From the Mobile Film Festival (1 Mobile, 1 Minute, 1 Film – Women’s Empowerment):
As a secular straight student at Jewish University, I have witnessed the struggle of the Orthodox Jewish LGBTQ community to gain recognition from the University. The natural tension between tradition and innovation arouses my curiosity, especially when there are those who suppose that some of our biblical heroes loved their same sex, like David and Jonathan. I wanted to touch on this ongoing conflict between faith and self expression. Is there another way by which we can live and let live?
Directed by: Lara Vosburgh Country: United States of America
ALEPH MELBOURNE LAUNCHES 2020 LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTION VOTERS GUIDE
Aleph Melbourne is proud to announce its 2020 Local Council Elections Voters Guide. The Voters Guide is designed to inform voters living in councils with high Jewish populations how to best identify candidates for the 2020 Local Council Elections who have pledged to support and promote the efforts of local governments to foster a culture that is inclusive, responsive and accessible to LGBTIQA+ Victorians.
Links to the Aleph Melbourne 2020 Local Council Elections Voters Guide:
The Voters Guide is primarily based on the Victorian Pride Lobby‘s Rainbow Votes site which calls on candidates to campaign for and support:
Rainbow Tick accreditation for council-run services.
the establishment or continuation of an LGBTIQA+ advisory committee to council.
the development and implementation of a LGBTIQA+ action plan for council.
flying the rainbow flag from council buildings on LGBTIQA+ awareness days.
marching in Pride March or participating in Midsumma or local pride events.
Our guide contains the names of those candidates who have responded to the Rainbow Votes pledge in full, in part, or as a refusal. The guide will be reviewed and updated periodically.
We encourage voters to locate their voting ward, review their candidates’ levels of support for LGBTIQ issues and vote in a manner that prioritises LGBTIQ equality.
We also encourage voters to contact candidates directly if they require additional information not included in the Voters Guide.
The Aleph Melbourne 2020 Voters Guide for Local Council Elections is designed to assist voters living in councils with high Jewish populations how to best identify candidates for the 2020 Local Council Elections who have pledged to support and promote the efforts of local governments to foster a culture that is inclusive, responsive and accessible to LGBTIQA+ Victorians.
We have selected councils with a Jewish population of at least 1000 based on data in the 2016 ABS Census. The six councils included in this guide in decreasing order of population are Glen Eira, Stonnington, Port Phillip, Bayside, Kinsgston and Boroondara.
The Voters Guide is primarily based on the Victorian Pride Lobby‘s Rainbow Votes site which calls on candidates to campaign for* and support:
✅ the establishment or continuation of an LGBTIQA+ advisory committee to council.
✅ the development and implementation of a LGBTIQA+ action plan for council.
✅ flying the rainbow flag from council buildings on LGBTIQA+ awareness days.
✅ marching in Pride March or participating in Midsumma or local pride events.
Our guide contains the names of those candidates who have responded to the Rainbow Votes pledge in full, in part, or as a refusal. Candidates who have not responded are omitted from the guide. Listed party affiliation is drawn from the candidate’s registration, party membership, or social media sources.
Updates to the guide will be made as candidates provide their responses to the Rainbow Votes page. We encourage to you contact individual candidates directly if their name is not listed in our guide.
Ballot packs will be mailed to registered voters from 6 to 8 October. Completed ballot packs must be returned before 6 pm on Friday 23 October.
The Victorian Electoral Map will help you determine which council and ward you are voting in.
Feedback, corrections and updates are invited via our contact page. Information is provided here in good faith and on the understanding that it is correct.
The guide is currently best viewed on a desktop browser.
* Victorian Pride Lobby have clarified their expectation of “campaigning”:
“By campaigning, we are simply asking for candidates to push for these LGBTIQA+ priorities if they are elected, for example, by moving a motion.
We will provide support to any Councillors who take the pledge on how best to push these priorities in their council. We do not expect that a candidate can achieve this on their own if you are elected, but we stand ready to work with them and any other supporters elected to Council to implement the priorities of LGBTIQA+ people.”
Victorian Pride Lobby
Voters Guide
Please select a Council from the dropdown list above
On September 17 2020 (5:43pm) Leah Boulton, founder of Pathways Melbourne, spoke on JOY 94.9‘s Drive program about a new confidential meet-up group for LGBTQIA+ people with life experience in Orthodox Judaism who want to talk about their sexuality, gender etc in a safe space.
Join Benjamin Law as he talks to fellow writers ?????? ?????? and ??? ??????? about identity and the inspiration behind their writing.
???????? ??? is a celebrated author and journalist, and the editor of ??????? ?? ????? ?? ?????????. He is a columnist for Fairfax’s Good Weekend magazine, co-host of ABC RN’s weekly national pop culture show, Stop Everything, and frequently appears on the TV shows Q&A, The Drum and The Project. Benjamin’s memoir, The Family Law, about growing up gay and Asian in Australia, was adapted for SBS TV.
??? ??????? is a Melbourne-based writer, PhD candidate, editor at Archer Magazine and is in the process of completing a memoir about gender diversity, Jewish identity, and mental illness. Roz describes their experience attending a Modern Orthodox Jewish school as a queer and non-binary person in their essay ‘Binary School’ which appeared in the anthology ??????? ?? ????? ?? ?????????.
?????? ?????? migrated from South Africa to Australia in 1989. After a career as a law lecturer and researcher, Hayley studied acting, and wrote and produced a play about asylum seekers. In 2005, Hayley moved to her girlfriend’s cattle farm in the Australian bush and completed an MFA (Creative Writing). Hayley’s short-stories and essays have been published internationally. ?????????? is her debut memoir.
