lgbtiq discrimination
$4,000,000 taxpayer funds for ‘God Hates Homosexuals’ school
A Queensland boy’s school which uses a sex education handbook that asks students to consider whether “God hates homosexuals’, received over $4 million in taxpayer funding in 2018, the last year for which figures are available. The Teen Sex By The Book handbook by Belinda Elliot provides class exercises based on excerpts from Patricia Weerakoon’s …
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 …
The Poets Cafe Montville: the two sides of the street
Last week QNews reported on an incident at the Poets Cafe, Montville. During Pride month, as marchers joined Black Lives Matter protests worldwide, and in the midst of the greatest global health crisis for a century, a lesbian couple — both health workers, one black — found themselves rudely ordered out of a cafe in …
Lesbian couple told to leave cafe and ‘never come back’
Last Sunday, at the end of Pride month, during the worst health crisis in a century and as the world grapples with racial discrimination through the Black Lives Matter movement, the owner of Poets Cafe in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, chose the moment to demand an inter-racial pair of lesbian health workers leave his cafe …
Egyptian activist dies: “To the world – you were cruel…”
Following imprisonment, abuse and torture in Egypt, LGBTIQ+ rights advocate Sara Hegazy sought asylum in Canada. Sadly, she died in her home in Canada Sunday, leaving a note asking her family and friends for forgiveness. In 2017, Sara attended a concert by the Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila in Cairo. The band’s lead singer Hamed Sinno …
Rodney Croome: act now for improved post-pandemic world
A post-pandemic world could be one in which LGBTIQ people are healthier, more connected and better respected. It could also be the opposite. According to Rodney Croome that depends on the choices we make now. Rodney Croome is a spokesperson for just.equal and Equality Tasmania. Epidemics bring out the best and worst in us. We …
LGBTIQ advocates oppose Bettina Arndt honour
LGBTIQ advocates this week urged the rescinding of the Order of Australia award bestowed on Bettina Arndt in January. Advocates from across the nation wrote to Government House to protest the honour. Each of the signatories previously themselves received an Order of Australia. The advocates cite commentary by Arndt they describe as based on biased …
Student walkout over fired teachers at Seattle school
A student walkout at Kennedy Catholic High School in Seattle today arose from the abrupt departure of two popular teachers. The school claims the ‘highly capable’ teachers ‘voluntarily resigned’. However, the fiancé of one of the teachers said the school ‘specifically’ no longer employed Paul Danforth because of their engagement. However, both Sean Nyberg and …
Research: 80% of LGBTIQ people experience online bullying
Research by GALOP finds 80% of LGBTIQ people experience online bullying. The bullying includes threats of violence and threats to out people. The 700 respondents to the survey came from across the United Kingdom. 58% of the reported incidents occurred on Facebook and 34% on Twitter. Of the remainder, 19% occurred in the comments sections …
Brian Greig on Margaret Court: a champion of homophobia
Margaret Court is not the flag bearer of religious freedom that the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) and her supporters would have you believe. She is in fact, a champion of homophobia. Elected to federal parliament in 1998, Brian Greig declared he was gay in his maiden speech. As an LGBTI rights activist in Western Australia …