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The Rainbow Report broadcasts live every Thursday 7-8pm AEST in Melbourne Australia on 94.9 FM, streaming via the web at joy.org.au. PODCASTS are available via the Joy website and now also on iTunes.

gay rights gay marriage gay politics Australian politics discrimination - Rainbow Reporter

Rainbow Report Tonight

August 28th 2008 05:31
Finally back from holidays and the usual mad scramble to put a show together - and so much to talk about with . . .
Rainbow Lorikeet

Senator Louise Pratt
Pippa Grange of the AFL Players Association
Corey Irlam of the Australian Coalition for Equality
Tim Wilson from the Institute of Public Affairs

Richard Watts of MCV

We can’t go past Matthew Mitchams gold medal in the Olympics, so as he’s a Queensland boy, naturally, we’ll be talking to Ian Clachair of Pride Queensland about that, and about the renegade Catholic parish that’s in hot water with the Vatican for blessing same-sex couples – among other things.

Of course even confirmed Olympicphobes like Kaye Sera have noted Matthew Mitchams epic triumph in the diving, and his even greater triumph is acknowledging, hugging and kissing his partner Lachlan on Seven’s evening News – an event Nine news referred to in passing as ‘getting a hug from a friend’.

In the US, the NBC network didn’t even mention he was gay, but they’ve now apologized for that ‘unintentional’ omission.

Prompted by this touching display, today the Herald Sun ran another piece by Rob Mitchell, who listeners will know as a regular guest on the Rainbow Report, in which Rob urged the AFL to get with the program and start tackling homophobia in their sport.

It’s the latest in a series the paper has run on the issue, with comment from Nathan Burke, Kevin Sheedy, and most recently Jason Akermanis. There’s speculation the AFL is doing a John the Baptist, paving the way for an AFL player to come out – and the last couple of days the internet has been buzzing with rumours that the Footy Show has negotiated a big payout to an AFL player to come out on the show tonight.


The Rainbow Report has already interviewed representatives of the VCFL, the VFL and the AFL: we wanted to talk to a coach or a player, but so far no luck. However tonight we will be speaking with Pippa Grange, General Manager of People, Psychology and culture at the AFL Players Association, for her take on the issue.

Leaving football aside, Corey Irlam from the Australian Coalition for Equality joins us to report on the progress of the Family Law Amendment Bill: the report of the Senate Inquiry forced by the Opposition was tabled in parlaiemtn today, and he unamended bill passed the lower house.

Staying with politics, the newly elected Senator from WA, Lousie Pratt made her maiden speech in parliament yesterday, and in it she called for the legalization of gay marriage. She joins us on the line tonight.
And rounding out the panel tonight, Tim Wilson of the Institute of Public Affairs – bit of a comedown from needling Penny Wong on live television but hey, I hear he enjoys slumming – and the one and only Richard Watts, Editor of MCV – who coincidentally had their own AFL scoop this week, too.

That’s tonight on the Rainbow Report, Joy 94.9, streaming live www.joy.org.au - call 03 9699 2949, email onair@joy.org.au or text on 0427 JOY 949.
And join in the show by emailing onair@joy.org.au between 7-8pm AEST tonight!
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Wong Way – Go Back

August 7th 2008 06:33
Penny Wong
Penny Wong
Penny Wong has come in for some flack over her remarks about gay marriage on the ABC last week. As the second most senior female, and most senior gay person in the government, she looked uncomfortable at being publicly reminded she was, in fact, gay, and ended up parroting the government line about gay marriage being opposed by the vast majority of the Australian public.

In fact, all available stats indicate that the issue is, at worst, finely balanced, with roughly equal numbers for and against, with some polls flagging a majority in favour. As a cabinet minister she is obliged to toe the party line, but with a bit of finessing she could have indicated that, although forced to do just that, her true sentiments were otherwise.

One is reminded of the formulation used by the great Francis Urquhart in “House of Cards” – ‘You might say that, but I couldn’t possibly comment.’ However, she lacks either the wit or the will – or maybe both – to come up with an equally telling formulation.

It’s not surprising – she is a monumentally dull public performer, a real backroom policy wonk.

The venom directed at her from gay advocates should not surprise her. After 11 years of the Howard government, in which we were never spoken to at all if it could possibly be avoided, suddenly we have a seat at the cabinet table, occupied by a minister who refuses to act on our behalf.

She tries to ignore the fact that she’s a woman, of Asian extraction, and gay, as if she is operating in some pure meritocratic vacuum. One can understand why – she wants to be taken on her merits rather than be seen as ‘the asian minister’ or ‘the lesbian minister’.

She’s reputed to be formidably clever and focused – but not, it would seem, clever enough, to be all she could be, which would be all the above, at the same time.
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Education Minister Backs Gay Marriage

August 4th 2008 00:25
Bronwyn Pike
Bronwyn didn't pike it


The numbers may have been down – only about 300 turned out for this year’s Melbourne Equal Love Rally, well down on previous years – but two facts made it a memorable occasion.

The first was the large number of young people taking part. We frequently hear complaints that marriage is a side issue and a waste of time, and anyway the younger generation don’t want it.

But for the first time the rally was composed mainly of young people – the older generation stayed indoors, no doubt put off by the gloomy weather.

I spoke to quite a few people who have been in previous years, and they gave various reasons for not attending – not interested in marrying, no point now the Rudd government is already moving on equality, ‘Oh, that’s today, is at?”, and, “I’m off to church.” Well, it was a Sunday.

So I asked a few of the people at the rally – which seemed to be well supplied with people who called me ‘comrade’ – why they were there.

Some, predictably, want to get married. The comrades, equally predictably, said they were not in favour of participating in an oppressive anachronistic hetero-normative institution themselves, but equality demands all should have access to it if they want it (and much more in the same vein). Remembering my student days, it’s a fair bet the latter will be the one’s who end up selling life assurance and/or herbal slimming products to pay for their McMansion in the suburbs.

Now in it’s fourth year, the event has lost the passionate anger generated not so much by John Howards commando raid on the marriage act as by Labors betrayal in support of it.

And the sea of red balloons on Parliament steps which represented its high-water mark has now been replaced by a drably dressed group of the incurably activist.

In fact, the whole (much shortened) event has become as ritualistic as the ceremony to which it seeks to gain access.

So the second remarkable fact didn’t initially register when State Education Minister Bronwyn Pike’s voice drifted across the crowd, announcing, "I support same-sex marriage, I have for many, many years. I believe that a civilised society is a society that is inclusive and is a society that affords the same human rights, the same access to justice, the same equality under the law for every single one of its citizens.”

It was Bronwyn Pike who engineered the pledge with which Labor went to the last election, to donate $250k to GLBTI radio station Joy 94.9 to fund its re-equipment and the recent move to proper premises. The mothers of gay sons tend to understand these things.

To hear a senior Labor politician break ranks with the hitherto rock-solid party line and endorse gay marriage leads one to hope some of her federal colleagues may be emboldened to follow suit.

After all, polls show around 57% of Australians support gay marriage, a higher percentage than in many other countries at the time they introduced gay marriage.

Activist John Klopprogge said, "We know that a huge number of Labor parliamentarians, state and federal, support marriage equality. It will only be matter of time before more come out for equality.”
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A Gay Marriage

July 7th 2008 03:10
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve tended to ignore my own birthday, but this year I decided I would have a little celebration. Nothing fancy, just a buffet lunch on Sunday afternoon with a few of the people who matter to me. I could have invited at least a dozen more, but it’s a while since we’ve entertained and I didn’t want to take too much on.

My partner was initially angry because I sent out the invites without telling him my plans, but he came round. It saved a lot of arguments! As I’ve learned from dealing with editors and program managers, it’s better to do it first and apologise after, if necessary, than to spend hours in fruitless argument


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Gays & Muslims Marriage Alliance?

June 26th 2008 02:55
polygamy
Polygamy is suddenly all over the Australian media. Where did that suddenly come from?

Keysar Trad, president of the Islamic Friendship Association, backed calls by Sheik Khalil Chami of the Islamic Welfare Centre, for polygamous relationships to be recognized in Australia


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