Regretfully Aleph Melbourne will not be participating in the 2017 Pride March due to Midsumma keeping News Corp Australia as a sponsor. This breaks an annual tradition going back to 1997.
While News Corp journalists like Andrew Bolt, Mirada Devine and Rita Panahi are on a crusade to destroy transgender kids, the Safe Schools program and marriage equality, it is completely unacceptable for any LGBTIQ community organisation to accept money or in-kind support from them.
Thirteen-year old Tyrone Unsworth might not have had cause to take his own life if News Corp had not fuelled the fires of bigotry and intolerance. If Midsumma want to partner with News Corp then it must accept responsibility for Tyrone’s tragic death.
“This is the second year that News Corp have been a supporter of Midsumma (Herald Sun logo was used last year).”
Midsumma (Nov 25 2016)
Sadly this is the second year that Midsumma have had News Corp as a sponsor. Aleph Melbourne would not have participated in 2016 if this had become apparent at the time.
Aleph Melbourne calls on Midsumma to hold News Corp to account for their words and actions, along with returning any cash sponsorship or in-kind support.
We have cancelled our registration in the 2017 Pride March due to @midsumma accepting @newscorpaus sponsorship. First absence since 1997.
Transgender teen becomes youngest, and first ever LGBTI person to receive prestigious ADC Making a Difference Award
November 15, 2016
16-year-old transgender teen Georgie Stone, who has campaigned for transgender rights and for greater tolerance, has become the youngest, and first, LGBTI person to win the prestigious Anti-Defamation Commission’s (ADC) Making a Difference Award given to individuals who through their actions champion social change, confront hatred, and empower others to create a more inclusive, respectful society.
Dr. Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC issued the following statement:
“Georgie is a remarkable young woman. Her courageous advocacy for the LGBTI community, and her unwavering, uplifting dedication to create a kinder and more tolerant Australia perfectly mirror our core mission of combatting discrimination and bigotry. She is a one-of-a-kind inspirational advocate for social change and a positive role model foryoung people to stand up to hatred and bullying. Her passionate voice reminds us that we all have a duty to bring greater awareness to the impact of bias, to advance equality and opportunity for all people and to build bridges of understanding.”
In accepting the award Georgie Stone said:
“It was an honour to receive the Making a Difference Award from the Anti-Defamation Commission. We have made so much progress in the fight for transgender rights, but there is still a long way to go. Our combined efforts will hopefully bring about the change in laws and acceptance that we need to progress as a society.”
The Anti-Defamation Commission, founded in 1979, is Australia’s leading civil rights organization fighting racism through educational programs that combat bigotry, prejudice and all forms of hatred.
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677.
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A selection of responses to Bill Leak’s “Waffen-SSM“ cartoon that were published in the Australian Jewish News. Click on each to enlarge.
“Leak’s SS and SSM comparison ‘repulsive'” by Yael Brender (Sep 30, 2016)
Letter by Geoff Bloch (Oct 14, 2016)
Letter by Paul Winter (Oct 21, 2016)
Letter by Gregory Storer (part 1) (Oct 28, 2016)
Letter by Gregory Storer (part 2) (Oct 28, 2016)
Protecting minorities
IT’S a bit rich for Paul Winter (AJN 21/10) to talk about society only protecting noisy, aggressive minorities subverting democracy.
Part of our democratic society is to protest about things we see as wrong. Signalling disapproval to a supplier, such as a hotel, is a legitimate way to make it known that you disapprove of their business practices. Threatening people is never acceptable and every protest has those on the fringe. It’s unfair to suggest that all protesters hold the same opinions or use the same actions. Similarly, overlooking that a vast majority of Australians support marriage equality and that it’s a small minority of religious people who object is to ignore reality.
As a society we must look after our minorities and listen to their needs so that people aren’t simply ignored or regarded as insignificant. The gay population is about two per cent, while the Jewish population is around 0.5 per cent.
Minorities always struggle to have their plight seen as important by the larger population and struggle to gain recognition and relevance in a world that mostly considers minorities unimportant.
In his letter, Geoff Bloch (AJN 14/10) downplays the obvious Nazi connections with the Leak cartoon. He said that the cartoon did not depict marriage equality advocates as Nazis, seeming to avoid the only words written on the cartoon “Waffen-SSM”.
Speaking as a man who is gay, I found Leak’s cartoon to be in extremely bad taste and Bloch’s letter equally objectionable.
