Gay vilification upheld
A Queensland woman ordered to pay $23,100 to her gay neighbours for nine months of harassment has lost a Supreme Court appeal against the decision.
Jean Lawson sacked three lawyers during the appeal and was last month ordered to pay all parties’ costs, including an additional $15,000 to Shane McCollum and his partner Tim Wilson.
Wilson told Sydney Star Observer he didn’t understand how she was allowed to keep harassing through the appeals.
The abuse, which began in 2004, included being called faggots and pedophiles and false complaints to police, RSPCA and the couple’s employers until they were forced to move away from the Logan City outer suburb of Woodridge in 2005.
The Queensland Anti-Discrimination Tribunal’s original decision last November was the first time anti-gay harassment in that state had resulted in compensation for pain and suffering. The Tribunal also ordered Lawson and her son to publish an apology in state and local newspapers.
We moved there because we had this fantasy of being a gay couple living in the suburbs, McCollum told the Star after the first decision.
Good on ya for making a stand and sticking to it!
AS my partner and I have been subjected to this long and sometimes very ugly 4yr WAR in the Brisbane Courts, may we say that spreading the word through the print Media is for us not only vindication BUT a powerful message to gays & Lesbians everywhere in Aust.
WE will continue to get the message OUT this past week we have spoken to The Albert & Logan News our old paper we used to read back in 2004-2005 until we forced to leave our home. (i Tim) feel that tis is like therapy evertime we share our History making Case which was a Landmark Case I know that somebody reading our story will connect or is suffering villification from a neighbour. Now they can take a stand…and use the legal process to stop this homophobia and bullying based on our sex.
The biggest Q ..we are asked is “Why didnt you just move out??” I say we had a lease and your home is your castle and we protect our home and our loved ones!!”
WE WISH TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK OUR FAMILIES, (I LOST MY MUM LAST OCTOBER TO A ANNURISM AT THE HEIGHT OF OUR TRIAL THAT WAS TOUGH!) OUR FRIENDS HERE AND IN HOBART AND ADLEAIDE OUR AMAZING BRILLIANT MIND OF BARRISTER AND FRIEND PETER KRONBERG AND ROB MARTIN & CO LAWYER IN NEWFARM. AND I WISH TO THANK MY PARTNER & HUSBAND OF 7YRS IN THE END YOU HAVE EACH OTHER! We wait now for the Lawson to pay us for the Costs for both Trials over the last 4yrs around $16,000.
Maybe Jean and her son Paul can like me sell a new car or mortatge thier homes to pay hers and our legal costs by order of Her Hon Justice Mullins on the March 9th 2009. We still get calls from channel 7 for an exclusive story now that the ‘appeal’ has been ‘struck out’ BUT we will nnever after they ran thier production of Jean on TODAY TONIGHT as the poor widow from Woodridge who is now reeling and broke and licking her wounds, 7 made us and all the work of our legal team look like we THE HEAVIES!!.
Never be afraid of what you are, documaent everything stay play the game cleanly and by the rules believe in yourself and keep you chin up and you will overcome and shine !
NEVER GIVE UP!!! thanks cheers TIM WILSON & SHANE McCOLLUM
WE MADE HISTORY!!!
Shane & Tim are to be congratulated for their taking up the provision of anti-discrimination protections offered by the state. In fact all states offer some protections to lesbians & gays (usually in terms such as homosexuality or sexuality) so it’s not just Queensland.
And as an aside. albeit important one, the federal legal system has only a few very weak protections for lesbians & gays re discrimination. BUT there is a chance to have a say in changing this. The Aust Human Rights Commission is having consultations & seeking submissions re human rights protections. See: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/letstalkaboutrights/index.html
Tim & Shane should be congratulated too for staying with the complaint process, which like court cases, take lots of time, emotional energy & for court cases, money.
It’s important that we speak out & use the formal processes to redress harassment, vilification, discrimination & the like. And we should support those lesbians & gays who go through those processes. Unless we do this the discrimination, prejudice and homophobic shit that comes against us will continue unchecked.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Martin Luther King.
Hooray for Queensland
It might be of help to other gay couples and gay singles to hear a recommendation from Mr. McCollum and Mr. Wilson about where gays should reside in Brisbane.
In what suburbs could they expect to be accepted by the local population.
In Sydney, those suburbs would be, Marrickville, Newtown, Eskineville, Surrey Hills, Darlinghurst, Alexandria, Enmore, St. Peters, Zetland, Waterloo, Glebe.
Apparently there is also a gay community in the Blue Mountains.