News
News items on this page relate specifically to the Coming Out Proud Program. For news relating to The League of Gentlefellows and the Rainbow Annual Awards, jump to the News page of the LoG site.
TCSGDP expresses concern to Hutchins Principal12 December 2011 The School publishes the following under the heading of
Our Values: It also has a policy on Harassment and Bullying, which
appropriately states that bullying "includes any
unreasonable behaviour that intimidates, insults, offends,
degrades or humiliates a person." To date, Mr Dean has not
responded to Julian's calls to publicly rebuke Mr Prebble or
to initiate LGBTI Discrimination Awareness training. It
seems legitimate, therefore, to question the school's
commitment to its own stated values and policies. |
TCSGDP members and associates receive training from the OADC11 December 2011 The course, which included tuition, in-depth discussions and role-plays, covered such topics as an overview of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998; awareness of GLBTI cultural diversity including supporting cases and statistics; how stereotypes can lead to prejudice and discrimination; harassment (including bullying) and GLBTI awareness, sexual harassment, other prohibited conduct including victimisation and incitement to hatred; and anti-discrimination for advocates. The TCS&GDP is keen for their members and associates to undertake further OADC training programs in new areas of operation including Tasmania's north and north-west, where member organisations such as the Coming Out Proud Program (COPP), Outright Youth and League of Gentlefellows are in the process of establishing. TCSGDP wishes to thank the Tasmanian Office of the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner and the Hobart City Council for an excellent weekend's training. The photo below shows Roz Smart conducting the training for the workshop participants.
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2011 Rainbow Dinner and Awards26 November 2011 Every alternate year the dinner features the Rainbow Awards to acknowledge those people who act with courage in working to achieve fairness and equity for the LGBTI Community. This year fourteen people, because of the courageous and cooperative action they have taken to achieve equity for the sexual and gender diverse community, will be acknowledged in the Awards. The League of Gentlefellows (LoG) is an informal
Statewide group of over 1,900 Tasmanian GLBTI people and
their friends who meet on a regular basis in non-threatening
and safe social settings to celebrate their lives and enjoy
each other’s company. As a charity benefit through the
Coming Out Proud Program (COPP) Trust, proceeds from this
year’s Rainbow Dinner will help support the four regional
COPP Community Liaison Committees in their work opposing
discrimination, preventing suicide and bullying, and
creating safe space for local LGBTI communities. To download
a copy of the 2011 Awards (PDF, 707KB), click
here. |
TasPride to hold inaugural Hobart Pride Parade20 October 2011 Bring any banners you might have, home-made signs, etcetera, but please no swear-words as there will be media coverage. It will conclude on the lawns of Parliament House between 12:30 and 12:45pm. Parade participants, supporters and members of the general public, along with representatives of the media, will gather to celebrate the courage, solidarity, pride, diversity and strong sense of community of Tasmania's GLBTIQ people of the past, present and into the future. Speakers are scheduled to commence around 1:00pm.
Representatives from TCS&GDP, COPP and Outright Youth will
be speaking at the gathering. The GLBTIQ community, along
with family and friends, intend that this Pride Parade be a
celebration of achievement and not be seen as a
demonstration. It is recognised that there are still some
issues that may need some attention, but overall the greater
acceptance and inclusion by most Tasmanian communities is
what this celebration is about. |
TCS&GDP to undertake Trainer Training10 October 2011 Increasing awareness and having effective anti-discrimination and anti-harassment strategies are good workplace practices and also good for business. Employers, supervisors/managers and employees (including volunteers, casuals, contract workers, part-time and/or full-time) all need to be aware of their rights and responsibilities in order to uphold anti-discrimination legislation and avoid disputes. In order to better equip themselves in dealing with
local, state and federal governments, public and private
organisations, groups and individuals, course participants
will discuss diversity and GLBTI awareness; preventing
discrimination; bullying and sexual harassment and other
prohibited conduct including victimisation and incitement to
hatred; how stereotypes can lead to prejudice and
discrimination; direct and indirect discrimination, and
other topics. Hobart City Council, in support of the Coming
Out Proud Program, is sponsoring the training venue. |
British Government to legalise same-sex marriage18 September 2011 While civil partnerships were a "welcome first step", Ms
Featherstone
said the party was committed to confronting "prejudice and
discrimination in all its forms. To deny one group of people
the same opportunities available to another is not simply
discriminatory. It is simply not fair." While she indicated that consultations on how to make the
changes will begin in March 2012, gay rights campaigner
Peter Tatchell said that he saw no reason for the delay, as
campaigners had expected them to start last June. |
WA Labor State Conference supports same-sex marriage25 June 2011 |
New York State Senate votes to approve Same-Sex Marriage24 June 2011 You may like to read an
opinion piece by Frank Bruni, published in the New York
Times Sunday Review of 26 June. |
A majority of Labor State branches now support same-sex marriage19 June 2011 Alex Greenwich, national convenor of Australian Marriage
Equality, said that the passing of the motion was a win for
the ALP rank and file. "This decision is a victory for the
many grassroots supporters of marriage equality in the Labor
Party," he said. "Not only has this conference delivered a
win for the majority of ALP voters who support equality, but
for the majority of Australians who also support this
reform. "The Queensland branch of the ALP are leading the
way in listening to the electorate and their membership on
this issue." |
UN Human Rights Council passes historic gay rights resolution17 June 2011 "The Council Australia is not represented on the forty-seven member
Council, but co-sponsored the South African resolution. Eileen
Chamberlain, the United States representative on the Council, said the
United States was thrilled to join South Africa and other
Member States on this resolution. The Universal Declaration
on Human Rights was the first full affirmation that all
people should enjoy full rights and freedoms. An important
step forward was made in recognising that human rights were
universal. Violence against any person on grounds of sexual
orientation was a violation of human rights. The right to
choose who to love was sacred. Each human deserved
protection from violence. Moving forward with this
resolution confirmed the aspiration to attain the best of
human nature. The United States thanked the South African
Government and its Ambassador for the consultative approach
taken and its stunning leadership and looked forward to
cooperation in implementing this exceptional step forward. |
Search Workshop on GLBTI Migrants/Refugees/Students/Visitors held in Hobart17 June 2011 For some time now the COPP Community Regional Liaison Committees have been aware of loneliness/isolation, discrimination and even hate crime experienced by Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people from the GLBTI community in Tasmania. The participants heard from a range of organisations including members of the League of Gentlefellows (men and women), and Outright Youth, of many cases of harassment and hate crime against LGBTI multi-ethnic people in Tasmania. This included a considerable number of LGBTI hate crime cases in urban bur especially rural and regional areas directed against ethnically diverse people. This is also associated with the Log of Claims regarding LGBTI Hate Crime that the Tasmanian Council for Sexual & Gender Diverse People Inc is pursuing with the Tasmanian Police and the Tasmanian Anti Discrimination Commission. Participants were told of sad and disturbing stories of extreme discrimination and persecution faced by people because of the double jeopardy of ethnicity and sexual orientation. Sometimes because of the cultural clash of race and being gay as well as racism and homophobia in Tasmania. There were also reports from GLBTI same sex workshop partners of Tasmanian (men and women) from other countries that experience difficulty in gaining permanent visas to live together in Australia. Of special interest was the story of Oahn and Van as refugees fleeing persecution in Vietnam and the support they have received from COPP members. Participants were shocked to hear of an Asian migrant who, after becoming more relaxed about his same sex orientation in Australia, went back to his country of birth visiting his parents, died mysteriously within several weeks. The workshop examined in small groups the issues as well as looking at the existing resources that in many instances are not coordinated. The meeting explored possible collaborative and cooperative strategies in two main areas of providing better social and welfare support opportunities as well as improving the capacity of people working in the area to understand people’s rights. The Migrant Resource Centre is coordinating a meeting to improve cross-cultural awareness (CALD & LGBTI) for staff in agencies based on the rights enshrined in the Tasmanian Anti Discrimination Act. The Tasmanian Council for Sexual and Gender Diverse People
Inc will continue to coordinate the discussion initiated at
the workshop to eliminate discrimination and enable respect
for diversity and a broader ethnic multicultural society in
Tasmania. |
TCSGDP makes submission on a strategy for a Homelessness Charter14 June 2011 |
TCSGDP calls for nominations for Rainbow Awards 20111 June 2011 Nominations are called for the Rainbow Awards this year
to recognise both individuals and organisations that have
demonstrated both courage, tenacity and passion in acting
for change. Nomination forms can be downloaded
here.
Nominations open on 30 July and close on 30 September. You
can also discuss the nomination of an individual or
organisation with
Brian Doran on 6239 6606 or 0410 745 773. Please return nominations
forms
by email to brian@logtas.org or by mail to the Rainbow Awards Selection Panel,
c/o Brian Doran, 2001
Huon Rd, LONGLEY 7150. |
TCSGDP Annual Report released18 April 2011 |
Debate on Same-sex Marriage should not be on the fundamentalists' terms12 April 2011 "The oncoming debate on same sex marriage and the impost for all federal politicians to consult the community on the proposed legislation raises many interesting issues about who and how the community should be asked their opinion. Many gay and lesbian people fail to see why the gay and lesbian community would or should debate the conservative right wing religious fundamentalist organisations in this consultation, as part of the process required of politicians. It will be high drama for some with the repetitious insulting vilification being flung by the religious right about the decadent and immoral lifestyle of the sexual and gender diverse community. The churches will tell us how much they really love us but do not approve of our sinful lifestyle. However the debate will achieve little or lead to any change of heart by the fundamentalists. The question is how much this will really contribute to the issue or why the Churches and right wing fundamentalists have a right to deny us respect for our relationships through federal legal recognition in marriage or civil unions. While the debate will fulfil the need for some of bizarre entertainment based on 'insulting and abusive' comment on our relationships it will do more harm than good especially to young people who have raised the courage to 'come out' about their sexual preference. It will be also damaging for parents of gay and lesbian children who are trying to come to terms with the fact that their sons and daughters do not fit the prevailing stereotype but nevertheless are wonderful people worthy of respect who should not live in the shadows and dark corners of society with their loving partners. If you doubt this look at the statistics of suicide amongst our young people who feel denied of any future from the abuse and bullying. Our Community is ready to discuss with federal
politicians our right to federal recognition of our
relationships of equal worth to marriage, but the price does
not include abusive and disrespectful debate. This is now
illegal behaviour that does much harm and creates disharmony
to all in our communities, abusers and the abused alike." |
Pinnacle Foundation announces scholarships for 20117 April 2011 The Foundation has announced the names of the successful
applicants for 2011 - you can download the press release by
clicking
here. Applications for scholarships in 2012 will be
sought from July to September this year, and it is hoped
that there will be some Tasmanian applicants. Julian Punch,
on behalf of the Coming Out Proud Program and Outright
Youth, has recruited a donor and a mentor for the program.
If you would like more information about the scholarships, you can contact Julian by clicking
here. |
Outright Youth recognised for its advocacy in High Schools and Colleges26 March 2011 |
TCSGDP pursues log of claims with Tasmania Police26 March 2011 |
TasPride announces monthly bulletins4 March 2011 |
Progress on Outright Youth submission to the Education Minister8 February 2011 |
'Proud Schools' show the way23 January 2011 |
Dangers of Domain Fag Running highlighted15 January 2011 |

