just.equal
Blood Donor Report recommends end to gay blood ban
International research shows Australia can safely drop the gay blood ban. A report by Dr Sharon Dane recommends the country instead adopt a policy of individual risk assessment. Dr Dane says that would subsequently increase the available supply of safe blood. Countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Israel and Argentina previously moved to individual risk …
Just.Equal and QNews partner against Religious Freedom Bill
National lobby group Just.Equal and QNews recently partnered in an effort to stop the Federal Coalition’s planned Religious Freedom Bill. Just.Equal recently published a 12-page glossy brochure targeted at every federal MP. It outlines the four main elements of the Bill that would cause harm to LGBTI people and others. QNews was keen to be a …
Perth Theatre Trust backtracks on ACL ‘The Truth of It’ ban
Perth Theatre Trust (PTT) announced today it would allow the Australian Christian Lobby to hire state-owned facilities despite an earlier refusal to hire either the Albany Entertainment Centre or the Perth Concert Hall to the organisation. ACL attempted to book the venues for The Truth of It LIVE show featuring managing director Martyn Iles. However, PTT …
Red Cross Lifeblood double-standard on tatts and GBT donors
Red Cross Lifeblood recently eased restrictions on tattooed donors. From last week, Aussies can walk straight from a tattoo parlour and into a Lifeblood centre to donate plasma. But note the word ‘straight’. The restrictions on donations from gay, bisexual and trans (GBT) donors remain. GBT donors must still abstain from sex for twelve months …
Adocates lobby for Trans & Intersex workplace protection
National advocacy group Just-Equal has written to national leaders urging stronger workplace protection for transgender, gender diverse and intersex Australians. Spokesperson for Just-Equal, Brian Greig, said the group wrote to the federal minister to urge reform. “The Fair Work Act must explicitly and equally protect trans, gender diverse and intersex Australians from workplace discrimination. “At …
Keeping up the pressure against the religious freedom bill
Scott Morrison this week postponed consideration of the Religious Freedom Bill. However, Rodney Croome, spokesperson for just.equal, says the threat to LGBTIQ Australians from discrimination masquerading as ‘religious freedom’ remains. The campaign against the Religious Discrimination Bill is working, but we must keep up the pressure if we are to see it scrapped. Last week …
London gay bar hosting 12-hour drag fundraiser for bushfires
London gay bar Two Brewers will host a 12-hour fundraising event on 26 January for both the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES), and firefighters in New South Wales. Large numbers of Australian expatriates live in Clapham, the location of the southwest London bar. Seventeen drag and non-drag performers will perform at the event. …
Albanese invites LGBTIQ consultation on religious discrimination
Some community representatives recently received invitations from Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese to meet with him for LGBTIQ consultation on the Religious Discriminations Bill. The meeting will take place in Melbourne on 30 January. Just.equal spokesperson Rodney Croome said just.equal welcomed the decision. “The message the organisation would take to Anthony Albanese was to oppose …
University of Tasmania awards Rodney Croome honorary doctorate
The University of Tasmania yesterday created veteran LGBTIQ activist Rodney Croome an honorary doctor of letters. Rodney noted with gratitude the support of his partner Raf, his mother, and his late father. He also spoke of the “many courageous and kind people I work with to advance equality.” 1988 Salamanca Markets Rodney Croome first came …
LGBTIQ activists visit detained gay Saudis
Just.equal co-founder Ivan Hinton-Teoh and Switchboard Victoria CEO Joe Ball spoke on Friday with the two detained gay Saudi men locked up in Australia after fleeing Saudi Arabia. The couple flew to Australia on legitimate visas after fleeing Saudi Arabia. They left their homeland following police investigations into their sexuality. The pair, known as Sultan …