Monthly Archives: July 2013
Queers Support Refugees – Protests Continue!
People are not taking Rudd’s refugee policy lying down. Within 17 hours, 1000 people were sitting in on George St Sydney, within 7 days 5000 people were protesting in Melbourne, while hundreds and hundreds converged each in Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra, then another 2000 in Sydney the next day. These protests have been loud, angry, defiant and young.
This page is going to be continually updated for the rest of the year with every refugee protest in the country. If there are any omissions please email me at catherinerose87@gmail.com – but this list should be complete enough to help you join your local protest and spread the word.
Queer students are organising for this! If you are in Perth come to the working bee on Saturday 17 August http://www.facebook.com/events/208835439240465
Scroll down for information on the amazing level of queer support for refugees in the campaign so far.
SYDNEY
Rally4Refugees – Sydney University
10:00am Friday 16 August
Outside MacLaurin Hall, Sydney University
www.facebook.com/events/420085068109415
Pre-election rally: Welcome the refugee boats
1:00pm Saturday 24 August
Town Hall, Sydney
http://www.facebook.com/events/559158827481841
MELBOURNE
Stop Racism, Not the Boats: How can we rebuild a grassroots refugee movement?
6:30pm Friday 16 August
Trades Hall, Melbourne
http://www.facebook.com/events/368597879935400
RAC 2013 Election Debate: Opposed to the PNG “solution”? Sick of refugee bashing in elections?
6:30pm Wednesday 23 August
Trades Hall, Melbourne
http://www.facebook.com/events/384249948342148
TELL RUDD, TELL ABBOTT – NO PNG “SOLUTION” – LET THE REFUGEES IN!
1:00pm Saturday 24 August
State Library, Melbourne
http://www.facebook.com/events/545163988866871
BRISBANE
National Day of Action Against Rudd’s PNG Plan – Brisbane
1:00pm Saturday 24 August
Brisbane Square, Brisbane
http://www.facebook.com/events/501625773252776
PERTH
National Day of Action: Refugee Rights Rally Perth: Not Manus, Not Nauru, Refugees are Welcome Here
1:00pm Saturday 24 August
Murray St Mall, Perth CBD
http://www.facebook.com/events/768130646539128
The Pink Triangle
Queer Support
See our previous post for why queers are supporting refugees – https://nusqueer.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/queers-support-refugees-urgent-protests/.
So far there have been queer blocs at refugee protests in Melbourne and Sydney – we hope there will be more! People made placards and banners, and others pinned pink triangles made from felt to their shirts.
During the Holocaust homosexual men were made to wear downwards-facing pink triangles as badges to mark themselves out in the concentration camps. The UN Convention on Refugees was a result of the world’s shame at having turned away refugees of the Holocaust. The pink triangle reminds us that the right to seek asylum is a queer issue, one that is ongoing as queers are still forced to seek asylum from homophobic persecution, a right that is denied by sending people to Papua New Guinea where homosexuality is yet to be decriminalised.
What can you do to spread the word about upcoming protests?
Organise a pink bloc, make your own event to bring people with you, paint a banner and bring pink triangles for people to pin on. Gay Marriage Rights in Australia, a Facebook advocacy page, will be encouraging queer people and their friends to do this at refugee protests around the country, with the support of a number of Equal Love groups. Details of any existing pink blocs and queer support will be added here.
Invite ALL your Facebook friends, there’s even a script to make it easy – http://www.facebook.com/selectallfriendsmozilla/info
Share the event on your wall, post it to every Facebook group you are in, ask the event organisers for posters to put up and leaflets to hand out, start a mass text, email to any lists you are on, share it through your student union, student club, Student Rep Council and all of their departments (education/welfare/queer/women’s/ethnocultural/international etc etc).
Ask your student unions and trade unions to endorse the protest, bring a contingent and advertise it to their networks.
Get your friends to repeat the above!
We need to show that this is more than letting off steam, and that we are serious about stopping this humanitarian disaster from going ahead.
My Pink Triangle
Here are some photos of support for LGBTI refugees at one of the Sydney rallies. If you have more you would like to share send them to me at catherinerose87@gmail.com
And from the queer bloc in Melbourne:
10 ways to engage with the NUS Queer Department
Welcome back to uni for semester 2! If you’ve been looking for ways to engage with the NUS Queer Department and take part in national action on queer student issues, here’s a handy (but not exhaustive) list of some ways to do so:
Get connected
1. Like our Facebook page, follow on Twitter, and check out our WordPress blog for updates. If you’re a queer student representative or collective organiser you can also be added to our email list and Facebook group, just email us at queer@unistudent.com.au to be added.
2. Add your local queer student and queer ally events to the national queer student event calendar for free promo! Email the details to queer@unistudent.com.au
3. Find your local queer student representative or collective and chat with them about how they can also get more involved nationally. If your rep or collective isn’t on the list or needs updating email us at queer@unistudent.com.au
Take action
4. Submit a photo or video message for the Pride Not Prejudice campaign on why you’re proud to be a queer student or ally and/or why you challenge queerphobia and prejudice. Submit to queer@unistudent.com.au
5. Grab some posters and stickers to put up around your campus. We have posters and stickers for the Pride Not Prejudice campaign that we can post to you for free, and will soon distribute materials for an Intersex, Sex and/or Gender diverse student campaign for gender neutral bathroom around the country. Email queer@unistudent.com.au to have some posted to you.
6. Run an event on your campus. Examples include a stall to collect Pride Not Prejudice photo and video messages, a collective sticker or poster blitz, a visibility event in public or a speakout for queer student rights, an educational workshop (such as trialling our ‘Inclusive Queer Spaces’ workshops, email queer@unistudent.com.au for details of the trial), or a social/networking event, the possibilities are endless. Send your photos to queer@unistudent.com.au we would love to share what other queer students are doing around the country.
Have a say
7. Write a post for our blog on your experiences as a queer student and strike up a national conversation. Submit your ideas or pieces to queer@unistudent.com.au
8. Join the resource-writing working group to help write and design resources and info packs for queer students around the country. To join up email queer@unistudent.com.au
9. Register to take part in a feedback phone link-up to help design and provide feedback on our Semester 2 campaigns. Email queer@unistudent.com.au to express your interest in participating.
10. Let us know about what issues you’re facing at your campus and seek support by emailing us at queer@unistudent.com.au or calling us on 0434 848 064 (Hiba) and 0405 770 302 (Cat).
As you can see, there’re a wide range of ways for you to get involved in the queer student activism nationally. The NUS Queer Department’s strength, though, comes from our individual queer students, allies, collectives and clubs coming together to work on common goals so the department is what you make of it, please take part!
Queers Support Refugees – Urgent Protests!
So… Rudd wants to send all asylum seekers who arrive without a visa to Papua New Guinea, and not have them resettled in Australia.. ever. What in the actual fuck!? What kind of human-hating government is this? It is not one that we will accept, that’s for sure.
The National Union of Students Education Department and Queer Department will be endorsing all upcoming protests for refugee rights – this endorsement comes on behalf of Clare Keys-Liley (National Education Officer), Hiba Casablanca and Cat Rose (National Queer Officers). We want to get students, queer people and everyone out into the streets and to stop this humanitarian disaster.
Is this a queer issue? Well… it needn’t be. Solidarity for human rights is always important. On the other hand – you bet it is! Read on to find out why…
But first – we want to ask all student unions plus queer and education representatives and collectives (and everyone in Australia) to get these events out to your networks. Facebook, twitter, email lists, texts, go for it. This is urgent! Some of these are super soon so don’t leave it til later.
In Melbourne and Sydney there will be queer blocks at their protests on Saturday and Sunday – why don’t you do this kind of thing?
Melbourne Queer Block: http://www.facebook.com/events/1394862500731154 Contact Hiba0434 848 064 for more info
Sydney Queer Block: http://www.facebook.com/events/1401964886684242 Contact Cat 0405 770 302 for more info
SYDNEY
Snap RALLY FOR REFUGEES at ALP love-in! Protest Immigration Minister Tony Burke!
5:30pm Friday 26 July
Deloitte, 225 George St, Sydney
www.facebook.com/events/1398224947059780
SUNDAY: SYDNEY EMERGENCY RALLY: No to Rudd’s criminal refugee policy!
12:00pm Sunday 28 July
Town Hall, Sydney
www.facebook.com/events/278006302340255
Rally out West: Don’t turn away refugees
12:00pm Sunday 28 July
Mount Druitt Hub
www.facebook.com/events/608435285855996
Rally4Refugees – Sydney University
10:00am Friday 16 August
Outside MacLaurin Hall, Sydney University
www.facebook.com/events/420085068109415
MELBOURNE
PROTEST REFUGEES NOT DREYFUS
8:00am Friday 26 July
BMW Edge Federation Square, Melbourne
www.facebook.com/events/166079800244054
MELBOURNE – RALLY AGAIN FOR REFUGEES!
1:00pm Saturday 27 July
State Library Lawn, Melbourne
www.facebook.com/events/477281122362480
BRISBANE
BRISBANE EMERGENCY RALLY: No to Rudd’s criminal refugee policy!
1:00pm Saturday 27 July
King George Square, Melbourne
www.facebook.com/events/369138653211928
PERTH
Refugee Rights Rally WA: Oppose Rudd’s Deportation Plan
1:00pm Saturday 27 July
Murray St Mall, Perth
www.facebook.com/events/174379272741423
ADELAIDE
EMERGENCY RALLY – Kevin Rudd in Adelaide
5:00pm Thursday 25 July
Chianti Classico Ristorante, 160 Hutt St, Adelaide
www.facebook.com/events/181832455323629
Protest again against Rudd’s racist crackdown on refugees
1:00pm Saturday 27th July
Parliament House, North Tce, Adelaide
https://www.facebook.com/events/542392592463685/?fref=ts
CANBERRA
Refugees are welcome HERE!
12:00 Saturday 27 July
Wodon Square, Canberra
www.facebook.com/events/197298980432759
HOBART
Snap Rally: Tasmania: Don’t turn away refugees
6:00pm Friday 26 July
Franklin Square, Hobart
http://www.facebook.com/events/240322436092607
CAIRNS
Cairns for Refugees: Rally for humanity, to say no to Abbott-Rudd policies
DARWIN
Rally for refugees – let them land let them stay!
1:00pm Monday July 29
Outside DIAC
40 Cavenagh Street Darwin
https://www.facebook.com/events/496729270411267/
WOLLONGONG
Wollongong Supports Refugees
Wollongong people are organising through their own Facebook event page to attend Sydney’s rally for refugees
12:00pm Sunday 28 July
Town Hall, Sydney
www.facebook.com/events/672807569401684
IT’S A QUEER ISSUE!
Rudd wants to send all asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea for processing and resettlement – a country that has laws making homosexual male sex punishable by up to 14 years jail. The draconian policy ignores the rights of sexual minorities to flee from homophobic persecution, and settle in countries, like Australia, where homosexuality has been decriminalised.
This is a humanitarian disaster. Australia has resettled a number of gay refugees who have arrived on our shores (I’ve met and worked with them – Cat Rose), recognising the reality of danger that homophobic persecution has put them in in their home country.
It was bad enough when they were locked up, interrogated and challenged about their sexuality by our government. But now they are going to have to plead their case as refugees in a country that can imprison them for the reason they give for fleeing. The Australian government has been more than happy to prop up a reactionary and homophobic government as it continues to act as PNG’s colonial master, it should take full blame for the situation there.
Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people report difficulty finding employment and facing societal stigma in PNG, where illegality forces homosexual life underground. To make matters worse PNG has a high prevalence of AIDS, but people live in fear of seeking testing due to the illegal status of their sex lives.
Rudd’s support for marriage equality will mean little if he banishes those of us unlucky enough to be born in countries that persecute us to this kind of life.
GET INFORMED:
What will happen to gay asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/23/gay-asylum-seekers-papua-new-guinea
How bad is PNG for gay asylum seekers?
http://www.samesame.com.au/news/local/10030/How-bad-is-PNG-for-gay-asylum-seekers.htm
Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney takes queer publications off LGBTI asylum seekers
NUS Queer Department 