ACT
ACT passes landmark laws protecting intersex people
The ACT has passed landmark legislation, protecting intersex people from unnecessary medical interventions. The laws mark the first of their kind in Australia, with calls for other states to follow suit. It follows decades of advocacy by intersex people and will prohibit unnecessary surgeries on intersex infants and children. According to the Australian Human Rights …
ACT to ban non-consensual intersex surgeries in Aussie first
The ACT government has introduced Australia’s first draft laws protecting the medical rights of intersex people, in a moment applauded by intersex advocates. Intersex people – the “I” in LGBTQIA+ – are born with innate sex characteristics that don’t fit medical norms for female nor male bodies. As infants, many undergo unnecessary and irreversible so-called …
Scott White pleads guilty to manslaughter of Scott Johnson
Scott White, the man arrested for the 1988 death of Scott Johnson, pleaded guilty to manslaughter today in the NSW Supreme Court. During a pre-trial hearing in 2022, White pleaded guilty to murder, however, he then immediately tried to reverse his plea. Scott Johnson was found dead on rocks at the base of a northern …
Keep the party going after WorldPride is over – visit Canberra!
Round off the amazing Sydney WorldPride festival with a weekend in the nation’s capital. If you’re looking to keep the WorldPride ball rolling, look no further than the Pride Weekend @ Enlighten Festival. This weekend will be a celebration of LGTBIQA+ pride from 10-12 March with a range of pride themed events to celebrate Canberra’s …
Enlighten Canberra: the Pride festival coming to Canberra in March
Canberra’s annual Autumn Festival, Enlighten, is back in 2023 with 17 days of culture and creativity including a Pride Weekend. The festival will run across three days – the long weekend running from the 10th to the 12th of March. Those who partied at Sydney World Pride can come down to the Capital for an …
Miss Ellaneous served the first ever drag show at federal parliament
Australian drag queen and Sydney WorldPride ambassador Miss Ellaneous has shared fierce footage of a recent trip to Canberra, giving the federal parliament its first ever drag show. The Darwin-born performer, a.k.a. Ben Graetz, is one of our best-known First Nations drag queens. And last month, Miss Ellaneous travelled to Canberra to meet with MPs …
This survivor went undercover to expose conversion therapy churches
A survivor of conversion practices has gone undercover, revealing the insidious nature of conversion therapy practices. Earlier this year, Debbie* created a new email address and developed a whole character to investigate where Canberra churches stood on conversion therapy practices. Using the pseudonym, she reached out to churches about finding support for one of her …
Police seek other victims after Grindr date drugged, raped and robbed
A judge has denied a Canberra man bail after he allegedly drugged, raped and robbed a man he met on Grindr. ACT police officers arrested Shae Elliott and charged him with sexual assault without consent, burglary and theft. In the ACT Magistrates Court, a judge denied the 22-year-old Kambah man bail on Monday. Police said …
ACT records first two monkeypox cases in returning travellers
Two cases of monkeypox have been recorded in the ACT, two travellers who have returned to Canberra from Europe. Monkeypox is a rare viral infection usually associated with travel to Central and West Africa. However since May, dozens of countries that are not endemic for the virus have reported over 9000 cases, predominantly in Europe …
‘An ugly stain’: ACT leader Andrew Barr cops homophobic abuse in top job
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has spoken about the persistent homophobic harassment and abuse he receives in the top job. The safety of politicians has come into the spotlight after recent public calls to murder leaders at Covid-19 “freedom” protests. Andrew Barr is leader of the Australian Capital Territory. He is Australia’s first openly gay …
