18/03/2009
News Sent - 18th March 2009
In this week's e-mail newsletter: Equality Network News: The Big LGBT Conversation: Everywhere Equal; STA Forum and National LGBT Forum; Forums News: MSPs debate new hate crime legislation today; Life blood donor ban for gay and bi men to be reviewed; Give your views on UK healthcare for people with HIV; Applying for gender recognition certificate: fee change; Glasgow: Future Of Scotland And Ethnic Minority Communities; Talk Scotland Events: Edinburgh: LGBT Arts Festival Weekend; Edinburgh: Harvey Milk at the Filmhouse; Glasgow: Access To Learning & Work. How Can We Help?; Inverness: Storytelling evening at THT; UK News: Pride Games 2009; Brighton: National LGBT Sports Summit; International: Videos made in support of Iraqi LGBT; US: "Don't Ask Don't Tell" challenged by LGBT West Point graduates; US: New York and Boston St Patrick's Day parades ban gays; Working for All: Edinburgh: Gude Cause seeks p/t admin; Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service Information Open Day; LGBT Families, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation: Lift the ban on same-sex marriage in Scotland; Denmark: bill gives same-sex couples equal adoption rights
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
The Big LGBT Conversation: Everywhere Equal
Thursday 19th March 2009, 6pm. Fairways Business Park, Castle Heather, Inverness. Supported by
Highlands and Islands Equality Forum. Contact Scott Cuthbertson (scott@equality-network.org) for further information.
STA Forum and National LGBT Forum
Saturday 21st March 2009, Macdonald Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh.
STA Forum: 10:45am to 1:30pm
National LGBT Forum: 12.45pm-4pm
(Shared lunch for both forums provided at 1pm)
Contact James Morton (james@equality-network.org) or Scott Cuthbertson (scott@equality-network.org) for further information.
Forums News
MSPs debate new hate crime legislation today
The Scottish Parliament will today debate the general principles of a Member's Bill put forward by Green MSP Patrick Harvie to extend hate crime legislation to cover attacks on disabled people or motivated by homophobia / transphobia. The proposals, which have already been given the go-ahead by the Scottish Parliament's Justice Committee, aim to make it an aggravating factor if victims of crime are targeted because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. (
Dumfries and Galloway Standard,
Carrick Today)
Life blood donor ban for gay and bi men to be reviewed
A fresh review of blood donation policy in the UK is to be carried out by the independent Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs, which advises the government on issues of blood safety. Lisa Power, head of policy at the organisation, said: "THT has been supporting work towards this review for some time. The regulations need to be based on the best possible evidence and different restrictions for different population groups need to be made understandable to the public." The majority of the research will be presented to the Advisory Committee summer 2009. (
Pink News)
Give your views on UK healthcare for people with HIV
Health Consumer Powerhouse (HCP, the compiler of the annual EuroHealth Consumer Index) has started studying how well each European country’s healthcare system treats individual diseases. HIV is one of the first such medical conditions to be examined by HCP. HCP is conducting an online survey of people with HIV in 29 countries across Europe. All responses to the survey are completely anonymous. The survey results will appear later in 2009 in HCP’s Euro Consumer HIV Index 2009, which will be published online, free to the public. The survey will close on Monday 11th May 2009.
If you are living with HIV and would like to give your views,
click here.
Applying for gender recognition certificate: fee change
On or after 6th April 2009, applying for gender recognition is free if your annual income is less than £17,474. You must pay a fee of £30 only if your annual income is above £17,474 (the current threshold, which applies till 5th April, is £16,642). If your annual income is £26,204 or above, the fee to apply for gender recognition is £140 (the current threshold for the higher fee, which applies till 5th April, is £24,956). This change applies to any application made on or after these dates. (from
The Gender Recognition (Application Fees) (Amendment) Order 2009)
Talk Scotland Events
Edinburgh: LGBT Arts Festival Weekend
At the LGBT Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Howe Street, Edinburgh
20th March: Arts Festival Exhibition Event, 6.30-8pm
21nd March: Play in a Day, 11-5pm
and Poetry Open Mic Night at the Word of Mouth Cafe, 7.30-9.30pm
22nd March: Band in a Day, 11-5pm
and Performance Night at the Forest Cafe, 7-11pm
www.lgbthealth.org.uk
Edinburgh: Harvey Milk at the Filmhouse
If you missed the Oscar-winning film of Harvey Milk's life, death, and aftermath the first time round, the Filmhouse in Lothian Road is showing the film from 27th March to 2nd April.
"People told him no openly gay man could win political office. Fortunately, he ignored them."
Time's 100 most important people of the 20th century
Glasgow: Access To Learning & Work. How Can We Help?
Thursday 26th March, 9.30am-3.30pm Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, 117-127 Brook Street Glasgow G40 3AP. This is a Skills Development Scotland, Inclusion Scotland and Glasgow Disability Alliance partner event. The event is aimed at sharing information with and listening to people with disabilities. We will be looking at the Employment Support
Allowance, learning and employability and Skills Development Scotland services. For more information contact Lisa Kyle (lisak@inclusionscotland.org) on 0141 887 7058.
www.inclusionscotland.org
Glasgow: Future Of Scotland And Ethnic Minority Communities
Monday 30th March 2009, 6.30pm - 9pm, St Francis Centre, 405 Cumberland Street, Glasgow G5 OSE. "Choosing Scotland's Future: A National Conversation - Future Of Scotland And Ethnic Minority Communities" is organised by GARA. Hosted by The Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP. (
GARA events)
Inverness: Storytelling evening at THT
On Thursday 9th April, 6:30pm, at Terrence Higgins Trust, Waterloo Place, Inverness. Organised by Help the Aged and THT Following the success of the first storytelling evening in February, this meeting will discuss how the group would like to proceed. Tea and coffee will be available (but not food). This group will look at ways in which we may be able to raise awareness of LGBT issues amongst those who provide services for older people or it may simply be an opportunity for people to meet socially. All ideas welcome! All ages welcome! Contact Suzy Gentle - Help the Aged (tel: 01309 673455 / 07920540241) or Agnes Boes - Terrence Higgins Trust (tel: 01463 711 585). (
Gay-ness Events)
UK News
Pride Games 2009
Pride Games in 2009 will be held in Manchester on 31st May - 7th June. In 2008 1,500 people took part in Pride Games from Greater Manchester, across the UK, Europe and beyond. The readers of The Pink Paper voted Pride Games the best sports event in 2007. To register and to find out more, go to the Pride Games website.
www.pridegames.org
Brighton: National LGBT Sports Summit
The second annual National LGBT Sports Summit will be held on 13th June 2009 in Brighton. The summit is free to all delegates, bringing together LGBT and mainstream sports organisers from around the UK. Representatives from LGBT sports groups and those working on inclusion from National Governing Bodies and Sports Councils are particularly welcome. Places for the Summit are limited. To reserve a place email the Summit Coordinator, Lysa Barnard, at summit@pridesports.org. On 10th March, the Pride Sports Director, Lou Englefield, was elected to the board of the
EGLSF (European Gay and Lesbian Sports Federation) in the Hague. Pride Sports will host the EGLSF AGA in Manchester 2010.
www.pridesports.org
International
Videos made in support of Iraqi LGBT
The UK organisation to support LGBT Iraqis both in Iraq and as asylum seekers in the UK and elsewhere, is promoting these videos and asking for donations to help provide LGBT people under threat of honour killing in Iraq with refuge in the safer parts of Iraq and to assist efforts to help them seek asylum abroad.
iraqilgbtuk.blogspot.com
US: "Don't Ask Don't Tell" challenged by LGBT West Point graduates
Thirty-eight graduates of the prestigious U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., came out of the closet on Monday 16th March with an offer to help their alma mater educate future Army leaders on the need to accept and honor the sacrifices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender troops.
Knights Out wants to serve as a connection between gay troops and Army administrators, particularly at West Point, to provide an “open forum” for communication between gay West Point graduates and their fellow alumni and to serve in an advisory role for West Point leaders in the eventuality — which the group believes is both “imminent and inevitable” — that the law and policy collectively known as “don’t ask, don’t tell” are repealed by Congress. Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an advocacy group for gay and lesbian troops, claims that in the 16-year history of the "DADT" ban, over 12,500 troops have been discharged, some with mission critical skills such as a knowledge of Arabic languages.
Colonel (Retired) Stewart Bornhoft, a 1969 West Point graduate and Vietnam combat veteran, said: “When open service is enacted, the words of the Cadet Prayer - ‘…never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won’ – will once again be our guidepost.” (
Military Times,
EdgeBoston,
365gay)
US: New York and Boston St Patrick's Day parades ban gays
In New York, the City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, who is the city’s most prominent openly gay official, has stayed away from the parade since being told she could not wear even a pin, button or sash indicating gay pride. In Boston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino consistently refuses to march along the route as a symbol of opposition to the organisers' discriminatory policy. The two parades are the largest celebrations of St Patrick's Day held outside Ireland, and have both justified their exclusion of LGBT groups and symbols by asserting the parades are "private religious celebrations". (
New York Times blogs,
Huffington Post,
Queerty.com,
The Advocate)
Working for All
Edinburgh: Gude Cause seeks p/t admin
Gude Cause Committee is looking for freelance part-time administrator to support the Gude Cause project. The main aim of Gude Cause is to re-enact the Scottish Women's Suffrage Procession on 10 October 2009: and by this means to celebrate, educate and raise awareness of the Women's Suffrage Procession of 1909 and its implications for Scottish women today. Fee based remuneration plus expenses. One day per week: April to October 2009. Email gudecause@peaceandjustice.org.uk for application form: Closing date Monday 30th March 2009.
www.gudecause.org.uk
Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service Information Open Day
Saturday 18th April, Port Seton Community Centre from 10.30-2pm. Free event. A unique opportunity to speak to fire fighters about a career with the service and their experiences of working to prevent and contain fires. You can also find out about becoming a retained fire-fighter with your local service. The event will have a special focus on disability and fire-fighters will be there to answer any questions you may have about evacuation or technology that may be of use to you. A fire engine will be there on the day too!
www.lothian.fire-uk.org
LGBT Families, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation
Lift the ban on same-sex marriage in Scotland
The petition submitted by Nick Henderson, on behalf of LGBT Network (
PE1239), calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 to allow two persons of the same sex to register a civil marriage, and a religious marriage if the relevant religious body consents, has been submitted to the Scottish Parliament.
Background briefing on the petition from The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe)
The petition met with cross-party support in the Parliament's Petitions Committee: Marlyn Glen, Bill Butler (Labour), Robin Harper (Green), John Wilson, Shirley-Anne Sommerville (SNP), spoke in favour, and Nanette Milne (Conservative) said she had "an open mind" and "no objection to taking it further". (
Kirkintilloch Herald,
Arbroath Guide and Gazette,
UK Gay News)
A fresh e-petition, supporting same-sex marriage and mixed-sex civil partnership, has been raised by Tom French on behalf of NUS LGBT Campaign Scotland: "calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend legislation to allow same-sex marriage and mixed-sex civil partnership."
www.equalmarriage.org.uk
You can sign the new petition
here.
Denmark: bill gives same-sex couples equal adoption rights
There has been a majority vote in parliament today to introduce a bill giving same-sex couples in registered partnerships the right to adopt. Denmark currently allows individuals to adopt, regardless of sexual orientation, and for couples to adopt their partner’s existing children. The new proposal would allow same-sex couples to jointly petition for adoption. (
Copenhagen Post)
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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