Letters to the Editor
Despair in Iran
On Saturday June 20, the Islamic regime carried its violations of human rights of the past 30 years further. The people’s desire to choose their government peacefully in a fair election was frustrated by the regime and the supreme leader with deception and imposition of force.
What the people of Iran want is democracy and free elections even if these are secured within the framework of an Islamic republic. But apparently, an Islamic republic is unlikely to give way to democracy.
In the hands of the Government today, the citizenry’s lives are subjected to horrible violence, as is their hope for democracy and a just society.
Still we fear the grave reality is not yet understood by outsiders. We know our realities can sound like passages from an Eastern tale. For this reason, queer students in Iran feel compelled to tell of these tragic measures and to stand witness.
If Ahmadinejad, backed by the supreme leader, managed a coup against the elected president of Iran, Mir Hosein Musavi, and seeks to divert the course of democracy, our hope and our goal is to not allow this to happen.
The Islamic regime of Iran, with its history of human rights violations, suppression of minorities and targeting of homosexuality by threat of execution, has chosen to repress democratic aspirations and demolish civil institutions in order to further its control of people’s lives in a widespread, veiled brutality.
The homosexual community of Iran has been living under harsh conditions of harassment and fear.
Iranian queers have been struggling with the merciless oppressive regime for years.
We urge the international LGBT community to hear our voice and hear the people of Iran in their demand for new elections. We fear that in the days to come, if the dictator wins, a generation -” our generation -” will simply be eliminated.
-” Homosexual Students of Universities in Iran
GREAT IDEA
ACON’s Stevie Clayton [SSO 976] welcomes Fatty Vautin’s offer to appear on the online anti-homophobia This is Oz. Great idea.
I feel more will be achieved by this than by a court case that I am sure Channel 9’s legal team won’t be squirming about. I have asked around a diverse group of gays would they contribute to a self-interested fund to fight this case and the majority says no way.
Also in this issue, Phill’s letter, -˜Burns vs Footy Show’, asks the gay community to contribute to a fighting fund for Gary Burns to fight a defamation case against a skit on The Footy Show. Phill, I am sure lots of gays aren’t interested in your request for funds for Gary Burns. Move on.
-” Fred
HUMAN RIGHTS
In relation to the Letter of the Week written by Aaron, entitled -˜Privileged’ (SSO 974) and to the response by Alan, entitled -˜Lucky Country’ (SSO 975).
Notwithstanding the nature of the documentary, Transsexual in Iran, and the importance of the subject matter, there are overtones in both letters which worry me, least not for the fact that Aaron’s letter was given over as the Letter of the Week.
The issue for me is the use of the terms -˜privilege’ and -˜privileged’.
I agree we are privileged to be living in a country that protects our basic human rights to freedom of sexual orientation and freedom from discrimination, but to the suggestion these rights are a privilege or we are privileged to have these rights, I do not concur.
Our basic human rights, being free association and the freedom to not be discriminated against on the basis of race, creed, sex and sexual orientation, are what I am referring to and to which it appears the terms at issue are being applied and reinforced, particularly by the prominent placement of Aaron’s letter.
These rights are constantly challenged and there are groups that would seek to erode what we have fought so hard and so long to attain and must continue to fight to enhance and maintain.
I simply ask, is the viewpoint of the SSO that human rights are a privilege and in a similar vein to the use of the pejorative term -˜un-Australian’ against, for example, Muslims, that those within the GLBT community (being part of what is a marginalised group) need to comply with a majority-held perception of what is an acceptable way of being to preserve that privilege?
Your rights are not a privilege, nor are you privileged to have these rights in legislation. They are a means of enshrining and protecting basic human rights and the ability to express who you are.
-” Coza
PHOENIX INSULT
On a chilly Saturday morning my friend and I braved the drunken crowd for entry into Phoenix Rising.
We’d remained sober all night in anticipation of a fun morning. We were refused entry after a 40 minute wait from a door man who claimed we looked too -˜flushed’ to enter (the cold chill and the early hour having nothing to do with our complexion, I’m sure).
This was after seeing scores of mainly straight, intoxicated groups gain swift entry into a club that I assumed was a refuge for the gay crowd.
How can a girl who is falling from her heels gain entry into the club and a pair of gay guys with -˜flushed’ faces be refused? What are the criteria for entry into Phoenix these days if they’re letting the drunk straight crowd in and insultingly blocking entry to two quiet, sober gays?
There were even police on the door whose presence clearly achieved nothing and still allowed the baffling bouncer discrimination. The cops being there was no excuse -” was it because they assumed the gays would be the drunken, drugged ones or that we were easier targets to single out? It’s not fair and further shows the deterioration of the scene and the shamefulness of bouncer bias.
Happy Pride.
-” Michael
Centrelink #1
I have been fighting for legal recognition of my relationships since I was in my teens. For over 30 years I have known a downside for our community would be losing the only advantage of being queer in our society, single Centrelink benefits.
Of course I didn’t expect to be on a disability pension but I am. I sucked it up and reported. I even joked with the Centrelink person on the phone that it was great that now I got to be treated as badly as everyone else.
I will be losing money. I had thought they would let me know how much before July 1. In fact I thought that was why I was reporting early. No details have appeared despite receiving a letter thanking me for providing the information.
So much for planning ahead.
-” Sara
Centrelink #2
I was listening to a spokesperson from Centrelink being interviewed on ABC702 Sydney this morning (around 8.45) and the impression that came across was that all gay couples have to notify Centrelink of their relationship. I rang the ABC straight away and asked that they clarify this to mean clients of Centrelink. As I write this (10.47) they still haven’t done this.
All this talk of ‘sensivity training’ for staff just made me laugh: sensitivity is not a concept Centrelink understands, particularly when you have very young counter staff dealing with older people. I feel sorry for gays in country centres where the right to privacy is harder to maintain.
I’m all for the changes to the law, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that the Centrelink ones should have been -˜grandfathered’. What I really hate is the hypocrisy of the government in leaving the one major area of discrimination alone -” marriage -” while patting themselves on the back over the law changes.
-” Ronson
Centrelink #3
We register cats and dogs and now gay people? The federal Government does not give us protection in equal opportunity, does not recognise our relationship by not allowing us the right of marriage, but expects us to recognise them?
A single gay person is not even counted on the census but a Catholic is.
When the Government starts to respect me it may well get some respect back. If my partner is injured in hospital it is up to me to prove I have a relationship before I can see him. Centrelink is very perverse in its view of us as some sort of animal.
Mr Rudd still does not get it. Respect needs to happen both ways in order to have a good relationship.
Â-” Adam
Centrelink #4
So it is possible that even a heterosexual male living with another heterosexual male in Australia will be harassed, vilified and attacked by Centrelink for payments. It is high time I move to Sweden.
-” John
Centrelink #5
Face it, Centrelink is treating homosexuality like it’s taboo by secretly trying to educate same-sex couples on their new entitlements.
It’s like Centrelink is too scared to publicly reveal to the general heterosexual public that they now recognise same-sex couples but they don’t care. After all, who cares about GLBT people?
It’s seriously a joke how it’s been handled.
-” Jason
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It’s indeed despairing that what the people of Iran want, democracy and free elections,is unlikely to be attainable at present.
I agree with the last part of the above comment. If Rising does indeed go down the path of T2 and begin causing serious issues on the street due to the people they are attracting then they will have a fight on their hands. Licensees and promoters are in a precarious position with the renewed focus on the management and related impact of licensed premises. There are a lot of people who are trying to turn Oxford Street around for the better and you can be sure there are plenty of eyes on these venues watching to make sure they are doing the right thing by both the gay community and the local community
Re: Phoenix Insult
I was present outside Rising on the Saturday morning of the long week end. Whilst not attempting to gain entry on this occassion I was shocked, to say the least, at the policy/attitude employed by the security at Rising.
Having worked and played on the gay club scene for the better part of a decade it was the worst display I have ever had the misfortune to witness. It went a little something like this.
The line up outside of the venue consisted of the usual suspects. A spattering of gay boys and dykes wedged uncomfortably between groups of straight men and their female companions. After standing there for some time I was shocked to see numerous gay guys turned away whilst the straights were seemingly given a green light without so much as a “Where have you been tonight?…etc…etc.
To add to the insult one of the bouncers on the door when questioning a gay, prospective punter simply shook his head at said gentleman and told him that he couldn’t enter as he had never seen him there before. All good and well but chances are that he had never seen the guy before at the venue because he, in my experience had never worked there before. Go figure. And to top it off after waiting a friend of mine decided to go and and get our other friend who was already inside. Again the bouncer just shook his head. My friend was sober, respectably dressed and quite happy to pay to go in for a mere couple of minutes.
I approached Barry (good bouncer) and enquired as to why my friend was refused entry. I was told that it was a decision of management at which point I asked for Paul. I was then told that it was a decision made by management across the board. I then asked how this decision is reached and was told that they used “profiling”. So who fits the profile? Apparently not gay men who have been on this scene, and loyal to it, for a decade or so. Straight men and scrubbers enter at will. The icing on the cake of the whole debarcle was when on the way to have coffee I passed some lesbian friends of mine who were going to phoenix and I addvised them of the cover charge and off they went. Five minutes later I was surprised to see the girls again walking up oxford st. At which point I said “Didn’t let you in did they!” To which the reply was that the bouncer not only advvised them of the cover of which they were already aware but he proceeded to tell the girls that there was nobody down there and they would be better off saving their money and going somewhere else. “What the ?” Oh and I am sure that it is mere conincidence that all people refused entry as mentioned above were black. (But our bouncers are black I hear you say. As a black man I tell you that we can be racist too…even against our own)
So with this in mind I would like to ask what exactly is the policy of Phoenix Rising? Paul, Johan, Randall, Barry etc could you please make it clear to everyone what is expected of punters wishing to gain entry to the venue?
As someone who has been around the scene for some time and someone who knows the scene well (and the people who frequent it) I see what is going on. Pandering to straight mates and their posse at the expense of gay guys (the life blood of oxford street) is not just poor business sense. It is outright stupidity. And trust me if I can see what is going on so can a hell of a lot of other people.
Oh and one last thing, quite simple really. Like attracts like or straight attracts straight. The more that go inside the more that want to go inside. At times with disasterous consequences i.e. bouncers getting cracked in the head upon refusing entry to straight guys.
Reap what you sow guys. I am sure Clover and licensing police will be only too happy to close you down should Rising disintergrate into another T2/Blackmarket etc, etc.