16/07/2009
News Sent - 16th July 2009
In this week's e-mail newsletter: Equality Network News: EveryOne IN: launch in Glasgow 28th August; Equality Network on Twitter; National LGBT Forum; Forums News: Hate Crimes Act receives Royal Assent; Support for gay marriage from within the Episcopalian Church; Methodist Church bans BNP from church membership; TheyWorkForYou: what did they say?; Talk Scotland Events: Edinburgh: LGBT Picnic; Inverness: Chai n Chat; Edinburgh: Charity Art Exhibition and Sale; North of Scotland SWANS; Inverness: Highland Rainbow Folk; UK News: Great London Same-Sex Hand Holding Relay; England/Wales: Lords vote to keep homophobic hate speech legal London: Gay Icons at the National Portrait Gallery; Peter Tatchell criticises Equality Bill; International: Iraq: "Gay Life After Saddam"; Lithuania: new President required to sign "Section 28"; Tory alliance in European Parliament now led by anti-gay extremist; US: Episcopalian Church votes to lift the ban on gay bishops; India: repeal of anti-gay law meets religious opposition; Dublin Pride 2009; Working for All: BEMIS: BA in Community Development; John Wheatley College: Team Leader - the Prince’s Trust Team Programme; and Flexible Learning Support Assistant; LGBT Families, Civil Partnership: Ireland: March for Marriage; US: Wisconsin one-man challenge to marriage ban
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.
Editor's note: Apologies for the late arrival of this week’s LGBT News: I was at the National LGBT Forum on Wednesday evening in Stirling. I will be in Montreal for two weeks from 3rd August, and there will be no LGBT News on 5th, 12th, or 19th August.
Equality Network News
EveryOne IN: launch in Glasgow 28th August
EveryOne IN: Working towards Equality for Minority Ethnic Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in Scotland is the first research of its kind in Scotland and tackles a subject that has long been ignored or deemed “too controversial” to openly discuss. Funded by the Equality & Human Rights Commission and delivered in partnership by Equality Network and Black and Ethnic Minorities Infrastructure in Scotland (BEMIS), EveryOne IN details the findings from nine months research. E-mail Tim Cowen (timc@equality-network.org) for an invitation.
www.equality-network.org/minorityethniclgbt
Equality Network on Twitter
You can now follow the Equality Network's LGBT News on Twitter.
twitter.com/EN_LGBTNews
National LGBT Forum
Thanks to all who attended the National LGBT Forum in Stirling on Wednesday night. A report will go out to delegates on Monday, and will be available on the new
National LGBT Forum website.
Forums News
Hate Crimes Act receives Royal Assent
The Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009 received Royal Assent on 8th July 2009. This Act has received praise from NGOs as diverse as Broken Chains International (
Modern Ghana) and the
Scottish Association for Mental Health. The new Act extends the laws against hate crime to cover offences motivated by prejudice against sexual orientation or gender identity or disability: homophobic, transphobic, and disability-motivated hate crime.
Support for gay marriage from within the Episcopalian Church
The Very Reverend Kelvin Holdsworth, Provost of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow, said that gay clergy would eventually be able to get married in their own churches and offered a "blessing of peace" to his Anglican colleague, the Archbishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, who called on homosexuals to "repent". Holdsworth came out as gay and in support of gay marriage: he said "For all my time in the Church I have always known there were gay men, and more recently gay women, working in the priesthood. Anyone who knows the clergy of the Church, anyone who sits in the synod of the Church is sitting with gay people and has been doing so for a long time. ... I want every gay couple to be able to walk down the street holding hands if they wish to do so. I also want every gay couple to be able to walk down the aisle holding hands if they want to too." (
Scotland on Sunday,
PinkNews)
Methodist Church bans BNP from church membership
The Methodist Church has become the first major denomination in the UK to ban all its members from joining the British National Party. (
Ekklesia)
TheyWorkForYou: what did they say?
TheyWorkForYou website, one of many valuable projects run by MySociety.org, has recently extended its coverage of Parliamentary debates back from the 2001 general election to the 1935 general election, and allows readers to add useful annotations to the text to help other people, is now
seeking patrons to expand their work.
Among the historical debates now covered are: David Steel, speaking in the House of Commons on 22nd July 1980, on
decriminalising homosexuality in Scotland.
www.mysociety.org/projects
Talk Scotland Events
Edinburgh: LGBT Picnic
The LGBT Centre for Health & Wellbeing is celebrating summer with an LGBT Picnic in Queen Street Gardens East, Edinburgh, Sunday 19th July, 1-4pm. If you would rather meet at the Centre first people will be walking up the road to the gardens just before 1pm. Bring and share food. There will be a Treasure Hunt and a Colouring Competition to keep all ages occupied. A LGBT family friendly day out. For further information, email admin@lgbthealth.org.uk / 0131 523 1100
www.lgbthealth.org.uk
Inverness: Chai n Chat
7pm, Tuesday 21st July and Tuesday 4th August: women's group at 7pm at THT, Waterloo Place.
www.gay-ness.org.uk/events.html
Edinburgh: Charity Art Exhibition and Sale
LGBT Youth Scotland offers an opportunity for up-and-coming and established artists to exhibit their donated work in one of the most popular theatres during the world renowned Edinburgh Festival and come to the notice of a vast range of potential buyers. The artwork donated to support LGBT Youth will be displayed in C Venues (Chambers Street, Edinburgh) during August, with the artist's name and any contact/website information. Pieces must be submitted by the 31st of July. Collection can be arranged where needed. Contact: 0131 555 3940 / jodie.fleming@lgbtyouth.org.uk Exhibition launches 7th August.
Facebook event
North of Scotland SWANS
30th July, Beaufort Hotel, Inverness. Evening meetup of the self supporting help group for all Trans folk in the North of Scotland. For further information contact swansofscotland at gmail.com
Swans of Scotland website
Inverness: Highland Rainbow Folk
7pm, Thursday 6 August, Dunbar Centre, Church Street - next meeting for the group organised by Age Concern and Help the Aged in Scotland / THT. The meeting will discuss the production of a booklet and a leaflet, social activities, plus any other topics which may arise. All ideas welcome! All ages welcome. Contact Suzy Gentle - Age Concern and Help the Aged in Scotland (tel: 01309 673455 / 07920540241).
www.ageconcernandhelptheagedscotland.org.uk
UK News
Great London Same-Sex Hand Holding Relay
Saturday 25th July, 10am, starting Queens Park NW6 - finish Greenwich Park SE10. To coincide with the 3 year run up to London 2012 Olympic Games,
A Day In Hand will be part of the Open Weekend 24th-26th July 2009. We will be putting on a same-sex hand holding relay walk. We aim to cross London from north-west to south east with one continuous same-sex hand hold. At each stage of the route, one couple will pass the hand hold to another couple. Volunteers willing to hold hands with someone of the same gender for anywhere between ten meters or a kilometer. Contact David at info@adayinhand.com.
Facebook event.
www.adayinhand.com
England/Wales: Lords vote to keep homophobic hate speech legal
The House of Lords passed an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act that permits the "discussion or criticism" of sexual practices, including the use of threatening language to urge someone to change their sexual orientation. This legislation applies only to England and Wales. (
PinkPaper)
London: Gay Icons at the National Portrait Gallery
An exhibition of portraits and photos of people that have been selected by a panel of LGBT people as their inspirational "icons". The show, which opened just after the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, is spread through three rooms.
Gay Icons, National Portrait Gallery, WC2, 2nd July to 18th October (
Times)
Peter Tatchell criticises Equality Bill
Peter Tatchell said: "This legislation was supposed to harmonise and standardise all equality laws, so that everyone has the same rights and protection. Sadly, it enshrines in law discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The so-called equality bill denies protection against homophobic harassment by school authorities, by the owners and managers of properties and by the providers of services." (
Politics.co.uk)
International
Iraq: "Gay Life After Saddam"
"Aasmah Mir investigates if life has got worse for gay Iraqis since the fall of Saddam Hussein, with claims that hundreds of gay and bisexual people have been executed or tortured." This programme was broadcast on
BBC Radio 5 live, 9:00pm Sunday 12th July 2009, and should be available till 10:02pm Sunday 19th July 2009. Some of those fleeing Iraq seek asylum in Britain and the broadcast recorded accounts of harsh treatment by the British authorities. Both David Miliband and Phil Woolas refused interviews for this programme. (
Podcast available here) (
Guardian)
Lithuania: new President required to sign "Section 28"
President Dalia Grybauskaite is required by the constitution of Lithuania to sign the new "Law on the Protection of Minors Against the Detrimental Effect of Public Information". (
IPS News) Last week, in an interview with the newspaper Verslo Zinios, she said of the law: “In my opinion, this law contains homophobic provisions. There cannot be any ‘higher’ reason which would aim to overshadow fundamental human rights. I promise that I will never sign any law which will contradict fundamental human rights.” (
UK Gay News)
Tory alliance in European Parliament now led by anti-gay extremist
Edward McMillan-Scott, now a vice-president of the European Parliament, a Conservative MEP for 25 years, has not hidden his unease with the Polish Law and Justice Party, which has banned LGBT Pride marches in Poland for being "sexually obscene". McMillan-Scott rebelled against party instructions to stand for a vice-presidency. (
Times) Although the new European Conservative and Reformist (ECR) alliance has a majority of Conservative MEPs, the ECR will now be led by Michal Tomasz Kaminski, a senior figure in the PiS and a close aide to Lech Kaczynski, who has said that the
promotion of homosexuality would lead to the eventual destruction of the human race. McMillan-Scott has hinted to the
Telegraph that he has new evidence linking the Polish MEPs in the ECR to extremism. However, McMillan-Scott said he would remain part of the ECR, "because I have nowhere else to go". (
Guardian)
MEP Jerzy Buzek, now President of the European Parliament, despite a
homophobic track record as Prime Minister of Poland, pledged this week to “speak out in defence of LGBT people – and against countries which try to ban Pride marches" (
UK Gay News)
US: Episcopalian Church votes to lift the ban on gay bishops
This week the bishops, clergy and lay leaders of the US Episcopalian Church voted overwhelmingly at the General Convention in Anaheim to open "any ordained ministry" to LGBT people (there has been a de-facto ban on ordaining openly-LGBT bishops since 2006). (
LA Times) Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire, remains the only openly-gay bishop in the Anglican Communion. Canon Chris Sugden, spokesman for the anti-gay Anglican fellowship in England, said that "the advocates of a 'gay agenda' in the Church are determined to keep pushing the issue". (
BBC)
Ruth Gledhill: Archbishop of Canterbury told the General Synod today that he 'regrets' the decision (
Times)
India: repeal of anti-gay law meets religious opposition
An astrologer has filed a petition in the Supreme Court asking for the 148-year-old law to be reinstated in New Delhi (the Delhi High Court's ruling applied only within the city district). (
BBC)
Muslim scholars and moulavis in Kendrapada, Orissa, on Friday opposed any government move to repeal section 377 of IPC that criminalizes homosexuality. This "unnatural sex" is against Islam, they said. (
Times of India)
Dr Amanullah De Sondy, who holds a teaching position at the School of Divinity in Glasgow University, said: “Homosexuality is not incompatible with Islam. The two can and have coexisted. The important thing is to link it with living a good life and creating a good society." (
PinkNews)
Dublin Pride 2009
NOISE say "we would like to extend a big thank-you to all who marched with NOISE and MarriagEquality - especially to all who dressed up in bits of wedding outfits to say a big noisy 'NO' to the half-measure civil partnership bill." The Noise media round-up is available on their website at:
lgbtnoise.ie/?p=889
Working for All
BEMIS: BA in Community Development
As part of BEMIS’s programme for capacity building strategy for the ethnic minority’s voluntary sector, and in line with encouragement measures under the Positive Action notion, this training programme is deployed to fill a gap that has hindered the development of this sector and the diverse communities it represents. This is the start of a new initiative with the University of Glasgow providing training for up to 15 - 20 minority-ethnic activists for the degree of BACD every year for the next three years. Candidates selected for the course will be expected to start September 2009. (More information at
www.scottishlgbt.org:
PDF at BEMIS)
www.bemis.org.uk
John Wheatley College: Team Leader - the Prince’s Trust Team Programme
Fixed term: £22,770 - £24,232 pa. Plan, recruit and directly manage a cycle of structured 12-week personal development programmes for up to 15 young people aged 16-25, undertaken in partnership with Prince’s Trust Scotland. Apply by 31 July.
John Wheatley College: Flexible Learning Support Assistant
P/t: £16,423 - £17,074 pa pro rata. Administrative and customer care support to learners and staff. Apply by 31 July.
www.jwheatley.ac.uk/aboutcollege/vacancies.html
LGBT Families, Civil Partnership and Cohabitation
Ireland: March for Marriage
NOISE are planning a March for Marriage on Sunday 9th August.
March for Marriage:
Youtube
Speech at Dublin Pride:
Youtube
lgbtnoise.ie /
www.marriagequality.ie
US: Wisconsin one-man challenge to marriage ban
Bill McConkey filed a lawsuit against the ban in July 2007, eight months after Wisconsin voters passed a statewide referendum amending the Wisconsin Constitution to ban gay marriage and civil unions. He describes the ban as "an egregious, unconstitutional assault on the fundamental rights of Wisconsin's gay citizens" - and a personal attack on his own lesbian daughter. "I was outraged as a scholar and a professor but I was energized because it was my daughter." (
Madison.com)
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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