National
Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas slammed for transgender comments
Perth’s newly elected Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas has apologised after LGBTIQ advocates slammed “misinformed and demeaning” comments he made about the transgender community. Zempilas declared on his 6PR radio show on Wednesday genitals determined a person’s gender identity and it was “wrong” for someone to identify differently. “If you’ve got a penis mate, you’re a …
Grindr vigilantes apprehend alleged Perth child sex predator in sting
Police have charged a Perth man with a child abuse offence after two vigilantes posed as a 14-year-old on Grindr and lured him to a park. WA Police said a man in his 20s created the fake Grindr profile, pretending to be a 14-year-old boy. The 61-year-old man from the south-east Perth suburb of Camillo …
Queensland votes – Queer Newsweek election special
Queensland goes to the polls this Saturday 31 October. Shelley Argent joins us on Queer Newsweek for an election special. As at previous elections, prior to the Queensland vote, Shelley contacted the major parties concerning their LGBTIQ+ policies. Scroll down for video Letters from Deputy Premier and Shadow Attorney-General at bottom of the article. Shelley …
McConnel candidate wants Herston as 1st gay heritage inclusion
Independent candidate for the Brisbane inner-city electorate of McConnel, John Dobinson, has called for Herston to become Queensland’s first gay heritage inclusion. Queensland’s first Premier Robert Herbert and partner John Bramston made their home together in the area. They conjoined their names to invent a name for their property. That name survives as the name …
LNP shoo-in loses: fear of LGBT+ impact on Qld election
Before yesterday’s meeting to select an LNP candidate for the federal seat of Groom, David van Gend seemed a shoo-in. However, fellow rightwinger Garth Hamilton emerged the winner following the meeting in Toowoomba yesterday. The Toowoomba Chronicle reports the party chose a lesser-known nominee over fears that van Gend’s controversial views on LGBT+ issues would …
NSW Parliament calls for equality for transgender community
New South Wales MPs have passed a parliamentary motion supporting the state’s transgender community, in the face of harmful legislation from One Nation’s Mark Latham. On Wednesday afternoon, members unanimously passed independent MPs Alex Greenwich’s motion. It called for “dignity, fairness, respect and equality” for all trans and gender diverse people. It was in part …
Queensland ‘Christian soldier’ David van Gend up for LNP preselection
Queensland doctor David van Gend, who believes homosexuality is “disordered behaviour” and “potentially treatable”, may win Liberal National party preselection in a federal seat. The sitting member, federal Coalition MP John McVeigh, resigned last month. Now voters in the federal electorate of Groom, in Toowoomba, will go to the polls for a byelection on November …
Chief Minister Andrew Barr wins ACT Labor 6th term of govt
Canberrans awoke this morning to a front-page photo of Chief Minister Andrew Barr walking into an election victory party holding the hand of his husband Anthony Toms. The election saw ACT Labor build on earlier victories to win a sixth term of government. Andrew Barr and Anthony Toms entered the post-election victory party to the …
University of Newcastle unveils rainbow crossing for its Pride Week
The University of Newcastle has unveiled a permanent rainbow pedestrian crossing at one of its New South Wales campuses. The uni is celebrating its 2020 Pride Week this week. And on Tuesday students and staff unveiled the rainbow crossing on the Callaghan campus in front of the Chancellery building. Vice-Chancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky said the …
Australian gay blood donor restrictions to ease in early 2021
Australia’s Red Cross Lifeblood donation service says long-standing restrictions on gay and bi blood donors will be eased early next year. Currently, the Lifeblood donation service refuses gay and bi blood donors who have had sex with men in the past 12 months. In April, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved a proposal to lower …