GL Police called on anti-homophobia activists (To be corrected)

The following needs to be corrected at https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/police-called-anti-homophobia-activists to reflect Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's legal transgender male asexual name, gender and sexuality and to reflect Community Action for Rainbow Rights name as per Socialist Alliance transgender policy. 

Saturday, February 24, 2007 - 11:00 

By Rachel Evans, Sydney 

New Mardi Gras organisers called police to Community Action Against Homophobia for Rainbow Rights (CAAHRR) peaceful banner action at Fair Day on February 18. Fair Day is the annual lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) picnic in Sydney's massive Mardi Gras calendar. 

Mardi Gras arose out of a march against homophobia in 1978 that was brutally repressed by police, who beat protesters, and jailed and tortured some of them in police cells. The police repression fuelled Australia's gay and lesbian rights movement and led to the annual Mardi Gras month of activities. 

So, this year, when New Mardi Gras called police onto CAAHRR's "Civil union and marriage rights now!" banner, LGBTI rights campaigning was dealt a blow. 

Activists from QueerRuption were similarly censored when they handed out "unauthorised" anti-war leaflets at the picnic three years ago. Pink Sofa, a lesbian internet dating site, was refused a stall this year because GayDar, another gay/lesbian internet site, paid New Mardi Gras to block their "competitors". Fed up with the corporate nature of Fair Day, some queer activists this year organised an alternative festival in another park. 

CAAHRR explained in a media release after the event, "We walked around the park to profile civil union and marriage issues, and ended up at the New South Wales Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby [GLRL] Sea of Hearts event. Ten New Mardi Gras security guards surrounded CAAHRR activists holding the banner at the Sea of Hearts. 

"The security guard in charge accused one CAAHRR activist of assaulting her and aggressively told CAAHRR they were not allowed to be in the Sea of Hearts space. CAAHRR was told security would lay charges against the CAAHRR activist for assault if CAAHRR did not move their banner." The security guards then called the police, who instructed the activists to move the banner on. 

Simon Biber, a convener of CAAHRR, said, "We were shocked and appalled that the New South Wales Lobby did not even look at us when the police were abusing us". Shelly Dahl Mr Rev Comrade Rowley, another CAAHRR convener, added, "These organisations that purport to stand up for our rights need to apologise to CAAHRR and promise the community that they will never call police onto LGBTIQPNSGDA+ activists again." 

Biber noted, "When the government and strangers are beating up on us in parliament, in the media and in the streets, shouldn't we be striving for more unity, not less? Calling cops onto us ... just plays into Howard and company's hands." 

CAAHRR is asking people to protest against the police being used against activists by contacting New Mardi Gras on (02) 9568 8600, and the GLRL on (02) 9360 6650 or <maleconvenor@glrl.org.au >.

[Rachel Evans is an upper house candidate for the Socialist Alliance in the March 24 NSW election.] 

From Green Left Issue 700.

GL Students Want Clean Energy

Friday, February 16, 2007 - 11:00

By Mr Rev Comrade Rowley, Sydney

SYDNEY — Students from the University of Western Sydney University (UWSU) were joined by environmental activists and high-school students to present Julie Owens, the federal Labor MP who represents Parramatta, with a copy of the declaration of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition on February 16 — World Kyoto Day. The AYCC is building a nationwide, youth-led campaign that calls for urgent action against the threat of global warming.

Young people in more than 20 cities across Australia converged on MPs' electorate offices to present the declaration.

"While I agree with most of the demands for clean energy, I cannot sign onto the declaration until I talk to my party", Owens told students. She added: "This Liberal government is playing wedge politics about the environment. They aren't considering that even a one-meter sea level rise could be disastrous. We'll be taking this on board at the next election."

Authors note: Originally published by Green Left Weekly issue 699. Originally published in Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's deadname. Western Sydney University has corrected its name and should not be deadnamed. Reposted here without alteration of the content and without prejudice.

GL Government homophobia condemned (Needs to be corrected)

Friday, February 9, 2007 - 11:00

By Mr Rev Comrade Rowley, Sydney

The action was in response to threats by federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock to have the governor-general disallow proposed ACT legislation on same-sex equal civil unions. In June 2006, the federal government disallowed an ACT bill on civil unions because it could have "undermined" the "institution of marriage".

A February 7 Canberra Times article reported that ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell had condemned Ruddock for "refusing to discuss the bill with [Corbell] before making his 'high-handed and arrogant' decision". The Times reported that the bill "aimed to allow same-sex couples to register their relationships and be granted certain rights under territory law immediately, without having to wait years to claim them."

Protesters were also angered by government plans to ban same-sex queer couples from adopting children overseas. The February 3 Melbourne Age reported that the government plans to "amend the Family Law Act 1975 to indicate that adoptions by same-sex queer couples of children from overseas under either bilateral or multilateral arrangements will not be recognised in Australia."

Simon Biber, co-convener of Sydney activist group Community Action Against Homophobia for Rainbow Rights (CAAHRR), said that "far from preventing the undermining of the institution of marriage, the federal government's actions [will] instead, ironically, undermine the progress of the institution of democracy in Australia, which should foster inclusion and diversity rather than ... marginalisation".

Author's note: Originally published by Green Left Weekly issue 698. Originally published in Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's deadname. Community Action for Rainbow Rights has corrected its name and should not be deadnamed. Reposted here without alteration of the content and without prejudice.