Letters to the Editor
BEAT PATROLS
Gay men who have sex with other men in dirty public toilets are an embarrassment to me as a gay person. I support the police cracking down on sexual activity at beats.
-” Jason
CLUBS FIGHT BACK
The 2am lockout in Melbourne failed. Why is Sydney still bothering with this nonsense?
-” Brad
This isn’t about gay venues being singled out, it affects a lot of straight venues as well. How many times have you been to these venues and seen a fight, been a victim of alcohol-related crime, or seen an overdose?
Come on, if they managed the venues right to start with instead of wanting that extra dollar they wouldn’t be on any list. The fact is these incidents occurred at your venues. Look at your management and internal policies before you play the victim card about being on the list. The 2am lock-out will only push the problem to venues open at that time so that dollar less is probably your punishment.
Â-” Michelle
EQUALITY BILL PASSES
I am very pleased about this on behalf of my youngest daughter, her partner and their young son.
Parenting is about stability, love, caring. There are too many heterosexual parents behaving abysmally to say that my grandson is not a thousand times better off with his two mothers, a loving extended family, supportive aunts and uncles and grandparents on both sides.
It will only be any unaccepting attitudes within society that might make him feel defensive about his family as he grows up. It is not heterosexuality that makes good parents. Neither, of course, is it homosexuality. It is the characters of the people concerned.
-” Noreen
RECOGNISE GAY DADS
I cannot believe that a Church’s spokesperson would say it would be better if a child did not exist in the first place. That disgusts me. It is obvious the Church doesn’t care about children, only about pushing their ideology onto everyone, whether Catholic or not.
-” Daniel
CHRISTMAS PRESENT
Now that the Senate has passed the Same-Sex Relationships (Superannuation) Bill, we would like to record our appreciation to SSO, and particularly to your political reporter, Harley Dennett, for the support and assistance we have received in our campaign for this reform.
Initially we concentrated on writing letters to John Howard and superannuation minister Nick Minchin, asking them to implement their June 2004 promise to recognise same-sex couples for Commonwealth superannuation death benefits. The only results were stonewalling replies: very complex, serious budget implications, still under consideration etc, etc.
The breakthrough came in May 2007 when SSO published a front page photo and interview with Harley, highlighting the consequences of this discrimination in our daily lives. Quite a few former public servants contacted us and joined in the campaign. Also, Warren Entsch read the article and started to use our case as an example when trying to convince other MPs and ministers to support same-sex reform, eventually leading to Malcolm Turnbull announcing the recognition of same-sex couples for commonwealth superannuation death benefits as a last minute election promise.
Since the election, with his good contacts in both Government and Opposition, Harley has been able to keep SSO readers reliably informed about the progress of the legislation and the Opposition’s response to it.
It was very astute of the A-G to introduce the superannuation bill first, as a test run for the omnibus bill. It flushed out the objections of the religious conservatives, and, as mainly elderly couples, such as ourselves, were affected, it evoked some public sympathy, and should pave the way for the smooth passage of the remaining bills.
Having recently criticised Malcolm Turnbull in SSO for not speaking on the General Reform Bill in the House, I’m now pleased to be able to thank Malcolm for his behind the scenes work, along with Senator Brandis, to ensure Coalition support for the reforms in the Senate. It was also pleasing to see him unequivocally spelling out his support for the same-sex reforms at the Australian Christian Lobby conference last week.
The passage of the same-sex
reforms, particularly the superannuation death benefit entitlements, will be the best Christmas present we have ever received.
YES WE CAN !
-” John Challis and Arthur Cheeseman, Comsuper Action Committee
WOMEN AT RISK
The recent ACON campaign Some things have changed, some things have not (SSO Oct 30, 2008), is intended to remind us that HIV is still with us.
It’s a nice sentiment to acknowledge that lesbians play a key role as caregivers in the HIV sector.
However, as a woman, my own awareness of safe sex and injecting practices has arisen due to my own connection to HIV risk, not as a caregiver. Recognising that the virus has shifted, shouldn’t a community response also incorporate issues important to women -” rather than regulating us to this traditional carer’s role? Women are at risk of blood-borne viruses for the same reasons as gay men -” having unsafe sex and through unsafe injecting practices.
Some of the lesbian, bisexual, and straight women I know share and inject drugs with their positive friends, and yes, they on occasion also have sex with their gay male friends.
Indeed some things change and some things just continue to go unacknowledged.
-” Karen, Darlington
ALL LOVE IS EQUAL
The federal Senate has passed the Same-Sex Relationships (Superannuation) Bill. The Bill removes discrimination from all other Commonwealth laws.
The Coalition has amended the Bill so that it takes effect from 1 July 2008 and the Bill now goes to the House of Representatives for formal approval.
This historic battle is not just about gay rights: it’s about human rights because, after all, all love is equal.
-” Andrew, Potts Point
SOLD SHORT
The GLBT community has been sold short with the new club lock-out laws.
It is the gay clubs who cooperated with police and reported violence. These clubs did not foster the violence.
If Clover Moore and Nathan Rees want to stop violence on Oxford St. then all they need to do is this:
Close down all of the straight clubs and pubs on Oxford St, between College St and South Dowling St (including T2 on Taylor Square), and move them all to Kings Cross where they belong.
-” Aaron, Surry Hills
REALITY CHECK
The affected owners and licensees of Arq, Stonewall, Oxford and the Exchange need a reality check.
Firstly, Nathan Rees does not strike me as a person at all likely to go back on a major initiative that emanated from his own office. I would be most surprised if he even agreed to meet with these venue owners.
Secondly, it is complete rubbish to claim these four venues made it onto the Worst 50 pub list unfairly by reporting of incidents that occurred outside and unrelated to their venues. If there was a shred of truth in that claim, then the Courthouse and Kinselas would be right up there at the top of the list as they grappled nightly with the offensive Taylor Square precinct.
Finally, it seems to me that these operators would do well to look introspectively and critically at their own operations -” their management of the venues has been poor, their regard for patron comfort and safety worse, their bar staff -” recruited on looks or attitude instead of competence -” arrogant and uncaring, licensees who fail in their duties, their high staff turnover leading to ever-more incompetence, drug dealing rife within and outside their venues and their security company personnel rude, obnoxious, unhelpful when needed and corrupt.
Instead of appealing for the gay community to assist them, they should clean up their act or this trial lock-out will become a permanent fixture and they will have only themselves to blame.
These venues pushed the envelope too far and it’s now biting them back on the arse.
-” Ryan, Sydney
BEAT USERS #1
Re: CAAH hunts beat patrols (SSO 944). The use of beats is often reduced by non-beat users to the issue of sex only. Let’s clear up some misconceptions as to how beats are used and what happens at them.
Many beats are used as social gathering places and places for dissemination of news and safer sex messages.
Furthermore there is a common misunderstanding that sex in public places is somehow anonymous. It may be anonymous or it may be between people who know each other over long periods of time.
Beats may be used to meet potential sex partners, with any sexual contact happening somewhere else, a home for instance.
Country residents may have little option but to use these sorts of spaces to meet other MSMs.
Finally, not all beats are toilets. There are some wonderful outdoor cruising areas that are delightful places to visit even if you don’t meet anybody who takes your fancy.
-” Michael, Sydney
BEAT USERS #2
I am a beat user. And I’m an out gay man, who socialises on and off Oxford St and I have no qualms in going to any one of a number of beats in Sydney to and from work, or near my home (and for the safety of all I won’t tell you where any are). I’ve been using beats for over 20 years.
Some are stinky public toilets, some are nice public toilets, some are beautiful pieces of Australian landscape, some offer a great outlook (over the city, rivers etc).
At some of them, I have met and chatted to some of the nicest people you will ever meet. And, yes, at some (many) I have just participated purely in the pleasures of the flesh.
Growing up in regional Australia, beats were the only social outlet for men to meet.
Why do I use them now? It’s a bit of a social element, and its also about the ability for anonymity of sex in a place where you are far less likely to be judged by the clothes you wear, the people you know, or the substances you have. And yes, some people may not agree with it, but if beat users follow simple guidelines (discretion and clean up after yourself being the major two), how are we hurting anyone?
As for CAAH’s actions -” I kind of don’t get it. Yes, I have seen police being heavy-handed in years gone by, but in most cases if the police see you there (and not having sex in public), they very much leave you alone, and just let you know that there have been reports of bashings / car vandalism, etc and to be careful. I think that CAAH will just inflame the situation.
-” MPK, Sydney
david, now you’ve got me really worriedd. I’m on DSP; my partner is exploited by under-award wages. He’s already having to pay an extraordinary amount out of pitiful wage for the privilege of maintaining our standard of living to 21st centry, first world, human dignity levels. What the fuck are we going to do? Deny our love & committment? Do we quietly crawl back into the closet?
Rik
SOLD SHORT
The GLBT community has been sold short with the new club lock-out laws.
It is the gay clubs who cooperated with police and reported violence. These clubs did not foster the violence.
If Clover Moore and Nathan Rees want to stop violence on Oxford St. then all they need to do is this:
Close down all of the straight clubs and pubs on Oxford St, between College St and South Dowling St (including T2 on Taylor Square), and move them all to Kings Cross where they belong.
-” Aaron, Surry Hills
take a good look at your words aaron! oxford st is for everyone! i have more fun in some of the straight places on the strip than they gay ones.
you shouldnt discriminate…….dick head.
What a tragic letter, David. While the changes will have no effect on me, I’ve been saying the raising the same concerns for ages because I have many poz friends in the same predicament. The understanding from the community has been less than overwhelming.
But I did call acon about the problem and was told ‘we don’t have much dealings with Centrelink’. Which beggars belief, really.
I also wonder if the 550% increase in new clients accessing the BGF vocational guidance service reflects the rumours that anyone who wants a free lunch at the Luncheon Club now has to do one of these courses – a collaboration between Centrelink and BGF.
I guess that just leaves you with PLWHA/NSW to ask for advice, David and good luck with it.
BE VERY AFRAID
Same sex relationship reforms to the social security act may sound good but they will be disastrous for some. Next July the lives of many in the community will change dramatically. Centrelink beneficiaries will be forced to declare their homosexual relationships.
Couples disclosing their homosexuality, where each received a benefit will have their payments reduced.
The situation is more drastic for couples where one person is working. People receiving Disability Support Pension and Age Pension now, who have brought some independent means to their relationships over perhaps years or decades will be driven into partial or total financial dependency on their partners perhaps for the first time. The dependency will be total as these individuals also lose all secondary entitlements (such as travel concessions, disability employment programs or the Program of Appliances for People with Disability to name a few). While high earners may cope with this change in the dynamic of their relationship, low income earners may see their collective income halved, moving them further into the working poor, and a choice between poverty together or ending the relationship. The partner’s income level at which Age Pension begins to reduce is very low. Centrelink has an on line benefit rate calculator. If you are affected by these reforms I encourage you to use the calculator.
It doesn’t matter how you might have structured your assets and income over the years when our relationships were not legal. It’s terra nullius now. None of your existing commitments, say, loan repayments, high medical or disability costs, the support of an adult child at university, the costs of caring for dying friends or an ageing parent will matter or be considered in this assessment of your income.
And that’s not all the working partner has in store for them. Centrelink surveillance of their earnings and assets: I have worked hard, despite my own disability, to be independent for so many years and to countenance a forced relationship with Centrelink, at this stage of my life, makes me contemplate suicide.
Other groups in the community are vulnerable. Former lovers who live together as friends, just long-term friends are vulnerable. Gay men or lesbians or queers who share accommodation, you could have the Centrelink dogs sniffing around you, going through your affairs.
If you are likely to be affected or if you’re unsure, you might reconsider how much information or images about your homosexual relationships you have in the public domain at the moment, such as in facebook or flickr and so on, whether they relate to homosexual or otherwise close relationships doesn’t . You might consider also closing joint accounts in share houses, even if they are useful for shopping and shared utilities, they may be used against you.
Intelligence reports that the usual -˜consultants’ are faking consultation with the GLBTQ community and trawling for the right spin. Think carefully about cooperating with these parasites. If you do, use a false name.
Many aspects of this remind me of the Northern Territory intervention, particularly the relationship between the controlling of income and sexual and social behaviour. I foresee many relationships ending. It’s going to get very much harder for GLBTQ people with disability who are on income support to find partners and form relationships. That’s very hard in our community already.
At this stage at our house it looks like we’re going to have to separate, which after 30 years is fucking sad. The backdoor criminalisation of our relationships is the ultimate irony, particularly after the decades long fight against the ideology of compulsory heterosexuality.
To the bourgeois gay men and lesbians who have championed these reforms, all shame on you. The blood will be on your hands too.
Sunday morning. Thanks to the bouncers at Will & Toby’s who did not have a sense of humour and when we made a joke you told us we could not get in and by the way we had only had consumed a few drinks that evening! Thanks to the bouncers at the Columbian – I am in there every weekend without fail and you did not allow me to enter because you were “closing” shame on you after all the money I have spent there. Thanks to the bouncers at the Stonewall as well for not allowing us to come in. Ok so Arq allows us to come in for a cover charge of $25! However thank you to the most rudest bar staff I have ever encountered in my life, your sheer contempt for the patrons was absolutely disgusting, I am there nearly every weekend without fail and your service so revolted me this Sunday morning we left after 15 minutes, I was nearly going to demand my money back. I hope the bar girl downstairs at Arq is reading this you were so rude to everyone I actually wanted to throw my drink in your face but because I am a gentleman decided that I will complain about you here instead and hopefully the right people will read this. However on a positive note thank thank thank you thank you (and I mean this with no sarcasm) to the bouncers, door staff, bar staff, DJs at Phoenix. You all ensure a fantastic experience for all your patrons – I keep returning every Sunday morning because you know how to treat your loyal patrons. I totally forgot all the negativity as soon as I stepped through your doors ! I will be back without a doubt. I just hope this lock out doesn’t make things difficult to run your fantastic day recovery ! Peace.
To Noreen, thank you for posting your support on this site and for your support of the Bill. It’s parents and people such as yourself, and the support you give to gay siblings, relatives and friends, that make our lives so much easier. Unfortunately there are still bigots in the world who treat us like rodents (e.g. my boss). Thankfully, these people are now in the minority.
If you possess pornography you might soon be committing an offence.
The Federal Government is expanding the categories of ‘illegal pornography’ which may have the effect of making illegal, pornographic images which were acquired legally before the proposed changes to legislation come into effect.
(See article – “Say goodbye to online porn”)
If the government proscribes certain graphic images as illegal – what will the penalty be for possession of illegal graphic images?
Many people have porno DVD’s and have downloaded porn from the internet because those graphic images were not illegal at the time they were acquired. Many people have those DVD’s and downloads (perhaps stored in their computer) and they have forgotten they possess them.
The implication in the government announcement is that a large category of pornography will become illegal after a certain date.
It is open to induce that possession of material in that category of pornography after the legislation comes into effect will attract a legal penalty.
Whatever that legal penalty is (probably monetary – I think it is a money making exercise)a conviction for a breach of the legislation will brand the -˜offender’ as a person convicted of a ‘sex crime’.
The implication to the community will be that a person convicted of possession of -˜illegal pornography’ was in possession of pornography in the category of pornography that was proscribed by the government.
Within the category of -˜illegal pornography’ proscribed by the government is -˜child pornography’. The implication to the community is that someone convicted of possessing -˜illegal pornography’ was in possession of -˜child pornography’.
The changes to the legislation are not well publicised. It would be in the interests of people who at some time in their lives have come into possession of pornography to dispose of all their pornography. That is because if the police discover pornography in your possession and that pornography falls into the category of -˜illegal pornography’ you will be charged with being in possession of -˜illegal pornography’ and if convicted the community may assume that the -˜illegal pornography’ that was found in your possession was -˜child pornography’.
That false assumption on the part of the community may be erroneous but may well have the effect of destroying the reputation of the individual convicted of being in possession of -˜illegal pornography’.