ABBOTT FEARS GAYS
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has declared on TV show 60 Minutes that Australians felt ‘threatened’ by gay people. Although he later played down the comment as off-the-cuff, Mr Abbott elaborated on ABC’s Lateline that: ‘There is no doubt that it challenges orthodox notions of the right order of things. But as I also said on the program, it happens, it’s a fact of life and we have to treat people as we find them.’ PFLAG, the organisation for parents and friends of those in the LGBTI community, has registered its disgust with Mr Abbott’s office, while the Australian Coalition for Equality has called for meetings with the Liberal leader to dispel any fears.
A STITCH IN TIME
Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum will be exhibiting 128 quilts created as a memorial to the thousands of people who have died of HIV/AIDS since 1982. It plans to permanently house the quilts and any gathered stories of those who died for future generations at the museum’s Discovery Centre in conjunction with Quilt Project Sydney. The Australian AIDS Memorial Quilt Project began in 1988 to provide a way for the community grieve as the AIDS epidemic grew and was part of a worldwide movement to promote compassion, education and understanding about AIDS. Anyone with contributions to the exhibition can contact Nicky Balmer on (02) 9217 0117 or nicoleb@phm.gov.au
CANVASSING QUEER IDENTITY
Artists are invited to contribute works relating to the issues of identity and homophobia to Sydney’s International Day Against Homophobia exhibition. The Love Combating Fear exhibition will be held in Paddington’s Kudos Gallery from May 18 to 29. A trans-generational conversation called Break the Silence will also be held at the gallery on May 22. It hopes to create awareness about the impacts of homophobia, to support those who have experienced it and commemorate International Day Against Homophobia on May 17. To enter your artwork, register at www.idahosydney.org
MEET ‘ZIE’
Syndeysider Norrie became the first person to be certified ‘non-gender’ specific by the New South Wales government last month. Norrie (formerly Norrie May-Welby) was born a male in Scotland and at the age of 23 had surgery to become a female, however ceased hormones in favour of becoming androgynous. Norrie applied to the NSW government to have an identity certificate that stated ‘not specified’ under the sex category. Once granted, it meant Norrie was able to change all records to recognise the preferred status of ‘zie’, a pronoun invented to replace ‘he’ or ‘she’, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. Transgender groups heralded the move as a breakthrough for children whose sex was difficult to determine at birth.
TAKING ON BRUNO
A Melbourne-based group calling themselves the LGBT Foundation has recently formed with the aim of pursuing legal action over media products perceived to be discriminatory towards gays and lesbians. The organisation’s founder, Michael J. Boyd told Sydney Star Observer that their first high-profile target will be Sacha Baron Cohen, who created and starred in the controversial 2009 film, Bruno. ‘(Bruno) was purely offensive and ludicrous. It encourages a discriminatory society,’ he said. Boyd said he plans to sue for the amount the film made at the Australian box office (more than $76 million) and redistribute the funds to LGBT community organisations via a series of grants.
Aja Styles
