Training the GLBTI trainers | AJN

The Australian Jewish News
Friday January 4, 2013
Page 7

Training the GLBTI trainers
AJN STAFF

KESHET Australia – a local group representing the rights of the Jewish gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) community – is seeking expressions of interest from rabbis, educators, and community professionals to take part in a US training program.

Workshops in January and May this year will provide programs for “training the trainers”, said Keshet Australia convenor Jonathan Barnett.

The workshops, organised by the Keshet Training Institute in the US, will teach these individuals how to train their own organisational staff to treat GLBTI individuals in an affirmative and inclusive manner, he said.

Keshet Australia is offer a limited number of partial scholarships to applicants who show a commitment to sharing the insights gained at these workshops with colleagues in the Australian Jewish communities, Barnett said.

Barnett said applicants need to detail why the wish to attend the Keshet Training Institute and how they hope to share learned knowledge in their local Jewish communities.

Enquiries: president@keshet.org.au.

Clarifying the authority of the ECAJ « mikeybear

Clarifying the authority of the ECAJ « mikeybear.

The ADC opposes discrimination against GLBTI | J-Wire

The ADC opposes discrimination against GLBTI | J-Wire.


Paul Winter says:

The ADC is right to oppose all forms of dicrimination.

With regard to same sex “marriage”, it would be well advised to adopt the historical Jewish perspective which regards homosexuality as an abomination.

Progressive Jews do not regard homosexuality as an abomination and, as I read in the Jewish press, even Orthodox Jews love homosexual people as fellow human beings.

However, for millenia, marriage has been the union of a man and a woman for the bringing forth and the raising of children and for being role models for them. And that’s what marriage should remain.

In Australia, unlike as in the USA, all forms of relationship are treated as equal for all privileges and entitlements. We have no inequalities. Homosexuals claim to seek equality only to compel us to accept any type of relationship as equal to normal and time-honoured marriage. It isn’t and never will be.

If homosexual people want to formalise a relationship, let them enter upon something, like say, a partnering pact. My marriage of nearly five decades and the marriage of my children is something I treasure and respect and it is not something that people who chose alternative life styles are entitled to, nor are they entitled to demean those just because they cannot reconcile themselves to their social and sexual differences.


Otto Waldmann says:

Cannot understand what is all this fuss about.
Those who belong to a certain life style , as described above, have acquired in Australia – at least – complete freedom of whatever they want to do with themselves privately.
Is there a prohibition or shortage of gay bars, brothels or any other social venues for their enjoyment !!
Is the gay and lesbian mardi gras suddenly not allowed to parade through the main CBD !!?? Are the same gay and lesbians not employed in public places and , in certain institutions of general function, don’t they even dominate the “scene” ??!! Are there any obstacles in the public domain for the same to proclaim their sexual prefferences, such as open statements in all kind of forums about one’s sexual profile ??!! Such groups state quite strongly that they are gay or lesbian whenever interviewed on any OTHER topic. A certain Federal Minister is practically cellebrated for her lesbian relationship, child with two mothers included, the recently departed Greens bloke leader has been introducing us to his husband, Paul – see I even know his/her name !! – without fear or reaction to that at all. Is anyone stopping not a perfectly shaven transgender lovely lady strolling on his high heels around unhindered and perfectly ignored ??!! Are partnerships of this kind not allowed to function leglly in terms of inheritance ??! Aren’t they treated equally in terms of welfare benefits as partners !!?? And so on and on and on and on…….
Not good enough !!?? Too bad.


ADC opposes discrimination against GLBTI Australians

[SOURCE]

B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission
PROMOTING DIVERSITY

CHAIRMAN: Dr Dvir Abramovich
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Geoffrey Zygier
PATRON: Greg Rosshandler, Yaniv Meydan
ASSOCIATE PATRON: Rosetta Bloom
COUNCIL OF ADVISORS:
The Hon RJL Hawke AC; The Hon JW Howard AC;
Professor Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE;
The Rt Hon Sir Ninian Stephen KG AK GCMG GCVO KBE;
Emeritus Professor Louis Waller AO, President

MEDIA RELEASE

ADC opposes discrimination against GLBTI Australians
17 December 2012

Chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich today expressed the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission’s opposition to discrimination against GLBTI Australians. He noted as follows:

“I recently wrote to Attorney General Nicola Roxon to express this organisation’s general support for the federal government’s proposed Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights Bill 2012 [see media release, 06/12]. In doing so, I congratulated the government on the inclusion of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people as grounds for complaint.”

“To further clarify the ADC’s views, the Commission has always opposed any form of bigotry, prejudice or hatred and will continue to fight for individual liberty and freedom from discrimination for all Australians on various grounds, including sexual orientation and/or gender identity.”

“Perhaps the most contentious and divisive of the ‘equal treatment’ issues in the Jewish and larger communities is same-sex marriage. While the ADC’s new Board has no position on marriage equality at this time, its management team will determine its policy on this and various other issues in 2013.”

“Local GLBTI media have circulated the ADC’s views; I draw your attention to the following link: http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2012/12/13/jewish-body-backs-lgbtiprotections/91482.”

Please address any enquiries to ADC Executive Director Geoffrey Zygier on 03 9272 5672.

Love, Rage and the Occupation: Bisexual Politics in Israel/Palestine – Journal of Bisexuality – Volume 12, Issue 1

Love, Rage and the Occupation: Bisexual Politics in Israel/Palestine – Journal of Bisexuality – Volume 12, Issue 1.

Israeli gays ‘come out’ earlier | JPost

[SOURCE]

The number of Israeli lesbian, gay and bisexual teens who identify their sexual leanings and “come out” to their family and friends has grown dramatically in the past two decades, with the average age dropping from 25 in 1991 to 16 in 2010, according to Tel Aviv University researchers.

In a new study published in the journal Family Relations on the stress factors and the mental health of sexual minorities, Dr. Guy Shilo of TAU’s Bob Shapell School of Social Work reported that family support and acceptance is becoming increasingly essential for LGB youth. “Family support is a crucial variable in the mental health of young LGBs, higher than peer support,” wrote Shilo, noting that it is difficult for LGB teens to separate themselves from unsupportive families because they are still dependent on them for their welfare.

Shilo and his colleague Prof. Riki Savaya conducted a study of 461 self-identified LGB youth aged 16 to 23 to examine how stress related to being part of a minority group was impacting their mental health. To determine stress levels, the researchers questioned participants on how they felt about their family, friends and peer support, as well as their connection to the LGB community for emotional support. Participants were evaluated for mental distress and feelings of well-being – the polar negative and positive of mental health.

While peer support certainly had an impact on the mental health of participants, the researchers discovered that family support was more central to their sense of well-being.

A lack of family support was found to significantly heighten mental distress among the study participants, which can lead to depression.

In addition, they found that family acceptance had the strongest positive impact on self-acceptance of sexual orientation.

Adult LGBs who lack the support of their families, explained Shilo, often react by leaving their families behind. They build separate lives that can include “families of choice,” where peer groups – mainly from the LGB community – form an alternative family structure and give each other the same emotional support and sense of belonging that a family is meant to provide. But this is not always a viable option at a younger age.

Today, more adolescents are open about their sexual orientation – and the younger they are, the more important family connections tend to be, wrote Shilo, who works with Beit Dror, a shelter for runaway LGB youth in central Tel Aviv supported by the municipality and the Welfare and Social Services Ministry and the Israel Gay Youth Organization.

The average 16-year-old is still in school and depends on family for financial support, food and shelter. “They can’t just get up and go.”

The tendency of LGBs to come out earlier in life derives from social and cultural progress, concluded Shilo. Most adult LGBs knew they were homosexual or bisexual at the age of nine or 10, he maintained. “The increasing respect and recognition of the rights of sexual minorities have provided the encouragement to ‘come out’ at an earlier age,” he wrote.

JCCV calls for submissions on issues affecting GLBT people in Jewish community

The following advertisement appeared on page 4 of the Melbourne edition of the Australian Jewish News on Friday July 29 2011.

JCCV "GLBT Issues" Call for Submissions July 29 2011

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria established a GLBT (Gay,  Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender) Reference group to investigate issues surrounding vilification, discrimination and mental health concerns faced by members of Victoria’s Jewish GLBT community.

These are serious issues and to assist the JCCV in formulating its views it is now calling for relevant submissions.

It is expected that members of Victoria’s Jewish GLBT community will predominantly provide submissions.  However, submissions from other community members are welcome.  Submissions may detail relevant experiences, positive or negative in relation to matters of discrimination, vilification and/or mental health issues within the Jewish community or may raise other points of relevance.

We are particularly concerned about the impact which these issues may have upon suicide rates and submissions concerning this aspect are also sought.

Submissions may be particularised to address the following issues:

  • your personal experience of instances of vilification
  • your personal experience of episodes of discrimination
  • any impact that GLBT issues have had upon your mental health

Submissions will be received on an entirely confidential basis but will only be considered if they are accompanied by the author’s name and contact details.

Submissions should be sent to:

The President
JCCV
306 Hawthorn Road
South Caulfield Victoria 3162

or alternatively via email to president@jccv.org.au

Submissions must be received by close of business on 31 August 2011.

Help is always available from the following:

Lifeline – 131 114
Gay & Lesbian Switchboard – 1800 184 527 / (03) 9663 2939
Jewish Care – 8517 5999 (business hours)