Rodney Croome . gay advocate

i) Current campaigns and actions

Support ACT civil partnership ceremonies

This action alert was issued by Equal Love Canberra on 17.11.09.

Dear supporters,

With the Religious Right kicking off their campaign to have civil union ceremonies quashed in the ACT (See: http://ow.ly/CVqg), the prospect of the laws staying looks grim. I predict Kevin Rudd will override our laws. He will probably choose this weekend's Australian Christian Lobby National Conference as his stage.

It's time for us to defend these laws before it's too late.

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i) Current campaigns and actions

Contact ALP national Conference delegates

This action alert was issued by Australian Marriage Equality on 28.7.09.

ACTION ALERT

Urgent - Contact the ALP to voice your support for marriage equality TODAY!

Anti-gay groups are mobilising to have marriage equality taken off the agenda of the ALP National Conference which is being held THIS WEEKEND.

It's vital that supporters of equal marriage contact conference delegates ASAP urging them to support, or at least debate, same-sex marriage.

Australian Marriage Equality has put together the following list of delegates, as well as key points to make when contacting these delegates.

For more information contact Alex Greenwich on 0421 316 335 or Rodney Croome on 0409 010 668.

Five points you should make in your phone call or email:

1. You are one of the 60% of Australians who support same-sex marriage. Its 64% support when you look at just Labor voters (Galaxy poll, June 2009)

2. Discrimination in marriage is inconsistent with the ALP's stated opposition to discrimination and its principle of not pandering to prejudice (ALP National Platform, 2009)

3. Marriage in Australia is a civil institution, not a religious one (fmr Family Court Chief Justice, Alastair Nicholson)

4. Civil unions are not an adequate substitute for same-sex marriage

5. For all these reasons, the ALP needs to take action regarding discrimination in Australia's marriage laws. At a minimum the National Conference should debate marriage equality.

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i) Current campaigns and actions

Parenting reform in Victoria

This action alert was issued by love Makes a Family on 27.10.08.

Dear friends,

Please consider the following two actions to support children living in our rainbow families in Victoria - we are very very worried that this Bill will be defeated in the Victorian Parliament upper house either this week or in a few weeks time. If you know of anyone in Melbourne who could attend our gathering on Thursday please let them know!

If you live in WA or NSW or Tasmania or other states or territories where there are parentage laws and no access to ART restrictions please email the members of parliament listed at the end of this email and let them know what that means for you and your families. The message that Victoria is going to be very far behind other states and territories is a very important one to get across. If you can email please do so.

best wishes and thanks in advance!
Felicity
Love Makes A Family campaign coordinator
Rainbow Families Council
www.rainbowfamilies.org.au
0411 593 607

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i) Current campaigns and actions

Write to the same-sex entitlements Senate inquiry

This model submission to the Senate inquiry into the Federal Government's same-sex entitlements Bill 2008 was issued by the Australian Coalition for Equality on 10.9.08.

Committee Secretary
Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Email: legcon.sen@aph.gov.au

Re: submission to the inquiry into the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws—General Law Reform) Bill 2008

Dear Committee Secretary

I strongly support the Same-Sex Relationships (Equal Treatment in Commonwealth Laws—General Law Reform) Bill 2008.

Regarding this Bill, I draw the Committee’s attention to the following points.

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i) Current campaigns and actions

Save civil unions in the ACT!

This action alert was issued by Civil Union Action! on 8.12.07.

SAVE CIVIL UNIONS IN THE A.C.T.!

Despite Kevin Rudd's assurance yesterday that he would not override the ACT's civil union proposals, problems have arisen during negotiations today between the two levels of government.

ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell says it is now "unlikely" the civil union scheme will be operating by February 2008 due to the disagreements.

WRITE TO ROBERT McCLELLAND

The federal and territory governments are currently in negotiations about how the relationship scheme will look. This is a critical time.

Let the federal Attorney-General know that you support civil unions in the ACT, and that the Commonwealth should not force the territory to water down the proposed laws.

SAMPLE LETTER

R.McClelland.MP@aph.gov.au

Dear Attorney-General,

I support plans by the ACT Government to introduce a civil union scheme.

Same-sex couples deserve to have their relationships recognised and celebrated, just like other relationships.

I urge you not to water down the ACT's proposed laws in any way, such as adding a residency requirement or removing the option for official ceremonies.

Yours sincerely,

[Your name]

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i) Current campaigns and actions

Iran: Stop the Execution of Child Offender Convicted of Sodomy

This action alert was released by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission on 5.11.07.

Summary

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has learned that Makvan Mouloodzadeh, a 21-year old Iranian citizen of Kurdish origin from the city of Paveh, in the Western province of Kermanshah, has been sentenced by the government to execution. Makvan has been convicted of multiple counts of anal rape and sentenced to execution for crimes allegedly committed when he was 13 years old. IGLHRC calls for an international response to stop this scheduled execution.

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i) Current campaigns and actions

Get Up!

This action alert was issued by Get Up! on June 22nd, 2007.

Dear friends,

We've done the research and it's a landslide. A GetUp-commissioned Galaxy poll last weekend reveals a whopping 71 per cent of Australians, including 63 per cent of Coalition voters, believe same s-x* couples should have the same rights as heteros-xual couples in de facto relationships.

These results should make all Australians proud. Yet on Friday, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission released its year-long inquiry into same s-x discrimination which reveals that discrimination remains ingrained in 58 pieces of federal legislation. From superannuation and workers' compensation to Medicare, tax and pensions, Australians are treated like second-class citizens purely on the basis of their s-xual orientation.

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i) Current campaigns and actions

'Write to the Age and Herald Sun today!'

This fertility rights action alert was issued on 7.6.07 by Rainbow Families Victoria

Finally the VICTORIAN LAW REFORM COMMISSION REPORT INTO ACCESS TO ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY,ADOPTION AND SURROGACY RC report was tabled in parliament this morning after over 4 and a half years.

After a very quick look the report seems to be very positive in recommending law reform for same sex parents, prospective parents and our children (however I have yet to read it in detail so there may be some areas we will not be too happy with)

The full report and copies of the recommendations are now on the website - go to www.lawreform.vic.gov.au

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i) Current campaigns and actions

Nigeria: urgent call for support

This ac tion alert was issued by ARC International on 1.3.07.

Dear friends,

As you may know, a Nigerian Bill which would effectively criminalize public and private acts of same-sex expression and affection, including direct and indirect advocacy and support, is at a critical stage.

The following call for support, developed in collaboration with a number of organisations including the Nigerian group INCRESE, Global Rights and Human Rights Watch, is intended to assist community-members in approaching supportive governments which may be willing to express concerns to the Nigerian Senate and government. Feel free to forward this message to others who may be interested.

Please note that it is support from governments that is requested - letters from individuals living outside the region to Nigerian Senators could be counterproductive and have the opposite effect.

In solidarity and support,

John
---------------------------------------------------
John Fisher
Co-Director, ARC International
Ph: +41-22-733-4705
john@arc-international.net

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i) Current campaigns and actions

Call to action over Melbourne City registry

The proposed Melbourne City Council relationships registry may fail without your support.

The Melbourne City Council's proposed Relationships Register (allowing same-sex couples to register their relationship) is still not a reality. Dozens of letters arguing against the register, but only two in support, have been received by Melbourne City Councillors. We need to let Council know that our community supports same-sex relationship recognition.

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