Out in Australia’s armed forces

While the United States only recently ended its Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy on gays in the military, Australia has allowed gay men and lesbians to serve openly since 1992.

Over the years, the Australian Armed Forces are becoming more and more socially accepting of those who are part of the queer community, active service people tell us. A tough battle for acknowledgment and equal treatment has finally resulted in a happier and healthier working environment.

Three service people of the armed forces who are members of DEFGLIS, the Australian Defence Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex information service, were kind enough to open up to Same Same about their time serving the sunburnt country thus far.

Born in Brisbane, Flight Lieutenant Nathan White (pictured above) has been in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for just under a decade and hasn’t yet reached his highest potential. He tells us he has big plans for the coming years on the job.

White has wanted to fly since childhood, he explains. “I have since I flew the first time when I was seven years old and then I found out about Defence at about age 13 or 14, so I knuckled down, studied hard and got in.

“I did three years at university and then two years of flight training to get my wings. From there, operational conversion is six months. So, total that up and 5 ½ years later and you’re a qualified pilot,” he explains.

“I would like to be a flight commander. I think that would be really rewarding. I guess that’s my goal for the next five years with the next promotion.”

What if the royal baby turned out gay?

Just as marriage equality and gender equality have been pushed in recent times in Britain, parliamentarians are considering updating a law that would affect the royal family’s line of succession.

The parliament is debating a bill that will introduce legislation to allow the first-born child of Prince William and Kate Middleton to rule as monarch regardless of their gender. Labour MP Paul Flynn is now pushing for an extension to this new law to provide the same opportunity for a child if they become a gay or lesbian adult.

If Flynn’s own stance on the issue is taken seriously and becomes law, there may very well one day be an openly gay or lesbian ruler of the Commonwealth in a same-sex relationship with legal recognition as partners.

Pink News reports, “Any children born to the couple through artificial insemination or surrogacy would succeed to the throne so long as the couple are in a same-sex marriage or civil partnership.”

However, any children that may be adopted by the couple would not be illegible for succession based on current laws that MPs might not care to change.

First and foremost, the speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow would need to accept the amendment in order for a full debate to commence. As a strong supporter of LGBT rights, Pink News writes that it’s “almost certain” and “is expected to have the support of many Labour, Liberal Democrats and most Conservatives that back David Cameron’s plans to introduce same-sex marriage.”

In a similar move for a fairer ascension to the throne, the only remaining obstacle is altering the law so that royals could marry a Catholic, despite the religious and legal complexities of this issue. The royal monarch has been the Supreme Governor of the Church of England since the time of King Henry VIII, and the church are officially opposed to same-sex marriage.

Same Same wonders what Queen Lizzy II’s stance on all of this is…?

Originally published at SameSame on 24/01/2013

Gillard makes deal with Christian Lobby again

The Prime Minister has assured conservative faith-based institutions that they’ll still be able to turn away gays and lesbians under proposed new anti-discrimination laws.

Under current law, government funded religious schools and hospitals have the privilege to turn away teachers and students from their institutions for not sharing their beliefs.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Julia Gillard and her Labor Party cohorts met up with the head of the Australian Christian Lobby, Jim Wallace.

“She has no intention of restricting freedom of religion,” says Wallace in regards to the legal rights of religious groups when hiring and firing.

The PM previously promised Wallace she would protect the institution of marriage as being between a man and a woman, as discovered in a filmed interview prior to her election in 2010.

The NSW Government has made a submission to the Human Rights and Anti-discrimination Bill 2012that proposes that the current law remain intact, continuing to provide a religious exemption for institutions who wish to dismiss staff and students who don’t stand on the same moral ground.

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich has announced that he will write to the PM “seeking her justification for allowing publicly funded religious providers free-range to discriminate against groups including gay and lesbian Australians.”

“The Prime Minister has a duty to protect those affected by discrimination, not those practising it,” he says.

“By allowing hospitals and schools to practice discrimination, the Prime Minister is supporting breeding grounds for homophobia.”

Greenwich will also request that Gillard meet with any who are suffering “as a result of the discriminatory practices of tax-payer funded religious service providers.”

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon released the draft bill late last year and received more than 3,000 submissions in response. The bill will mesh together five separate pieces of legislation into a single Act, aiming to strengthen protections for sexual orientation and gender diversity under federal law.

Openly-gay federal Finance Minister Penny Wong will push the bill through parliament. Once the bill is passed, older LGBTI and gender diverse people will no longer be discriminated against and refused refuge in aged care homes based on their sexuality and gender orientation.

Jim Wallace has made the Australian Christian Lobby’s view clear, but a wide range of other religious denominations have not yet stated their position.

 

Originally posted at SameSame on 16/01/2013

Hating on NOH8

There seems to be an awfully large number of campaigns out there that are pushing for marriage equality and fighting against discrimination. But to me, they’re nowhere near as successful as they could be without whirlwind community action.

Take the internationally recognised NOH8 campaign for example. Featuring a bountiful amount of celebrities and well-known faces, they put on a little light makeup and jump in front of the camera for Adam Bouska. Whether it’s a finger to their lips, or a subtle f**k you stare into your soul, Bouska’s magic always fails to strike a chord here Down Under.

It really is a rarity that they’ll produce a portrait effective enough to move the butterflies that have fluttered together inside my stomach.

Their mission statement says, “The NOH8 Campaign is a charitable organization whose mission is to promote marriage, gender and human equality through education, advocacy, social media, and visual protest.”

Without dissing the tragedy of America’s take on the English language, you’d be pushed to read between the lines that they actually do anything except take a few pretty pictures. Where’s the campaigning that ended in rioting? The protesting that had people physically fighting for what they believe in? People have taken refuge behind their glass computer screens and camera lenses in fear of taking any real action.

That there is where campaigning has gone awry, easily differentiated from those activists and political-shakers of yesteryear. NOH8 pins their breed of activism as a “photographic silent protest”, but please tell me what good being silent was for the community.

It may however have something that’s more to do with America’s shifting technological culture – hiding behind closed study doors as opposed to braving the streets for the good of the people. Thinking about the Rally for Marriage Equality that was held on November 25 at Sydney’s Town Hall, I’m always keen to participate in an event that encourages the use of our voices and marching bodies with the emphasis of the almighty megaphone.

Online petitions, ‘sharing’ a few Facebook photos or retweeting someone has become the nitty gritty of campaigning, though they’re relatively unsuccessful and unnoticeable in my eyes.

Being silent isn’t, and never will be, the key to a successful campaign. That much can be credited to our politicians and the newly elected President of the United States. To act boisterous and confident is definitely an Australian thing though – from the footy fields to the queerest of nightclubs, Aussies are the people that know how to use their tongues for good.

To new technology, I reject you – with the exception of my brand new iPhone 5. It’s all useless when you can always get off your arse and make a serious impact – way better than imprinting a dent on your vintage leather sofa.

Personally, I’m all for the wonders of new technology, but I’ll always prefer seeing a drag queen strut down George St to promote gender equality over photos plastered on the internet any day. That’ll get people talking. That’ll get the ball rolling. 

Silly Billy

Those moments when you decide to throw yourself in the deep end for a better outcome in the long run…. Well, Ah McCain, I’ve done it again.

This time however will definitely be advantageous to my future welfare though. I’ve taken on three different editorial positions on top of regular paid work and my university studies, so I’ll be a busy bee this coming semester. I am awfully excited about one of the publications though. It’s titled Querelle and is an annual magazine that coincides with a university-based conference for queer-identifying people called Queer Collaborations. This year at the conference James Wilson and I put in a bid for UTS (my university; University of Technology, Sydney) to run the editing and creative process. Thankfully we won the bid and have now got an opportunity to let our ideas flourish in the public eye!

So, with a fleeting request, I’d love for people to contribute in any way they possibly can. It would be best if you were living in Australia to understand the bulk of content we wish to produce, but we’re looking for international talent as well to provide a voice of what’s happening around the world. 

We’re looking specifically for journalists, writers, artists and photographers to send in their work that is based around queer-identifying people, or illustrates an insight into queer issues. The magazine launch won’t be till July 2013, but we’re hoping to receive timeless submissions within the coming months so the editing process can get underway! If you’re keen and would love to ask any further questions or send in a submission, simply email querellemag@gmail.com

Can’t wait to read some bold and beautiful work focussing on the LGBTIQ community of Australia.

Regards,

Ryan

Those hateful homophobes

Honestly, are there any other words to describe a homophobe?
Yes, there are. But we’ll refrain from using foul language here for fear of which lovely kids may be reading this….

Now let me tell you something ‘revolutionary’:

I’m honestly not too impressed that within todays modern society so many homophobes are still living out there in hatred. What they say isn’t right, even if they claim it’s word from the Lord Almighty.
I’m no religious man,  and that’s why I feel I can safely say, they’re talking bullcrap.

Anyone who reads the Bible or any religious text would [and should] comprehend that such texts are full of messages of love and compassion. Whoever looks past that’s an idiot. And it seems that every conservative religious person I’ve seen in the media’s seriously daft.

You’re reading way into those sentences where it mentions “A man shall not lie with another man. God hates that”…. because he clearly doesn’t say, ‘don’t allow homosexuals to marry’ or ‘condemn all homosexuals to hell’….
So people, what’re you all complaining about? Why on earth would such nut-job groups as the Westboro Baptist Church despise homosexual people when they themselves are just trying to live a life of love, fairness and compassion.

Equality, people, is the message that all those holy texts are trying to get across.
And if you’re not getting the message, have another look.

Perhaps you’re not such a noob after all.

Here‘s the reason for my rant.

It certainly fueled my fire. ;]

Kirbs, I feel the same way.

“Gay marriage and regular marriage are like bikinis and bras. They’re both exactly the same thing but only one is accepted by the people of society.”
- stolen from Kirby Davis’ Facebook wall, who in turn stole it from Tumblr.

There’ll be justice one day, I’m sure. Just keep swimming through the dirt. We’ll be in the clear real soon. :]

Coming out should be a deadly sin.

And before you misunderstand what I wish to say… have a bit of a read. :}
Please. ;]

Oh yeah, and if you’re homophobic… this song‘s about you.

I mean that it should be a sin… and that it’s a horrible thing and shouldn’t exist, simply because I feel people shouldn’t have to come out. Why can’t the people in this world, look towards each other with feelings of admiration, respect and down to earth love? Why so much hate and disrespect that a simple thing such as sexuality (that shouldn’t really be a public issue) becomes a ridiculous problem and people feel as if they have to hide it?

People come in all shapes, sizes, colours, races, speak different languages and have different sexual orientations… it’s what makes human-kind such a beautiful and complex thing. It’s what makes the world truly interesting…. and the evolution of humanity has a long way to go… that I can say. If we were all to be truly human, there wouldn’t be so much hatred in the world. Sure, people would say that man’s basic instinct is survival, and I agree wholeheartedly. But how on earth do you expect particular groups who are discriminated against to survive? How do you think someone would feel if they were being called anything but ‘human’. Words hurt people. They dig incredibly deep, and are horribly difficult to take back.

Time to get out the tissues…

Dear World,

Listen Up!

aNoteToMyKid.com is perhaps the sweetest and most care-filled way that a parent can explain to their child/dren how much they love them despite their ‘differences’ from the rest of the kids in the neighbourhood. Aimed at providing a little hope and love between families with “LGBT and questioning youth, or any parent for that matter, with a platform for expressing unconditional love.”

I came across the link by stalking someone else’s blog on here and got all teary just reading two extracts from the website’s page. This is something I know my very own mother would have done. :]
For life without love is no life at all.

It also parallels the It Gets Better Project which “was created to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach — if they can just get through their teen years.”

Both links are well worth visiting, in support of LGBT youth worldwide. I hope you have the time to check them out. :]

To see my surprisingly ever so popular LGBT themed blog post about Glee and Grey’s Anatomy, click here. :]
And don’t forget to lend a hand to my dear friends at twenty10 by clicking the banner in my right-hand side bar.

With love and peace.
Ryan :]