Beyond the Binary: legal recognition of sex and gender diversity in the ACT

Many thanks to Bruce Arnold for making me aware of this Australian development. The Law Reform Advisory Council of the Australian Capital Territory was asked in January 2011 to examine the legal recognition of transgender and intersex people in the Territory. It's now published a report which you can read in full here.  Thirty-five recommendations are contained in the report, and are as follows:

In ACT legislation generally:

1. reference should consistently be made to ‘sex and gender diversity’, ‘sex and gender diverse people’, and ‘people in sex and gender diverse communities’. [p32]

2. when necessary, specific reference should be made to ‘transgender’, a ‘transgender person’, and ‘transgender people’ to refer to people who, having been born as physiologically either male or female, have changed or are changing their identity from one sex and gender to another. [p32]

3. when necessary, specific reference should be made to ‘intersex’, an ‘intersex person’, and ‘intersex people’ to refer to people who, because of their physiological characteristics at birth, do not identify only as female or only as male. The term intersex should not be used to refer to or include people who have changed or are changing their identity from one sex and gender to another. [p32]

4. it is not necessary or appropriate to define ‘female’ or ‘male’. Those terms do have an ordinary binary meaning and legislation is not necessary to confirm that. It is, however, appropriate to define terms of sex and gender diversity that are outside these binary terms, so that diverse sex and gender identity is given recognition as a part of a process of its being normalised. [p32]

5. the 2003 ACT Report audit of ACT laws which require a person to identify their sex and gender should be updated and extended to laws and practices, and that the need for those requirements should be reviewed with the intention of removing whenever possible a requirement that a person identify their sex and gender. [p43] In the Legislation Act 2001:

6. the definition of ‘transgender’ is appropriate and sufficient. [p33]

7. in the definition of ‘intersex’, reference to a ‘a genetic condition’ as the reason for a person’s intersex status is inappropriate, and it is sufficient to refer to the fact that an intersex person’s reproductive organs or sex chromosomes that are not exclusively male or female. [p33] In the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1997 and Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Regulation 1998:

8. the sex of a child born in the ACT should continue to be recorded by the Registrar-General, subject to recommendations for changes to the timing for notification and registration, and to the available categories of sex. [p34]

9. to give legal recognition to sex and gender diverse people who are not defined by the female/male binary, wherever the BDMR Act and BDMR Regulation refer to two sexes, male and female, they should be amended to recognise three sex and gender identities: female, male and intersex. [p33]

10. having regard to 1-3 above, the BDMR Act should be amended to replace the term ‘transsexual’ with reference to sex and gender diverse people, and to sex and gender diversity, unless it is necessary to refer specifically to transgender people. [p33]

11. the sex of a child when it is notified (s5 BDMR Act; s4(1) BDMR Regulation) should be any of female, male, intersex, to be advised, or indeterminate. [p35]

12. the option ‘indeterminate’ should be used only in circumstances anticipated by s9(2)(b) BDMR Act when it is not possible to determine the sex of a premature still-born child; it should not be used to when a child is or could be intersex, in which case one of the other four categories should be used. [p36]

13. at the time that the sex of a child is notified as ‘intersex’ or ‘to be advised’, the parents and any health practitioners involved in caring for the child should be provided with printed information, advice and resources, developed in consultation with representatives of the intersex community and expert health practitioners, which explain intersex and set out considerations for decisions that can be made about the child’s sex and gender identity. [p36]

14. the current 60 days allowed for the registration of the sex of any child (ss9 and 11 BDMR Act; s5 BDMR Regulation) should be extended to 180 days. [p36]

15. to give legal recognition to intersex people, the available categories for the registration of a person’s sex should be any of female, male, intersex and indeterminate. [p36]

16. the Registrar-General should be empowered to issue a birth certificate which shows a person’s sex as ‘unspecified’, in circumstances where a person is in the process of changing their identity from one sex and gender to another (‘transitioning’), or does not identify as having a sex. [p38]

17. the requirement in the ACT for a person to undergo sexual reassignment surgery to change the record of their sex should be abolished. [p38]

18. the requirement for a person to register a change in their sex and gender identity should not be more onerous than it is in the policy of the Passport Office. [p40]

19. when an intersex person seeks a change to the record of the sex on register, whether to female, male or intersex, the person need only rely on medical confirmation of their intersex status. [p40]

20. the requirement for a person to register a change in their sex and gender identity is a matter of policy for the government to decide, from among suitable and available options which range from self-identification to self-identification accompanied by corroboration by various classes of people. [p33 and p43]

21. it is not appropriate at this stage to prohibit, more broadly than the Discrimination Act already does, requests for disclosure of gender identity without a demonstrated legitimate need. [p43]

22. in light of the practice of the Registrar-General to issue a change of name certificate which does not show the person’s sex or former name, no changes to current law and practice under the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act need to be made to ensure protection of the privacy of a person who has changed their sex and gender identity. [p46]

23. the current restrictions – in the BDMR Regulation and Office of Regulatory Services Policy – on access to a record of a person’s sex in the register are adequate, but information provided by the Territory from its register to another State or Territory, and access to the register provided by the Territory to another State or Territory, should be subject to the same restrictions on access as are set out in the BDMR Regulation and Office of Regulatory Services Policy. [p46]

24. s29 BDMR Act should accept an Australian passport or Document of Identity, in addition to an ‘interstate recognition certificate’, as evidence that the person mentioned is of the sex as stated in it. Further, reference in s29(3) to an ‘interstate recognition certificate’ should not be limited to a certificate ‘in relation to a person who has undergone sexual reassignment surgery’. [p47]

25. a Certificate of Particulars is a desirable mechanism to ensure equal access for ACT residents to reforms that are designed to guarantee legal recognition of sex and gender diverse people without reliance on inhumane eligibility requirements. [p48] In the Discrimination Act 1991:

26. having regard to 1-3 above, where the Discrimination Act refers to the attribute of ‘gender identity’, it should be amended to refer instead to sex and gender diversity. [p33]

27. protected attributes should include: i. a person’s identifying as intersex, as a sex other than their registered sex, as having no sex, and as being in transition for one sex to another ii. the record of a person’s sex having been altered under the BDMR Act or equivalent law or practice, and iii. a person’s physical presentation (including physical features, manner of speech, and dress) when it is not consistent with the person’s recorded birth sex or with the conventional physical presentation of a person of a particular sex. [p49] In the ACT public sector:

28. when an ACT public authority identifies and/or records a person’s sex: i. the person is entitled to inspect the record, and to have their sex identified and/or recorded (and if necessary amended) in accordance with their sex as registered under the BDMR Act) ii. no liability should attach to a person who, on behalf of an ACT public authority, incorrectly records a person’s sex in good faith. [p44]

29. if, as recommended, the available categories for the registration of a person’s sex under the BDMR Act are to be any of female, male, or intersex, then at least those three categories should be used in all ACT government activity. [p44]

30. when it is relevant for an ACT public authority to require a person to identify their sex – other than for notifying and registering a birth and for changing the birth record of their sex – the person should be asked their ‘sex and gender identity’, and should be given the option of identifying as any of: a) female b) male c) intersex d) none of the above. [p44]

31. the proposed changes to law and practice to give legal recognition to sex and gender diverse people will need to be accompanied by investment in public authorities for: i. programs of education and training about sex and gender diversity ii. the conversion of systems and documents to reflect the formal recognition of sex and gender diversity iii. funding to ensure that the legislative changes are part of a broader program of social inclusion. [p50] In the ACT:

32. to monitor and report on progress towards legal recognition for sex and gender diverse people in the ACT, the ACT Human Rights Commission must be sufficiently resourced to address the underreporting of discrimination against transgender and intersex people, and to support employers and service providers with information about their legal obligations under the Discrimination Act 1991 and the Human Rights Act 2004. [p50]

33. to address issues of unemployment, discrimination, poor physical and mental health outcomes, and low rates of social inclusion and participation among sex and gender diverse people: i. support and advisory services should be provided to sex and gender diverse people and their families ii. recurrent education and training programs should be provided to service providers, employers, workplaces and educational institutions. [p50] Nationally:

34. while the ACT is acting to remove legal obstacles for sex and gender diverse people across all its legislation, cooperation with the Commonwealth and with other State and Territory governments will be important in developing a national approach that addresses both the legal and social recognition difficulties faced by the gender diverse community. [p50]

35. it is desirable for the governments of the States, Territories and Commonwealth to audit their laws and practices for provisions which require a person to identify their sex and gender, and to review the need for those requirements with the intention of removing whenever possible a requirement that a person identify their sex and gender. [p48]

Dogging Down Under

Pity the poor dog walkers of Australia's Northern Territory for they have been reduced to paranoia that they will be thought of as doggers following the emergence of the dogging phenomenon down under.  Tremendous!  Check out the story here.

Gay Panic Defence

Interesting news from Australia where the Queensland Labor Government is responding to community concerns about the use of the so-called "gay panic defence".

It seems a little unclear as to whether the announced review is a PR exercise or will result in real change.  Read the full story here.

It's time...to share

There's been quite a bit of blog and twitter buzz surrounding a new campaign ad for same-sex marriage in Australia.  On a personal level, I didn't find myself too excited by the advert but then again, I live in a country with a comparatively high level of so called 'gay rights'.  The advert is carefully designed to promote commitment, and stray away from the legal rights debates elsewhere.  Nor will you see protesting, pink triangles and rainbow flags.  It's about promoting the 'normality' of same-sex relationships.  Those of you who read my HuffPo piece last week will see the anger that questioning this argument can evoke within the self-styled gay community where those rights do not presently exist.  Indeed - and I've said this before - it's a product of my privileged position that I can now criticise/analyse these issues.



The advert comes in the week that the Nigerian Senate used law to criminalise same-sex marriage and those who attempt to enter into it.  Homosexuality is already punishable with 14 years imprisonment but in a clear recognition that they don't currently lock-up all Nigerian homosexuals, this new law punishes those who try to enter into marriage with 14 years imprisonment and 10 years for witnesses.   Meanwhile, Russia continues to debate a new law which would - it is argued - prevent gay rights activists from assembling, protesting and discussing gay rights issues.  The Russian government intervened today to express puzzlement at the global criticism of these proposals - arguing that discrimination laws are in place.  It seems, in an eerie echo of the UK's very own Section 28 (now repealed) the law is designed to prevent the 'promotion' of homosexuality.  A law, which we know from Section 28, has wide implications in reality.  Is it 'to promote' homosexuality to say that homosexuality isn't bad, that there should be same-sex marriage? Services protection? Employment protection? Where is the line drawn?

From the privileged position of the UK, I found myself wondering if there's more we should be doing.  The British government has already said it won't send aid to countries such as Nigeria which reject rights for homosexuals (although where the line is drawn remains unclear).  More generally, we're pretty good at interfering in other countries  - sometimes with diplomacy, sometimes as we still see today, with jets, bombs and drones.

Concomitantly, campaign adverts are often about saying, let's change and this is why we should do so.  Rarely do they celebrate the complex reality of life after legal reform.  Here's a challenge for the UK - let's interfere.  Let's show the world the modern lived experiences of gay men, women and those who reject such labels.  Let's spend some of the international aid budget (which is currently funding the BBC world service among other things) on a low-cost advert that shows that the sky doesn't fall in when gay rights are introduced.  Let's show that's it's more complicated than the happy-clappy images of the Australian advert, but that life is complex, and still works well.   Yes, it's time; it's time to share our story.

X Marks the Spot!

The recent change to Australian passports (see my earlier post here), enabling gender to be marked on passports as X continues to be be clarified as groups and the government put more material in the public domain.  oii Australia (Intersex in Australia) was an advisor to the Minsiterial Panel on this policy and has posted a really nice overview on their website.

They note that the qualification to receive an X sex designation on your passport if you wish it is a letter from your doctor stating that you live as a person of indeterminate, unknown or non-specified gender*. Anyone can apply so long as they have a willing doctor.

The full post is well worth a read - see it here.

Australian Students: Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives Fourth Year Thesis Prize

One for Australian readers...

For many years now the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives has offered a prize for the best fourth year thesis (honours or equivalent -- that is, of about 10,000 words) submitted at an Australian university in the field of GLBTI studies. The amount of the prize is $250.

The thesis may be in any discipline and must have as its major concern some aspect of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and/or queer experience, contemporary or historical, in Australia. Work submitted at an overseas university that meets this criterion will be accepted for consideration.

To nominate a piece of work please send a single printed copy, preferably bound, to the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives, PO Box 124, Parkville 3054 Victoria. The submission date is Thursday 1 December 2011. Late submission may be accepted by arrangement with Graham Willett (see contact details below). Theses will be retained by the Archives and will become part of its collection. For more information on the prize, please contact Dr Graham Willett, President of the Archives on gwillett@unimelb.edu.au. 


The Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives is a community-based, volunteer-run, non-profit organisation that has been collecting and preserving Australian queer history since 1978. More details about the Archives may be found at www.alga.org.au.

Australia in Passport Gender Reform Move

Exciting news from Australia and passport reforms relating to gender.  Pink News reports that under the new passport rules, 'gender may be recorded on passports as ‘M’, ‘F’ – or ‘X’. Additionally, trans individuals no longer need to undergo sex reassignment surgery in order to be issued with a passport in their preferred gender, nor – as is currently the case in the UK – will they need to undergo an intrusive review by a government body (gender recognition panel) before they can have that gender accepted. Instead, according to foreign minister Kevin Rudd, Australians now have “the option of presenting a statement from a medical practitioner supporting their preferred gender”. The ‘X’ status is reserved solely for intersex people – meaning that the Australian government appears to be the first in the world to legally recognise intersex people.'

Read the full story here.

DUDE Launches

Exciting times, DUDE: transmasculinity magazine from Australia and New Zealand is now available online.

They've also issued a Call for Submissions which I've reproduced below:

DUDE 2 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Deadline: October 31st, 2011

Theme: Body Image

Please note DUDE does NOT seek research essays, however brief articles/reviews/comments from trans theorists will be greatly received.

…
Be brave, bold and beautiful. Value everyone.

Is the trans movement celebrating body type diversity in positive ways? Does it further impose mainstream pressures on our body image? How can we celebrate all body types in healthy and constructive ways? And how do we do this without adding to the fetishisation of the sex
and gender diverse community?

We want to hear what your thoughts are on body image. What do we need to share with each other? What assumptions are often made and why?

Including but not limited to, body image in relation to:

• expectations of uber masculinity: both in the mainstream, such as media, magazines, movies; and on youtube and ftm forums
• various subcultures such as bears, lesbian, sporting clubs and codes, gyms, punks, S/M, leather, anarchist, activist, men-only spaces, SOP
• not being on T/natural transitioning
• butch-not-trans / butch-and-trans
• genderqueers or dykes who bind or have had top surgery
• people with (dis)abilities or people who are differently abled.
• sex
• genitals
• body size diversity and positivity
• substance use
• people with eating disorders
• scars
• femme ftms
• binding
• surviving sexual assault
• gender dysphoria
• dealing with health professionals
• strategic essentialism

Submissions from Australia and New Zealand will be highly regarded, but the call out is open to everyone world wide.

About Dude

Dude is a not for profit, creative resource on transmasculinity; a zine combining short articles, stories and imagery.

We encourage photo submissions from a diverse range of people who identify as male / trans /genderqueer / transmasculine / butch / femme ftm / ftm / m2m / especially people of colour / people who are chubby/ people with disabilities / freaks / people not on T.

Also, we love cock pictures.

TO SUBMIT

Length: No submission is too short: brief articles are preferred (less than 500 words) but longer text will be considered if relevant and well crafted.

Payment: At this time we are unable to offer payment for submissions.
Each contributor will receive a copy of Dude 2.

All submissions in electronic format to dudetranszine@gmail.com
Include with subject line SUBMISSION DUDE 2: PHOTO/TEXT (as appropriate).

Text in .doc format
Images: JPG format, higher quality the better. Please note that colour
images will be converted to greyscale.
If you have further enquiries, email with subject line “ENQUIRY DUDE 2”

This call out is on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=261928483834260

Thank you.
http://dudemagazine.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/call-out-dude-2/

Child Sexuality and the Limits of Consent

I came across this story the other week, and I've been mulling it over since, debating whether to post a link, and if I did, what comment, if any, to add.

The story refers to a case before the Brisbane Supreme Court, in which it was revealed that a 12-year-old boy - posing as an 18-year-old homosexual man - actively pursued and engaged in sexual encounters with a man he met via an Internet dating service. He'd used a 'mainstream' dating service called Oasis Active to set up the site.

The court was told that over the space of three months, the boy would sneak out his family home, in Brisbane's east, late at night and slip down the street to a nearby golf course to meet his online liaison who was at that time a 30-year-old lifesaving fundraiser.

The boy indicated that when he met males online - including Powell who went by the nickname "Johnny" - he would inform them he was 13-years-old, a year older than he actually was.

Recovered Internet chats found on Powell's laptop computer reveal he discussed having a weekend "sleepover" with the boy, a possible "threesome" with "another "guy".

They also included a request from the child that "this time your going to (expletive deleted) me."

During another online chat Powell asked the boy why he was at home on his computer during a school day.

"When the child responded that he was pretending to be sick and was home alone all day, he (Powell) suggested: 'Maybe I should come over'," the schedule says.

"When the child advised that another guy was coming over they discussed a possible threesome."

Read the full story here. I've tried in vane to find other reports or any court transcripts/judgment but if anyone does have such links, please post them as a comment.

So, here's a few thoughts/questions:

• Would our reaction be the same if rather than being 30, the convicted male had been 18? If so, why?
• Had the boy not revealed he was 13 subsequently (which was also a lie), and insisted he was 18 all along, would we react the same way?
• Had the boy posted a picture on his profile in which he appeared older than he was, would we take that into account in reaching a moral (as distinct from legal) view?

The killer question, can a 12 year old consent? Legally, no he can not. We can not make a judgment on these small exerts in a news story, but all the quotes from the child suggest a boy who is sexually aware, knows exactly what he doing, and is so determined to have homosexual sex with a male that he will lie to achieve that goal. In certain circumstances, the law accepts a child can consent. Has this child reached that level of consciousness?

Even if he has reached that level, is that outweighed by the obligation of an adult to refuse that boy's request? Yet, is that refusal based on the assumption of a harm being inflicted upon the boy? Should we simply encourage the boy to find a sexual act with someone nearer his age if sexual experimentation is what he's determined upon? If so, is it the age difference rather than a 12 year old having sex per se that concerns us? Ahh yes, age difference. If it is age difference, then it's not about consent at all, it's about something else. So, what exactly is and should be the guiding influence for law and the state in such cases.

I don't have the answers, just a whole bunch of questions.

Most Australians Support 'Gay Marriage'

The Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gilliard is clinging to power by her fingernails - weakened by the recent general election following the decision of the governing Labor Party to overthrow its previous PM (and now Foreign Minister) Kevin Rudd. Among the pressures facing Gillard are increasing calls to legislate for same-sex marriage, seen by Labor party supporters as the sort of issue their party ought to be pursuing. The Sydney Morning Herlad published a poll today showing that most Australians now support the legal recognition of gay marriage by 57 per cent to 37 against.

The paper also goes on to explore the political advantage for Gillard in pursuing this policy. Check out the full story here.

Same Sex Marriage Down Under

Melbourne Community Voice (MCV) carries an interesting story on shifting attitudes to same-sex marriage in Australia. The latest poll (yes, flawed but interesting nonetheless) suggests a growing majority support the introduction of same-sex marriage. Read the full story here.

More from the Australian Sex Party

The Australian Labor Government looks to be in a bit of bother during this election campaign but the Australian Sex Party are getting some decent coverage. The Australian Sex Party's Fiona Patten will go up against Family First's Wendy Francis Monday, 2 August, 7.15am on Sunrise to take part in a debate about sexual and moral issues. Sunrise is 'Australia's Number One breakfast Show' so it should give both the ASP and these issues a bit more of a focus.

You can also now watch the ASP campaign launch for Western Australia in the video below. I love candidate Bret Treasure discussing seeing a campaign stand at a sex party and how that motivated him to get involved. As much as I admire the honesty, the trouble is lines like that scare off the general public and such is the vital importance of the issues ASP is campaigning on that they need to appear - as horrid as the term is - 'normal', and appeal to the similarly awful term 'everyday Australians'. Fiona Patten's pearl necklace (no not that sort!) is a prime example of cultivating a wholesome image. The depressing truth is they need to be as cynical as the other parties to make headway, or maybe I'm just too embittered? Shame the media are looking a bit thin on the ground at the campaign launch.

Australian Sex Party Launches Election Campaign

New Australian Labor Party leader, Julia Gillard seemed to learn from the mistakes of Gordon Brown in first of all booting Rudd out of power and then rapidly calling a General election. The election also means it's an opportunity for Australia's Sex Party (ASP) to shine. Today saw the aprty launch their campaign. Melbourne Community Voice reports that the ASP is lobbying for a revised national classification scheme for adult material, national sex education in schools and equal rights for GLBTIQ Australians.

All sensible stuff - and although small - they are only fielding two candidates, they are important in addressing the sex agenda.

They have a great website but I wish they'd set up a gift shop to further share their great slogans on mugs/t-shirts etc. Pictured right/above, you can see a fantastic sticker slogan which forms part of a campaign to print, and stick them on your luggage (following new laws on importing porn to Australia). I wish them every success in the coming campaign.

Australia and the Porn Question

Well here's a note of caution of you're planning a trip 'down under' anytime soon. Australia has apparently introduced a new requirement for those incoming to customs. The card new asks if you are carrying porn. This would include those cock shots you keep on your phone or the video you made of yourself and your partner getting up to all sorts of fun on a recent trip. Let's not even mention your laptop...Read the full story here.

I always end up sat next to people who don't speak the language and after working through the various Canada immigration farm queries with a Polish passenger (I made the relevant animal noises), I am terrified of how I will explain the porn question to someone on my next trip to Oz. Wanking hand gestures? Moaning noises? Oh, it's all too terrible to contemplate.

Australia 'Bans' Small Breasts

A story that is as interesting as it is bizarre is coming out of Australia where the Australian Sex Party has stated that the Australian Film Board is now 'banning' depictions of small breasted women. The crux of the issue seems to be that these small breasted women are too 'child-like'. As such, small breasted actors could be said to appear as someone under 18 and such images would be illegal. Read the full story here. Presumably, a similar approach would be taken to those with a small penis; what about shaved/waxed public regions?

Law and Society

I've just returned from the Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand Annual Conference in Sydney. I went along with a colleague from Sunderland, Ben Livings who was speaking on Sports Law whilst I delivered a paper exploring my own recent male for male sex work research which I'm hoping will be published in the New Year. The weather was a bit of a shock and so as illustration I offer the first pic taken from my study on the Thursday before I flew out and then a picture of myself (on the right) and Ben in Sydney (which though grey was an improvement). I've reproduced the abstract in full below:

Male for Male Sex Work and the Internet Effect:
A UK Perspective

The criminal law in England and Wales relating to sex work was last modified by the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Three years later in January 2006 the UK Government published a 'prostitution strategy' that set out a number of core aims: the overall reduction in street prostitution; improve the safety and quality of life of communities affected by prostitution, including those directly involved in street sex markets, and finally, to reduce all forms of commercial sexual exploitation. This framework prima facie failed to take into account both the issue of male sex work and also the Internet effect upon sex work. This paper seeks to examine the intersection of technology and male for male sex work and reviews both the criminal law and UK policy framework within the wider UK human rights context.

Same Sex Marriage in Australia

I was down in Australia last December when Kevin Rudd was swept into power. As news channels showed his election on big screens in downtown Melbourne (never before have I felt quite so much like a Big Brother extra looking up at a big screen of 'the leader') a lot of ordinary Australians and fellow academics expressed the view to me that things would now be different, particularly in relation to gay equality. Things never work out that simply though and this week Australian Olympic swimmer Matthew Mitcham has become the latest to take a swipe at Rudd. In an interview with SX News the swimmer who came out last month said: -“I’m not happy with Kevin Rudd,” he says, bluntly. “Kevin Rudd’s opinion of marriage as something that’s only between a man and a woman is quite narrow-minded. During the election campaign he was all about appearing young and cool, but his views on gay marriage make him look quite old-fashioned.”

As an academic I found another paragraph far more interesting when the 20 year old athlete said: “And you know what? Straight people talk about their sexuality all the time. They talk about the opposite sex, they talk about their wives, their husbands, their marriage. Those are all heterosexual discourses, and they do talk about them all the time. So those ladies didn’t think their comments through very well.”

I'm trying to think when I last heard a British sportsman talk about 'discourses'.

New South Wales & Parental Rights

A number of news sites reported this week on the announcement of the Australian NSW government that children born through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to lesbian mothers will have the same rights as those of heterosexual couples.

Read the full story at: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-7472.html

Australian Mardi Gras

The BBC reported this weekend that around 300,000 spectators have turned out to watch the 30th annual gay and lesbian Mardi Gras parade through central Sydney. This a significant year for the event, celebrating 30 years of events. With the election of a new government last year it's an optimistic time for many Australians. Read more about Mardis Gras at Pink News: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-7024.html and view some photographs at the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7272846.stm

Same Sex Marriage and Australia

The global debate around gay marriage continues. Pink News reports: Greens senator Kerry Nettle introduced a Valentines Day marriage equality bill to the new Australian parliament calling for recognition of overseas same-sex marriages and the ability to allow local ones.Her party leader, Bob Brown, has united with Liberal Australia Capital Territory (ACT) senator Gary Humphries to condemn the new government's attitudes to the Territorial Government's civil partnerships legislation.

I was in Australia at the time of the General Election last year and whilst there felt a general sense of optimism there did not seem the mass feeling of a 'new dawn' that a similar shift to Labour did in the UK back in 1997. The current Australian government has also seen fairly timid as far as social issues are concerned and from my (very!) limited knowledge of the mood 'down under' I suspect gay marriage may be some time off.

Read the full story at: http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-6933.html