GL Anti-homophobia activist fined

Friday, November 30, 2007 - 11:00

By Rachel Evans & Mr Rev Comrade Rowley, Sydney

Stuart Baanstra, a Community Action Against Homophobia for Rainbow Rights (CAAHRR) activist, refused to sign the 2006 census due to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' (ABS) refusal to record same-sex queer married couples. On November 27, Baanstra faced the Magistrates Court for refusing to sign the census. Baanstra pleaded guilty with mitigating circumstances. His lawyer, Natalie Ross, who was working pro bono, asked for charges to be dismissed under Section 19b of the Crimes Act.

The ABS argued Baanstra should be penalised as a deterrent to others. The judge refused to acknowledge any mitigating circumstances and fined Baanstra $678. The activist plans to appeal the decision.

"The struggle for marriage and equality continues", said Baanstra after the hearing. "The newly elected Labor government needs to recognise the rights of queers by legalising marriage [for same-sex couples]."

Author's note: Originally published in Green Left Weekly issue 734. It was originally written by both Rachel Evans and Mr Rev Comrade Rowley that can be easily verified by Green Left Weekly hard copy in Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's deadname. Community Action for Rainbow Rights has corrected its name and shouldn't be deadnamed. Reposted here without alteration of the content and without prejudice.

GL Stop the proposed same-sex adoption ban

Saturday, August 4, 2007 - 10:00

By Mr Rev Comrade Rowley, Sydney

On August 2, the federal government announced it would legislate to stop queer couples adopting a child from overseas. The move follows the landmark adoption of a boy by two gay men in Western Australia in June.

Queer couples have been allowed to adopt in WA since 2002, and in the ACT since 2004. In Tasmania, Queer step-parent adoption (where one partner is the biological parent of the child) became legal in 2001.

The federal Coalition's proposed Family Law (Same Sex Adoption) Bill will amend the 1975 Family Law Act and override state and territory laws that currently cover international adoptions. Overseas adoptions occur between Australia and other countries that have ratified the Hague convention.

The bill is due to be introduced in the spring session of parliament, beginning August 13. If it becomes law, the adopted children of queer couples would not be granted visas to enter Australia.

This latest attack on queer couples' rights follows PM John Howard's 2004 Marriage Equality ban and his overriding of the 2006 ACT Civil Unions Act. Howard is quoted in the March 8, 2004 Sydney Morning Herald as saying: "I'm against gay adoption, just as I'm against gay marriage. There are certain benchmark institutions and arrangements in our society you don't muck around with. Children ideally should be brought up by a mother and a father who are married."

Howard says that there is no support for equal adoption rights, but a recent Get-Up Galaxy poll found that 71% of respondents support queer couples having the same rights as heterosexual de facto couples.

Adoption Equality is legal in 10 countries: Guam, Andorra, Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, South Africa, France and Britain. Howard's ally US President George Bush is proposing to ban adoption equality in 16 US states.

Australian Greens Senator Kerry Nettle moved a motion in parliament in June that called for single people and queer couples to be given equal adoption rights and access to IVF as heterosexual couples. The motion cited a Victorian Law Reform Commission report that found that having single, lesbian or gay parents does not pose a risk to children's wellbeing.

The ALP joined with the Coalition to defeat Nettle's motion. Nettle said afterwards: "This is a disgraceful move by the Howard government to pander to homophobic and fundamentalist religious interests in the lead-up to an election. The Greens condemn this extreme move towards legally entrenched discrimination against the gay and lesbian community. Children deserve a loving, caring and legally recognised family environment."

According to an American Psychological Association resolution adopted in June 2004: "Children of same-sex parents do not differ from children of heterosexual parents on measures of personality or morality." The report added, "Lesbian couples may actually be better parents than heterosexual couples in some ways, as research shows that lesbian couples are more knowledgeable about parenting skills. In sum, research indicates that there are few negative effects of being raised by same-sex parents."

Rodney Croome from the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby is quoted in the August 2 Herald Sun: "The Government clearly believes children are better off in a Chinese orphanage or on the streets of Manila ... Studies on this issue overwhelmingly show children thrive in a loving family environment, irrespective of the sexual orientation or gender of the parents."

Rachel Evans from the Socialist Alliance and Community Action for Rainbow Rights in Sydney told Green Left Weekly: "The announced ban on same-sex couples' right to adopt is just another part of the government's campaign to portray same-sex couples as sub-human, and whip up public fear about us. But people are sick and tired of Howard's divide-and-rule tactic and are seeing through it more and more."

Evans said: "Thousands of people will be protesting against this latest denial of our rights on the weekend of action, on August 11-12. We will force this government to heel, and any government that follows them."

The weekend of action will demand the repeal of the marriage equality ban and the civil union ban, and that the proposed adoption ban be dropped. Seventy organisations have endorsed the action, including the Uniting Church's gay and lesbian group, Uniting Network, the Socialist Alliance, the Greens, the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and New Mardi Gras.

For more information, visit, or phone Rev on 0417 735 597 or Farida on 0412 109 160.

Author's note: Originally published in Green Left Weekly issue 720. Originally published in Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's deadname. Community Action for Rainbow Rights formally known as CAAH changed it's name for transgender inclusion after winning marriage equality in 2017. As protests for rainbow rights was never a gay campaign I correct "same-sex" marriage and same-sex adoption to Marriage Equality and Adoption Equality. Reposted here without alteration of the content and without prejudice.

GL Esselte picket stops delivery trucks

Esselte picket stops delivery trucks

Saturday, July 21, 2007 - 10:00

By Mr Rev Comrade Rowley, Sydney

On July 18, 100 people supported 15 striking workers at the Esselte office supply warehouse in Minto by stopping delivery trucks entering the site for seven hours.

The workers have been on strike since June 18 against moves by the company to force the workers onto Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs), which could result in a loss of $50 a week in penalty pay.

Organised by NSW National Union of Workers (NUW), the picket involved members of the Community and Public Sector Union, Workers Solidarity, the Socialist Alliance and students from the University of Western Sydney and the University of Sydney.

The NUW plans to call on local businesses and individual consumers to boycott all Esselte products. For more information on the campaign phone Mark on 0414 993 873 or Rachel on 0403 798 420.

Author's note: Originally published in Green Left Weekly issue 718. Originally published in Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's deadname. Western Sydney University formerly known as University of Western Sydney changed it's name to gut the Western SRC formally known as UWSSA of its student union resources by amalgamation.. Reposted here without alteration of the content and without prejudice.

GL Ali Humayun threatened with deportation

The following is the proposed correction of Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's deadname without alteration of the content.

Saturday, June 23, 2007 - 10:00

By Rachel Evans, Sydney

Ali Humayun, a Pakistani gay asylum seeker who has in the Villawood immigration detention centre for more than two years, has been told he could be deported without warning.

"Immigration officials met with me in the morning on Monday [June] 18th and told me since I don't have any appeal before the department they are permitted to deport me", Humayun said. "They told me to be ready to leave at any time."

Humayun has a male partner, Julio Lorenzo, who is a former Villawood detainee. But, in rejecting Humayun's application for a protection visa last October, Refugee Review Tribunal member Giles Short said he believed Humayun's claim of having a serious homosexual relationship while in detention was "contrived". The RRT refused to allow Lorenzo to give testimony about his relationship with Humayun.

Humayun is the only openly gay detainee at Villawood — his partner having been granted permanent residency four months ago. "I'm worried for my life if I am deported home", he said. "The men in my family, they are really fundamentalist types. My lifestyle is totally in contrast to what they believe."

Pakistani civil law punishes gay sex with jail terms of between two years and life. Under sharia law, homosexuals can face 100 lashes or death by stoning.

In 2003, the High Court ruled that a Bangladeshi gay couple should not be deported as they would face persecution.

"It is clear that Ali has been cheated of justice", Shelly DahlMr Rev Comrade Rowley, co-convener of Community Action Against Homophobia for Rainbow Rights (CAAHRR), told Green Left Weekly. "The RRTs say Ali is not homosexual, while refusing to allow his boyfriend to testify otherwise. Then the government denies him a lawyer to appeal the RRT's unjust decision. They then threaten him with immediate deportation."

CAAHRR is attempting to get an appeal into court to stave off Humayan's deportation and is continuing the campaign have him freed.

From Green Left Weekly Issue 715.

GL UWS moves to close Blacktown campus

Friday, June 22, 2007 - 10:00

By Mr Rev Comrade Rowley, Sydney

The University of Western Sydney Board of Trustees has officially proposed closing UWS Blacktown Nirimba campus by 2009. The university administration claims that the closure is due to a decline in student numbers (not surprising since the administration has cut most degrees at the campus) and financial constraints (despite a $36 million surplus in 2006). According to a June 16 report on ABC's Stateline, Blacktown has one of Australia's fastest growing populations.

The proposed closure will force 2700 students, along with staff, to transfer to UWS Parramatta and Penrith campuses.

The June 20 Sydney Morning Herald reported UWS Student Association (UWSSA) general secretary Julian Ochoa as saying the closure was not "'not a bad thing', as long as infrastructure was built up on the other campuses". Ochoa claims he was misquoted. He told Green Left Weekly that UWSSA was not waging a fight to keep the campus because of a lack of resources.

"UWSSA should not be publicly supporting the demise of the Blacktown campus", said Geoff Brown, UWSSA Student advocate and welfare officer. Brown told GLW that the Blacktown community had been organising to make clear that they opposed the closure and Blacktown Mayor Leo Kelly was campaigning to keep the campus open. Brown said: "UWSSA should be camped out there at Blacktown campus ... There needs to be a public back flip by the executive on this matter otherwise [UWSSA] will have no credibility left."

Author's note: Originally posted in Green Left Weekly issue 715. Originally published in Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's deadname. Western Sydney University formerly known as University of Western Sydney. Western SRC formally known as UWSSA got forced to change it's name when WSU changed it's name to gut the student union of it's resources by amalgamation. Reposted here without alteration of the content and without prejudice.

GL Russia: Police violence against queer activists

Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 10:00

By Mr Rev Comrade Rowley

On May 27, 150 queer activists, including members of the European Parliament and MPs from parliaments of EU member countries, gathered in Moscow's Tverskaya Square near City Hall to deliver a petition calling on the city council to lift its ban on a queer pride parade. While ordinary police stood by, 200 riot police, Christian right-wingers and fascists violently attacked the activists. According to reports, 31 people were arrested — 30 of them queer-rights activists.

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov has said that the city government will not allow a gay parade "in any form", describing them as "satanic", and said that any attempt to hold a "gay" event will be "resolutely quashed".

According to a May 16 Gayrussia.ru article: "Russia decriminalised homosexuality in 1993. Tolerance is slowly rising, with a handful of queer clubs opening in large cities since the Soviet Union collapsed. But the country has no high-profile openly gay politicians or business leaders."

A online petition condemning the attack can be found at http://www.petitiononline.com/RusLBGT/petition.html. The petition calls on "Russia to start recognising human rights such as the freedom of speech, of assembly and crucially, to accord rights to homosexuals living in the near totalitarian regime now in power".

Author's note: Originally published by Green Left Weekly issue 712. Originally posted in Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's deadname. Reposted here without alteration of the content and without prejudice.

GL Sydney IDAHOBITA vigil

Saturday, May 19, 2007 - 10:00

By Mr Rev Comrade Rowley, Sydney

On May 17, a candlelight vigil was held in in Taylor Square to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Aphobia. The vigil was organised by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) Network of Amnesty International and Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR) and called for the immediate release of Ali Humayun, a gay refugee from Pakistan who has been held in the Villawood immigration detention centre for more than two years.

"It is clear that the Refugee Review Tribunal has been homophobic against Ali", CARR spokesperson Farida Iqbal told Green Left Weekly. The RRT has denied Humayun's claim for asylum on the grounds that his fear of persecution in Pakistan for his sexual orientation lacks sufficient evidence. It claims that his identification as a homosexual is a result of his detention.

"For Ali to be deported to Pakistan would be a death sentence. He can't stay in detention. It is injurious to his mental health. So there is no other option but to free him", said Iqbal.

To get involved in the campaign to free Humayun, phone Rachel Evans on 0403 798 420 or Mr Rev Comrade Rowley on 0417 735 597.

Author's note: Originally published in Green Left Weekly issue 710. Originally published in Mr Rev Comrade Rowley's deadname. Community Action for Rainbow Rights was formerly known as "CAAH" IDAHOBITA was never a Gay protest I correct the term "ÏDAHO"to ""IDAHOBITA" Reposted here without alteration of the content and without prejudice.