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The Australian government is about to introduce a two tier internet censorship regime.

Filters will be applied to block content the government deems to be illegal. You CANNOT opt out of this filtering - these sites will not be available to Australian residents (until your children teach you how to circumvent it)..

A second filter will provide what is called a 'clean feed' - websites will be filtered based on key words etc., so for example no pornography will get through. You can REGISTER to opt out of this level of filtering. The idea is to protect children from content the government deems 'inappropriate'.

You can register your opposition to this proposed legislation by joining this group on Facebook Really Long Link or go to nocleanfeed.com.

There are several things wrong with BOTH parts of this proposed censorship.

Although the 'illegal' blocked content will be based on a published list of material that contravenes Australian law, there is nothing to prevent this or any future government from adding to that list, or changing the criteria for what will be permanently blocked. Once the principle is admitted, it is open to abuse in future. It sets a dangerous precedent.

The inappropriate content filter is an opt-out system, not an opt-in system, meaning the government will have a list of everyone who wants to receive content the government deems inapropriate.

This too is open to future abuse.

The justification for this is to protect children. That is the responsibiloity of the parents, not the government. Only lazy parents cannot or will not manage their childrens internet use. This allows them to abdicate responsibilty for protecting their own child.

Furthermore, the filter is easily circumvented, meaning any parent relying on it to protect their child will have a false sense of security.

It also slows the already pathetically slow (by international standards) Australian 'broadband' network.

Let Minister Stephen Conroy know you oppose this measure and why. It shall not pass.

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Posted By: Doug Pollard - Category: Australian politics, censorship, parenting, popular culture

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Sham 'conscience vote' on Assisted Reproduction Bill

October 24th 2008 09:43

How Stuff Works - A Liberal/National 'Conscience' Vote

Q: When is a conscience vote not a conscience vote?

A: When you are told that you are of course free to exercise your conscience – just don’t be surprised if you’re out of a job come pre-selection time

That’s the situation facing Liberal and National members of the Victorian upper house, as the vote on Assisted Reproduction Treatment draws near – perhaps as soon as next week.

Both major parties have allowed their members a conscience vote – but the Liberals and Nationals are determined they won’t lose this one.

They lost on the same-sex relationship register, stem cell research and abortion, but now the party hierarchy has drawn a line in the sand.

‘They’ve had their three strikes,’ I was told, ‘one more and they’re out.’

The party is of course at liberty to impose discipline and insist all members toe the line – provided they do so publicly. Everyone would then know the party policy on the issue.

But if the LibNats do that, it’s an invitation to Labor to do likewise – and then the bill would almost certainly pass.

As it stands, by maintaining the illusion of a free vote by all members, some Labor members feel free to vote against the bill. Combine that with a 100% LibNat ‘No’ vote, and the bill goes down.

Of course, on the record it’s all above board, no pressure, totally free. But off the record it’s a different story. Members being told that if they vote for the bill – as their conscience dictates – then they can expect ‘very close scrutiny of your preselection’, according to one upper house member.

It’s not hard to work out who must be under this kind of pressure, whatever they may feel obliged to say in public. Genuine Liberals in the traditional Menzies mould, such as Matthew Guy, Andrea Coote, Wendy Lovell and Donna Petrovich, who have a record of supporting gay and lesbian issues, are obvious targets for this sort of bullying.

‘I wouldn’t use words like “threatened”, or “bullied”,’ said one source.

Being told you have to vote against your conscience while pretending to do the opposite, under threat of losing your job, sure looks a lot like bullying and threatening to me.

And it seems to work. There was a free vote in the lower house on the ART Bill – and not a single LibNat voted in favour. That’s rather too large a coincidence for me, even without the leaks now coming from the upper house.

The Victorian Liberal Party, that famously ‘broad church’, suddenly seems terribly narrow, doesn’t it?

UPDATE SUNDAY

I have been in touch with a Liberal or two and have been told that this story is, according to them, 'crap'. I have been told by a gay Liberal:

The Liberal Party simply doesn't work that way.

Opponents have thousands of letter writers. We have about three people. If you had three letters vs one thousand, which way would you go?

Well in my book a conscience vote means you vote according to your own personal conscience in the matter. Not the policy of your party, and not the conscisnce of your constituents, you PERSONAL conscience.

This 'reassurance' seems to me to affirm what I have been told - that pressure is being applied to get people to toe the line.

There are legitimate concerns about the Bill. I have told Corey they need to consult and find a way to split off sections of the Bill that will be palatable and get through.

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Posted By: Doug Pollard - Category: gay rights, equality, Melbourne, Victoria, gay politics, Australian politics, discrimination, parenting

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Footy Show Pikes

August 29th 2008 02:21

The rumoured 'outing' of a gay AFL player didn't happen.

Well, there we were, all keyed up, and nothing happened. For a month or more rumours have been circulating that a former or retiring AFL player was on the brink of coming out. Everything was in place, Kevin Sheedy and Jason Akermanis had done their ‘John the Baptist’ number, preparing the way, and a lucrative payout had been agreed with the producers of the Footy Show for the exclusive story.

And then . . . nothing. Last night the Footy Show failed to deliver. Instead it was the usual moronic drivel.

More rumours are now running. The player is worried about cruelling his media career. Or he’s concerned at the backlash because he coaches a junior footy team. Or he just plain got cold feet.

Whatever the reason, the breakthrough can’t be long in coming. According to Pippa Grange, General Manager of People, Psychology and Culture at the AFL Players Association, the issue is being widely discussed within the sport.

Bad Boy Ben Cousins

She has canvassed a number of players as to how they would react if one of their teammates came out, and their response was to say that they were focused on other things, like their footballing ability, and not concerned who they slept with.

I asked if a player had ever come out to her and asked for assistance, she replied, “No-one on the current list.” When she was asked what about former players, she replied, “I’m not giving you that.”

That would tally with the off-the-record comments of one club chairman, who said that the exiting policies for handling such issues at his club ‘had worked well in the past.’

Former Magpie Jarrod Molloy

Now however you slice the pie, there have to be at least a few gay players on the current list – even at a very conservative estimate at least 30 who are same-sex attracted to some degree – so it’s telling that no current player has approached Ms Grange, the one person in the players association whose job is to handle psychological and relationship issues, such as the pressure of being a closeted gay footballer.

Greg Tivendale

She said that she could understand why no-one had come out. Not because of the homophobia in the sport, which she reckons is less than popularly supposed, but simply because of the intense media scrutiny of every aspect of players private lives. Who would want to bring that on themselves?

Shane Crawford - Heterosexual

And yet – I reckon there would also be lots of benefits to coming out while at the top of your game. Most fans would say, “So what if he’s a pouf? He kicked ten goals for us last week!” Most players would react similarly. Yes, there would be intense media scrutiny, but there would also be immense sponsorship opportunities for a savvy business manager, and it could only enhance the prospects of a post-footy media career.

I reckon the key point here is that the AFL has to act, as they have over racism, and over the treatment of women. They have to be upfront about cultivating an acceptance and celebration of sexual diversity in football. Some of those players who told Pippa Grange they didn’t care who a bloke sleeps with so long as he can play footy, should be encouraged to become poster-boys for a diversity initiative.

Aaron Hamill

After all, diversity is normal – people are not all the same. And all kinds of people can benefit from participation in what is supposed to be ‘our national game.’

Now for a bit of mischief! We know for sure that there’s at least one footy player contemplating coming our. Naturally, everyone has their own idea of who it might be.

These pictures are a selection of the most popular names being bandied around. Don’t assume that any of them are actually gay, or bisexual. But don’t assume they’re all heterosexual, either.

Who would YOU add to the list?

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Posted By: Doug Pollard - Category: gay rights, equality, Melbourne, sport, parenting, TV

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Don’t let them kill the kids (LINK)

July 24th 2008 07:59

Gay Straight Alliances Save Lives

If there’s one thing that gets me steaming mad it’s those so called compassionate loving etc. pseudo-Christians who try to block sex ed from including gay topics, oppose gay-straight alliances in schools, and generally try to keep kids in ignorance and fear.

And now this, which really has me infuriated

[ Click here to read more ]

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