Tasmania says 'yes' to marriage equality / Poll shows island state leading the nation
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 1.12.10
Support in Tasmanian for allowing same-sex couples to marry is higher than the national average, with all regions supporting reform, according to a new national poll released today.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, welcomed the result saying it shows Tasmanians are generally more tolerant and inclusive than other Australians.
"Tasmanians can take pride that we are leading the nation on one of the most important issues of legal equality and social inclusion facing Australia today", Mr Croome said.
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Burnie Advocate endorses marriage equality
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 19.11.10
The Burnie Advocate has become the second Tasmanian daily newspaper to endorse marriage equality.
Referring to Monday's Roy Morgan poll showing the North-West Coast of Tasmania is no longer one of the nation's most homophobic regions, today's Advocate editorial states,
"It is pleasing to see the North-West Coast is becoming less homophobic...However, more needs to be done. Out attitude towards homosexuals and their right to marry needs to change. There is no logical argument against gay marriage. There are many countries that have been progressive enough to allow it and funnily enough the sky hasn't fallen in. If you think about it, it's really simple. If two people love each other, why should they not be allowed to marry?"
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Tas no longer most homophobic state
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 16.11.10
Tasmania is no longer Australia's most homophobic state, but gay activists say the island still has a long way to go before discrimination is brought to an end.
According to a national Roy Morgan poll released yesterday, Queensland is now Australia's most homophobic state, replacing Tasmania which scored worst of all the states in a similar poll conducted five years ago. The poll found attitudes have generally improved across the nation.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said attitudes in Tasmania have improved faster than in the other states, but the figures camouflage continued discrimination and abuse against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people.
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Hobart Mercury endorses marriage equality
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 11.11.10
Tasmania's largest selling daily newspaper, the Hobart Mercury, has thrown its weight behind marriage equality.
In today's editorial the Mercury says,
"It is difficult for many people to accept and it may take time to adjust to the idea but, given that marriage is now simply a legal definition, it would be pure discrimination to say that same-sex couples are not allowed to be treated equally before the law. The law should be changed to remove that discrimination and same-sex marriage must be recognised."
The Mercury's support for marriage equality comes in the wake of the introduction of same-sex marriage bills into State Parliament by Greens' leader Nick McKim, endorsement of marriage equality by Tasmanian Premier, David Bartlett, and growing support for the issue across both major parties at a state and federal level.
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Advocates call for education to combat violence
This media release was issued by the TGLRG and Working It Out on 15.10.10
Representatives of Tasmania's gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) community have told a parliamentary inquiry that prejudice and violence against GLBTI Tasmanians is higher than in other states and have called for government to fund education campaigns to tackle the problem.
Appearing today before the Legislative Council Select Committee on Violence in the Community, Rodney Croome from the Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group and Susan Ditter from Working It Out said education is the key to reducing high levels of violence.
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Tasmania to recognise overseas same-sex marriages / civil partnerships
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 29.9.10
Tasmania has become the first Australian state to recognise overseas same-sex marriages as part of a broader move to give legal standing to personal unions from interstate and overseas.
The Tasmanian Upper House today passed a State Government amendment to the Relationships Act allowing couples from interstate and overseas to be automatically recognised as partners in a Tasmanian Deed of Relationship (i.e. state civil partnership), reciprocating the recognition offered to Tasmanian Deeds of Relationship by some other Australian states and some other countries.
The amendment, passed without opposition, is the first in Australia to allow recognition of overseas same-sex marriages as official partnerships under state law.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, welcomed the move saying it will provide greater legal security to couples moving to Tasmania.
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Akermanis condemned for renwed call on gay footballers to stay in the closet / Call on Tasmanian football clubs to tackle prejudice and homophobia
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 17.9.10
Tasmanian gay activists are angry that Jason Akermanis, newly recruited to play for the Tasmanian football club, Glenorchy, has repeated his advice to gay players to stay in the closet (The World Today, ABC Radio, 17.9.10).
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said Akermanis' comments promote a culture of secrecy and mistrust which is bad for players, teams and football generally.
"Jason Akermanis' belief that gay players should stay quiet about who they are is bad for those players because it means they are under extra pressure to hide an important part of their lives when they should be focussed on football", Mr Croome said.
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Gay blood donation campaigner welcomes independent review of donor guidelines
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 11.9.10
Gay blood donation campaign, Michael Cain, has welcomed an independent review, announced today, of the Australian Red Cross's blanket ban on all sexually-active gay and bisexual men giving blood.
Mr Cain, whose case against the gay blood ban before the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal in 2008 helped prompt the review, said the review will allow him and others to make the case that many gay men are at lower risk of HIV infection than many heterosexuals who are currently allowed to donate.
"I will be making the case to the review that being allowed to donate blood should depend on the safety of your sexual activity not the gender of your partner", Mr Cain said.
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Tas move to recognise interstate and overseas personal unions welcomed / Recognition of voerseas same-sex marriages as Tas civil partnerships 'sensible and respectful'
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 31.8.10
Tasmanian gay activists have welcomed the passage of legislation through the State Lower House which will allow couples in interstate or overseas unions to be automatically recognised under Tasmanian law without the need to re-register their relationship.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said couples in Tasmanian Deeds of Relationship (a form of civil partnership) are already recognised in other states and in some countries overseas, and reciprocal recognition of couples will bring important benefits to couples travelling in, or relocating to, Tasmania.
"Couples in Tasmanian Deeds of Relationship have benefitted in a range of areas from being recognised in places like the UK and New Zealand, and couples coming to Tasmania will benefit in similar ways when their unions are recognised here", Mr Croome said.
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Major parties disappoint on key GLBTI issues
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 18.8.10
Tasmanian gay activists say the major parties' responses on key issues facing GLBTI Tasmanians is disappointing
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said that in their written responses to the Group's election survey both Labor and the Liberals confirmed their opposition to marriage equality.
"The opposition of the major parties to allowing same-sex couples to marry is a scandal given that 60% of Australians support this reform", Mr Croome said.
Mr Croome said Labor has the edge on the Liberals by giving a stronger commitment to national laws preventing discrimination in the workplace and by promising to fund programs to reduce higher levels of discrimination against GLBTI people in aged care facilities and higher levels of suicide among young GLBTI people.
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