Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | My Orble | Login
 
The Rainbow Reporters new show, Freshly Doug, broadcasts live every Thursday 9-noon AEST in Melbourne Australia on 94.9 FM, streaming via the web at joy.org.au.

Australian politics gay lesbian politics equal rights popular culture radio - Rainbow Reporter

Rainbow Report on Homophobia

April 30th 2009 00:40
Homophobia
Graphic: BBC

This week Thu Apl 30 7-8pm AEST Joy 94.9 Melbourne, streaming live at www.joy.org.au The Rainbow Report looks at Homophobia.

Mention IDAHO to most people, and they think you’re talking about a US State that’s famous for potatoes and not much else. And no, it’s not the one where same-sex couples started marrying this week – that’s IOWA.


But our IDAHO is the International Day Against Homophobia, which is getting to be quite a big deal overseas but to date, Australia’s contribution has been pretty feeble. Greg Adkins hopes that’ll change this year – he joins us in the studio to explain what’s happening in Melbourne and how you can join in and have some fun.

We’re often accused of seeing homophobia where it doesn’t really exist, but is it magnifying the effect of the recession for some of us? Some of the first things companies drop to save money are gay-supportive initiatives and gay and lesbian staff. Harley Dennett of the Sydney Star Observer has the story.

Despite the name, Queensland could fairly be described as a homophobic state. with no relationship recognition, or recognition for same sex parents. The age of consent seems equal at 16, but anal intercourse with anyone under 18 is a criminal offence under a 1990 "sodomy law”. GLBTI Queenslanders have been campaigning its repeal, but back in October the Queensland government made it tougher instead. Miles Heffernan from QNews tells us all about it.


Joining me in the studio tonight, the feisty snappy-dressing co-convenor of the Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby, Hayley Conway; the man who lobbies the pollies on our behalf, Corey Irlam, with his response to the government’s response to the 2020 summit – anyone remember that? Seems a long long time ago. And Cathy Anderson, one of the Lesbians On The Loose at LOTL magazine.

And finally Kaye Sera pays tribute to Golden Girl Bea Arthur, who died last week. I was hoping she’d say something about swine flu, so I could do an intro about a pig in a poke bonnet, but you can’t have everything.

Don’t just sit there, we love to put your views to air too, so please agree, disagree, argue, praise, whatever by emailing onair@joy.org.au - text 0427 JOY 949, or call 9699 2949.
48
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   


The Tsunami of Sport

August 12th 2008 01:34
Get your runners on
Get your kit on!


If anyone wonders why I bother to involve myself with the RJM Trust, the tsunami of Olympics coverage provides the perfect answer.

Australia is a country where everything else takes a back seat to sport. Politics, health, war, education, business, finance – all get swept off the front pages and relegated to the ‘also’ bits of news bulletins the minute some footballer pees on a restaurant window.

If you want to get the publics attention, get involved in sport. If you want to change the publics mind, get into sport. If you want to find the last bastions of all kinds of prejudice – the ones that dare not speak their name in public – look in the club rooms of any sporting organization.

There, it’s still OK for a coach wanting to fire up his team to accuse them of being a bunch of poofs, of playing like fairies. OK to tell them to stick it up the opposition. It’s still OK for cricketers and footballers of all codes to ‘sledge’ their opponents on the field with homosexual innuendoes.

They used to do it with race. They used to call one another ‘half-breeds’ and worse if they wanted to put someone off their game. That’s not acceptable any more – but calling them a ‘pansy’ still is. That’s got to end.

That’s where the RJM Trust comes in. Football/netball clubs are the heart of most small Victorian towns – and small town Australia is still a very unsafe place to be gay.

Literally hundreds of same-sex attracted kids try to kill themselves in rural Australia every year, and many succeed, because there is nowhere – not at home, at school, not at church, not on the street – where they feel safe and accepted, as in depth research by La Trobe University (“Writing themselves in again”) makes plain. And the place where they feel the least safe is sporting events and venues.

I’m working with founder Rob Mitchell to turn local footy and netball clubs from centres of ignorance and prejudice into safe havens for people of all sexualities and genders. That’s why we’ve been working with bisexual Ken Campagnolo in his fight with the Bonnie Doon Football Club, and transsexual Tess Emery with her problems at Northern Saints.

And it’s why we’re working with the Victorian Country Football League and the Victorian AFL to launch diversity procedures, policies and training into every VCFL club. And why Rob has taken a seat on the Victorian Sports ministry committee working on the sporting clubs governance manual.

The Olympics may have swamped everything else for now, but the work has to go on, even if it’s temporarily invisible. The Olympics have allowed Jeff Kennett to slide out of responsibility for his remarks that appeared to say that a bisexual trainer among junior footballers presents the same risk profile as a paedophile priest among choirboys.

He still hasn’t given any satisfactory response on that one, but state politicians have shown interest in taking up the issue.

Sue Pennicuik of the Greens is more than happy to raise the matter in State Parliament, and there are some in the Liberal and Labor parties who are equally as unhappy with Mr Kennett.

It’s not all downside: the Olympics also allows me to have some time out here in Queensland. But don’t think I’ve gone away for long. I will be back!
44
Vote
Add CommentsAdd Comments
[ Link ]
   




[ Rainbow Reporter Home ] [ Create A New Post ]

Doug Pollard's Blogs

5774 Vote(s)
103 Comment(s)
89 Post(s)
Moderated by Doug Pollard
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]