Category: Australia

Dissing Cass – by Bernard Lane – Gender Clinic News

A senior official of an Australian human rights body has likened England’s landmark Cass report to disinformation from a “village idiot”.

In a public webinar earlier this week, Kenton Miller of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission also falsely claimed that the Cass review’s survey of the evidence for youth gender medicine was “based on a very limited number of studies only within the UK.”

He told the webinar audience that the Cass review was “not legitimate at all” and he put it in the context of a surge in “dangerous messaging” that it was “unnatural” to be transgender.

“Because we now live in a very global village, unfortunately, that means we get to inherit some of the village idiots from other places, which means that a lot of the disinformation that’s out there, such as the Cass report, makes its way into our headlines and our media, with very little information being shared,” Mr Miller said.

The 2020-24 Cass review was led by the distinguished British paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass, a former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Her 388-page report outlines the world’s most comprehensive study of how best to respond to the unprecedented surge in gender-distressed teenagers, chiefly girls, many of them with autism, mental health disorders, awkward same-sex attraction and family trauma.

After systematic reviews of the international scientific literature, the Cass report found there was “remarkably weak evidence” to support puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for gender-distressed minors. In England, blockers have been restricted to clinical trials and Dr Cass has urged “extreme caution” before any use of cross-sex hormones with minors.

The Victorian human rights commission did not answer GCN’s questions about Mr Miller’s commentary on the Cass review.

Victoria’s human rights commission, which has a role in reporting to the police, had until recently claimed on its website that a parent refusing to support a child’s request for puberty blocker drugs would be in breach of the law.

Source: Dissing Cass – by Bernard Lane – Gender Clinic News

Jason Evert: US chastity preacher talks at NSW schools.

Weeks ago, the name Jason Evert would have barely been known by many in Australia. Now, there’s a legion of parents who are banding together and calling for his scheduled talks at schools to be cancelled.

Jason Evert is a “Catholic husband, proud father, chastity speaker and author”. He’s in Australia currently, going on a tour of sorts where he speaks to mostly female students about chastity.

His talks were organised by the wider Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay, whose schools span across Sydney, the NSW Central Coast and more.

Parents at one of these schools amassed over 700 petition signatures, calling for the event to be cancelled.

Following the subsequent media attention, Evert responded with some choice words… he’s referred to Sarah and other parents like her who criticised the scheduled compulsory talks as “witches”.

“Three of the chastity talks in high schools have been cancelled by parents and the ones who are taking credit for it are, no kidding, not making this up, are actually a group of witches!” he said in a video posted to X.

In a roundabout way he referred to himself or the Catholic Church (hard to tell which one) as a “Siberian tiger”, wondering why the “witches” bothered to try and compete.

Source: Jason Evert: US chastity preacher talks at NSW schools.

Bestiality references allegedly made during presentation at Renmark High School – ABC News

The South Australian Department for Education is investigating a presentation delivered to year 9 girls in a regional high school that allegedly referenced bestiality as being accepted by the LGBTQIA+ community.

Female students said teachers at Renmark High School told them to leave their lessons and attend a presentation in a separate classroom.

Student Courtney White, 14, said she felt confused and blindsided by the presentation.

“We had a teacher that told us to grab a chair and sit in front of the board, and then the Headspace people came in and then [the teacher] left, so then we’re sitting in front of a board alone with no teachers, just the Headspace people,” she said.

“The first slide of the PowerPoint on the board was ‘You can see queerly now’ and ‘No point hiding.'”

Fourteen-year-old Emelia Wundenberg said the presenter was graphic when referencing their own sexual preferences and spoke in sexually explicit terms about growing up and being confused about whether they idolised people of the same gender or wanted to be intimate with them.

Students say they were then given an explanation of the initialism LGBTQIA+, with each word and its meaning displayed on the screen.

The students said bestiality was then explained in detail and the presenter seemed to imply it was something practised by people who identified as LGBTQIA+.

“They said [the queer community] just accepts all of it, even though … isn’t it illegal?” Emelia said.

“There was a slide for what the ‘plus’ means, and they just started randomly saying words that no-one knew, like bestiality,” Emelia said.

 

Source: Bestiality references allegedly made during presentation at Renmark High School – ABC News

ALRC | JRSV Issues Paper and call for submissions | Due this Friday!

The ALRC is calling for submissions to its inquiry into Justice Responses to Sexual Violence (JRSV Inquiry). Submissions will remain open until Friday, 24 May 2024.

The ALRC has published an Issues Paper containing a number of questions to help guide submissions. The Issues Paper looks at a range of aspects relevant to the Inquiry, such as reporting, the police and prosecution response to sexual violence, the trial process, and civil justice options.

Through the JRSV Inquiry, the ALRC is considering how to harmonise laws about sexual violence across Australia and how to promote just outcomes for people who have experienced sexual violence.

Source: ALRC | JRSV Issues Paper and call for submissions

Women-only exhibit in Australian museum set to install toilet to keep men out | The Independent

A museum in Australia, fighting to keep an exhibition open only to women after a court ordered that men should be allowed entry under anti-discrimination laws, is installing a toilet in the gallery to keep them out.

An exhibit by American artist Kirsha Kaechele, titled “Ladies Lounge” at the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Tasmania, was previously open only to those who identify as women.

It was closed after a man, New South Wales resident Jason Lau, sued the museum for denying him entry in April 2023.

The Tasmanian civil and administrative tribunal found the museum to be in violation of the state’s anti-discriminatory law and ordered Mona to allow “persons who do not identify as ladies” to enter the exhibition.

Mona appealed to reverse the ruling, arguing that the decision took “too narrow a view on women’s historical and ongoing societal disadvantage” and that the Ladies Lounge can “promote equal opportunity”.

Ms Kaechele said she will challenge the court’s 19 March ruling by ensuring that the space is “compliant” with regulations, and turn the space into a women’s toilet and a church – allowing it to operate as a women-only space under legal exemptions.

However, men who want to enter will be allowed to do so on Sundays – to learn how to iron and fold laundry.

Source: Women-only exhibit in Australian museum set to install toilet to keep men out | The Independent

Tears, abuse, remorse: Inside Sydney’s domestic violence court | SMH

It has been a long day in Blacktown’s Court 2, where a magistrate trained in trauma and experienced in domestic violence matters hears one of the state’s new family violence court lists.

It has also been a bleak and fraught day, as the court sorts through a litany of cases that show domestic violence is complex and comes in many different forms.

NSW established the Specialist Family Violence list at two city and a handful of regional courthouses in September last year. Local Courts are struggling with the volume of domestic violence-related matters – they constitute about 40 per cent of the workload – so the list aims to deal with cases more quickly, and in a more respectful and trauma-informed way, by people who have particular expertise.

There is intense interest in how this trial is operating, as discussions are under way at the highest levels of government about how the court system should approach domestic and family violence, and whether that should involve a standalone domestic violence court or an expansion of the family violence pilot.

The lawyers and court staff who deal with these specialist lists are required to make the experience as victim-friendly as possible – to avoid legal jargon, explain in simple terms what’s happening and give complainants a voice.

They must also give witnesses regular breaks, avoid dismissive language and ensure everyone involved understands the next step.

The magistrates have special training in trauma, and the volume of DV cases they deal with gives them a better understanding than most about common tactics, such as the abuser taking out an ADVO against their victim to muddy the waters about who is abusing whom. Prosecutors also have special training, both from the Department of Communities and Justice and from police.

Liz Snell, the law reform and policy co-ordinator for Women’s Legal Service NSW, says the pilot is welcome, and needs to include specially trained staff who prioritise victim-survivor safety.

“The specialist list is in its early days and we look forward to an evaluation of the impact it has had,” she says.

 

Source: 12ft

Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto apologises after settling two defamation cases – ABC News

Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto has issued a public apology after settling two defamation cases brought against him by activists Kellie-Jay Keen and Angie Jones.

The women were pursuing him over comments he made after they were involved in an anti-trans rights rally on the steps of state parliament in March 2023 called “Let Women Speak”.

The event was gatecrashed by Neo-Nazis who performed the Nazi salute multiple times.

MP Moira Deeming’s involvement in the “Let Women Speak” rally led to her suspension and eventual expulsion from the Liberal party.

Overnight, he released a statement saying he never believed or intended to assert that Kellie-Jay Keen and Angie Jones were Neo-Nazis.

He said it was also now clear from public statements made by Ms Keen and Ms Jones that they shared his belief that Nazism was odious and contemptible.

“I recognise that there have been times when my comments could have more clearly differentiated between the organisers of the 18 March 2023 Let Women Speak Rally and the Neo-Nazis who attended the steps of Parliament House on that day,” Mr Pesutto said.

“As far as my comments may have been misunderstood as conveying that I believed this to be the case, I apologise for any hurt, distress or harm that has occurred.”

Mr Pesutto described Ms Keen and Ms Jones as passionate women’s rights activists with long histories of advocacy in Australia and internationally.

“I agree with them that genuine community concerns regarding women’s safety and access to single-sex spaces, services and sport warrant meaningful public discussion,” he said.

“I condemn the use of threats, intimidation and abusive language, particularly misogynistic, vile and explicit language that has no place in our society.”

Ms Keen said she was delighted Mr Pesutto had offered “such a full and magnanimous apology”.

“I hope women throughout Australia should feel a little safer speaking about their fears in public,” she said.

Mr Pesutto continued to face defamation action brought by exiled liberal MP Moira Deeming.

Source: Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto apologises after settling two defamation cases – ABC News

What advocacy groups are saying about this year’s budget

Women’s Legal Services Australia is one such organisation that will suffer as a result of the lack of investment in frontline services for women’s safety. Elena Rosenman, the Chair of Women’s Legal Services Australia, described it as a “step backwards” for the female-dominated workforce of the community legal sector.

“This Budget means many women’s legal services will have to start planning to reduce services to women experiencing gender-based violence. This includes legal assistance for women separating from violent partners, specialist Domestic Violence Units, Health Justice Partnerships and sexual harassment legal services,” Rosenman said.

“We are deeply concerned that the Albanese Government has completely overlooked the critical work of women’s legal services. We are already forced to turn away over 52,000 women every year due to lack of adequate resources.

“If we are asking Australian women to trust that the system will be there for them when they flee a violent relationship, we must ensure they can access the trauma-informed, integrated legal services they need.

“The solicitors, social workers, First Nations caseworkers, and financial counsellors who work in frontline women’s legal services are exposed to significant trauma. They deserve to be paid appropriately for their contribution to our community.”

People with Disability: ‘Completely invisible’

President of peak disability body People with Disability Australia (PWDA) Marayke Jonkers said women with disability who experience violence were “completely invisible” in the federal budget.

“There’s nothing that recognises the unique forms of violence experienced by women with disability or prioritises accessible and targeted responses to end the violence we endure at twice the rate,” Jonkers said.

“The gaps in the Leaving Violence Program for women with disability is emblematic of this.”

On the whole, Jonkers said the organisation missed an opportunity to implement recommendations made by the Disability Royal Commission to better support people with disability.

“People with disability are tired of incremental change. We need a total overhaul of housing, education, health and the systems we rely on for support and to fully participate in the community,” she said.

Source: What advocacy groups are saying about this year’s budget

Federal Budget 2024: Winners and Losers – ABC News

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has handed down the government’s third budget. Have a look at what’s new — and what’s in it for you.

Women

The largest measure most closely targeted to supporting women was already announced by the federal government ahead of the budget.

That’s an almost $1 billion commitment to make a $5,000 payment for women fleeing violent relationships permanent in the budget, a scheme first trialled by the Morrison government.

Another $1 billion will be put towards crisis and transitional accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

Superannuation will also be paid on Commonwealth-funded paid parental leave from July next year, a measure that will help to close the gap in men’s and women’s savings at retirement.

That will cost another $1.1 billion over four years, and $623.1 million each year after.

Source: Federal Budget 2024: Winners and Losers – ABC News

Minns to announce tough new bail laws after Molly Ticehurst death

Men accused of serious domestic violence offences will either be denied bail or be forced to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet under a major shakeup of the state’s bail laws likely to be introduced into parliament this week.

On Tuesday, the Minns government will announce a series of sweeping changes designed to make it harder for men accused of serious domestic violence offences to be released back into the community.

At the centre of the package is a reversal of the presumption of bail against men accused of serious domestic violence offences, which includes intimate partner violence involving elements such as sexual assault, strangulation, kidnapping or coercive control.

NSW Premier Chris Minns will announce those kinds of offences will be subject to what is known as the “show cause” test, which requires an alleged offender to demonstrate why they should be let out into the community.

A requirement for magistrates and judges to consider “red flag” behaviour such as animal cruelty, stalking and verbal or physical abuse when considering bail will be introduced, while courts will need to consider the views of victims and their families.

The government will also make it easier to prosecute perpetrators who use tracking and surveillance devices to control victims.

Meanwhile, changes to weekend courts will ensure bail decisions are made by magistrates and not court registrars as in the case of Ticehurst’s alleged murderer Daniel Billings.

[Ed: Unfortunately tougher laws make women more reluctant to report and police more reluctant to charge men with DV offences and still does nothing about misogynist decision making. Although the article indicates the laws are aimed at men, is the legislation to be sex specific? Otherwise expect to see more mothers refused bail or wearing ankle bracelets as they take their children to school.]

Source: 12ft