UK PM says homophobic countries to have aid cut

 UK PM David Cameron says homophobic countries will have aid cut. http://bit.ly/qvB1nW

Tasmanian Labor Conference Supports Marriage Equality 7 Aug 2011

Text of resolution: This conference calls upon the ALP National Conference to amend the platform to support the legal right of all adult couples in Australia to be married if the they so choose, and for that marriage to be registered by law in Australia, regardless of the sexual orientation, or gender of the parties to the marriage.

This conference acknowledges that civil unions of same-sex couples do not deliver the same legal security and social recognition as marriage, and believes that schemes that are separate from marriage makes the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and the intersex community second-class citizens.

Furthermore, we call on all delegates at the national ALP conference to vote in favour of marriage equality. 

GLWA Fundraiser 12 August 2011

www.glwa.org.au The Doctor's Wife fundraiser Palace Centro, Fortitude Valley #lgbt

Cairns Tropical Pride 2011

Cairns Tropical Pride Festival August 2011 #lgbt http://cairnstropicalpride.com.au/

Aged Care for LGBTI people in Qld

Care Connect http://careconnect.org.au/ announces an Australian first - aged care packages for LGBTI adults in south east Queensland.

Tasmanian Labor Supports Same Sex Adoption

TASMANIAN GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS GROUP
Media Release

Saturday August 6th 2011

LABOR CONFERENCE SUPPORT FOR SAME-SEX ADOPTION WELCOMED


CALL ON TAS GOV TO ACT SWIFTLY ON ADOPTION EQUALITY

Tasmanian gay activists have welcomed the State Labor Conference's support for same-sex adoption. The motion in favour of equal adoption laws was passed late this afternoon by a significant majority.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, called on the State Government to act swiftly on the Labor motion by introducing legislation to allow same-sex couples to adopt.

"Tasmania's unequal adoption laws send the message that same-sex parents and their families are second-rate", Mr Croome said.
"They also prevent same-sex adoption when it is in the best interests of the child, including where a child is being fostered by a same-sex couple."

Since 2003 step-parent adoption has been available to same-sex couples in Tasmania, but they are barred from adopting children relinquished by other people.

Only one or two Tasmanian children a year require adoption by non-related couples, but same-sex couples are permitted to foster and there are instances where the foster child would benefit from adoption by his or her same-sex foster parents.

Earlier this year the Tasmanian Government moved to legalise altruistic surrogacy arrangements, including those involving same-sex couples.
The State Labor Conference is expected to debate a motion in support of same-sex marriage tomorrow.

For more information contact Rodney Croome on 0499 010 668.

Australian Electoral Commission 2011 Electoral Pocketbook

http://www.aec.gov.au/about_aec/publications/electoral_pocketbook/2011/index.htm

Rainbow Labor Queensland welcomes Adshel turnaround

PRESS RELEASE 1 JUNE 2011

Rainbow Labor Queensland (RLQ) welcomes Adshel's decision to reinstate the QAHC Rip and Roll advertisements in Brisbane bus shelters, after removing them in response to an orchestrated homophobic campaign.

RLQ also welcomes the decision by other advertisers not to withdraw the same advertisements, despite the homophobic clamour. In addition, Rainbow Labor urges the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau to rule in QAHC's favour, should the matter come before them for consideration. RLQ has been heartened by the support of many ALP members and parliamentarians on this issue.

Grace Grace MP, Member for Brisbane Central, said "I cannot believe that in this modern age we still have members of our community who cannot accept that there exists an LGBT community and that health and safe sex promotion in this community is just as vital as any other. I find no offence whatsoever in the ads being currently displayed ...".

RLQ supports QAHC for their innovative and effective public health campaigns; RLQ and its members were active in publicising this issue and in contacting Adshel to express our outrage at their behaviour.

Rainbow Labor Queensland once again welcomes Adshel's decision to reverse its original discriminatory decision and allow QAHC to continue its important public health campaign.

Rainbow Labor Queensland works within the ALP to help achieve equality for the LGBTIQ community.

Trivia Night 27 May

Rainbow Labor Trivia Night
27 May at 7pm
Lvl 2, TLC Building, 16 Peel Street, Sth Brisbane

Come along and join in the fun!

Mike Stuchbery

Excellent open letter to Geoff Shaw, Vic Lib MP who likened homosexuality to child molestation - http://bit.ly/m3LvLK #auspol #sackgeoffshaw 

LetsTalkGayWeddings

@LTGW 

If time and space are curved, where do all of the straight people come from? ~Author Unknown

Shelley Argent "I expect better"

#marriageequality http://sxnews.gaynewsnetwork.com.au/news/agrent-tells-gillard-i-expect-better-008778.html

RT aus_senior

Gay seniors left out of new draft Federal residential aged care accreditation standards http://fb.me/MurfhPye

One Big Happy Family - Ikea same sex couple ad in Italy #gay #lgbt

ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY

Ikea's latest advertisement in Italy, featuring a same-sex couple, has been received with mixed emotions among the Italian public. The advertisement, which has appeared on billboards across the country, shows two men holding hands with the slogan, "We are open to all families..." The advert, used to promote IKEA's new store opening in Catania, on the island of Sicily, has been slammed by the newspaper owned by ruling Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi. Berlusconi's ruling People of Freedom Party has aligned itself with the powerful Catholic Church, and despite his own involvement in various sex scandals, the party promotes "traditional family values." Read more here.
QNews http://qnews.com.au/article/one-big-happy-ikea-family?

A gay advance is no excuse for murder

April 27, 2011. A gay advance is no excuse for murder. To view entire article click on: www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/a-gay-advance-is-no-excuse-for-murder-20110426-1duyi.html

My weird and wonderful family #gay #surrogacy

 ABC2 9.30pm tonight
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/abc2/201104/programs/ZX5992A001D2011-04-27T213107.htm?program=My%20Weird%20And%20Wonderful%20Family

ACL

RT NewtonMark Speaking of Jim Wallace, let's not also forget that he blames gay people for priests raping children: http://arseh.at/6cm One classy dude.

5 star LGBT retirement community

 RT gaynewsnet  5 star LGBT retirement community under construction in Sonoma Wine Country. http://tinyurl.com/3z5maoo #gay, #lgbt

Ex-gay lectures canned

Ex-gay lectures stopped in Australia  http://queenslandpride.gaynewsnetwork.com.au/news/ex-gay-lectures-canned-003494.html #gay #exgay

OK2BGAY

http://ok2bgay.com.au/ #lgbt #gay #lesbian

DocLIST

DocLIST - lesbian/bi-friendly list of doctors. www.doclist.com.au

LGBTI Mental Health Project

Australian LGBTI mental health and suicide project. http://lgbthealth.org.au/mindout

Trump boycott call

TheAdvocateMag Trump discrimination - GLAAD urge boycott http://bit.ly/fpgCEn #lgbt

California may add gay history to textbooks

glbtworldnews California may add gay history to textbooks http://bit.ly/gGkKsX #lgbt

McDonald's employee fired for taping vicious transgender attack

RT TGworldNews McDonald's employee fired for taping vicious transgender attack http://bit.ly/gU9JDT

Urge government to take action on mental health reform

Urge the government to take action on mental health reform - many in our LGBT community are affected by mental health issues.  www.getup.org.au/health_reform 

Lesbian Insults Get Comic Fined

Lesbian Insults Get Comic Fined http://t.co/unEhrB6 via @AddThis

Transgender Woman Beaten at McDonalds While Employees Watch and Film

Transgender Woman Severely Beaten at Baltimore McDonalds While Employees Watch http://t.co/MBRepyT via @AddThis

Anti-Gay Montana Lawmaker A Lesbian?

Anti-Gay Montana Lawmaker A Lesbian? :: EDGE New England http://t.co/csEAIGq via @AddThis

Republicans' Gay-Rights Conundrum

Republicans' Gay-Rights Conundrum http://t.co/94wrztr via @AdamSerwer

Gay Imam

RT Trans_and_faith LGBT RAN Profile of Imam Daayiee Abdullah, Imam of Masjid el-Tawhid An-Nur Al-Isslaah http://www.lgbtran.org/Interview.aspx?ID=19 #lgbt #islam

Obama Hints Shift on Gay Marriage

Obama Hints Shift on Gay Marriage http://is.gd/ml3fp1

Roommate Faces Hate-Crime Charges in Rutgers Case

Roommate Faces Hate-Crime Charges in Rutgers Case http://is.gd/Ruhb9x

Anti-Gay Camp Violates Law

Malaysia Women's Minister Says Anti-Gay Camp Violates Law http://is.gd/mtBz65

Malaysian schoolboys sent to butch camp

ABCnews
Malaysian schoolboys sent to butch camp http://bit.ly/eURkHv

Gay Middle East

GayMiddleEastRT @LebLGBTmonitor: Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila proudly and publicly sound their support for gay rights http://bit.ly/GME0358#lgbtME

Actor joins fight for NYC equal marriage

Law & Order actor joins fight for NYC gay marriage - PinkPaper.com http://bit.ly/fTBUiM #marriageequality

BBC1's Eastenders to feature first-ever civil partnership

Eastenders to feature civil partnership - PinkPaper.com http://bit.ly/ewkmta

Anti-gay Facebook group tries to out Australia's military personnel

Anti-gay FB group tries to out Australia's military personnel - PinkPaper.com http://bit.ly/hBGSCS via @pink_paper

Lesbians in the Millennium

The QAHC Lesbian Health Action Group (LHAG) will be hosting a public forum at St Paul's Tavern on June 8 from 7-10pm.

We are looking for volunteer panel members from the community, anyone who has in the past or is currently identifying as lesbian from each decade. So we are looking for someone in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s, who can speak in public and be entertaining.

The panel will be asked to discuss what it was like for them being a lesbian in each of those ages, what lesbians were like in each decade, how they see that has influenced the ‘Millenium Lesbian’ and what she looks like. There will also be the opportunity for audience input and discussion.

I am also looking for an artist to volunteer to work on a piece while people are talking to show what a lesbian in the millennium looks like, from input from the panel and the audience. This piece can be worked on over time and be auctioned off at International Lesbian Day in October as a fundraiser for LHAG.

If you think this is you or someone you know please contact Ricki Menzies at rmenzies@qahc.org.au by May 13, first in best dressed in this situation so get in quick if you want to be involved.

ADF 'failed to act' on gay-hate Facebook page

ADF 'failed to act' on gay-hate Facebook page | News.com.au http://bit.ly/hIT9pQ #gay #lgbt

The Doctor's Wife

New Rainbow in Town: http://www.doctorswifemovie.com/The_Doctors_Wife_Movie_-_Official_Site/Home.html #lgbt #gay

New Brisbane LGBT Women's Group

Noticed that there don't seem to be any safe and supportive spaces for LGBT women of any age to meet away from the nightclubs and big events? Are you community minded and open to giving of yourself to women who are just coming out or for some reason feeling isolated? 

If so perhaps you would be interested in becoming part of a volunteer founding collective to set up a new social and support group with an 'open house' flavour. Almost all the other capital cities have one! If interested in making something like this a reality in Brisbane contact Catherine at  womensrainbowconnectionATyahoo.com.au

GayMiddleEast

A #Gay Voice from #Syria On the Revolution, Freedom and Rights http://bit.ly/GME0346 #Daraa #March15 #15March #lgbtME

Roman Catholic Leader's Offensive Remarks

Roman Catholic Belgian leader targeted by pie-throwing activists - PinkPaper.com http://bit.ly/dGdXJL

Kosher.com ends affiliation with JONAH

Kosher.com Ends Affiliation With JONAH After 1,000 Sign Petition in 90 Minutes

Homophobia is not kosher!

Sign Petition and tell Kosher.com: Homophobia is NOT kosher! The online grocery store allows notorious "ex-gay" organization, Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH), to take part in a program to help fund its dangerous "Pray Away the Gay" efforts. 

Gay panic defence harder to run

Australian Gay & Lesbian Law Blog - http://lgbtlawblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/qld-gay-panic-defence-now-much-harder.html

Catholicism's Don't Ask Don't Tell

Catholicism’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”

Conservative estimates suggest that about 33% of today’s Roman Catholic priests and bishops are gay.

US Catholics Support Equal Marriage #marriageequality

Who Is Right? Is Vox Populi Vox Dei?

EQUALLY BLESSED CELEBRATES CATHOLIC MAJORITY

IN LANDMARK MARRIAGE POLL

Coalition asks bishops to realize they can learn from LGBT Christians

Michael Kirby on gay marriage

# marriageequality Former judge Michael Kirby wants gay marriage, but not for himself. Herald Sun http://bit.ly/dOffls

National Labor Women's Conference 14 - 15 May 2011

I feel very satisfied with the RLQ conference outcomes and am looking forward to attending Labor Women's conference, along with my partner Maree.

It's important that lesbian, bi, trans and intersex women have a voice at this national conference, which is being held in Brisbane this year, at Parliament House.

Please register your interest NOW by emailing:

LaborWomensConference2011@queenslandlabor.org

SDA Members for Equal Marriage

If you're on FaceBook, check out the SDA members for same-sex marriage FB page - their union is one of the more conservative in Australia, and their leadership strongly opposed to same-sex marriage, so it's great to see this show of support by the rank and file!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SDA-members-for-same-sex-marriage/166918016674794

State Conference Delegates

ALP members are about to vote for State Conference delegates. It's important we elect delegates sympathetic to our issues, so RLQ is in the process of finding out the best way for you to be able to contact your candidates and determine their stance on LGBTI issues.

Watch out for another message soon with more detail about contact details for your candidates.

Gambaro Same Sex Marriage Survey

If you live in the Federal electorate of Brisbane, member Teresa Gambaro is conducting a survey of support within Brisbane ... it's vital we get as many responses as possible from the LGBTI community and friends so our voices are heard - click the link to go to the online survey http://teresagambaro.com/out-about-in-brisbane/surveys-and-petitions/marriage-act-survey/

Not sure which electorate you're in? Here's a link to the Australian Electoral Commission page for finding which is your electorate: http://apps.aec.gov.au/esearch/

Conference 2011 Day 2

Another productive day of RLQ conferencing, including discussion of how to keep progressing our issues through party forums. Visits from Andrew Dettmer (President of the Queensland Branch) and Senator Claire Moore - helpful and inspiring to have their input.

From here, we start planning for State Conference, and how we'll ensure we maximise support there for equal marriage. Motions from this RLQ Conference will go to State Conference in support of equal marriage. Motions from today also related to feedback to the National Executive on relevant sections of the report of the National Review Committee.

Apparently in the ring around before Conference, a number of people mentioned they're not getting emails, or have tried to join the Google group without success. Anybody reading this who's tried but not been able to join that group should send a message to Michele Lindsay <mvlindsay@yahoo.com.au>.

We're continually searching for ways to improve RLQ's accessibility to its members and its ability to further the cause generally of LGBTI issues, so be sure to let us know if we can help you learn more about Rainbow Labor or become involved in its activities.

Conference 2011

Day 1 yesterday of RLQ's 2011 Conference - excellent day with visits from Terri Butcher, National Policy Committee member; Jackie Trad, Assistant State Secretary; and Linus Power, Party Office Organiser. Very valuable to hear their insights about Party processes. Also had there in the morning as an observer Scott from Kevin Rudd's office.

We went through the report of the Bracks/Carr/Faulkner Review; and looked at the most effective ways of getting our issues on the agenda at State Conference and National Conference. And of course we discussed fundraising and how to make ourselves more relevant to the wider LGBTI community.

Welcome!

Welcome to Rainbow Labor Queensland's blog. We'll aim to keep it regularly updated with items of interest to the LGBTI community. Dates of interest coming up are Queensland's ALP State Conference in June 2011, and National Conference in December. We look forward to your contributions. Our website is at www.rainbowlabor.org.au/