Archive for November, 2009

White Ribbon Day – 25 Nov

// November 25th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Within Australia, Within Victoria

AVP suggests male board members, paid staff, volunteers and paid-up members of Victoria’s many GLBT organisations take direct action to eliminate violence against women by getting on board the White Ribbon Day Campaign

White Ribbon Day, 25 Nov, marks the beginning of a national campaign for all Australian men and boys to take a positive action and put an end to one of the most widespread human rights abuses taking place in our country and Victoria’s Anti Violence Project (AVP) believes that the GLBT community has a key role to play in this.

The AVP wants gay men to join in this campaign where all men are being asked to swear never to commit, never to excuse, and never to remain silent about violence against women.

Direct action is suggested for the male board members, paid staff, volunteers and paid-up members of Victoria’s many GLBT organisations by them getting on board the White Ribbon Day Campaign.

“Silence about violence is far too prevalent in the GLBT community – amongst us and against us,” said AVP executive director Greg Adkins, “so if we as men we see ANY woman being subjected to violence regardless of whether the women are gay or straight or the people directing violence towards them are male or female, gay or straight, then we as men need to stand up and put an end to the abuse of women”.

The mainstream White Ribbon Day campaign has been reported as already having the support of high profile men such as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Lt Gen Ken Gillespie, Hazem El Masri, Rove, Keith Urban, Wil Anderson, David Koch, Adam Goodes, Shannon Noll, Jason Culina, Dicko, and many more men. The AVP encourages gay men around the state to get active and get on board with these men to prove that partnerships to end violence are valued regardless of sexual orientation.

As part of the White Ribbon Day campaign, the AVP suggests gay men can join the ranks of men supporting the campaign by swearing at www.myoath.com.au

“As a community we have a lot to learn from White Ribbon Day and through activities such as the White Ribbon Day Challenge.

“The Challenge is a chance for individuals, groups and communities to take action to end violence against women. It provides support, advice, tips and inspiration for creating real change in communities and offers an opportunity for supporters to communicate, network and share their knowledge.

“The AVP looks forward to the day when state-wide strategies and community initiatives such as this will one day extend into gay-straight partnerships directed at eliminating homophobia and transphobia. After all the people mostly committing violence against the GLBT community and against heterosexual women are in a majority of times, men”, Adkins said.

Transgender Day of Remembrance – 20 Nov

// November 20th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Around the globe, Within Australia, Within Victoria

This is an excerpt of a public talk given at Prahran Central on Transgender Day of Remembrance by the AVP Executive Director, Greg Adkins.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Its well past the time we challenge the ignorance and violence that fuels transphobia. The AVP today recommits to this fight and urges all to join us in partnership.

The 20th of November is the Transgender Day of Remembrance and today the Anti Violence Project of Victoria Inc. commemorates transgendered individuals who have been killed or committed suicide worldwide due to discrimination, prejudice and hatred towards the community.

Today, within Victoria, we recommit to continue to raise awareness of the violence, brutality and murder of gender variant or non-gender conforming individuals within our GLBTI community.

Physical and sexual violence against transgendered individuals in Victoria continues to be a starkly brutal exercise of power perpetrated by heterosexual males against people they see as different and less important than them. This power is exercised individually or in groups and when it takes place in the workplace, women can often also be complicit in the violence.

This violence is fuelled by the ignorance in our society surrounding transgender, gender variance and non-gender conforming individuals. This ignorance drives transphobia and homophobia to new depths.

Ignorance and violence fuelling transphobia and homophobia must be challenged through all work undertaken by GLBTIQ community organisations, in all avenues of government activity and within the broader Victoria community, all the way through to every interaction within the gay and lesbian community where transphobia can and still does rear its ugly head, from within our GLBTIQ community.

We call for the positive lessons learned through Victoria Police’s successful community awareness diversity recruit training to drop into cross-government diversity policy. This police training sees the colour and diversity of the transgender community explored alongside all the other letters of GLBTIQ, and multicultural communities.

Today we re-commit to ignite a movement for social change in Victoria that once and for all time challenged the ignorance and violence fueling transphobia and its ugly partner, homophobia.

AVP joins GLLO police on “The Conch” JOY 94.9

// November 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Media discussion

Live-on-air, the AVP joins Victoria Police gay and lesbian liaison officers and host Paul Anthony on “The Conch” – listen live here or if you are in Melbourne tune into JOY 94.9

Missing student located

// November 11th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Incidents, Media discussion

Missing student Timothy Wing Keung has been located in Sydney and is returning to Melbourne today. Police investigating his disappearance have spoken personally to him and he is safe and well. The Anti Violence Project thanks the GLBT and extended community for actively networking to ensure this man’s whereabouts became known and safety was ensured. The AVP particularly acknowledged the work of Knox Police CIU, Crime Stoppers and the Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers.

Community Safety Month podcasts

// November 9th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Media discussion, Within Victoria

Community Safety Month podcasts are coming on-line. First up is the launch from the Victoria Police Media Centre on 1st October 2009, plus other podcasts from the Police Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers segment of “The Conch”.

Check through the list of podcasts here!

Community Safety Month activities in the GLBT community were presented by the Anti-Violence Project of Victoria, JOY 94.9 and the Victoria Police.