10.CHOGM Protests
Perth was home to this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, spurring protest groups including gay rights/marriage activists to storm the streets of the CBD. Only a handful of gay rights activists attended-a significant decrease from the hundreds of protesters drawn to Equal Love rallies.
Calls for CHOGM delegates to address gay rights issues in the Commonwealth receive a minimal response after Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd urged other foreign ministers to decriminalise homosexuality laws. Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma also reiterated his opposition to laws against homosexuality. Over 40 of the 54 Commonwealth member countries still criminalise homosexuality.
9. Civil Unions for WA
In January, news broke that the Nationals’ MLC Mia Davies was drafting a Civil Partnerships Bill which would include same-sex relationships. The draft bill was said to recognise a relationship between adults, regardless of gender. At the time, no timeline for the bill was given and when OUTinPerth recently contacted Davies’ office, she declined to comment.
The move was welcomed by state members from Labor and the Greens although a spokesperson for Liberals WA refused to take a position before seeing the proposed bill. In 2006, the Young Nationals passed a motion at the state conference that was in support of civil partnerships. The four states and territories already have same-sex relationship registers in place are the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania, Victoria and NSW.
8. Discrimination in WA Schools
The Sunday Times broke two stories this year about schools that rocked the LGBT community in Western Australia: St Mary’s Anglican Girls School and the Armadale Christian College. In July, a group of former St Mary’s students campaigned against the school’s policy on school formals, which banned same-sex couples from attending together.
While St Mary’s did not respond for comment, the WA Equal Opportunity Commissioner Yvonne Henderson said schools were not allowed to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation. In August, the ST reported Armadale Christian College had been posing questions to 14 and 15 year-old students such as ‘Is homosexuality the sickest sin there is?’ The Department of Education Services announced a review of the school’s religious syllabus.
7. DADT Law Repealed
In September this year, the US military allowed openly gay and lesbian soldiers to serve after American lawmakers and President Barack Obama repealed the notorious ‘Don’t’ Ask, Don’t Tell’ legislation. The 17 year-old law banned soldiers from coming out in the military with the threat of dishonourable discharge. In December 2010, the U.S Congress and Senate voted to remove the law and allow openly gay soldiers to serve.
After a cooling-off period of several months, Obama signed off on the repeal which came into force immediately. In 1993, former President Bill Clinton introduced the bill as a compromise for LGBT people. Since then, the DADT legislation has been used to dismiss over 13,000 service members.
Former US infantry lieutenant Dan Choi (pictured), a major public activist in the debate told OUTinPerth earlier this year: ‘What we show is [that] we are willing to die for our country, at the minimum we should be able to live free in that country’.
6. AIDS 30 Years On
June 5 this year marked the 30th anniversary since American scientists reported a cluster of unusual infections in Los Angeles. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the cluster in 1981 but the virus did not receive its current name, HIV until 1986.
In 1985, the Western Australian AIDS Council was formed to provide an education and prevention strategy run by the community.
Back in June, WAAC Diverse Sexuality Health Promotion Services Manager Mark Reid said: ‘There was a lot not known about it so there was a lot of fear around it and whilst there still is stigma discrimination against people with HIV exist in the community, there’s not as much fear as there used to be.’
The Red Ribbon celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, as a symbol of the fight against the virus, the people lost and the support for people living with HIV.
5.Adshel
In late May this year, an advertising company pulled down bus shelter advertisements (right) featuring safe-sex messages for gay men after receiving about 30 complaints.
Over two days, the story exploded around Australia as more and more people expressed outrage over the move by Adshel. After just two days, over 80,000 people joined a Facebook campaign condemning the removal of the poster campaign.
The Australian Christian Lobby claimed responsibility for the letter campaign that pulled down the banners, sparking public anger against the organisation. Adshel reinstated the signs shortly after.
***
4. Gay man proposes at Kylie concert
When Kylie Minogue came to Perth in June, one lucky man scored the wedding proposal of a lifetime.
After getting the superstar’s attention, Broome couple Ben McHardy and Scott Goodhill were invited on to the stage by Kylie.
There McHardy jumped down on one knee and popped the big question to Goodhill.
***
3. Reclaim Queer Venues
Gay venues in Perth came under fire in March this year as hundreds of people aired their frustrations and concerns about the LGBT spaces available in WA.
While most of the frustration was expressed on the Facebook page, Perth Needs A New Gay Pub, a community forum was also held at the State Library of WA.
The Court Hotel received most of the complaints including a public condemnation from Pride WA. Some concerns about Connections Nightclub were also raised.
***
2.Trans* High Court Win
In October, two WA transgender men were awarded gender recognition by the High Court of Australia, overturning a previous appeal by the WA Supreme Court.
The fight for gender recognition began in 2007 and took four years and numerous appeals in Western Australia before the pair took their case to the High Court of Australia.
At the time the applicant, known as AH for legal reasons, said the ruling could affect gender recognition laws around the country.
He said: ‘I’m excited about not only the fact that we finally won this thing, but what it means for trans* people in WA and potentially around the rest of the country too.’
1. WA Labor Supports Gay Marriage
Gay marriage continued to dominate not only the LGBTI media but the mainstream media as well as state branches of the Labor Party voted in support of marriage equality. In June, the WA Labor Party voted in support of gay marriage after fierce debate from within the conference.
The speakers in support of gay marriage included Rainbow Labor President David Goncalves, Perth MLA John Hyde, former Labor MLA Alannah MacTiernan and Emma Kingdon. SDA WA branch secretary Joe Bullock and Labor MLC Kate Doust spoke against the motion.
Just before the vote, a motion was called to suspend standing orders momentarily to allow Mimah Comrie, a non-delegate, to address the conference. Comrie, the mother of Youth Affairs Council of WA Executive Officer Craig Comrie said this:
‘My daughter has the right to marry, live in a de-facto relationship or engage in a civil union. My son as a gay man does not have the right to marry a partner of choice. Denying my son the right to marry robs him of the right to be treated as an equal and devalues the meaning of equality.’
Compiled by Benn Dorrington
***
