Dear Members, Community, and Allies,
Welcome to August and I hope you have your flannel dusted off and ready for BARN DANCE! This year’s event is already sold out, however, we are still looking for volunteers. Please email me at chair@grai.org.au if you want to be involved – particularly if you have an RSA license.
Xmas in July winners were well and truly represented at the GRAI table! This year’s Xmas in July drag queen bingo was held at Vic Park Connect. The ever fabulous Barbie Q twirled the Bingo balls, monitored competitors forcing marshmallows into their mouths, and hosted the fashion show. A big thank you to event extraordinaire Adrian Tilby and the Town of Vic Park for supporting the event.
What has been exciting to watch is the work that Rowan and Kedy have been doing to expand our Village Hub. We have set up board games events in three locations around Perth, and in other exciting news, we have our first intergenerational playgroup starting in Fremantle soon. Please see the details below!
Pride month will soon be upon us. GRAI has been able to secure a fantastic location in the City and we will get a program out to you shortly.
Apologies for my absence last month, COVID and its longer-term effects have hit hard. I hope you are well and hopefully, we will see you in the coming months.
With Pride,
Michael
Chair, GRAI Board
What’s Been Happening in GRAI Land…
CHRISTMAS IN JULY
Over sixty people braved the wild Winter weather to attend the fabulous Christmas in July event, hosted by the charming and entertaining Barbie Q. It was an evening of entertaining Bin-Gay rounds, competitions, music, food, and fun. GRAI hosted a table of winners, with Allan taking out two Bin-gay prizes, Gregory proving himself the champion of ‘How many marshmallows can you fit in your mouth?’ and Karron taking out the best Christmas outfit prize!
Coming Up
LGBTI ELDERS GAMES HUB EVENTS
The next gathering is on this Thursday 4th August at Citiplace Community Centre, 1-3pm, Upper Level City Railway Station Complex, Wellington St, Perth CBD
We have real coffee and chocolate biscuits!
The venue is accessible by car, or train/bus – it is one-minute walk from the Art Gallery of WA – just before leaving the station complex. It is also accessible from the Citiplace Carpark by taking the lift to the Ground Floor and going around the corner to the right, or taking the escalator from the Fremantle Train Platform and going to the left).
Here are the dates and venues for the rest of 2022! We are now offering this event in Fremantle, Perth CBD, and Woodvale!
If you need more information or you would like support getting there, please contact Rowan at villagehub@grai.org.au or call Rowan on 0493 368 023. Download the flier to share here.
FREE CULTURAL INCLUSIVITY TRAINING
FREE WORKSHOP: KEEPING SANE BY UNDERSTANDING CARING FOR OLDER PERSONS
Download a copy of the flier here.
Download a copy of the flier here.
Book here…
Download a copy of the flier here...
Special Events
SPECIAL EDITION CAMP BOOK
For more information click here.
Contact Us
Your views are important
If you have news or views to share that are relevant to making the world a better place for LGBTI elders, contact: info@grai.org.au. We look forward to hearing from you, or seeing you at one or several of our upcoming events!
GRAI’s new contact address:
PO Box 350
Mt Hawthorn
WA 6915
Staff Contacts
If you would like to contact Kedy Kristal (Executive Officer), please email her at eo@grai.org.au or call her Mobile: 0484 639 886
If you would like to contact Rowan Brooker (Befriender Coordinator/Newsletter Coordinator), please email him at villagehub@grai.org.au or call him on 0493 368 023 on Wednesdays or Thursdays (or text/leave a message).
Regulars
QUEER BOOK CLUB
August Meeting
The August book for Queer BookClub is ‘A Marvellous Light’. By Australian author, Freya Marske’s, this debut fantasy novel set in Edwardian England is about manners, mystery and magical sex.
Everyone is welcome to join us to discuss A Marvellous Light on Wed 31st July at 6pm at Connect Vic Park – 5 Mackie St.
Queer BookClub is supported by Crow Books Vic Park and Dept of Communities.
BOOK REVIEWS – DETRANSITION, BABY
Bookclub Meeting
With an overall rating of 🦄🦄🦄 Detransition, Baby offered an insight into the taboo subject of detransitioning — not, as the book makes clear, because the character Ames had erred in his decision to exist openly as a woman, but because it was too difficult to do so.
Firstly, thanks to Tarmon for facilitating the discussion as it ranged from abortion, motherhood and family structures to submissive roles in relationships and passing both from ethnicity and gender perspectives.
It is clear that the author portrays a version of trans people as dysfunctional as anyone else.
Overall, it was felt that Detransition, Baby provided the reader with an insight into elements of trans life that most of us were unaware of.
Dallas Jay
I just finished Detransition, Baby, and because I can’t be at Queer Bookclub this Wednesday (I’m looking at you, WORK!) I just want to stick five unicorns on it in advance.
I admit to being completely ignorant about all issues transgender, so this novel was eye-opening for me. It was also beautifully written; it makes me cry to see the English language used in such a crafted, brilliant way. I can’t add anything more, but I do want to thank whoever suggested we should read it.
🌈 Queer BookClub Facebook Group 📚
Meet’n’Muse
Meet n Muse (MnM) discussion group for older LBT women, has two locales:
The Perth group has, by agreement with regular attendees, cancelled its meetings for the time being. The group will resume meeting at Citiplace when members feel comfortable to begin meeting in person again. Perth attendees are welcome to attend the Mandurah meetings, which are held outdoors.
The Mandurah group is meeting on the 1st and 3rd Sundays as usual (1.30pm), at an outdoor venue.
Musers usually discuss a given topic of interest for 1 hour, then mosey on to a nearby café. New members are always welcome, please contact Pam for further information and to confirm meeting dates/times and location: GRAIPamm@gmail.com or 0420 929 583.
Prime Timers
Prime Timers is a vibrant social club for mature gay and bisexual men, offering a full calendar of diverse activities to keep you well-connected and enjoying life. Meetings are held 2pm on the second Sunday of each month, at ‘The Homestead’ 5 Mackie St, Vic Park, with a guest speaker and afternoon tea. Other activities include dinner nights, coffee mornings, lunch club, book club and special outings.
Visit www.primetimerswa.com.au.
OUTdance
OUTdance is the place to go to get fit and have fun 🙂 They hold LGBTI community dance classes every Tuesday from 7:00pm at the Mt Hawthorn Community Hall, 197 Scarborough Beach Rd. Relaxed and non-competitive, OUTdance always welcomes new members. Contact Jan on 0401 700 562 or visit the website here.
Perth Outdoors Group
Perth Outdoors Group are mature age LGBTI folk who enjoy a wide range of social activities (not always outdoors!) Functions are held monthly on weekends and there’s also a monthly coffee club. For further info visit https://www.perthoutdoorsgroup.com/
Rainbow Toastmakers
Find your voice at Perth Rainbow Toastmasters! Develop confidence in public speaking, communication, leadership and presentation skills… in an LGBTI+ friendly environment… Rainbow Toastmasters meet 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, 2-4pm, Level 1, 931 Albany Highway. Contact Tim, perthrainbowtm@gmail.com or 0403 051 081. FB: Perth-Rainbow-Toastmasters.
Research, Reviews and Items of Interest
Worth the risk: LGBTIQ+ experiences with insurance providers
The Victorian Pride Lobby has launched a new report into LGBTIQA+ experiences with the insurance industry in Australia, finding that almost half of LGBTIQA+ people faced discrimination or exclusion when seeking insurance and more than 75% of trans and gender diverse people have had difficulty self-declaring their gender with insurers.
The report makes detailed recommendations for the insurance industry to respond to these findings, including an updated Life Insurance Code of Practice.
Click here to download Worth the Risk : LGBTIQA+
Experiences with Insurance Providers
Half of all Australians have been victims of tech abuse, landmark study reveals
The first-known representative study of its kind — commissioned by Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS) — has revealed half of all Australian adults have experienced technology-facilitated abuse at some point in their lives.
That extraordinary figure includes a variety of issues and victims: from a man abusing a male colleague online to a stranger stalking someone on social media to an ex monitoring a former partner’s movements via an app.
The research — comprising an initial sample of more than 4,500 Australian adults — also highlights the deep impact that tech abuse can have on minority groups, and women in particular, who are far more likely to experience this at the hands of an intimate partner.
Almost three-quarters of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) Australians, two in every three Indigenous people and three in five people with a disability have been victims.
Read the original ABC News article here.
Anglican Church still considering banning same sex marriage
The Anglican communion’s once-a-decade Lambeth Conference begins on Tuesday (26 July) and, in 2022, bishops will discuss banning same-sex marriage.
The Lambeth Conference lasts for 12 days, brings together international Anglican churches, and is convened by the Church of England’s Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. It allows the Anglican Church to pass resolutions and decide “the mind of the communion” on current issues.
But many in the Anglican community were left shocked and angry when it was revealed earlier this year that the conference would revive a 1990s “call” to categorically ban same-sex marriage within the church.
The draft call, an item which is to be discussed and voted on, brings back the notorious Lambeth Resolution I:10, initially passed in 1998 when bishops rejected “homosexual practice as incompatible with scripture”.
Attempting to reaffirm the church’s opposition to same-sex relationships, the 2022 Lambeth Call on Human Dignity reads: “It is the mind of the Anglican Communion as a whole that same gender marriage is not permissible… the legitimising or blessing of same-sex unions cannot be advised. It is the mind of the Communion to uphold faithfulness in marriage between a man and a woman in lifelong union.”
The call received fierce backlash from clergy, Church of England members and activists across the UK.
Despite overwhelming support for LGBTQ+ inclusion among members and the fact that the Scottish Episcopal Church has embraced marriage equality, the Church of England does not perform same-sex marriages.
It also refuses to bless same-sex civil unions, and although LGBTQ+ clergy members are allowed to be in same-sex relationships, they are forced to remain celibate to retain their positions.
The Scottish Episcopal Church said in a statement that “the wording of that call does not represent the position of the Scottish Episcopal Church”, while the Church in Wales, which does not allow same-sex marriage but does allow “blessings” of same-sex unions, declared that the call “undermines and subverts” LGBTQ+ people.
Read the original article from Pink News here.
Monkeypox: Irish Gay and bisexual men to be offered vaccines in Ireland after mounting pressure
Officials have been facing mounting pressure over Ireland’s lack of a targeted vaccine programme, with AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, better known as ACT UP, accusing the government and public health bosses of failing the LGBTQ+ community.
There have been at least 69 confirmed monkeypox cases in Ireland as of 22 July, according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, part of Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE).
As the outbreak continues to grow globally, Ireland has secured a limited number of vaccines against monkeypox as part of a joint EU order of 110,000 doses. The first doses arrived on 15 July, but without a plan to prioritise queer men, who make up the majority of cases worldwide.
After ACT UP Dublin wrote to health minister Stephen Donnelly, the NIAC and the Health Service Executive (HSE), it was confirmed on Tuesday (26 July) that queer men will be prioritised for the vaccine.
Monkeypox (MPX) Health Alert – Department of Health Australia
There are 45 cases (confirmed and probable) of MPX in Australia. This includes 25 in New South Wales, 16 in Victoria, 2 in the Australian Capital Territory, 1 in Queensland and 1 in South Australia.
Find out more about MPX
Visit the MPX disease page to find out more about:
- case definitions
- signs and symptoms
- transmission
- who is at risk
- prevention
- diagnosis
- treatments and vaccines, and
- further resources including posters, fact sheets and clinical guidance for health professionals.
Why there is an alert
On 26 July 2022, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, declared the monkeypox (MPX) situation a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance. This follows the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the global situation regarding MPX to be a public health emergency of international concern.
The declaration was made under the Emergency Response Plan for Communicable Disease Incidents of National Significance, in consultation with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee.
MPX had not been identified in Australia before May 2022.
Although MPX is endemic to parts of Africa, the recent outbreak has been detected in the UK, Europe, northern America and the Middle East and other areas that are not endemic for MPX.
On 1 June 2022, MPX became a nationally notifiable disease for 6 months. During this time a review will determine whether to list the virus permanently.
What we are doing
We are working closely with our state and territory counterparts to ensure a swift and coordinated response.
Public health messaging regarding MPX is focused on making the public and health professionals aware of the symptoms and communicating with people most at risk to make sure they seek medical advice if necessary.
National expert groups have developed MPX treatment and vaccine guidelines. Infection prevention and control guidance for health workers and case and contact management guidance for public health units is available on the MPX Resources page.
Find out more
Visit our monkeypox page and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for updates.
Read the original Department of Health warning here.
Manly release updated, less offensive pride round jersey!
Seven players are boycotting a round 20 NRL match over their Manly Sea Eagles club’s LGBTQIA+ jersey design. The satirical publication The Shovel has a different take on the jersey’s real offence.
Click here to read the article.
Greece finally bans ‘abusive’ and unnecessary genital surgeries on intersex children
The Hellenic Parliament approved the Medically Assisted Reproduction Reforms Act which will stop doctors from carrying out “sex-normalising” surgeries.
For decades surgeons have attempted to “fix” intersex babies with avoidable and unnecessary treatments before they are old enough to meaningfully consent. These operations can often result in a lifetime of pain and trauma.
But not anymore in Greece. Now doctors who perform surgery on intersex people under 15 will face fines and even prison, Reuters reported.
Medical intervention for young people will only be allowed if urgently needed for health reasons Case-by-case exceptions will be made in instances where a young person or their parents or guardians have sought a court order.
Those older than 15 who can consent will be allowed to seek out surgeries or hormonal therapies that change the body.
Read the original Pink News article here.
UK to host Eurovision Song Contest in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine
Next year’s contest will be held in a UK city on behalf of Ukraine, which was ruled out from hosting “with deep regret” by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) due to “safety and security issues” caused by the war with Russia.
It was announced last month that the UK, which placed second at this year’s Eurovision, had been asked take over as host during the ongoing conflict.
Eurovision organisers said representatives will work with the BBC to incorporate Ukrainian elements into the show.
A host city bidding contest will begin this week, and mayors, councillors and MPs from several UK cities have already indicated that they intend to bid, including Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Swindon and Wolverhampton.
Read the original article in Pink News here.
Long COVID Is More Common in Bisexual and Trans People. The Reasons Why Are Complicated
Who Gets Long COVID?
In addition to showing higher rates of long COVID in younger adult populations and women, the Census Bureau survey also revealed that trans and bisexual adults are much more likely to report having the disease. Compared to 5% of cisgender men and 9% of cisgender women, 12% of trans adults in the U.S. say they are currently experiencing long COVID symptoms. Meanwhile, 14% of bisexual adults in the U.S. are living with post-COVID conditions, compared to 7% of straight and 5% of gay or lesbian adults. Those rates mirror broader healthdisparitiesexperienced by the trans and bisexual communities — and point to disconcerting ways our healthcare systems may be failing them.
In a world where transgender people are more likely to live with chronic illness in the first place, this may not seem so surprising. “Of course [trans people] have higher rates of long COVID,” says JD Davids, co-founder of the advocacy and policy group The Network for Long COVID Justice. “We have lower rates of being treated as humans. People who are denied access to health care, resources, or bodily safety are at higher risk of ill health outcomes, including this massive disabling event known as long COVID.” Davids has lived with long COVID since March 2021, and has also lived for decades with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a similarly debilitating condition.
Repeated COVID infections may put individuals at a greater risk of developing long COVID, and with LGBTQ+ people at a greater risk of COVID infection in general, that leaves queer and trans communities at a heightened risk for the disease.
Read the original article in Them Newsletter here.
Opportunities of Interest
