Abuse, threats and harassment of Indigenous Australians has risen ahead of a proposed referendum on “The Voice,” a move to provide First Nations representation in government, according to the Australian eSafety Commissioner. The proportion of complaints about cyber abuse has increased from 5% to 5.6% in the past quarter. The survey also found the leader of the No campaign had been subjected to online racial abuse. Meanwhile, ABC Q&A presenter Stan Grant resigned from the show after dealing with an increase in racism involving he and his family on social media.
Melbourne University has cleared a philosopher who fell into a two-year dispute with trans rights protesters of any disciplinary breach. After attending the Let Women Speak rally in Melbourne in October 2020 and speaking at it, trans activists posting stickers across campus accusing students of her feminism class of being “fascists and bigots”. The University reviewed her Twitter and found that she had no case to answer, and that her opinions demonstrated a personal individual matter for her outside of her work. However, the boycott campaign has continued, and now security guards will be deployed during her classes to protect her.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy's far-right Prime Minister, has dismissed criticism from Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over her stance on LGBTQ+ rights. At a G7 Summit press conference, Meloni claimed that Trudeau had fallen "victim" to "fake news" and propaganda, with the accusations not "correspond[ing] to reality". Last month, Meloni's government told Italian city halls to stop automatically registering both parents in same-sex couples as parents, limiting recognition to only the biological parent. LGBTQ+ rights activists held rallies in opposition to the move, calling it homophobic.
Using ‘he/him,’ ‘she/her’ in emails got 2 dorm directors fired at small New York Christian college
The Toronto Star
23-05-21 04:19
Two recently fired dorm directors at Houghton University, a small Christian university in western New York, are pushing back against a new policy demanding email signatures have no gender identity attached to them. Shua Wilmot and Raegan Zelaya refused to adhere to the new policy, for which they were fired. The ongoing culture wars in the US over sexual preferences, gender identity and transgender rights have engulfed politics, school campuses and many other facets of public and private life. This is an issue for other religiously-affiliated campuses in the US. In the northwest of the US, 16 plaintiffs are suing Seattle Pacific University to challenge the school’s employment policy barring people in same-sex relationships from full-time jobs. In New York City, LGBTQ students are challenging Yeshiva University’s decision to bar their student-run club from campus. As a result of this issue, Paul Southwick, director of the Religious Exemption Accountability Project, said "there’s a backlash against the rise of LGBTQ rights".
WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner played her first competitive basketball game in almost two years following her release from an incarceration in Russia. Last February, Griner was arrested on drug charges at a Moscow airport during tensions over Ukraine before being sentenced to nine years in prison in August. Last year, she was eventually released as part of a prisoner swap, with tennis legend Billie Jean King, Los Angeles Lakers icon Earvin “Magic” Johnson, and current Lakers head coach Darvin Ham in attendance as she returned to play for Phoenix Mercury.
Italian PM Meloni rejects criticism from Trudeau over LGBTQ rights
CBC
23-05-21 02:20
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has dismissed criticism about her government's stance on LGBTQ rights from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G7 Summit. Trudeau had expressed concern on Canadian television before private talks that he hoped to have with Meloni, but she rejected his remark as inaccurate and the result of "fake news". Meloni's government came under fire earlier this year for urging city halls to stop recognising both parents in same-sex relationships, which activists criticised as homophobic.
This play is teaching kids about a Toronto race riot — right where it happened
CBC
23-05-21 08:00
A new production called "Christie Pits Riot" has been staged to coincide with the 90th anniversary of one of the largest race riots in Canada’s history. Exploding antisemitism and anti-immigrant sentiment in Depression-era Toronto parallelled the rise of Adolf Hitler. The new immersive, site-specific production helps the story to become more personal and emotional for those watching. It has left strong impressions on its audience, who hope to draw the general public to the show and perhaps tour it.
Retired Ontario Court of Justice judge Mary Hogan believes that affordable housing, access to more supports, and education for judges are required to improve public safety. Hogan highlights how social problems like substance abuse and mental health issues disproportionately affect people who end up in the criminal justice system. The lack of payment or resources for necessary care programs doesn't guarantee that people will be saved from ending up in jail and serving time. This reality ultimately makes society unsafe. Hogan says that if "people get the necessary help now and get some housing, the public is probably safer than if they go to jail, do some time, and have no assistance." Hogan is urging the provincial court to review cases and diverts serious cases outside of traditional criminal justice systems so that individuals get the help and support they need instead of jail time. According to Hogan, the system needs to provide additional support as people who receive help and access to housing feel a greater sense of direction and purpose and are less likely to re-enter the justice system.
Biden bets DeSantis’ ‘Florida blueprint’ will help him flip the Sunshine State and win reelection
CNN
23-05-21 10:01
Democratic officials and advisors for President Joe Biden are gearing up to face Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2024 presidential race. While DeSantis has been making a number of public appearances in recent months, the Democrats have started quietly spending campaign cash and efforts into Florida, with 12 top officials stating they intend to challenge DeSantis' record. Democrats will challenge his views on abortion restrictions, his lifting of concealed weapons permitting, his stance on unlawful immigration, and his criticism of “woke” politics. While the Biden camp is keen to run against Donald Trump, Democrats are closely monitoring the Trump-DeSantis feud, using it as an opportunity to alienate swing voters.
One Biden adviser has warned that it is a mistake to assume DeSantis will be untouchable and that memories of his controversial positions will fade. Democrats are said to be road-testing attack lines, with a mobile billboard impacting DeSantis while on his trip in Iowa. The Democratic National Committee has also had a staffer in Tallahassee to informally monitor and compile intelligence up close. Vice President Kamala Harris’s team has also announced a $25m investment in voting rights initiatives, targeting key states like Florida from a pool of funds for democracy projects.
The Biden strategy involved focusing his energy on building a cohesive national platform before deploying big money when an opponent emerged. White House deputy chief of staff Jen O’Malley Dillon indicated to attendees at a meeting that the Biden campaign is serious about reversing the reddening of a previously blue state. The campaign has also been coordinating with donors about a fundraising trip to Florida before the end of June and began buying cable and online ads in Florida as part of a multistate purchase shortly after the campaign launch.
The Online Safety Bill currently being debated in the UK would lead to government-mandated mass surveillance of the country’s smartphones, with opaque databases and potential flaws that could be exploited by hostile states and hackers, warns Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation. As written, the legislation would nullify end-to-end encryption that protects users from cyber criminals and repressive regimes. Whittaker urges the British parliament to consider other measures to protect vulnerable internet users, rather than stripping the public of fundamental privacy rights. The original objective of the bill was to protect children online.
NAACP among civil rights groups warning tourists about Florida in wake of 'hostile' laws
CBC
23-05-21 16:39
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has issued a travel advisory for Florida citing policies that have been described as "openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals." The warning has been supported by Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization. Florida is one of the US's most popular tourist destinations and the travel industry is one of the state's largest job sectors, providing 1.6 million part-time and full-time jobs and $98.8 billion US in visitor spending in 2019.
More than 100 Oxford students have signed a letter supporting free speech amid efforts to prevent a speech being given by feminist Professor Kathleen Stock, who argues “transwomen are not women”. The group, which is from various colleges, said the harassment experienced by the Oxford Union for inviting Stock was “appalling”. It added that opposing views were necessary and that threats to free speech set a dangerous precedent. Some of the university’s junior common rooms, meanwhile, have called for Stock to be prevented from speaking. LGBTQ+ groups have vowed to stage a protest during the speech at the end of May.
Ralph Babet, the Australian senator for Victoria, has relinquished his directorship of the family estate agency Babet Brothers. He said that although he continues to work for the firm, he was too busy with his parliamentary duties to remain a director. He has transferred full control of the business to his brother Bertrand. Babet is one of the Australian Conservatives' elected representatives and was elected after receiving significant electoral funding from mining magnate Clive Palmer. Although nominally a member of the party, Babet has vocally criticised his colleagues and complained that his Senator's income, which is over AUD $200,000 ($145,193), was a pay cut from his previous earnings in real estate.
Grassroots footy club, the University of Melbourne Women’s Football Club (also known as the “Mugars”), has welcomed transgender and gender-diverse people with open arms. The club held an open training night for trans and gender-diverse persons in April this year and since then has recruited just one participant, a woman named Olivia who now plays in the club’s third team. The value of the club’s inclusion practices has been reflected in the club’s success both on and off the field. The club has received better welfare opportunities for players, better revenue opportunities for the club through sponsorship and through grants, better social events, and more chances for on-field success. The Mugars’ open training night was held to create a space for trans people who feel unwelcome in sporting environments. At the elite level of AFL in Australia, players must meet certain standards: the AFL requires female trans players’ testosterone levels to be at or less than five nanomoles per litre continuously for at least two years, and to provide physical and athletic performance data.
The Oxford Union has caused controversy with its decision to invite the feminist philosopher Kathleen Stock to speak about gender. It has sparked protests from various student groups and lobbying by academics, with members of Oxford’s LGBTQ+ society calling for Stock’s invite to be rescinded. Stock resigned as a professor of philosophy at the University of Sussex after “bullying and harassment” in response to her views on biological sex and gender identification. The University of Oxford’s student union has passed a motion to cut financial ties with the Oxford Union, its first-ever such action. Several Oxford colleges have also petitioned to rescind the invitation. In response, over 40 academics, including Richard Dawkins, have signed a letter to The Telegraph supporting Stock’s appearance, arguing that free speech must be upheld. The Oxford Union has said that additional welfare resources would be available during Stock’s talk because of its sensitive nature.
The Online Safety Bill currently being debated in the UK would lead to government-mandated mass surveillance of the country’s smartphones, with opaque databases and potential flaws that could be exploited by hostile states and hackers, warns Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation. As written, the legislation would nullify end-to-end encryption that protects users from cyber criminals and repressive regimes. Whittaker urges the British parliament to consider other measures to protect vulnerable internet users, rather than stripping the public of fundamental privacy rights. The original objective of the bill was to protect children online.
The Associated Press recently looked at how Florida has changed since Governor Ron DeSantis came into office, reflecting on the state's political and cultural landscape. Concerns over the cost of living, rising rents, insurance, and inflation remain unresolved. A surge in hate-related incidents has been noted, and there have been anti-LGBTQ+ moves, including the passing of laws limiting sexual education in schools. However, since DeSantis' election, the Republican party dominates Florida politics, and critics argue that no power can stop the passage of legislation in the Republican-controlled Legislature, leaving Democrats mostly relegated to messaging.
Meanwhile, DeSantis, who has been widely discussed as a potential presidential candidate for the Republican Party, has become more emboldened and has a powerful mandate that the Florida public supports his policies and ideology, and he has passed an agenda that suits a GOP presidential primary. His name recognition has skyrocketed as he campaigns, and he has faced criticism from fellow Republicans for attacking businesses, including Disney. Tension has risen across the state surrounding the rights of LGBTQ+ community members and discussions of race.
Schools are being cautious around vague language, such as that surrounding the classification of LGBTQ+ characters in books, and backlash has come from teachers who cannot express who they are in the classroom, forcing many to hide their LGBTQ+ lifestyles. Many residents feel more endangered, and hate attacks have been on the rise. DeSantis may be focusing on issues dividing people of different ideologies, but new gun laws allowing people to carry concealed firearms without a permit and a focus on abortion, however, is causing a real discussion about Florida’s future.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis is expected to officially enter the 2024 presidential race following months of speculation and tipped to file formal paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday 25 May. Mr DeSantis is seen as Donald Trump’s biggest rival for the Republican vote and has been expected to throw his hat into the ring for some time. The latest polls show Mr DeSantis trailing Mr Trump, with the former president enjoying a 36-point lead. Mr DeSantis will join an already crowded race, with Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Larry Elder and Tim Scott already announcing bids.
However, this comes just days after the NAACP issued a formal advisory warning travellers that Florida is openly hostile towards Black people, people of colour and LGBT+ people following a series of laws signed by Governor DeSantis in recent months targeting classroom instruction around race and racism. In contrast, GOP supermajorities in the Florida Statehouse have helped DeSantis push through legislation, including gender identity, and he has made anti-LGBTQ+ legislation a large part of his messaging as he prepares to seek the Republican presidential nomination.
Following the GOP party’s disappointing midterms, several Republican lawmakers and right-wing media have rallied behind Mr DeSantis as their candidate of choice. The Republican party is currently looking for a candidate who can both energise conservative voters and win over the crucial swing states.
A teacher has been banned from working in the UK after “misgendering” a transgender pupil. Joshua Sutcliffe was found to have failed to use the preferred pronouns of a girl who identified as male and to have failed to demonstrate “dignity and respect”. Sutcliffe, a former teacher of maths, also expressed opposition to gay marriage and showed a video containing “inappropriate comments”. He vowed to appeal: “I believe affirming children in gender confusion in the classroom is psychologically damaging for them. I refuse to go against my conscience and cause a child harm and refuse to apologise for that.”
Los Angeles Dodgers reinstate gay ‘nun’ group for Pride Night award
The Toronto Star
23-05-23 00:35
The Los Angeles Dodgers will reinstate satirical LGBTQ+ group the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for its annual Pride Night, following the team’s decision to revoke the group’s initial invitation less than a week ago. The group, consisting mostly of men dressed as nuns, will receive the Community Hero Award at the June 16 event. After outcry from conservative Roman Catholics and the cutting of ties from various LGBTQ+ groups, the Dodgers apologised and stated its willingness to work with LGBTQ+ partners to support fans within the Dodgers family and to boost inclusivity.
