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| News November December 2007 |
News November December 2007
Subscribe to this monthly newsletter
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BRISBANE FEMINISM ONLINE – NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2007
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Hi People
Welcome to the final newsletter for the year.
There are still a few things to do before the silly season really hits including 16 days of activism against gender violence in the lead up to human rights day. It is also World Aids Day on the 1st and BFO will be having a breakup dinner that you are welcome to attend.
Happy New Year wishes to all you Brisbane feminists and may 2008 be a great one for all of us. The next newsletter will be out in early February and the discussion groups will start again then too.
Spread the word …
Regards
Kitty
2007 BFO Editor
Feedback welcome to editor@brisbanefeminismonline.net
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IN THIS ISSUE
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1. REAL ADVENTURE WOMEN (RAW)
2. ELECTION NIGHT
3. WHISPERS OF THIS WIK WOMAN
4. 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE
5. UQ CONFERENCE WHEN THE SOLDIERS RETURN CONFERENCE
6. STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN BREAKFAST
7. BRISBANE IN RED PARTY IN THE PARK
8. CBYC MOVIE FUNDRAISER: ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
9. FEMINIST MOTHERHOOD DISCUSSION NIGHT – sex and breastfeeding
10. INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
11. BFO DINNER NIGHT
12. XMAS
13. NEXT NEWSLETTER
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LOCAL NEWS
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1. REAL ADVENTURE WOMEN (RAW)
Nov
RAW Highlights for November 2007 Learn to surf,Yoga and massage, Moonlight paddle, Snorkelling, Target archery, Make shooting your sport, Half day sailing course, Gliding, 5 week canoeing course, Mountain biking, Water skiing, Intro to abseiling, Weekend sailing course, Plus many more!!
http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/BCC:WHATSON::pc=PC_1263,in_type=eevent,in_search2=46
2. ELECTION NIGHT
24th November 2007
http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/
3. WHISPERS OF THIS WIK WOMAN
Last Show Sat 24 Nov
Kooemba Jdarra proudly presents the premier of ‘Whispers of this Wik Woman’ by Fiona Doyle as part of the company’s 2007 program. This is a true story of a proud woman’s life in remote Western Cape York. Fiona brings to life her love and influences her granny shared with her as a child through to adulthood. This story begins in a time when culture and tradition, along with the clothes on your back, was enough to survive. A story of determination and loyalty to the teachings of her people and Country. Judith Wright Centre.
http://www.judithwrightcentre.com/
4. 16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER VIOLENCE
25th Nov – 10th Dec
Begins 25 November (the United Nations International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women) and goes through till 10 December (Human Rights Day).
5. UQ CONFERENCE WHEN THE SOLDIERS RETURN CONFERENCE
Wednesday, 28 November 2007 - Friday, 30 November 2007
Description: As the study of warfare has gradually adopted a heavier emphasis on the “war and society” genre, the effects of military endeavour on civil society, families and individuals have become a central concern. It is now widely recognised that these influences extend beyond the timeframe of the war itself. Repatriation, myth-making, commemoration, rehabilitation, adjustment to trauma and loss are activities, processes and experiences that continue for decades after the shooting has stopped. Time: 9:00am - 10:00am Location: Conference will be held at the St Lucia Campus
http://www.uq.edu.au/events/event_view.php?event_id=3191
6. STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN BREAKFAST
29 November (Thursday) 2007 –
Stop Violence Against Women Breakfast presented by Amnesty International Queensland. While women are often subject to violence, they are also at the forefront of defending human rights. Speaker Eileen Pittaway will share her experiences of working to defend the rights of women. 6:30am for a 7:00am start at The Sebel, cnr Ann and Roma St, Brisbane City. Tickets: Adult $35 Conc. $30.
http://aibris.org.au/
7. BRISBANE IN RED PARTY IN THE PARK
Saturday 1 December
Queens Park, George Street, Brisbane Celebrate life and remember lives as Brisbane turns RED for World AIDS Day. Join David Graham and Emily-Jade for an afternoon of FREE live entertainment including peformance by Ricki Lee, art displays and giveaways. Brisbane: World AIDS Day Information Stall Saturday 1 December 11-3pm Queens Park and Fortitude Valley Mall
Information Stall with display of vintage posters, red ribbons, leaflets and people to talk to.
http://cultureboy.blogspot.com/
8. CBYC MOVIE FUNDRAISER: ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
Friday 30th November, 2007
Our last fundraising event for the year. Reprising the roles they originated in seven-time Academy Award®-nominated Elizabeth, Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush return for a gripping historical thriller laced with treachery and romance - Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Joining them in the epic is Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh, a dashing seafarer and newfound temptation for Elizabeth. Elizabeth: The Golden Age finds Queen Elizabeth I (Oscar®-winner Cate Blanchett) facing bloodlust for her throne and familial betrayal. Growing keenly aware of the changing religious and political tides of late 16th century Europe, Elizabeth finds her rule openly challenged by the Spanish King Philip II (Jordi Molla) with his powerful army and sea-dominating armada determined to restore England to Catholicism. 6.00 - 6.30pm Arrival for Nibbles & Glass of Bubbly 7.00pm Movie Screening at the Palace Centro Cinema 39 James Street, Fortitude Valley Tickets $20.00 (inc. glass of bubbly & nibbles on arrival) Bookings and money in by 23rd November, 2007 Enquiries to (07) 3357 9933 (option 2) or info@childrenbychoice.org.au CHILDREN BY CHOICE ASSOCIATION INC. Elizabeth: The Golden Age Movie Fundraiser Booking Order Form Bookings & money in by Friday 23rd November, 2007 Limited tickets available at the door. Your support with the correct change is appreciated on the night. N.B. No refund will be available if bookings are cancelled after 5pm Tuesday 27th November, 2007.
http://www.childrenbychoice.org.au/
9. FEMINIST MOTHERHOOD DISCUSSION NIGHT – sex and breastfeeding
Friday 30th November
Breasts are either sexy or maternal, in fact the sight of a woman breastfeeding is very disturbing for some people because they can't reconcile the two. How do breastfeeding mothers feel about this? Some women experience sexual pleasure from breastfeeding and milk 'let downs'. Has breastfeeding ever been arousing? Does your partner see breastfeeding as sexy? Do you? Breastfeeding in the 70s was viewed as a potential bonus for a couple's sex life but nowadays breastfeeding is seen as a potential anxiety (ie. will I be able to breastfeed, how long should I breastfeed for?) by new mothers... what happened? Email kitty@brisbanefeminismonline.net
10. INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
10th December
http://www.un.org/events/humanrights/2006/
11. BFO DINNER NIGHT
Tuesday 11th Dec
For all you feminists out there wanting to come and meet the women, the Xmas dinner will be on Tuesday the 11th December at the Forest. Don’t be shy … join us. Just let us know so we can make a booking. kitty@brisbanefeminismonline.net
12. XMAS
“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind” Mary Ellen Chase
http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com.au/
13. NEXT NEWSLETTER
February 2008
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
======================
Contraception of the future?
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/ReproductiveHealth/story?id=3748145&page=1
The genetic contraceptive that Williams is developing is based on a concept known as RNA interference (RNAi) -- a process that switches off key genes in a woman's body that play a crucial role in the fertilization of the egg after sex.. When these genes are switched off, her partner's sperm cannot enter the egg to fertilize it. (10/19/07)
Female underwear to Burmese embassies
http://www.guardian.co.uk/burma/story/0,,2195188,00.html
Activists exasperated at the failure of diplomacy to apply pressure on Burma's military regime are resorting to a new means of protest against the regime's recent crackdown: sending female underwear to Burmese embassies. The manoeuvre is a calculated insult to the junta and its leader, General Than Shwe. Superstitious junta members believe that any contact with female undergarments - clean or dirty - will sap them of their power, said Jackie Pollack, a member of the Lanna Action for Burma Committee. 10/19/07)
UK, freezing eggs causes stir
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/10/18/eggs/
Some IVF clinics came under fire this week for marketing egg-freezing services to young women who may want to postpone motherhood until they are ready. At least three British clinics have announced egg freezing programs for women who wish to delay motherhood. But the American Society for Reproductive Medicine has said that the procedure should not be used for "social" reasons and instead limited to women who are undergoing cancer treatment, those experiencing early menopause or women with ethical objections to freezing embryos. (10/19/07)
Cry for Uganda's gays
http://www.afrol.com/articles/26985
The rising homophobia by Ugandan officials and the media against the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people is believed to be undermining the East African country's HIV prevention. As such, Human Rights Watch has appealed to the United States government to condemn these threats, and clarify that it does not support using its HIV/AIDS funding to promote homophobia. "When the US funds abstinence-only programs in Uganda, it tells people that LGBT people's sexualities are dangerous and must be denied," said Scott Long, HRW Director for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program. (10/19/07)
Vienna to host world's 1st 'divorce fair'
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071016135748.pa2mh0gi&show_article=1
Vienna is to host what organisers have dubbed the world's first "divorce fair" this month, aimed at couples whose wedding dreams have turned sour and who need help in untying the knot as painlessly as possible. At the October 27-28 event, would-be divorcees can consult, anonymously if they wish, a whole host of lawyers and mediators on their rights and obligations, and seek advice on frequently difficult questions, such as alimony and child access. {Ed.: a lot better than going to government for such services.] (10/15/07)
Porn spammers sentenced to 5+ years
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9042621&intsrc=news_ts_hea
Two men were sentenced to more than five years in prison for their part in sending millions of pornographic spam messages, marking the conclusion of the first major case under the 2003 federal CAN-SPAM anti-spam law. According to prosecutors, the two men, along with three co-conspirators, sent millions of unsolicited messages advertising hard-core pornographic Web sites that included pornographic images visible to anyone who simply opened the message. (10/15/07)
UK, MPs launch abortion law inquiry
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7044066.stm
An influential group of MPs is to consider whether any medical research suggests the 24-week cut-off point for abortion should be changed. The science and technology committee will examine the impact of termination on the mother's health and whether babies under 24 weeks can survive. The Pro-Life Alliance wants the upper limit cut to 20 weeks. But the British Medical Association says the number surviving at 24 weeks is still "extremely small". (10/15/07)
Muslim feminist riles Sarkozy's inner circle
http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2007/10/14/muslim_feminist_riles_sarkozys_inner_circle/?rss_id=Boston+Globe+--+World+News
She is France's new minister of urban affairs, a public face of center-right Sarkozy's attempt at inclusive government. Of his top lieutenants, she is one of three Muslims, seven women, and more than a dozen advisers who defected from left-leaning parties to join up. But fissures are starting to appear in the united front, and Amara is at the leading edge. She recently stirred such a virulent debate among Sarkozy allies over his immigration policy that the president had to call for "everyone to calm down." (10/14/07)
Naomi Wolf, America is becoming facist
http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2007/10/91907.shtml
Fascism is coming to America. This is the overarching message of Naomi Wolf’s new book, The End of America: A Letter of Warning To A Young Patriot.Wolf’s book builds on her article published in The Guardian, a British newspaper, which was titled “Fascist America, in Ten Easy Steps”. In the book, the first step in which Wolf outlines is the invoking of a threat. Wolfe is best known for her books on feminism. (10/15/07)
Miss England told to fatten up
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071027/ap_en_ce/people_georgia_horsley
A British beauty queen says she was told to pack on pounds for the upcoming Miss World competition — an unexpected request, considering she's not rail-thin. "I was a little bit shocked," Miss England Georgia Horsley said Friday in an interview on NBC's "Today" show. (10/26/07)
Canada, Feds revive veil issue
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/10/27/4609637-sun.html
The Conservative government revived a controversy focused largely on veiled Muslim women by announcing plans to legally require all voters to show their face before casting a ballot in a federal election. (10/27/07)
India, prostitutes pushed to save
http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=105&sid=1279346
The small bank is the initiative of the sex workers and aims to help them break the vicious cycle of poverty and exploitation that keeps them indebted to brothel owners. The simple act of squirreling away some money was previously out of reach for many customers of the Sangini Women's Cooperative Bank. Prostitutes are often shunned by regular banks or lack residence documents or birth certificates officially required to open an account in India. (10/26/07)
German playboy sues for ageism
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,513579,00.html
Aging German playboy Rolf Eden has rarely taken no for an answer. And he's not about to start. He has filed charges against a 19-year-old for refusing to sleep with him. The complaint? Ageism. 77-year-old Eden has filed suit against a 19-year-old Berlin woman for the following reason: Despite a night on the town with Eden, which ended back at his place, she refused to have sex with him, saying the he was too old for her. (10/25/07)
India, man sentenced to life in acid attack
http://www.montereyherald.com/world/ci_7285430?nclick_check=1
A court has sentenced a jilted lover to life in prison for throwing acid on a 21-year-old woman that blinded and disfigured her, a news report said Friday, a rare penalty for a case other than murder in India. Violence and discrimination against women are rampant in India. Acid attacks, rape and sexual molestation have been on the rise in the country, according to rights groups. (10/26/07)
Bolivia sex workers in protest fast
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B5FBB059-FC28-4E0C-AF3D-2F6033600D9A.htm
At least 50 prostitutes near the Bolivian capital of La Paz have gone on a hunger strike and threatened to march naked down the streets of El Alto, a nearby town. The sex workers are protesting against the closure of bars and brothels by local residents who claim they are a haven for criminals and that the bars serve alcohol to minors. One woman, who chose not to be identified, said that if El Alto wants to get rid of prostitutes "then the government should give us a hand and take care of our children, and afterward provide us with jobs". (10/24/07)
Iraq refugees turn to prostitution
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/10/24/ap4254285.html
The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that around 2 million Iraqis have fled to neighboring countries since 2003. No reliable figures of Iraqi prostitutes exist, but an increase in the number of Iraqi women seen in recent months in clubs and on the streets of Damascus, Amman and other cities suggests the problem is growing as more Iraqis flee their country's violence. (10/24/07)
Israel, woman beaten for not moving
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/915215.html
The incident began when the five men asked the religious woman to move to the back of the bus to prevent males and females from sitting together in public. When she refused, they beat her and the male soldier who sat next to her. The ultra-Orthodox community in Beit Shemesh has been at odds with Egged over their demands that the bus company operates so-called "kosher" lines where woman and men are seated seperately. (10/21/07)
China, a nation of single men?
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-kurlantzick21oct21,1,6759831.story?coll=la-news-comment&ctrack=4&cset=true
After taking power in 1949, the Communist Party largely stamped out infanticide, and by the early 1980s, China had a relatively normal ratio of male and female babies. China's one-child policy, launched around the same time and still in force with some minor exceptions, has restored the gender imbalance. Families allowed only one child may be aborting until they have a boy. Ironically, as China has become wealthier, rising incomes have coincided with more, not less, sex selection. Inexpensive modern ultrasounds have enabled parents to learn their child's sex, and if the baby is a girl, they abort. (10/21/07)
AIDS prevention: What works?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101368.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
While approaches such as testing, condom use and abstinence are important, no magic bullet exists for preventing AIDS. The most rigorous evidence suggests that there needs to be a vigorous expansion in Africa of behavior-change programs, for promoting partnering reduction in particular, and greatly increased access to safe male circumcision. Of course it would also be useful to expand HIV testing programs, if not primarily for prevention purposes, then at least to help facilitate the care and treatment programs that are also vital to mitigating this pandemic. (10/22/07)
Male & female victims viewed differently
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2007/10/22/news/07abuse.txt
The AP's survey of five years of state disciplinary actions against teachers found 2,570 educators were punished for sexual misconduct. In the cases where the victim's gender was clear, the large proportion were female. Almost nine out of 10 of the offenders were male. But the boys who are drawn into sexual relationships with their female teachers get an overwhelming amount of attention, especially when the woman is attractive. They're the subject of heavy news coverage, jokes from late-night TV comics, Web sites with photos, videos and more. What's more likely to be described as rape or sexual abuse when the victim is female turns into a ``tryst'' or a ``sexual liaison'' when the perpetrator is female and the victim is male. (10/22/07)
Wollstonecraft on the rights of women
http://harpers.org/archive/2007/10/hbc-90001287
Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Women ch. 9 (1792)
Sri Lanka to probe UN sex claims
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.8131
Sri Lanka has promised to look into allegations that 108 of its UN peacekeepers in Haiti paid for sex, in some cases with underage girls. The men are being sent home after being accused of sexual misconduct and abuse. In the past, UN peacekeepers have been involved in a series of sex scandals, including this year in Ivory Coast. (11/03/07)
India, men to talk at DV table
http://mynation.wordpress.com/2007/10/31/men-to-talk-at-domestic-violence-table/
RENUKA CHOWDHURY has decided to consult men over domestic violence, which, she feels, will help get their side of the story and understand why it takes place. The Women and Child Development minister took the decision after male rights organisations termed the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act as the worst law. “Men cannot be treated like a problem. They have to be part of the solution. And, we would consult them on how they can be part of the solution,” Renuka said. (10/31/07)
Samaritans interrupt rape
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3789629&page=1
When police in Oregon arrived, they found a bloodied 37-year-old Paul Landingham being detained by three men and two women, all around 20 years old. They also discovered a woman who allegedly had been raped and physically assaulted by Landingham. (10/29/07)
Pope to pharmacists: Avoid ‘immoral’ drugs
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/international/europe/view.bg?articleid=1041304
In a speech to participants at the 25th International Congress of Catholic Pharmacists, Benedict said that conscientious objection was a right that must be recognized by the pharmaceutical profession. Such objector status, he said, would “enable them not to collaborate directly or indirectly in supplying products that have clearly immoral purposes such as, for example, abortion or euthanasia.” (10/30/07)
US tortures, rapes Iraqi women prisoners?
http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_25411.shtml
The General Secretary of the Union of Political Prisoners and Detainees in Iraq, Muhammad Adham al-Hamd declared that the US occupation administration in Iraq relies on systematic rape, torture, and sadistic treatment of Iraqi women prisoners in its prison camps in the country. Al-Hamd said that the enormous crimes being committed against women in the prison camps in occupied Iraq have the support and blessings of the US military, for whom the practices serve as a means to bring psychological pressure on men engaged in the Resistance, in an attempt to break their spirit and fighting will. (10/28/07)
Iraqi reporters run risks to cover women
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/3369
Six women from McClatchy's Baghdad bureau took on the high-risk assignment of covering the war. Sometimes working in secrecy, they reported the sweeping changes facing their homeland and worked to put women's stories on the record. Through their courageous reporting, the award recipients have not only covered the war, they have also uncovered the marginalization of women in parliamentary decision-making, addressed women's strategies to survive sectarian violence and followed the story beyond the suicide bomb. (11/01/07)
Norway, Girl refuses sex compensation
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article2091587.ece
A nearly 15-year-old girl has refused to accept damages awarde
d for sex with an older boy in a court case she has opposed from the start. A four year older man was convicted of having sex with a minor by a Romsdal court, and ordered to pay NOK 10,000 (USD 1880) in compensation, but the girl has opposed the process, newspaper VG reports. The girl argued that she was not a victim, that she had contacted the man and that she had had sex with him willingly. The girl's foster parents registered a complaint with child care authorities and filed charges with police, and demanded damages for the girl. (11/08/07)
Iran 'temporarily suspends' woman’s sentence
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/11/76D8EF60-4AA3-4B6A-9FBD-412A0373697B.html
A lawyer for an Iranian women's rights activist arrested at a demonstration last year says the country's judiciary has temporarily suspended her sentence. The activist, 24-year-old Delaram Ali, was among dozens of people arrested in June 2006 for protesting in Tehran against articles in Iranian law seen as discriminatory against women. (11/11/07)
Immigrant women suffer in the shadows
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2007/11/11/shadow_maids.ART_ART_11-11-07_D6_HR8DUUB.html?sid=101
Experts and activists agree that the ranks of household workers are swelling -- likely to more than 1 million -- although tallying their exact numbers and regulating their workplaces is almost impossible. Employers commonly seek off-the-books arrangements, avoiding contributions toward Social Security or Medicare, and many undocumented women prefer working in the underground economy to minimize chances of deportation. In a few cities, activists have begun campaigns to organize domestic workers and raise awareness of their difficulties, but traditional labor tactics -- collective bargaining, the threat of striking -- are not feasible. (11/11/07)
Somalia: ban opposes UN 'peacekeepers'
http://www.marshallnewsmessenger.com/world/content/shared-gen/ap/Africa/UN_Somalia.html
Against a backdrop of heavy fighting and growing insecurity, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opposed the deployment of U.N. peacekeepers to Somalia and suggested instead a robust multinational force or a coalition of willing nations. The secretary-general also expressed concern at the deteriorating human rights situation, the targeted assassinations of district officials in Mogadishu, human trafficking from Somalia to Yemen, and widespread reports of rape and sexual violence, including gang rapes by soldiers and other local militia and the abduction of women to be used as sex slaves. (11/10/07)
New York Magazine drops sex ads
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MAGAZINE_SEX_ADS?SITE=NHPOR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
New York magazine agreed to stop accepting sex ads after the local chapter of the National Organization for Women threatened protests outside the popular weekly publication. The women's rights group had accused New York of being a "marketing arm of the organized crime world of prostitution and human trafficking" because of classified ads at the back of the magazine with such tag lines as "Asians Gone Wild" and "Asian Dreamgirls." (11/07/07)
Aussie law 'turns boys into rapists'
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22726261-5001021,00.html
Tough new rape laws which make it clear being drunk does not constitute consent have been condemned by barristers, who insist: "It will turn our sons into criminals." The NSW Bar Associations reckons the "No means no" law goes too far and will lobby Upper House members to vote against it when it is up for debate next week. The law will define the meaning of consent for the first time, making it clear that being drunk or under the influence of drugs does not mean consent has been given. It will also introduce an "objective fault test", meaning a man can no longer use the defence that he thought he had consent if the circumstances appear unreasonable. (11/09/07)
Aussie boys walk free over DVD sex assault
http://au.news.yahoo.com/071017/2/14p2u.html
Eight Victorian teenage boys who took part in the filming of a sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl have avoided youth detention. All except one of the boys had convictions recorded against them. The judge placed six of the boys on youth supervision orders for between 12 and 18 months and two of the boys were placed on probation for 12 months. He said that if it was not for their guilty pleas and willingness to participate in rehabilitation they would have been at "significant risk" of serving time in youth detention. Each of the boys had previously pleaded guilty to procuring sexual penetration by intimidation, making child pornography and assault. (11/05/07)
UK law could make gay jokes illegal
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/08/ngay108.xml
The right to crack jokes or be rude about homosexuals could fall victim to new government laws to stamp out "homophobic" behaviour, Rowan Atkinson, the Blackadder star warned yesterday. Atkinson, who mounted a successful campaign in 2004 to water down legislation aimed at criminalising expressions of religious hatred, has returned to the fray to defend the art of gay leg-pulling. His concern is that Labour ministers are so obsessed with creating laws to stop people being rude about each other that they are putting in danger the right to free speech and, equally dear to his heart, the comedian's craft. (11/08/07)
Circumcision of 12-year-old sparks conflict
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58559
A man and his ex-wife are embroiled in a holy war over the issue of circumcising the couple's 12-year-old son. The Oregon Supreme Court is now considering the case of James Boldt, a family-law attorney who converted to Judaism in 2004. He seeks to have the minor surgery performed against the wishes of the boy's mother, Lia Boldt, who is Russian Orthodox. (11/07/07)
Qld’s Feminist Premier
“She then went on to be involved in the Women's Rights Collective which campaigned against the pro-life policies of the Bjelke-Petersen government. She also protested for respect for women and against Playboy magazine. Bligh's next role was as Women's Vice-President of the Student Union.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Bligh
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xK&A
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BFO is a not for profit project supporting feminist activities and actions in Brisbane. Thanks to ifeminists and weekly feminist news digest for the international news and to local women’s groups for the local news. Editor: Kitty has a passion for feminism and community building and combines her two loves in this newsletter. You can contact her on 0409 548 892 if you need to speak to her. Assist Editor and Feature Writer: Andrea is an economist with the State Government when she isn’t motor biking, photographing or doing some other exciting thing.
Subscribe to this monthly newsletter at www.brisbanefeminismonline.net
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