life of liberty and love; International: Malaysia: Fatwa on 'pengkid' to prevent lesbianism; US: Obama delays Don't Ask Don't Tell; LGBT Families, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation: Ireland: Bishops differ over emphasis on civil union; France: failure to recognise civil partnerships leads to tax nightmare; US: Proposition 8 fight continues
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.
If you have a Facebook account, you can join the
Equality Network group. Regular news updates and writings on the wall.
The boards at
equality-network.invisionzone.com are now available only for posting news and events. A community discussion board is under development. Please send material for inclusion on the boards and in the weekly e-bulletin by end of day Friday each week.
Equality Network News
National LGBT Forum: 5 December
The National LGBT Forum will be held on Friday 5th December at 4pm at The Lighthouse in Glasgow. Mark this date in your diary: open to all who are interested in LGBT equality in Scotland. This first Forum will be chaired by Patrick Harvie,
leader of the Scottish Greens.
The Big LGBT Conversation: Scotland's Future
Thursday 12th February at 7:00pm at the
Scottish Story Telling Centre, supported by
SCVO. Speakers to be announced.
For both events, contact Scott Cuthbertson (scott@equality-network.org) for further information.
Forums News
Scottish Government Consultation: Patients' Bill of Rights
A public consultation for LGBT people to give feedback on the proposed Patients' Bill of Rights at the LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing, 9 Howe Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6TE on Tuesday 2nd December at 6.30 pm and should last no more than one and a half hours.
You can sign up here.
TUC calls for end to discrimination against transgender people
On Transgender Memorial Day (20th November) the Trade Unions Congress called for employers to stop discriminating against transgender people in the workplace. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Discrimination, hatred and violence are part of the daily lives of far too many in Britain, and employers need to make sure all their employees are working in safe environments free from discrimination." (
UK Gay News)
Vulnerable children still waiting too long for placements
Some of the most vulnerable children are still waiting too long for adoption placements. Some agencies still seem reluctant to consider lesbian and gay couples as adopters. Catholic adoption agencies are seen to make a significant contribution in finding homes for hard-to-place children and have been able to refer same-sex couples to other agencies. But the Equality Act 2006 will make this illegal by the end of this year. And, with less than two months to go, it is still unclear whether the agencies will shut or comply with the legislation. An article in the Sunday Times last week said that the St Margaret's Adoption and Child Care Society in Glasgow has changed its constitution, hoping to rely on laws which ban discrimination on religious grounds in order to continue its policy of assessing only single people and heterosexual married couples as adoptive parents. (
www.communitycare.co.uk)
Sharing Tongues: Black LGBT Oral testimonies
Are you aged 35+? "Sharing Tongues", a unique national project, wants to hear from you, looking to uncover and record a range of individual stories and experiences. "We want to capture a rich a varied range of testimonies about relationships, age, faith and spirituality, work, places of memory, disability, community and family. This will be an ideal oppotunity to share your stories and memories and bare witness to the experiences of Black LGBT people in the UK." We are also seeking volunteers to be involved in the project. If you are interested in knowing more please feel free to contact info@rukus.co.uk. Sharing Tongues is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund
www.rukus.co.uk
Policeman who said gayness is sin sacked for misconduct
A constable who accused Norfolk police of promoting gay rights over religious beliefs has been sacked from the force for misconduct. PC Graham Cogman had previously been disciplined after sending e-mails to colleagues quoting biblical texts and sending remarks which were considered offensive.
Equality Network > Forums > Employment
Talk Scotland Events
World AIDS Day: 1st December
Terrence Higgins Trust is launching a new campaign aimed at raising awareness of the levels of undiagnosed HIV in gay men. (
Medical News Today,
UK Gay News)
Glasgow: World AIDS Day Service
Monday 1st Dec, 7pm, St Mary's Cathedral, Great Western Road, Kelvinbridge, Glasgow: a community gathering. All welcome.
Followed by "Brother for a Day" - a fundraiser for Terrence Higgins Trust Scotland at the Halt Bar, Woodlands Road, from 9pm. Call 0141 332 3838. (
The List)
Edinburgh: NHS Lothian launches new HIV awareness drive
NHS Lothian launches a new HIV awareness campaign using the initiative to warn gay men, and others who have a wide range of sexual partners, against complacency. A recent survey suggested it's possible that a third of HIV+ men are unaware of they have been infected. Red ribbons and other World AIDS day materials available from
Deaconess Library. (
The Scotsman)
Dundee: Youth End Poverty
Young people involved with Youth End Poverty Dundee are putting on a major event at the Caird Hall for World Aids Day, on Monday, 1st December, from 9am to 5pm, with a candleight vigil in the city square from 5-5.30.
www.yepdundee.org.uk
Glasgow: Domestic Abuse & the Links with the Continuum of Violence Against Women
3rd December. This 50 minute session will investigate the following: What is Domestic Abuse and what is the impact on women, children & young people lives; Coercive control; The continuum of violence & abuse and how it intersects with other forms of oppression such as poverty, racism and homophobia; Why is this relevant for education?
(The 2007-8 statistics for domestic abuse reported to the police are published this week. The
year-on-year figures and the
full report. )
Full details of event: 0141 552 3201 email ruth@rapecrisiscentre-glasgow.co.uk
www.rapecrisiscentre-glasgow.co.uk
Amnesty International: "Our World, Our Rights" conference
6th December, 10am - 4pm, Renfield St Stephen's Church Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2. A free public conference organised by Amnesty International to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and discuss what it means for people in Scotland and around the world.
www.amnesty.org.uk/scotland
Big thinking: public consultation
Your opportunity to give the Big Lottery Fund your views and help shape their funding policies from 2009 - 2015. To ensure that your views are heard in the formal consultation, please click on the Consultation Survey: there are questions both for the UK and for Scotland specifically. Several free events are also organised (12noon to 4pm, including lunch): book your place by emailing BigthinkingScotland@biglotteryfund.org.uk
Monday 1 December 2008: Inverness Caledonian Thistle Stadium
Tuesday 10 February 2009: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
Tuesday 17 February 2009: John Pollock Centre, Ayr
www.big-thinking.org.uk
New researchers in families and relationships
The fifth conference for new researchers run by CRFR will be held in Edinburgh on 3rd June 2009. Closing date for receipt of Abstracts: 3rd March 2009. Registration for those presenting papers: by 20th March 2009.
Book online here. For further information contact Laura Marshall, Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, 23 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9LN, crfr@ed.ac.uk, 0131-651-3001.
UK News
Homophobic ad found in breach of ASA code
An advert placed in a local paper in Northern Ireland by Sandown Free Presbyterian Church ahead of this summer's Pride event in Belfast breached the Advertising Standards Authority code. The 540-word ad was placed in the Belfast News Letter the day before Pride (2nd August). It called gay people perverts and called on "religious" people to publicly oppose gay rights and Pride events. (
PinkNews)
ID cards enforced with fines of up to £1,000
Draft legislation on the roll-out of ID cards revealed people transitioning will have to buy a second ID card for their new identity. The £30 fixed fee for the cost of the card is set only until 2010: Britons are not likely to start buying the cards until 2011 or 2012. Under new proposals citizens will face a fine of £125, rising to £1,000, for failing to register changes in circumstances. (
The Telegraph,
PinkNews)
UK Education minister addresses LGBT History Month prelaunch
Baroness Delyth Morgan was the first education minister to address the prelaunch of LGBT History Month. Over 300 teachers, youth workers, activists and policymakers attended last week's prelaunch, at the Hackney Free Parochial School in east London. Co-chair Tony Fenwick said: "More and more schools are including LGBT History Month in their calendar of celebrations. We are proud to have inspired some great initiatives, and delighted that schools want to share their resources on our website." (
Fyne.co.uk)
Stonewall runner-up for Public Services Awards 2008
Stonewall was a runner-up for the Guardian Public Services Awards 2008 in the "People management" category for its
Diversity Champions programme. Awards are open to private, voluntary and community bodies as well as public sector organisations. (
The Guardian)
Edward Carpenter - A life of liberty and love
Sheila Rowbotham has written an account of the personal and political life of the prophetic gay English author, poet, philosopher and humanitarian, Edward Carpenter, 1844-1929. Peter Tatchell nominates him as "Arguably the true pioneer of the LGBT rights movement in England": he lived openly with his life-long partner George Merrill. In the nineteenth century, he wrote some of the earliest essays and pamphlets advocating homosexual law reform and spoke out enthusiastically for women's rights. "Edward Carpenter - A life of liberty and love" published November 2008. (
The Independent)
International
Malaysia: Fatwa on 'pengkid' to prevent lesbianism
One month ago the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia made a decision against women who dressed like men, denouncing it as haram. The
New Straits Times interviews the director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abd Aziz of the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (Jakim). The Council has also banned heavy rock music, stunning cattle to death, horror movies, and yoga. (
The Malaysian Insider)
US: Obama delays Don't Ask Don't Tell
Over a hundred retired generals and admirals released a statement last week calling for an end to the ban on LGBT people serving openly in the military. Earlier this year, a report by a team of bipartisan retired flag officers concluded Congress should repeal the ban. (
CBSNews) Obama promised to repeal the ban during his elections campaign, but his transition team indicate that it won't happen until 2010 at earliest. (
MCV news) One of Obama's advisers is strongly opposed to both equal service for women and men, and LGBT people serving openly. (
MarketWatch,
PinkNews)
LGBT Families, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation
Ireland: Bishops differ over emphasis on civil union
On 4th November Cardinal Brady said that the Irish government would face legla marriage if civil partnership became law. Earlier this week, the Archbishop of Dublin said "I don't think anyone in the conference is against what Cardinal Brady said, but they may have said it in different ways." He noted that while "the Catholic Church is in favour of marriage, it is not against other forms of intimacy". (
Irish Times)
A new study of the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people in the West of Ireland has found that nearly 70% of them have suffered some form of discrimination. (
PinkNews)
France: failure to recognise civil partnerships leads to tax nightmare
The inequality that the French inheritance tax system has towards same-sex couples from outside France could see many people face bills totalling 60 per cent of the value of their assets. At present the French system does not recognise couples who have registered under civil partnership arrangements in their own countries, so on the death of one the surviving partner is treated as an individual and will be charged inheritance tax. (
ThisFrenchLife)
US: Proposition 8 fight continues
The director of the Los Angeles film festival, Richard Raddon, was forced to resign over his financial support for Proposition 8. (
The Guardian)
Diane Silver asks: "Will we transform our street protests into the long-term action required for victory? Will we build the coalition that will free us all, or will we let our pain and misunderstandings break us apart forever?" (
East Bay Area)
Bishop Gene Robinson on Proposition 8 (
PinkNews)
The Californian Supreme Court is granting review of the initial three petitions, filed on November 5 and 6, challenging the legality of Proposition 8. (
GayCityNews)
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
Further discussion on civil partnership on the boards:
Equality Network > Civil Partnership
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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