 |
|
|
Hit with Hate Mail Australian State Moves to Protect Transgendered People Police Target Lebanese Gay Web Site |
|
By Rex Wockner International News Report Openly Gay Australian Judge Hit with Hate Mail
In a university lecture in Melbourne, Kirby said: "You would be surprised if I were to read to you the messages of hate that I have received in the last two years concerning my sexuality. Strange, disturbed letters contorted by rage and spitting contempt. Sadly, most of them are written by people who conceive of themselves as religious. Many of them invoke Scripture. Many hurl at me the opinions of the leaders of their religions. These, and not homosexual Australians and New Zealanders, are the people who need the help of psychology and psychiatry today. These are the people who are mentally disturbed, beset by their mental devils." Kirby also noted: "Sexuality is no 'lifestyle.' Its sources lie deep in human nature. It is not chosen; it is a given. In all but the rarest case (and that dubious) it cannot be changed, only suppressed. It is the source of the deep motivation shared by all humans to seek out love and companionship and wholeness of being with another. It is an indelible feature of human existence. It cannot be expunged." The entire speech is online at www.afr.com.au/content/000428/verbatim/verbatim1.html Australian State Moves to Protect Transgendered People
The legislation would protect pre- and post-surgery transsexuals as well as transvestites, Hulls said. He expects the bill to pass in the current session of the state parliament. Another proposed amendment to the Equal Opportunity Act (EOA) would expand protections for gays and lesbians, who are presently protected from discrimination based only on "lawful sexual activity." The new law would prohibit discrimination based on "sexual orientation." "The gay and lesbian community have said they suffer substantial discrimination as a result of their gayness," Hulls said. "'Lawful sexual activity' doesn't go anywhere near far enough to prohibit discrimination." Religious groups are exempt from the anti-discrimination provisions of the EOA. Police Target Lebanese Gay Web Site Destination, an internet service provider in Beruit, Lebanon, has been visited by police officers demanding to know who operates a gay Web site that lives on its servers. Members of the police vice squad claimed the gaylebanon.com site -- which provides chat rooms and information on legal-reform issues -- is somehow illegal. At press time, the police had given Destination a few more days to respond to their demands. The International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission urges activists to protest the crackdown with e-mails and faxes to Lebanese President Emile Lahoud (opendoor@presidency.gov.lb), Prime Minister Salim el Hoss (marasem@pcm.gov.lb), Minister of Justice Joseph Chaoul (minister@justice.gov.lb, justice2@justice.gov.lb), Defense Minister Ghazi Zeaiter (cmdarm@lebarmy.gov.lb), Information Minister Anwar Khalil (fax 011-961-1-342-223), U.N. Ambassador Riad Tabbarah (fax 202-939- 6324), and to your local Lebanese embassy or consulate. |
Justice Michael Kirby, the openly gay member of Australia's High
Court, revealed April 27 that he has been targeted with anti-gay
hate mail.
© 1997-2000 BEI