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Dementia is an umbrella term for several diseases that are mostly progressive, affecting memory, other cognitive abilities and behaviour and interfering significantly with a person's ability to maintain the activities of daily living.
As the global population ages, the number of people living with dementia is expected to triple from 50 million to 152 million by 2050, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed.
Women are more often affected than men. Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia and accounts for 60–70% of cases. The other common types are vascular dementia and mixed forms.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom said in a press release issued Thursday (Dec 7) that "Nearly 10 million people develop dementia each year, 6 million of them in low- and middle-income countries."
"The suffering that results is enormous. This is an alarm call: we must pay greater attention to this growing challenge and ensure that all people living with dementia, wherever they live, get the care that they need," he warned.
The estimated annual global cost of dementia, according to the press release is US$ 818 billion, equivalent to more than 1% of global gross domestic product. The total cost includes direct medical costs, social care and informal care (loss of income of carers).
By 2030, the cost is expected to have more than doubled to US$ 2 trillion, a cost that could undermine social and economic development and overwhelm health and social services, including long-term care systems, the organization warned.
The Global Dementia Observatory, a web-based platform launched by WHO Thursday will track progress on the provision of services for people with dementia and for those who care for them, both within countries and globally.
It will monitor the presence of national policy and plans, risk reduction measures and infrastructure for providing care and treatment. Information on surveillance systems and disease burden data is also included.
Dr Tarun Dua from WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse noted that "This is the first global monitoring system for dementia that includes such a comprehensive range of data." "The system will not only enable us to track progress, but just as importantly, to identify areas where future efforts are most needed."
WHO' s work on the Global Dementia Observatory is supported by the governments of Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Commission.


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Persecution in China » Family and Destitution
Husband of New York City Resident Sentenced to Ten Years in Chinese Prison for Authoring Pro-Falun Gong Articles
Writer suffering "long term" torture in Zhuhai City Detention Center
Yuhui Zhang together with his daughter and son in Macao in 1998. Mr. Zhang was sentenced to ten years in a Chinese prison for authoring pro-Falun Gong articles.
NEW YORK, November 4, 2002 (Falun Dafa Information Center) — New York City resident Celia Wang learned Friday that her husband, Yuhui Zhang, had been secretly sentenced to ten years in a Chinese prison in Zhuhai City, Guangzhou Province.
Mr. Zhang's sentence appears to be linked to a series of articles he authored in 1999, while living in Macao. Mr. Zhang's articles were carried by a number of websites and newspapers, including the World Daily, and were considered by many China-watchers to be effective in debunking Jiang Zemin's propaganda campaign — which sought to demonize Falun Gong — by discussing the nature of the practice, while also revealing many facts about how the persecution started and why.
Mr. Zhang's relatives say he had been illegally detained in Zhuhai City's Meixi No.2 Detention Center for nearly two years. Ms. Wang says that recent news from Mr. Zhang's lawyer, however, confirms that Mr. Zhang had actually been secretly sentenced to ten years in prison.
Along with reports of her husband's secret sentencing, Ms. Wang also learned on Friday that he has been suffering "long term torture" that she says their lawyer describes as "beyond imagination."
Speaking from her home in New York, Ms. Wang said, "This is a fanatical persecution." She also says she will launch an appeal immediately.
An International "Family Rescue" Case
Mr. Zhang's case (website) had been part of an international effort to rescue family members who had been detained or sentenced to forced labor camps in China merely for peacefully exercising their freedom of assembly, speech and belief, rights guaranteed in China's constitution. Since the international "Family Rescue" (news / website) effort was launched in July, four family members in China have been released from forced labor camps.
One of the organizers of the international "Family Rescue" effort, Mr. Haiying He, said yesterday from Chicago; "we will do everything in our power to call for help from U.S. government officials and human rights organizations to rescue Mr. Yuhui Zhang."
Imprisoned for Sharing Ideas, Insights on Falun Gong
The 37-year-old Mr. Zhang graduated from the Beijing Foreign Trade University. He immigrated to Macao in the early 1990s. After Jiang Zemin ordered the crackdown on Falun Gong in July 1999, Mr. Zhang authored and posted a series of articles on the Internet, discussing the nature of the Falun Gong practice, and exposing many facts behind the persecution campaign against the practice that called into question much of the propaganda the Chinese state-run media was producing. "Many websites and newspapers, including the World Daily, published Mr. Zhang's articles," notes Falun Dafa Information Center spokesperson Dr. Shiyu Zhou. "The articles were very insightful and made a significant impact on people…they really made people think about what was happening at that time."
According to AFP and the Central News Agency, Chinese police arrested Mr. Zhang in October 1999, while he was on a business trip to China reportedly due to concerns that Mr. Zhang would organize demonstrations during Macao's return to Chinese rule. Mr. Zhang was released in December 1999, but his passport was confiscated, effectively obstructing him from returning to Macao to rejoin his family.
Mr. Zhang remained in Zhuhai City, and was arrested again in December 2000.
"After Yuhui was arrested in December 2000, the police never once allowed us to visit him," remembers Ms. Wang. "Our lawyer was also prohibited from getting involved, and so Yuhui's ten-year sentence was never made known to us…until now."
According to a February 2002 report from the Hong Kong Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, Mr. Zhang was initially accused of "subversion" because he gathered information about Falun Gong practitioners being persecuted throughout China and posted this information on the Internet.
According to the Center's report, however, the evidence was not sufficient to secure a conviction, and in September 2001, the charges were changed to utilize laws targeting "heretical organizations" that were, according to a November 2, 1999, article from the Washington Post, rubber-stamped by the People's Congress for the purpose of legalizing the persecution of Falun Gong: "When [China's Communist leaders] found themselves without the laws they need to rigorously persecute a peaceful meditation society, the Party simply ordered up some new laws," the article reported.
Under these new charges, Mr. Zhang was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Nine other Falun Gong practitioners who had been arrested with Mr. Zhang were also sentenced. Six of the practitioners were students of China's prestigious Tsinghua University, commonly called China's "M.I.T." Due to the visit of U.S. President Bush the following February and his plans to speak at Tsinghua University (news), an official announcement of the sentences was not made.
A Family Torn Apart
Mr. Zhang has two children. His son is 7 years old, and living with his mother in New York City. His daughter is 4 years old and is being taken care of by family members in Mainland China.
Ms. Wang said, "Two children have not seen their father in two years. This persecution in China has torn our family apart."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Tag Archives: Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012
Submission on Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012
Posted on January 9, 2013 by Alastair Lawrie
I am very happy that my submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquiry into the exposure draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 was published this afternoon
(http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate_Committees?url=legcon_ctte/anti_discrimination_2012/submissions.htm).
The full text of my submission is reproduced below:
Exposure Draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012
Inquiry by the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
Submission by Alastair Lawrie
Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission on the exposure draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012. This submission reflects my personal views on the Bill, and makes a number of recommendations for improvements to the draft legislation to ensure that it provides adequate protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Australians from – what will hopefully be – unlawful discrimination. Nevertheless, these recommendations for improvements do not change my primary recommendation; namely, that the Parliament should pass this Bill as a matter of priority in 2013.
The Parliament should pass the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 as a matter of priority in 2013.
The Bill should retain the exposure draft definitions of 'sexual orientation' and 'relationship status' so that discrimination on these grounds is prohibited under Commonwealth law.
The Bill should amend the definition of 'gender identity' to reflect the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 definition, so that it removes the phrase 'genuine basis' and includes gender expression and presentation.
The Bill should include the definition of 'intersex' as used in the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, so that anti-discrimination protections adequately cover this protected attribute.
Exceptions from anti-discrimination requirements should only be provided to religious organisations where it relates to religious appointments or celebrations (for example, appointment of ministers of religion, admission to membership of the religion or celebrating sacraments within the religion).
Religious organisations should not be provided with exceptions in terms of service-delivery, including service delivery in schools and education, healthcare, aged care and other community services.
If Recommendation 6 is not agreed, the existing provisions of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 which preclude the application of exceptions with respect to aged care service delivery by religious organisations should be retained.
Religious organisations should not be provided with exceptions in terms of employment, in any area outside appointment of ministers of religion or other appointments which are essentially religious in nature.
If either or both recommendations 6 or 8 are not accepted, or if recommendation 7 is accepted, then wherever religious organisations are provided with exceptions with respect to either service delivery or employment, they must publish a statement outlining their intention to discriminate in position descriptions and job advertisements, on their website and in any brochures or advertisements of their service.
The Bill should expand anti-vilification protections to cover sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex.
The Bill should provide for the appointment of a dedicated Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Commissioner.
The draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 covers subject matter which is close to my heart, and which is also an important issue of public policy; namely, providing legal protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) Australians against unjust discrimination, harassment and abuse.
These legal protections are long overdue. By the time this legislation is (hopefully) passed in 2013, it will be 38 years since the passage of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, 29 years since the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, more than two decades since the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and almost a decade since the Age Discrimination Act 2004. These Acts were passed to address major problems of discrimination within society on each of these grounds.
Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex is no less offensive, and tackling this discrimination is no less urgent. It is a failing of successive Commonwealth Governments that they have not introduced anti-discrimination legislation covering these attributes before now, but happily this is something that the current Parliament can address in this term.
There is abundant evidence that discrimination against LGBTI Australians is both serious and widespread. The 2003 NSW Attorney-General's Department report You Shouldn't Have to Hide to be Safe, found that 56% of respondents had been the victims of homophobic abuse, violence or harassment in the previous 12 months. 85% of respondents had experienced abuse, violence or harassment at some point in their life. That fact alone is sickening: 5 out of every 6 LGBTI Australians have suffered some form of homophobic abuse, violence or harassment simply for being themselves.
This discrimination can particularly target, and have the most damaging effects on, young people. The Writing Themselves In 3 report found that 60% of young same-sex attracted and gender questioning young people had experienced some form of physical or verbal abuse. Homophobic, bi-phobic and trans-phobic discrimination, and discrimination against intersex people, can have a lasting, negative impact on their mental health, and limit their ability to fully participate in society. LGBTI youth should not have to suffer because of the prejudices of others.
But you do not need to consult these reports to understand that discrimination against LGBTI people is rife. Instinctively, we all know, simply as ordinary members of Australian society, that homophobia is an unacceptably widespread phenomenon, and that it has the potential to affect almost every facet of life. As individuals, we have likely seen it, heard about it, felt its impact on family members or friends.
For those of us who are LGBTI, we have been on the receiving end of this abuse, this violence, this harassment. As a gay man, I have been the victim of numerous counts of homophobic discrimination. I have been 'moved on' by police officers simply for kissing another man. I have been yelled at on the street for holding my boyfriend's hand, and called 'faggot' more times than I care to remember. I have been subjected to multiple instances of prejudice and exclusion by my school. And I have probably been discriminated against in other ways which I didn't even know at the time, because discrimination can be insidious.
My fiancé Steve has similar stories. His lesbian sister and her partner have been discriminated against too, both as individuals, and as mothers in a rainbow family. Steve's best friends, another lesbian couple, have their own stories of prejudice, as do many of our other gay and lesbian friends. Sadly, each and everyone one of us has our own story of how discrimination has affected our everyday lives, in so many different situations.
What we have not had, until now, is any protection under Commonwealth law against this discrimination. Federal anti-discrimination legislation, covering LGBTI Australians, is essential to complement existing protections under state and territory law, and ensure that there are no holes or gaps in this coverage.
Even more importantly, the passage of this bill would be a statement by our elected leaders that prejudice and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex will no longer be tolerated. I urge the Commonwealth parliament to pass this law, and do so as quickly as possible.
Recommendation 1: The Parliament should pass the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 as a matter of priority in 2013.
The exposure draft Bill already features a useful and inclusive definition for 'sexual orientation' which will ensure that lesbians, gay men and bisexuals are afforded anti-discrimination protection. The amendment of the previously protected ground of 'marital status' to 'relationship status' will also ensure that all relationships are covered, irrespective of the sex or gender of the participants. Both of these definitions should be retained in the final Bill.
Recommendation 2: The Bill should retain the exposure draft definitions of 'sexual orientation' and 'relationship status' so that discrimination on these grounds is prohibited under Commonwealth law.
I am also supportive of the inclusion of anti-discrimination protection for transgender people. However, I understand that the definition of 'gender identity' in the exposure draft Bill requires significant improvement. In particular, it is unclear why the definition includes the additional test of living on a "genuine basis" for transgender people. The definition also does not appear to adequately capture and protect gender expression, including mannerisms and appearance. A much better definition is contained in the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, which is currently before their state parliament. That definition should be used in the Commonwealth's Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012.
Recommendation 3: The Bill should amend the definition of 'gender identity' to reflect the 2012 Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Bill definition, so that it removes the test of 'genuine basis' and includes gender expression and presentation.
An even larger drafting problem concerns the definition of, and therefore protection for, intersex people. The exposure draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 appears to try to include intersex under part (b) of gender identity. This is incorrect, because intersex is not a matter of identity, instead it is a biological fact.
It should also be noted that similar definitions which have been included previously under state and territory laws have either operated to provide only limited protection from discrimination to intersex people, or provided no protection at all.
It would be tragic if, 38 years after the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, the Commonwealth parliament finally acted to extend anti-discrimination protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, but, at the same time, failed to cover intersex people and instead further entrenched rather than remedied discrimination on this ground.
Once again, the definition of intersex which has been used in the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 appears to offer a better and more inclusive basis for this protected attribute, and one that should be included in the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 as a stand-alone attribute, rather than inappropriately subsumed within gender identity.
Recommendation 4: The Bill should include the definition of 'intersex' as used in the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Bill, so that anti-discrimination protections adequately cover this protected attribute.
One of the most controversial elements of any anti-discrimination regime, and the one that regularly receives the most attention, is the topic of exceptions. In particular, there is usually significant focus on the question of whether religious organisations should be granted exceptions from the obligation not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex (and, it must also be noted, on the basis of sex and relationship status). As a result, I will devote the largest section of this submission to addressing these questions, firstly on a philosophical basis and, secondly, on a more personal level.
To begin with, I think it is important to remember the justification for implementing anti-discrimination protections in the first place. These laws are designed to publicly state that some forms of prejudice are not acceptable and to prohibit discrimination on illegitimate grounds (such as race, sex or religion), thereby protecting people from these groups against discrimination in a range of public areas, such as employment, education, healthcare and other forms of service delivery.
By introducing anti-discrimination protections covering sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex in this Bill, parliament would be effectively saying that discrimination on these grounds is no longer acceptable, and that all LGBTI people should be protected from discrimination in all areas of public life. Exceptions from this principle, if they are to be introduced, must therefore have a clear rationale and must be adopted only where it furthers the public interest.
The argument for providing exceptions to religious organisations from obligations under anti-discrimination law is based on the separation of church and state, and respect for religious freedoms for people of all faiths. That is, religious exceptions are intended to allow the free celebration of religious beliefs, even if these beliefs include discrimination against other groups that would not otherwise be acceptable.
This argument potentially has some merit in terms of public policy. Religion is an intensely personal matter, and something which individuals and groups should be allowed to pursue however they so choose. This would apply to all matters within that religion which have no impact on the rest of society – such as determining who may join that religion, who may be a minister within that religion, and how the religion is celebrated.
As a result, philosophically, this approach would allow anything which occurs entirely within that religion to be free from anti-discrimination obligations – so, for example, the religious exception would allow religions to discriminate when determining who to employ as ministers, who is admitted as a member of the religious community, who is provided with a funeral, even who is married within that religion (although obviously not who can marry through a civil ceremony).
As a consequence, if religions wanted to discriminate against any group in any of these areas (for example, by excluding LGBTI people) then that right would be allowed through a religious exception in these narrow or confined circumstances. [Of course, it should be noted at this point that state and territory parliaments have in fact legislated to restrict this right – so that, while religions can discriminate on sex, relationship status and LGBTI grounds, they are not allowed to discriminate on race. But that inconsistency is an argument for another day.]
The problem comes when religious organisations seek to broaden that exception to cover a wide range of scenarios which are not primarily based on the celebration of that religion. So, for example, some religions seek to use the religious exception to cover anything that is done in connection with a school where it is run by a religious organisation. They argue that they should be able to discriminate in terms of what may be taught within that school, who may be employed (including not employing LGBTI staff) and even being able to directly discriminate against LGBTI students.
This is an inappropriate extension of the principle of respecting religious freedom. The main function of a school is to provide education. This is a service or transaction which occurs primarily in the 'public sphere', which is why it is subject to many levels of government regulation, in terms of teacher qualifications, starting and finishing ages, and agreed state and territory (and soon to be federal) curricula. Even home-schooling by a parent is strictly regulated by the state because the provision of education services is in and of itself a 'public good'.
Just because a school is run by a religious organisation, does not automatically mean that school education suddenly becomes primarily concerned with 'celebrating religious freedom' and thereby removed from the public sphere. The day-to-day provision of classes, by teachers to students, is not in its very nature or essence a religious sacrament. Even where there is direct religious instruction offered by a religious-run school, it is usually only a very small component of their curriculum, the vast majority of which is the same no matter who is offering it, religious or non-religious.
As a result, I submit that providing education services is not at its core about 'celebrating religious freedom' but, rather mundanely, is actually mostly just about providing education services. The service provision within those schools, and the employment contracts which they enter into, are not fundamentally religious in nature, meaning that the state has a legitimate interest in regulating both areas. Consequently, it is not an inappropriate restriction of fundamental religious freedom to rule that a religious school cannot discriminate against LGBTI teachers, and cannot exclude LGBTI students.
In short, the rationale of respecting religious freedom is not sufficient to allow a religious-run school to be granted an exception from lawful obligations with which it would otherwise have to comply, including anti-discrimination obligations. The proposition put forward by religious organisations, to exclude religious-run schools from anti-discrimination law, does not have sufficient weight to pass the public interest test.
I am aware that I have chosen what is perhaps the most hotly-contested area of service-delivery to make my case. The basic argument is even clearer if we examine other services which may be provided by a religious-run organisation. Take, for example, the case of a 'for-profit' business, which is purchased by a religious organisation to make money to divert back into its religious activities. In this example, it doesn't actually matter what the business makes, sells or provides, just that the process involved is not religious, and that the product or service is not religious.
Philosophically, there is no justification to allow the for-profit business to discriminate against employees on the basis of their LGBTI status because the business at its core is not religious – and this applies irrespective of the fact it is owned by a religious organisation. Further, people would be outraged, quite legitimately, if the business was allowed to discriminate in its service-provision (for example, by not serving certain people because of sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex, or even sex or relationship status) simply because it was owned by the religion involved.
The same arguments can in fact be made with respect to all employment contracts and service-provision which is not inherently about religious celebration. This would include healthcare services, education services, other community services, and employment as anything other than religious ministers or religious office-holders. In each of these cases, the service provision or employment contract is part of the public sphere and the fact that it merely involves a religious organisation is not enough to justify the transaction being excluded from the operation of the law.
There is another popular argument why religious-run schools, and other religious-run services, should not be provided with exceptions from anti-discrimination obligations. This is the fact that nearly all of these services are in receipt of public funding, and often significant sums. As a matter of fairness, everyday taxpayers – including, it must be highlighted, LGBTI taxpayers – should not be subsidising the religious freedoms of others, especially the so-called religious 'freedom' to not hire a gay doctor in a religious hospital, to fire a lesbian teacher, or to expel a transgender student from a high school. If religious organisations want to exercise these 'rights', then they should not be using public funding to do so.
While this argument is morally attractive, I do not think it goes far enough in practice. That is, even if a religious-run high school received no public funding, the fact that it is a high school, which is primarily concerned with providing education services and is firmly in the 'public sphere', is sufficient to attract government intervention, including the requirement to comply with anti-discrimination legislation.
After all, an LGBTI student who might be discriminated against by the school should, philosophically, have the same right to be treated fairly irrespective of the funding breakdown for that particular school. The discrimination is no less egregious, and the homophobia no more acceptable, where no money comes from public funding, rather than if 10, 40 or even 70 % of the school's funding is provided by the government. It genuinely doesn't matter who funds the discrimination against that student, only that the student has a legitimate public interest in being protected from it.
Which brings me to the much more 'personal' argument for why exceptions for religious organisations should be narrow in scope. I mentioned earlier that, like most LGBTI Australians, I have been subjected to numerous instances of homophobic discrimination and harassment over the course of my life (I am now 34 years old). Well, I experienced the vast, vast majority of that prejudice during my time as a boarding student at a religious school in Queensland in the early to mid-1990s.
I have chosen not to include the name of the school here because I don't think it actually matters – only the instances of homophobic discrimination which I experienced matter for the purposes of this inquiry. And, sadly, I don't think what I experienced sets me apart from what many other students have experienced over the years, at many different schools.
During my time at his particular school, being gay was either not mentioned at all, or was mentioned in a negative context. This tyranny of silence extended to sex education, which, over the course of five years, made not one mention of same-sex attraction, or even of anal intercourse.
Imagine that, at the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, while it was still very much a matter of life and death (before protease inhibitors and combination therapies), actively ignoring a major risk factor of HIV transmission simply because it didn't fit within the religious philosophy of the school. That is not a celebration of religious freedom; that is criminal negligence.
Homophobic bullying was also common – including regular taunts of 'faggot', 'poofter', graffiti-ing of those words on books and bags, physical confrontations such as pushing and shoving – and was never actively discouraged by the school. In fact, at one end of year boarding house awards ceremony, I was given the 'big fat poof' award, which I was expected to get up and accept in front of everyone, including in the presence of school authorities, and to take in good humour (but, of course, which caused great personal anguish and distress).
An even worse example: in year 11, I was twice held down by a large group of students and had my chest hair shaved off. This was done because I was academic, non-sporting, basically an outsider who was not interested in girls – and, I suspect, because some of the students had correctly assumed I was gay (based on the award described above, some obviously had). The school was aware of both of these assaults and yet, within a few days of the second attack, appointed one the boys responsible school captain, and another as boarding house captain.
But the worst example of homophobic bullying at the school came during a speech by a pastor. He talked about a student at a former parish, who had struggled with his 'identity' for some time, and how it did not fit within god's plan. Ultimately, he said, the student had committed suicide. The pastor made it clear that this was not the worst thing which could have happened (the former student was now at 'peace' and no longer struggling).
This pastor was clever – he did not use the exact words, but through his intimations he made it clear that killing yourself could be a better option than growing up and adopting a 'homosexual lifestyle'. To be honest, I am not even sure that the heterosexual students who were present would have known the full import of what was being said – but the LGBTI students certainly would have, and they were the real 'target' of his hate speech.
And that is the fundamental nature of homophobic (and bi-phobic, trans-phobic and anti-intersex) discrimination. It can be insidious, and subtly but harmfully pervade everyday life. At a religious school like mine, these instances do not happen in isolation either – they are allowed to happen, cultivated and even nurtured, because the school adopts an active policy of not tolerating homosexuality or bisexuality (I am not sure they would have even understood transgender or intersex – if they did, I am sure they would have been actively against those too – but through their silence they would have seriously harmed any transgender or intersex student there as well).
Of course, I am not saying that my experience of discrimination at school is unique. There are thousands, probably tens or perhaps even hundreds of thousands, of other people with horror stories of their own from their school days, and their accounts relate to both government and religious schools. You just have to ask your LGBTI family members and friends about what their experiences were like to begin to understand.
But, in doing so, always remember that these stories are just from the adults who have survived their ordeals – sadly, some LGBTI students do not survive, and instead take their own lives along the way. Sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex-related youth suicide in Australia remains disproportionately high, and it is fair to point the finger at school-based silence, exclusion and prejudice as one of the key factors involved.
Unfortunately, the evidence is clear that discrimination against LGBTI students is still occurring in our schools today. As indicated earlier, the 2010 Writing Themselves In 3 report found that 60% of same-sex attracted and gender questioning young people had experienced some form of physical or verbal abuse. More pertinently here, the same report found that 80% of all harassment, discrimination and abuse actually happened in school settings.
This is a major national scandal. Anti-LGBTI prejudice in schools is something which all levels of government should address, in all states and territories, and in all types of school, government, non-government, religious and non-religious. There is indeed some work which is being done in different jurisdictions, such as the NSW Proud Schools initiative, and the efforts of Daniel Witthaus through his 'Beyond That's So Gay' projects (www.thatssogay.com.au). But this work, without the support of every government and every school system, will never reach each and every student who needs support and protection.
More importantly, any campaign to address prejudice based on sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex is fatally undermined if we provide religious schools with exceptions from anti-discrimination obligations. We cannot in good conscience say that we support the rights of LGBTI students if, at the same time, we allow schools which are run by religious organisations to continue to actively discriminate against or marginalise students because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex.
To apply this to my own experiences, providing that school with an exception under anti-discrimination legislation would mean that everything they did (with the exception of the chest shaving incidents, because, after all, assault is still assault) would have been legally protected. Not including homosexuality in sex education would be acceptable because they would claim they have a religious objection to teaching about 'sinful' activities.
Allowing students to denigrate other students because of their apparent homosexuality would be fine because the abusers would simply be following the teachings of their religion. And a pastor implying that killing yourself rather than lead a 'gay lifestyle' would be protected because they would argue that their religion included proclamations against the 'abomination' of homosexuality.
This situation – allowing religious schools to hide behind religious exceptions to commit acts which essentially amount to child abuse – is no longer acceptable in 2013 (if it ever was).
Thus, for both philosophical and intensely personal reasons, I submit that if the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 is to include exceptions for religious organisations, these exceptions should only apply to religious appointments or celebrations.
Recommendation 5: Exceptions from anti-discrimination requirements should only be provided to religious organisations where it relates to religious appointments or celebrations (for example, appointment of ministers of religion, admission to membership of the religion or celebrating sacraments within the religion).
This means that, in practice, these exceptions should not apply to any other area of service-delivery where it is provided by a religious organisation, including service delivery in schools and education, healthcare, aged care and other community services.
Of course, I am realistic enough to know that campaigning by religious organisations to maintain their 'religious freedom' (or, in other words, to retain their right to exercise prejudice on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex) will be successful, and that, shamefully, religious schools will continue to be able to discriminate against and marginalise LGBTI people for a long time to come.
In this case, I would submit that, at a minimum, the existing provisions of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 which remove the ability of religious organisations from discriminating in aged care service delivery should be retained.
This is a positive move by the federal government, and complements their work in releasing the National LGBTI Ageing and Aged Care Strategy on 20 December 2012. The removal of the exception from this area also recognises the very personal nature of aged care services, and the fact that LGBTI people, and their families and carers, should not be discriminated against in accessing these services.
Recommendation 6: Religious organisations should not be provided with exceptions in terms of service-delivery, including service delivery in schools and education, healthcare, aged care and other community services.
Recommendation 7: If Recommendation 6 is not agreed, the existing provisions of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 which preclude the application of exceptions with respect to aged care service delivery by religious organisations should be retained.
The same arguments which dictate that religious organisations should not be able to discriminate in terms of service delivery, also mean that the religious exception should not apply to employment. After all, employment as anything other than a minister of religion (or other internal religious appointments), is a contract or transaction undertaken in the 'public sphere', and is not something which is so fundamental to the 'celebration of religious freedom' that it should be excluded from lawful obligations not to discriminate.
In practical terms, there is nothing fundamentally religious about the role of a doctor in a public hospital, meaning a religious hospital should not be able to sack someone from this role simply for being gay. Nor is there anything inherently religious about teaching maths in a secondary school, hence a lesbian teacher should not be able to be dismissed on that basis. And an employee in an aged care facility is there to provide services to the elderly – provided they do their job well, it is irrelevant that the employee may be transgender or intersex.
Recommendation 8: Religious organisations should not be provided with exceptions in terms of employment, in any area outside appointment of ministers of religion or other appointments which are essentially religious in nature.
Once again, I am realistic enough to know that it is highly likely at least some of the exceptions which are currently provided to religious organisations – in either or both service delivery and employment – will be retained when the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 is eventually passed.
In this case, I submit that religious organisations should be required to actively disclose any and all situations where they intend to use their 'religious freedoms' in ways which discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex. This disclosure should be included in positions descriptions and part of job advertisements, should be included in the organisation's websites (including at individual school or healthcare service level), and in brochures advertising the services which they provide.
This is a minimum level of public accountability and transparency, and is not a significant regulatory burden if we are allowing an organisation to evade what are otherwise lawful obligations. It will also mean that everyone is clear on the situations in which a religious organisation intends to exercise its prejudice against LGBTI people.
For example, a gay teacher would be able to take into consideration the fact that the school could reject him for no other reason than his sexuality. Parents of a lesbian daughter would be able to choose an alternative and more inclusive environment for their child. And citizens who do not support homophobia, bi-phobia, trans-phobia and anti-intersex discrimination will be able to boycott discriminatory services if they so desire.
Obviously, this is not an ideal situation – and clearly it is far removed from my preferred model. But if we are to allow religious organisations the 'right' to be excepted from their obligations under anti-discrimination legislation, at the very least the potential victims of this discrimination equally have the right to know and be forewarned.
Recommendation 9: If either or both recommendations 6 or 8 are not accepted, or if recommendation 7 is accepted, then wherever religious organisations are provided with exceptions with respect to either service delivery or employment, they must publish a statement outlining their intention to discriminate in position descriptions and job advertisements, on their website and in any brochures or advertisements of their service.
There is one area which the Bill has essentially ignored – despite reproducing the existing ban on racial vilification, the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 does not extend these protections to the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex.
This is a significant shortcoming in the exposure draft legislation. As outlined earlier, the majority of LGBTI Australians have experienced homophobic, bi-phobic, trans-phobic and anti-intersex abuse, violence or harassment.
The level of this abuse – and its corollary, the legitimate fear of it – means that I am not at all surprised by the findings of the Private Lives survey, which showed that 67% of participants' fear of prejudice or discrimination caused them, at least sometimes, to modify their daily activities in particular environments. This same survey revealed that 90% of participants had at some time avoided expressions of public affections and disclosure of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
My fiancé Steve and I have made the conscious decision to ignore the abuse which we might receive and behave in exactly the way we choose – including kissing, holding hands and expressing our affection in public. This is a right which every couple should have. As a result of merely exercising our 'rights', we have been yelled at, with 'faggot' an all-too-common word in the bigot's vocabulary. We are also aware that in a couple of situations things have had the potential to turn violent, with an unspoken level of threat present. And we have had nails put through all four tyres on our car, we suspect simply because we were the neighbours of someone who disagreed with our sexual orientation, and our relationship.
Of course, others do not have the ability to make a conscious decision – they may be more easily identifiable as LGBTI simply because of how they appear, or certain sex or gender characteristics which they may have. This means they are exposed to the risk of violence, abuse or harassment irrespective of how they behave, solely for having the temerity of being in a public space.
It shouldn't be this way. LGBTI people should not be forced to accept a threat of verbal and sometimes physical violence simply for being themselves in a public space. Commonwealth law should embrace the approach already adopted by some states and territories and prohibit vilification on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex.
This could be based on anti-vilification measures contained in the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act 1977, which outlaws public acts which "[i]ncite hatred towards, serious contempt for, or ridicule of, a person or group of persons on the ground of the homosexuality of the person or members of the group."
Such anti-vilification measures should also be adopted because there is no intellectual distinction between vilification on the basis of race, and vilification on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex. Both are abhorrent, and both should be banned – as such both should be included in the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012.
Recommendation 10: The Bill should expand anti-vilification protections to cover sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex.
The final recommendation of this submission relates back to the justification for the Commonwealth legislating to protect LGBTI Australians in the first place: and that is, to address the significant problems of homophobia, bi-phobia, trans-phobia and anti-intersex discrimination which exist across our society.
If that is our goal, then simply providing a legal remedy for some individuals to take action against the individual or organisation that has directly discriminated against them will not be sufficient to achieve it. That is why the existing Commonwealth Acts which have prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability and age, have also created specific commissioners within the Australian Human Rights Commission to take primary responsibility for these issues (namely the Race, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Sex, Disability and Age Commissioners).
These Commissioners, in addition to overseeing the disputes which arise under their respective portfolio, can take on a wider role to redress discrimination more broadly across society. The appointment of a specific commissioner, together with proper resourcing, is also a powerful statement of the significance which the Government places on combating discrimination in a particular area. Conversely, not appointing a commissioner, and instead subsuming it within an existing, completely unrelated portfolio, would demonstrate that the Government does not believe these issues warrant any particular attention.
For all of these reasons, I believe that the Bill should provide for a dedicated or stand-alone Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Commissioner. This Commissioner would not only assist with implementation of the range of new attributes under Commonwealth legislation, but would also be able to take an active role in fighting the homophobia which I, my fiancé, and all of our LGBTI family members and friends know all-too-well.
Recommendation 11: The Bill should provide for the appointment of a dedicated Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Commissioner.
Posted in LGBTI anti-discrimination, Religious Exceptions	/ Tagged bisexual, gay, gender identity, homophobia, Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, intersex, lesbian, LGBTI, LGBTI equality, religious discrimination, religious exemptions, sexual orientation, transgender	/ 1 Comment
My Top 12 of 2012
On the last day of 2012, I thought it might be an opportune time to reflect on the major achievements, and disappointments, for the LGBTI community over the past 12 months. The following list of 12 highlights (or indeed 'lowlights' for a few) include a mix of domestic, and international, developments, as well as a couple which are not directly LGBTI-related, but which indirectly could have a major impact on LGBTI people. Of course, any 'list-making exercise' involves inherently subjective judgments about what is important, and I would be interested to hear your views about what should have made the list but is not included (and vice versa).
And so, in no particular order, here are my 12 highs and lows of 2012.
1. Boys to get free Gardasil vaccine
On 12 July, Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek announced that, from next year, boys aged 12 and 13 would be provided with three free doses of the Gardasil vaccine, which protects against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). This is a massive long-term win for the LGBTI community – and in particular gay and bisexual men – and finally overturns the homophobic decision of the previous Government to exclude teenage boys from the National Immunisation Program.
The then Health Minister, Tony Abbott, who initially resisted listing Gardasil for anyone, eventually chose to restrict free access to Gardasil to school-age girls on the basis that this would protect these girls from HPV, and the boys who would in future sleep with them, thereby reducing the prevalence of HPV across the 'broader community'. Except that, obviously, it would do little to reduce HPV prevalence amongst men who have sex with men, who would not be immunised.
This is significant because, while most people understand that HPV causes cervical cancer, it also causes penile, anal, and mouth and throat cancers. So, as a result of Tony Abbott excluding boys from accessing this vaccine from its commencement in 2007, there will be a six year cohort of gay and bisexual men who could have been protected against the cause of many types of cancer, but will instead potentially suffer long-term serious health consequences. To me, that is the epitome of the phrase blood on his hands.
Still, this is not to detract from the announcement by Minister Plibersek, and the amazing achievement that all gay and bisexual men born in Australia from the year 2000 onwards will have a dramatically reduced risk of developing cancer. Well done, Tanya.
2. National LGBTI Aged Care and Ageing Strategy
Another major achievement by the Federal Government this year was the release of the National LGBTI Aged Care and Ageing Strategy by the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, Mark Butler. This strategy, released on 20 December, is absolutely essential to help end the stigma of silence surrounding, and the direct and indirect discrimination confronted by, older LGBTI people as they engage with aged care services and enter aged care facilities.
The fact that it was released at all is a testament to the hard work, over many years, by people such as academic Jo Harrison, and the National LGBTI Health Alliance, and of course to a Minister and Government that was willing to both listen to, and work with, the community on this issue. The strategy is also backed up with a commitment of funding (at least $2.5 million), which will help aged care service providers to learn how to be inclusive of LGBTI individuals, couples, carers and their families.
However, this is funding that must also be protected from a Shadow Treasurer, Joe Hockey, who has already identified this bucket of money as a potential saving should the Coalition win Government next year. So, well done Mark, and hands off, Joe.
3. Government MPs, including PM Gillard, join with Coalition to vote down marriage equality
Of course, when it comes to assessing the record of the Federal Government on LGBTI rights in 2012, most people will (quite understandably) not be able to look past the failure of the parliament to pass marriage equality. Dozens of ALP MPs, including Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Treasurer and Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan, and former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, joined with all but one member of the Coalition (Liberal Senator Sue Boyce, who notably abstained), to vote against legislation which would have finally granted genuine equality to same-sex relationships.
This defeat was inevitable because of the decision by the ALP national conference in December 2011 to grant a conscience vote to its parliamentarians, rather than enforce a binding vote in favour of marriage equality. But just because defeat was inevitable, and expected, does not mean it was any less devastating for those of us longing to be acknowledged as first-class citizens.
Indeed, the scale of the defeat – 98 votes against and 42 in favour in the House of Representatives, and a somewhat closer 41 votes against and 26 in favour in the Senate – was particularly disheartening, especially as it shows the fight for equal marriage is likely ten or more years away from success.
The fact that the Prime Minister was one of those who stood intransigently against LGBTI Australians is something that will never be forgotten. This is someone who is able to identify and eloquently denounce sexism and misogyny 'wherever she sees it', but who either has a blind spot when it comes to homophobia, or who warmly embraces it. Shame, Julia, shame.
*The one positive development when it comes to marriage equality under federal law came in January when the Attorney-General Nicola Roxon implemented another ALP national conference decision, which was to allow same-sex couples marrying overseas to be issued with Certificates of No Impediment (CNI). As well as overturning the homophobic policy of previous Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock, this decision means that many more Australian couples – like Steve and I – will at least be able to marry elsewhere, even if our own country doesn't recognise it.
4. Campbell Newman rolls back the clock
One of the most disappointing developments of 2012, especially for someone who grew up in Queensland during the 1980s and early 1990s, was the speed and scale of the newly-elected Liberal-National Party Government's 'crusade' against LGBTI rights. Elected with a huge majority (78 seats out of a parliament of 89), Campbell Newman and his colleagues wasted no time in identifying the number one issue which they needed to address – the fact that LGBTI Queenslanders had come dangerously close to being accepted as equal.
In their first 9 months in office, the Newman LNP Government has:
Removed funding for the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC), the only HIV/AIDS peak body in the state which services the men who have sex with men (MSM) community. The Health Minister Lawrence Springborg attempted to justify this decision on the basis that HIV rates were rising faster in Queensland than in the rest of the country – but the figures released later in 2012 showed that HIV rates have actually declined in Queensland, counter to a national rise. Which leaves just one possible explanation for why QAHC was defunded – the homophobia of the LNP and Minister Springborg.
Amended the civil union laws, which had been introduced by the Bligh Government at the end of its term, to remove the ability of same-sex couples to have a legally-binding ceremony. Apparently having any ceremony at all was 'mimicking' marriage and needed to be outlawed as a matter of priority.
Announced that it will remove the ability of same-sex couples (as well as single people) to access surrogacy. It is still unclear what the penalty will be for couples who break this proposed law, although at various times during the year it appeared the Newman Government would introduce gaol terms for people whose only crime was attempting to found a family.
Introduced a new 'student protection' policy which will require school staff, including counsellors, to report to the principal any sexual activity between a student under 16 with someone over 16 (irrespective of their actual age difference), and of any student between the ages of 16 and 18 who has engaged in 'sodomy'. This policy further entrenches the discriminatory age of consent provisions in Queensland (which has a higher age of consent for anal intercourse), and poses a danger to the health and safety of students who are simply seeking counselling and advice. At this stage it appears that school nurses – who are employed by Queensland Health rather than the Education Department – are exempt from this policy, although how long that exemption lasts remains to be seen.
The christian fundamentalist war against LGBTI people being waged north of the Tweed is a possible blueprint for a newly-elected Abbott Liberal-National Government to implement federally. Which makes the federal election to be held sometime during 2013 all the more important. In the meantime, the LGBTI people of Queensland are watching their rights being dismantled, one at a time. Shame, Campbell, shame.
5. Uganda debates 'kill the gays' bill
There have been several distressing stories internationally during the year. The appeals court in Cameroon upholding a three-year gaol term for Jean-Claude Roger Mbede simply for sending a text message to another man saying "I'm very much in love with you" was heart-breaking. The backwards steps being taken in Russia are also an obvious concern (not only do gay pride parades remain banned, but attacks against LGBTI Russians are rising at the same time the Russian parliament is considering legislation to outlaw 'propaganda of homosexuality among minors').
But without doubt the number one 'lowlight' internationally this year was the move by parliamentarians in Uganda to introduce capital punishment for homosexuality. The Anti-Homosexuality Bill (or Kill the Gays Bill as it is commonly referred), if passed, would mean Uganda would join 7 other countries where homosexuality is subject to the death penalty, out of 76 countries where being LGBTI is still a crime.
As the year ends there has been a short reprieve, with the Bill not coming on for a vote until at least February 2013, and some reports that the death penalty may ultimately be dropped from the Bill – although sadly not imprisonment. Still, the prospect of a country potentially introducing capital punishment for homosexuality this decade is almost too depressing for words.
6. The emergence of AllOut (@allout)
One of the key groups which emerged to draw attention to, and fight against, the Kill the Gays Bill, was AllOut (a New York-based organisation which uses online and real-world tools to help the global LGBT movement for equality). In fact, I would argue that the emergence of AllOut is itself a major highlight of 2012.
AllOut is taking the best and most up to date models of activism and applying them to causes as diverse as LGBTI equality in Brazil, same-sex parenting in the EU, ending gay 'cures' in California, as well as trying to help stop the Ugandan Kill the Gays Bill. Here's hoping that AllOut has a long and proud future, as it complements the work of existing and established organisations like the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA).
7. International moves towards marriage equality
Another highlight of 2012 was the ongoing progress of the marriage equality movement. Leaving aside victories in the US (which I will discuss below), marriage rights were extended to LGBTI couples in Denmark in June. And the governments of Scotland, Luxemburg and France have all committed to marriage equality in the next few years. In England and Wales, and New Zealand, it appears likely that equal marriage will be passed next year by parliaments with conservative governments (Tory Prime Minister David Cameron is helping to drive legislation in Westminster, while National Party Prime Minister John Key has indicated he will support a private member's bill in the Beehive).
The fact that two conservative leaders have embraced marriage equality shows just how far this movement has come over the past few years, and the fact that further progress is inevitable. Of course, it also further underscores just how out of touch and embarrassing Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott are on this issue, but one day they too will be mere footnotes to our record of achievement.
8. The United States takes a giant leap for LGBTI 'humankind'
It seemed like 2012 was the year in which the United States of America, and its people, finally 'got it' when it comes to LGBTI equality. The President, Barack Obama, announced that he supported marriage equality back in May (in part because he could muster no arguments against it when discussing the topic with his daughters). He was subsequently re-elected to serve a second term, and it seems that his pro-equality stance was a help rather than a hindrance (something which Julia Gillard should – but probably won't – notice).
But Obama's re-election was just one of many victories on Tuesday November 6 – a date on which LGBTI rights in the US took a bigger step forward than any single day since the Stonewall Riots in 1969. After 32 consecutive losses in state-wide referenda on same-sex marriage, all four states which voted in November bucked the trend and supported equality. As a result, Maine, Maryland and Washington became the 7th, 8th and 9th US states to introduce marriage equality, while a referenda to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota was also defeated.
The significant of these victories should not be underestimated. For years, the radical right in the US has used these ballots to 'get out the christian vote' – indeed, Karl Rove employed this strategy to help George W Bush secure re-election as recently as 2004. Instead, in 2012, the American people decided to vote for acceptance and inclusion rather than intolerance and hate. What. A. Change.
To top things off, in Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin was elected as the first openly gay person ever to serve in the US Senate. And that's not even counting the fact the most influential political analyst of the US election was a gay man, Nate Silver.
This truly was a watershed election, and paves the way for bigger changes in the future. Which might be upon us sooner than we thought, with the US Supreme Court to hear cases considering both Proposition 8 (the Californian ban on same-sex marriage), and the constitutional validity of the Defense of Marriage Act, in 2013. Let's hope that the Court's decisions are amongst the highlights (and not lowlights) of next year.
9. Hip-hop comes of age
There was a similar sea-change when it came to US popular culture this year. After many, many, many years of waiting, it seems like hip-hop finally started to change its homophobic ways, and to deal with the subject of homosexuality with a little bit of respect rather than just a whole lot of 'faggots' and 'fucking homos'.
Leading the charge was Jay-Z, who followed Obama's announcement by declaring that he too backed equal marriage rights. Other hip-hop stars also expressed their support. Rappers Macklemore and Ryan Lewis then released one of the best bits of pro-LGBTI propaganda of the past few years (well, outside of the 2011 GetUp! video anyway) in the form of single Same Love, which was also used in the successful marriage equality referendum campaign in Washington State. And Azealia Banks (of 212 fame) came out at as bisexual in February, a statement which may take on even more significance in February 2013 when she releases her debut album.
But for mine the most important development in hip-hop in 2012 was the beautiful and tender letter written by rapper Frank Ocean, talking about his first love – a man – and published the week before his full-length debut Channel Orange was released. This was a hip-hop star not just coming out, but coming out at the start of his career, and making no apologies for who he was and who he loved.
Of course, there have been other music stars who have come out (Elton John, George Michael, KD Lang, Melissa Etheridge, and countless others), but usually this has been at the end of their careers – or at least long after they were well established. Even 'out and proud from the beginning' groups like the Scissor Sisters (personal favourites of mine) have played in the more traditionally gay-friendly genres of pop and dance, rather than the decidedly less accommodating field of rap/hip-hop.
What made Frank Ocean's declaration even more significant was that he backed it up with what has been widely recognised as the best album of the year – which is just one of six categories in which he is nominated for a Grammy. Channel Orange is a brilliant collection of highly personal songs, including several which are sung to or about a male love interest. Bad Religion is just about the best piece of art on the subject of unrequited (same-sex) love ever. Frank Ocean didn't just make gay hip-hop for a gay audience, he made great hip-hop that covered many topics, including same-sex love, and looks to have found a large audience around the world. Even if you don't like his music, you cannot help but admire his accomplishments.
10. Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse
This is the first of two developments which are not explicitly LGBTI-related but which are fundamentally important to all Australians, including the LGBTI community. The decision by the Federal Government to appoint a Royal Commission into child sex abuse is a necessary first step in dealing with this evil scourge, as well as recognition of the courage of people like Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox and numerous others in pushing for it, despite many setbacks along the way.
There are two potential long-term consequences for the LGBTI community as the Royal Commission runs its course. The first is that the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church, and other religious organisations, will become ever more apparent. Some of the same religious figures who have been arguing about the so-called 'perils' of recognising the love between two consenting adults, have also been involved in negligent inaction within their own churches about the very real problem of child sex abuse. Some may even ultimately be found to have engaged in the criminal cover-up of child sex abuse, instead preferring to pay hush money to the victims and simply moving the offenders around. The fact that the broader community will be able to see through the hypocrisy of these figures should make it much easier to push for LGBTI equality in the future.
The second consequence is much more ambiguous. One tactic which christian fundamentalists could resort to during the Royal Commission is to blame 'gay priests' for child sex abuse, and to try to link homosexuality and paedophilia in the public debate. This strategy, blaming 'the gays' for child sex abuse, was used by bigots like France Arena in NSW in the 1990s, and it is easy to see it being attempted again – with much unpleasantness all round.
But I think this ultimately could be a good thing. Public understanding of these issues has moved on since then. Provided the Royal Commission is handled sensitively and gay and lesbian lobby groups are ready for the debate, this could actually be an opportunity to forever break any connection between these two essentially unrelated ideas (homosexuality and paedophilia).
11. Asylum seekers are sent to Nauru and Manus Island
Again, this 'lowlight' is not directly LGBTI related. But I would include it here because any time a country turns its backs on asylum seekers – to the extent that it chooses to send them to detention centres in other countries for unspecified periods of time – is something so terrible that it cannot, and must not, be ignored. To put it bluntly, this is a national disgrace, and something which the Labor Government and Liberal-National Opposition should forever be ashamed about. Unfortunately, given the current state of political debate in our country, there does not seem to be much hope this situation will change any time soon.
Of course, as I have written previously, there are LGBTI dimensions to this issue as well. There will inevitably be some asylum seekers who are sent to Manus Island and Nauru who were seeking asylum in Australia because of LGBTI persecution in their home country. It should also be noted that, for gay and bisexual men who are detained in either of these centres, both Nauru and Papua New Guinea criminalise male homosexuality, and so they may be exposed to prosecution on that basis. Still, this is an issue which is larger than just these injustices to LGBTI asylum seekers – no asylum seeker should be imprisoned simply for seeking safety from persecution. Not now, not ever.
12. Exposure Draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012
I thought I might end on a positive note – and also something which represents unfinished business for 2013. In November, the Federal Government finally released the exposure draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012. As well as consolidating the existing protected attributes of race, sex, disability and age, this Bill would for the first time provide federal anti-discrimination protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Australians (*at this stage, intersex people are not properly protected, although hopefully that will be rectified during the committee stage).
If passed, this legislation would be another significant LGBTI-related achievement by the Labor Government. Building on relationship recognition and public sector superannuation reforms in 2008, passport changes for transgender people, Gardasil vaccinations for boys and the National LGBTI Aged Care and Ageing Strategy (both above), this would contribute to a fairly broad-based and substantial record of reform. To some extent, it is a shame that the failure to recognise marriage equality is so large a defeat that it overshadows much of this significant level of achievement. But then the Government has no-one to blame for that than itself.
Still, that is getting ahead of ourselves. Returning to the Bill, there are two major hurdles left to overcome. The first is in securing sufficient cross-bench support so that the Bill passes the House of Representatives, although the noises on this seem to be positive. The second, much more difficult, hurdle to overcome is ensuring that the legisation is passed before the federal election is called. With at most five months of sitting time left in this parliament, it is touch and go whether the Bill will be passed in time. Whether it does is the most important domestic LGBTI story of the first half of 2013. Fingers (and toes) crossed.
Posted in LGBTI general	/ Tagged @allout, Barack Obama, Campbell Newman, Frank Ocean, Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, Julia Gillard, LGBTI, LGBTI asylum seekers, LGBTI refugees, Macklemore, Marriage equality, Tammy Baldwin, Tony Abbott, Uganda kill the gays	/ Leave a comment


text:
C'était la fille d'un acrobate () est un dessin animé américain de la série Merrie Melodies, réalisé par Friz Freleng sur un scénario de Ben Harrison, et sorti en 1937.

Résumé
L'histoire se déroule dans un cinéma local et le court métrage s'ouvre sur une vue de l'extérieur du bâtiment. Un panneau annonce la double séance du jour et la caméra se déplace vers un autre panneau, annonçant le spectacle de minuit pour un total de 15 films pour le prix de 15 cents. La caméra se déplace ensuite à l'intérieur du bâtiment, où un public d'animaux de dessins animés a pris place. Tout d'abord, deux spectateurs se lèvent et changent de place, probablement à la recherche d'une meilleure position de visionnage. Cela introduit une scène où chaque autre membre du public décide de changer de siège, ce qui entraîne un repositionnement constant de la part du public.

Un film projete un journal télévisé intitulé "Goofy-Tone News", qui parodie le journal télévisé Movietone News. Le slogan de Movietone, Sees All, Hears All, Knows All est parodié en Sees All - Knows Nothing. La première nouvelle est que les États-Unis sont engagés dans une course à la construction navale et viennent de construire le plus long paquebot au monde. Le navire représenté est énorme et couvre en fait une partie de l'océan Atlantique et l'on précise que " ses voyages " entre Londres et New York ne nécessitent en fait que de très légers déplacements. La nouvelle suivante montre Heddie Camphor interviewant le petit Oscar, un insecte disparu depuis longtemps, qui fulmine d'une voix aiguë, qui est traduit pour le public qu'Oscar préférerait rester perdu.

Alors que le reportage se poursuit, l'attention de la caméra se porte sur le public. Un ouvreur indique un siège vide à un monsieur qui est arrivé en retard. Mais le nouveau spectateur découvre que son siège ne lui permet de voir l'écran que sous un angle étrange. Il s'installe dans un autre siège, sans plus de succès. N'ayant nulle part où aller, le spectateur garde son siège et boude sa frustration. Ailleurs, un hippopotame doit quitter son siège pour une raison quelconque et il traverse une rangée de sièges pour se rendre dans le couloir, tout en écrassant un grand nombre de spectateurs en leur demandant de lui pardonner. À l'écran, une autre bande d'actualités commence et mettant en scène Who Dehr. Son reportage se déroule dans la ville de Boondoggle dans le Missouri, où la morsure d'un chien fou a eu des effets étranges sur la population. On voit ainsi les habitants se comporter comme des chiens, le maire se battre avec un vrai chien pour un os, et la mondaine Mme Ben Astorville se comporter comme un chien gâté, bien que toujours servi par un majordome. Alors que Dehr conclut son reportage, il est lui-même mordu par l'un des citadins infecé. De retour dans la salle, l'hippopotame retourne à son siège, écrassant à nouveau les spectateurs.

Après les actualités, la partie suivante du programme est un chant. Le maestro Stickoutski joue de son orgue à tuyaux Wurlitzer, tandis que les paroles apparaissent à l'écran pour que le public les suive en chantant. Les paroles sont accompagnées d'illustrations de leur contenu à l'écran. La chanson du jour est C'était la fille d'un acrobate. Ensuite, le film principal est présenté, avec une parodie du logo de Leo le lion, qui chante comme un coq au lieu de rugir. Une parodie de La Forêt pétrifiée est ensuite présentée avec Bette Savis et Lester Coward et dontl le générique est excessivement long. Le film s'ouvre finalement sur Coward qui tente de trouver un moyen de transport en faisant de l'auto-stop tout en lisant un livre. Pendant ce temps, dans le théâtre, un âne du public choisit ce moment pour commencer à agir comme un colporteur. Il commence à faire de la publicité pour les différents produits alimentaires qu'il vend d'une voix forte mais le public le chasse préstement du bâtiment à coups de pied.

À l'écran, Howard se rend dans une auberge du désert et se présente à la serveuse, Davis. Lorsqu'elle le prend pour un poète, Howard tente de réciter quelque chose. Dans la salle de cinéma, un bébé oie est assis à côté de son père et ne cesse d'agacer ce dernier en parlant constamment. Il pose des questions sur le film qu'il regarde, demande à boire de l'eau ou demande à voir un dessin animé. Le fait de parler constamment agace les autres membres du public, qui tentent de faire taire l'enfant par intimidation. Lorsque le père proteste, il reçoit un coup de poing au visage. Il tente à son tour de gifler son agaçant enfant, qui s'enfuit. L'enfant se rend de sorte dans la salle de projection et commence à jouer avec le projecteur de films. Il accélère accidentellement le film, puis le fait revenir en arrière. Réalisant les dégâts qu'il a causés, l'enfant tente de réparer le projecteur. Mais il est bientôt pris dans la machine.

Le film se termine avec l'enfant couvert de bobines de film et luttant pour se libérer.

Fiche technique
 Titre original :
 Réalisation : Friz Freleng
 Scénario : Ben Harrison
 Production : Leon Schlesinger Studios
 Musique originale : Carl W. Stalling
 Montage et technicien du son : Treg Brown (non crédité)
 Durée : 9 minutes
 Pays : États-Unis
 Langue : anglais
 Distribution : 1937 : Warner Bros. Pictures
 Format : 1,37 :1 Technicolor Mono
 Date de sortie :
 États-Unis :

Voix
 Mel Blanc :
 Sara Berner :
 Dave Barry :

Animateurs
 Robert Cannon
 Virgil Ross (non crédité)
 Charles McKimson (non crédité)
 John Didrik Johnsen (décors) (non crédité)

Musique
 Carl W. Stalling, directeur de la musique
 Milt Franklyn, orchestration (non crédité)

Références

Liens externes

Film américain sorti en 1937
Court métrage d'animation américain
Cartoon Merrie Melodies
Film de Leon Schlesinger Studios

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Which Weed Hurts You the Most?
Studies show how much certain weeds hurt soybeans.
Be careful how long you will let weeds grow with your soybeans, even if you put down a residual herbicide and they are weed escapes. There is accepted, quantified evidence which may surprise you that indicates how much soybean yield can be hurt in the early stages from competition from weeds.
Try out these scenarios. Which would be worse? Would you rather put up with one pigweed per 10 feet of row in soybeans, or five giant foxtail plants? If you said the foxtail, you're right, and it's not even close. Weed scientists estimate that five giant foxtail plants per 10 feet of row will cost about 3% in yield potential. However, one pigweed plant can cost up to 30% of yield potential.
If there's a catch, it's that you will seldom find just five foxtail plants per foot of row if weeds have escaped or not yet been sprayed. Often, they're almost too numerous to count. Likewise, you may have more than one pigweed plant per foot of row.
Try this one. Would you rather have 2 pigweeds or 3 velvetleaf plants per 10 feet of row? Pigweeds are a bushier broadleaf, while velvetleaf usually put a couple of large leaves on a tall stem. According to weed data, published in the Purdue University Corn & Soybean Field Guide, you're going to be better off with the 3 velvetleaf plants, although both scenarios could cause significant yield loss.
Two pigweeds per 10 feet of row can drop soybean yield potential by 50%. This assumes the pigweeds are there early from the start, and allowed to grow. Meanwhile, 3 velvetleaf plants could clip yield potential to about 60% of normal.
You would think jimsonweeds, with their big, bushy leaves, would be more competitive than pigweeds. But in studies, jimsonweeds were tolerated better than the other broadleaves in the study, primarily pigweed and velvetleaf. Two jimsonweed plants per 10 feet of row could knock off about one-fifth of the soybean yield potential.
The bottom line is that while you may still have soybeans to plant and maybe even corn to plant, or anhydrous ammonia to apply, be sure you scout early-planted soybean fields for weeds. Based on these numbers, time spent scouting and then treating the fields with herbicides if necessary can be profitable time.


Add one on to your upcoming banquet or charity event.
What is an Opportunity Dice Roll?
An Opportunity Dice Roll (ODR) is a fundraiser where you take donations online for a set price. Every donation buys an entry into the dice roll contest where the winner will receive a large cash prize.
Every ticket sold is sent a unique 4 digit dice code and on the day of the event you roll the die 4 times to choose the lucky winner. The winner does not need to be present, so friends and family near and far can participate and donate.
Want to create your free account now?
When a dice roll raffle is added on to an existing fundraising event, 71% of ticket purchases are made from supporters who DO NOT attend the live fundraiser.
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Introduce the contest to your team and supporters and launch ticket sales! The site is set up to track sales, so incentivize top sales leaders.
Share your page with the community and friends and family near and far. The winner does not need to be present to win, so this is the perfect way for supporters to participate and donate.
We make it easy for you to raise money and get paid quickly. With no upfront costs, no monthly fees and no credit card ever required, hosting a ball drop fundraiser is virtually risk-free. Charity Valet only charges a 10% fee, and we cover the 3-4% credit card fees.
So, you simply start selling tickets then, we write you a check for 90% of everything you have raised at any time that you request one.


text:
Das Campeonato Sudamericano 1959 war die 27. Auflage der südamerikanischen Kontinentalmeisterschaft im Fußball und fand vom 5. bis 25. Dezember zum zweiten Mal in Ecuador statt. Zum ersten und einzigen Mal in der Geschichte fand nach der im März des Jahres in Argentinien ausgetragenen Copa im gleichen Jahr ein zweiter Wettbewerb statt. Bolivien, Chile, Kolumbien, Peru und Venezuela nahmen nicht teil. Brasilien trat ohne seine 58er-Weltmeister mit einer Auswahl des Staates Pernambuco, ausschließlich aus Spielern von Sport, Santa Cruz und Náutico aus Recife bestehend, an.

Das Turnier wurde wie gehabt im Ligasystem (Jeder gegen Jeden) ausgetragen. Bei Punktgleichheit auf dem ersten Platz war ein Entscheidungsspiel vorgesehen. Alle Spiele wurden im Estadio Modelo in Guayaquil ausgetragen. Dabei wurden wie bereits bei früheren Turnieren einige Spiele nacheinander im Rahmen einer Doppelveranstaltung an einem Tag ausgetragen.

Zweiter Südamerikameister im Fußball 1959 wurde ungeschlagen zum zehnten Mal Uruguay.

Der siegreiche Kader Uruguays bestand aus den folgenden Akteuren:

Eladio Benítez (Racing Club), Mario Bergara (Racing Club), Carlos Chávez (Liverpool), Julio Dalmao (Cerro), Walter Davoine (Rampla Juniors), Luis Dogliotti (Liverpool), Vladas Douksas (Rampla Juniors), Guillermo Escalada (Nacional), Javier Espalter (Sud América), Jorge Gómez (Liverpool), Rubén Adán González (Nacional), Víctor Guaglianone (Wanderers), Victoriano Manghini (Danubio), Mario Omar Méndez (Sud América), Juan Carlos Mesías (Nacional), Domingo Pérez (Rampla Juniors), William Píriz (Defensor), José Sasía (Defensor), Alcides Silveira (Sud América), Roberto Eduardo Sosa (Nacional), Horacio Troche (Nacional) -- Trainer: Juan Carlos Corazzo

Spielergebnisse

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Beste Torschützen

Weblinks
 Turnierseite 1959/Ecuador bei rsssf.com (englisch)

1959
Fußballveranstaltung 1959
Fußball (Ecuador)
Sportveranstaltung in Guayaquil


YouTube is a well-known and highly preferred platform which is used by millions of internet users. Many people do not have sufficient time to enjoy their favorite videos online. Due to this, they look for the best way to download YouTube playlist to watch offline. If you want to do the downloading task, you need a perfect YouTube download app. It is always beneficial to use the free app that let you download the YouTube playlists easily from different browsers including Safari, Chrome or Firefox. Few of the applications may also support the Windows, Ubuntu or Mac OS. In fact, the downloading process of YouTube playlist is long, so it is advised to know about various kinds of download apps available online. After that, you can choose and use the right one that suits your playlist downloading needs and requirements. Once you select the free app, you can learn about the procedure to download all videos or songs from the YouTube playlists on Mac and Windows. The YouTube playlist includes lots of videos.
These are the simple and time-saving steps to download the complete YouTube playlist. If you are following the guidelines properly, you can complete the downloading task very soon.
This guide is to download the YouTube playlist to mp4 and mp3 with a free YouTube download application.
It has some paste option for pasting URL and chooses a format and quality options as well as download button for starting the downloading process.
If you want to save a playlist in its original format, you can click on the download option and wait for few minutes.
It is essential to know that some of the playlists contain an array files. The best free YouTube download app lets you download lots of videos.


text:
Q: user_photos facebook permission doesn't work I am working on a web project and integrating Facebook login for users.
And I am going to add some permissions, which allow my web to get access to user information when login by Facebook.
I added
$permissions = array(
    'scope' => 'user_friends, user_photos, email, user_status, user_website, user_videos'
);
$loginUrl    = $helper->getLoginUrl(new_fb_login_url(), $permissions);

Then I try to login by a facebook account and it works with user_friends, email and it asks user to allow access to. But didn't with user_photos as well as some other, it didn't ask for photos access. Been trying searching for hours on this.
Can anybody help me on this problem? Thanks.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home » Prevalence, predictors, and successful treatment outcomes of Xpert MTB/RIF-identified rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in post-conflict Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2012-2017: A retrospective province-wide cohort study
Prevalence, predictors, and successful treatment outcomes of Xpert MTB/RIF-identified rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in post-conflict Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2012-2017: A retrospective province-wide cohort study
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) jeopardizes global TB control. The prevalence and predictors of Rifampicin-resistant (RR) TB, a proxy for MDR-TB, and the treatment outcomes with standard and shortened regimens have not been assessed in post-conflict regions, such as the South Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We aimed to fill this knowledge gap and to inform the DRC National TB Program.
of adults and children evaluated for pulmonary TB by sputum smear microscopy and Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) from February 2012 to June 2017. Multivariable logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier estimates, and multivariable Cox regression were used to assess independent predictors of RR-TB and treatment failure/death.
Of 1535 patients Xpert-positive for TB, 11% had RR-TB. Independent predictors of RR-TB were a positive sputum smear (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.63-3.59), retreatment of TB (aOR 4.92, 95% CI 2.31-10.45), and one or more prior TB episodes (aOR 1.77 per episode, 95% CI 1.01-3.10). Over 45% of RR-TB patients had no prior TB history or treatment. The median time from Xpert diagnosis to RR-TB treatment initiation was 12 days (interquartile range 3-60.2). Cures were achieved in 30/36 (83%) and 84/114 (74%) of patients on 9- vs 20/24-month MDR-TB regimens, respectively (P = .06). Predictors of treatment failure/death were the absence of directly observed therapy (DOT; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.77, 95% CI 1.2-6.66) and any serious adverse drug event (aHR 4.28, 95% CI 1.88-9.71).
Favorable RR-TB cure rates are achievable in this post-conflict setting with a high RR-TB prevalence. An expanded Xpert scale-up; the prompt initiation of shorter, safer, highly effective MDR-TB regimens; and treatment adherence support are critically needed to optimize outcomes.
Bulabula ANH, Nelson JA, Musafiri EM, Machekano R, Sam-Agudu NA, Diacon AH, Shah M, Creswell J, Theron G, Warren RM, Jacobson KR, Chirambiza JP, Kalumuna D, Bisimwa BC, Katoto PDMC, Kaswa MK, Birembano FM, Kitete L, Grobusch MP, Kashongwe ZM, Nachega JB. Prevalence, predictors, and successful treatment outcomes of Xpert MTB/RIF-identified rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in post-conflict Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2012-2017: A retrospective province-wide cohort study. Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Feb 13. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy1105. [Epub ahead of print]
Maunank Shah, MD, PhD
Department of Global Health, Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Unit for Infection Prevention and Control, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University
Infection Control Africa Network, Cape Town, South Africa
Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, PA
National Tuberculosis Program, Provincial Leprosy and Tuberculosis Coordination, South Kivu Branch, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Department of Global Health, Center for Evidence-Based Health Care, Biostatistics Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
International Research Center of Excellence and Pediatric and Adolescent Human Immunodeficiency Virus Unit, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Abuja
Division of Epidemiology and Prevention, Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore
Division of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
Stop TB Partnership, TB REACH Initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
South African Department of Science and Technology and the National Research Foundation, Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research and South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts
Biomedical Laboratory Professor A. Z. Lurhuma, Mycobacterium Unit, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Laboratory of Pulmonology, The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Bukavu
The Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Challenge Tuberculosis Initiative, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Center of Tropical Medicine and Travel Medicine, Department of Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, The Academic Medical Center, The Netherlands
Department of Medicine, University Hospital of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Department of Medicine and Center for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
Departments of Epidemiology and International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
International Centre for Advanced Research and Training, Panzi, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo