A restaurant in a northwest suburb of Adelaide, Australia that refused a blind man entry because it thought his guide dog was "gay" was ordered by the Equal Opportunity Tribunal to pay him $1,500, The (Adelaide) Sunday Mail. Ian Jolly, 57, was barred from dining at the Thai Spice restaurant in May 2009 after a staff member mistook his guide dog Nudge for a "gay dog," a tribunal heard this week.A statement given by restaurant owners Hong Hoa Thi To and Anh Hoang Le said one of the restaurant's waiters said that Jolly's partner Ms. Chris Lawrence stated "she wanted to bring a gay dog into the restaurant."Jolly and Lawrence were refused entry to the restaurant -- which displays a "guide dogs welcome" sign -- even after providing staff with a guide dogs fact card.At an Equal Opportunity Tribunal conciliation hearing Friday, the restaurant agreed to provide Jolly with a written apology and attend an Equal Opportunity education course, in addition to paying him $1,500."The staff genuinely believed that Nudge was an ordinary pet dog which had been desexed to become a gay dog," a statement from the hearing said.Jolly said while he was happy with the result, the embarrassing incident had dampened his enthusiasm for eating out at restaurants. "It gives you some comfort that Equal Opportunity is there," he said."But I always have that fear now, when I go out."I just want to be like everybody else and be able to go out for dinner, to be left alone and just enjoy a meal."Thai Spice refused to speak to the Sunday Mail when contacted for comment.Source: The (Adelaide) Sunday Mail
Naked Sydneysiders of all shapes, sizes and colours have gathered on the steps of the Sydney Opera House this morning to be the subjects of an art installation.About 5,000 people disrobed for Spencer Tunick's work called The Base, which is part of Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival.Tunick is famous for shooting images of people massed together sharing one common element - nakedness.Those taking part include rugby league players, doctors, teachers and a woman pregnant with twins who will be induced later today.Participants arrived in the early hours of the morning, excited to be involved in the event.Shots have been taken of people standing with their hands in the air, embracing and lying down.The work aims to promote equality and diversity in the community.
While America
and Europe
are freeeeezing.....
Things are hotter than ever in Australia, as anticipation builds for the 2010 Sydney Gay Mardis Gras!
More than 80 events that span about 3 weeks! With the majority of the highlights taking place the weekends of the 27th February and 6th of March.
Outdoor picnics, dance festivals, John Waters, Whitney Houston in concert, film festivals, Harbour Party, and of course the BIG PARADE with over 100,000 participants!
Mardi Gras knows how to go out with a bang, and in 2010 they are saving the best for last. Sheer queer glamour and unforgettable party mayhem explode over four spectacular venues at the Entertainment Quarter for an all-night, dance-til-dawn fiesta that’s unrivalled worldwide. 20,000 people are expected!Mardi Gras Party is your wildest night of the year, and 2010 is no exception. Apart from our frenetic lasers, our gorgeous design and the beautiful party people, the DJ line-up is set to treat you to such an aurally delicious and irresistible night that you’ll never leave the dancefloor.
Legendary French house DJ and producer David Guetta will keep you dancing - plus DJ Carl Cox. Voted No.1 DJ of the past 25 years by MixMag and No.1 DJ in the world by DJ Magazine, his night Carl Cox & Friends has been held in Space Ibiza and Heaven London alongside Freemasons, Fatboy Slim and Pendulum.March 1st. Create a moment in history by shedding your clothing and taking part in The Base, a new large-scale work by internationally renowned installation artist, Spencer Tunick. This is your chance to participate in Tunick’s first large-scale installation in Sydney, developed especially for the Mardi Gras Festival.
He is best known for his installations that feature large numbers of nude people posed in artistic formations. These installations are often situated in urban locations throughout the world, although he has also has done some "Beyond The City" woodland and beach installations and still does individuals and small groups occasionally. His models are volunteers who receive a limited edition photo as a reward. - Check out the HBO documentaries - available thru Netflix also. THIS WILL BE HUGE!There are lots of free events to attend and some cost as much as $150 per ticket! So you will want to plan accordingly. Everything you need to know is online at MARDIS GRAS.org The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras is Australia’s premier GLBTQ arts, sports and cultural festival. 3 weeks of fun and festivities! It's a must-see, must-do for your bucket list! WATCH THIS VIDEO AND YOU WILL WANT TO RUN BOOK A FLIGHT RIGHT NOW!
A father in Rockhampton, Australia could face rape charges, after being accused of forcing his 14 year old son to have sex with a prostitute because he feared he may be gay.Rockhampton’s The Morning Bulletin reports that the incident happened after a family Christmas barbecue in 2007. The father allegedly called a prostitute, arranged to meet her at a local motel and took his son to the room. The father waited outside on the balcony, occasionally coming in to check on them, and said that he wanted to see a used condom as proof that they’d had sex. Afterwards the father took the son home.Yesterday, during a committal hearing in Rockhampton Magistrates Court, a magistrate found that there was sufficient grounds for a rape trial.During the hearing the victim’s mother told the Court that she had asked where the father had taken her son.“First (he) didn’t want to say anything to me. Then he told me his father took him to a motel room and there was a prostitute there,” she said. “He wouldn’t talk, he just started crying.”In May 2008 the father called the Child Protection Investigation Unit, and spoke to Detective Sergeant Christine Knapp. He said that police had not acted on his allegations that his 14-year-old son was “abusing” his younger brother. That’s when the father revealed what he’d done, in an effort to “sort it out himself”.The prostitute in question has not been located but police have released a description and attempted to trace the call from the father’s mobile phone.After ending the phone call with the father, Sergeant Knapp drove to the family home where she spoke to the child. She said he appeared to be quite embarrassed when he was asked by police about the rape.A date is yet to be set for the trial.source -The Bullentin
New Mardi Gras, the SydneyGay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, today announced the signing of a new sponsorship agreement, making Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Blue Airlines Group official airlines for the annual event.
Virgin Blue Airlines group includes new long-haul international airline V Australia, long-time New Mardi Gras supporter Virgin Blue and sister airline Pacific Blue, which flies to New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands.
The new four-year agreement, designed to target growth in visitor numbers to the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, will see the airlines assist in promoting the event across a growing network of 28 Australian cities and towns and 13 international destinations including the U.S., South Pacific and Southeast Asian countries.
"I am so proud that Virgin Blue is back for another term and tremendously excited that V Australia has come on board," said New Mardi Gras CEO Anna McInerney.
"We have a very clear goal and that is to make the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras the world's number one gay event for the benefit of locals and visitors alike. This partnership will help us get the message out to a much bigger international audience. It demonstrates the value Virgin sees in the partnership it has had with New Mardi Gras over the last three years, while the addition of V Australia will mean expanded support in international markets...We will be encouraging people to fly with New Mardi Gras-friendly airlines, and Virgin Blue and V Australia's booking facilities will be easily accessible via the New Mardi Gras website so that patrons can easily find flight prices and times for their trip to Sydney."
In August, Events NSW research showing that Mardi Gras brought over 21,000 visitors into New South Wales in 2009, generating almost $30 million in new money for the State. Of these visitors, New Mardi Gras estimates that just under half are international travelers, with the U.S. and UK each accounting for just under a third of the total. Details for the 2010 Mardi Gras will be announced in December, but a preliminary scehedule has been released:Launch / Fair Day - February 21
Parade and post-Parade Event - February 27
Harbour '10 - February 28
Party - March 6
Police in Sydney, Australia are investigating after the body of a man was found in the vicinity of a known gay beat in Centennial Park early Sunday morning. The Daily Telegraph reports:Homeless people who sleep in Centennial Park may hold the key to solving the brutal murder of a 37-year-old man at a well known gay beat. The victim was found early on Saturday morning in bushes near Busbys Pond, 250m from the park's western entrance, the Showground Gates on Robertson Rd.Inspector Paul Pisanos said it appeared the man, from Redfern, was the victim of a gay bashing murder. "We're certainly treating that as a valid line of inquiry," Insp Pisanos said.Police believe the murder happened in the three hours leading-up to the body's discovery by a jogger at 6am. "Police will be canvassing local residents as well as people who occupy the park," Insp. Pisanos said, referring to the group of more than 20 men who sleep rough in the park most nights.He said the lack of lighting limited the potential for witnesses to come forward, and made for "a challenging crime scene". Police spent yesterday searching a 10,000sq m area between the pond's southern shore and the Mckay Sportsground toilet block - a well known haunt for men seeking anonymous homosexual sex.Divers also searched the pond for evidence, including any possible weapons that may have been used. It is expected a post mortem examination will today confirm how the man died in what detectives described as "a violent death".Police assured any witnesses who may have been seeking anonymous sex in the early hours of Saturday that they would be treated "with sensitivity and in the strictest confidence" .READ MORE ON THIS STORY HERE
Chicken restaurant tycoon Gerardus Gerrit Heijne strangled his gay lover in the kitchen of their Perth, Australia penthouse because he stood in the way of a new life with a much younger male lover.Opening the state's case in the West Australian Supreme Court yesterday, prosecutor Bruno Fiannaca said Mr Heijne strangled Frank Cianciosi, his partner of 25 years, and then placed the body under the covers of his bed.He then set the airconditioner of their multi-million-dollar riverside penthouse in East Perth to 16C to preserve the body, Mr Fiannaca told a jury. He said Mr Heijne, now 45, later went to the house of his young lover, whose name has been suppressed, lay on his bed and told him, "I have killed Frank", before demonstrating how he had strangled him.On January 4 last year, the day after the killing allegedly took place, Mr Heijne, who is facing one charge of murder, also allegedly confessed to an employee who worked as a manager for his and Cianciosi's West Australian Lenard's Chicken empire.The couple had built their wealth as the state's "master franchisees" of the Brisbane-based Lenard's Chicken chain, which had 27 stores across Western Australia.READ MORE ON THE STORY HERE
A blacklist of banned websites drawn up by the Australian government includes gay sites. The government is proposing a law that requires internet service providers to filter and block inappropriate content, such as that related to terrorism and abusive images of children. It has drawn up a list of sites to be blacklisted. However, webpages such as gay and straight porn sites, YouTube links and certain Wikipedia entries have been included in its scope. The blacklist of about 2,395 banned sites was obtained by Wikileaks, a website which allows anonymous whistleblowers to leak official documents.Wikileaks published the list on its website, having previously revealed the blacklists from Denmark, Norway and Thailand. We are wondering if the GorgeousBoys Online Entertainment and our other online web partners are on the list. I've had difficulty accessing the now published list. It would seem their server is overloaded with web requests.The Sydney Morning Herald also gained access to the list and stated about half of the banned websites are not associated with child pornography.
The sites include online poker portals, YouTube links, gay and straight porn sites, Wikipedia entries, euthanasia pages and the homepages of private companies and medical practitioners. The founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, told the newspaper that secret censorship systems were “invariably corrupted.” He pointed to the example of more than 1,200 sites criticising the Thai royal family which were on the Thailand censorship list, originally created to prevent child pornography. Mr Assange obtained the blacklist after ACMA added Wikileaks to its blacklist following the site’s decision to publish the Danish blacklist.The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is investigating the leak of the blacklist and considering a range of actions including possible criminal prosecution. Senator Stephen Conroy, the communications minister, told the Sydney Morning Herald the leak and publication of the blacklist would be "grossly irresponsible" and undermine efforts to improve cyber safety.
Senator Conroy said: "Under existing laws the ACMA blacklist includes URLs relating to child sexual abuse, rape, incest, bestiality, sexual violence and detailed instruction in crime. No one interested in cyber safety would condone the leaking of this list."
The blacklist is provided to makers of internet filtering software that parents are able to install on their PCs. However, if the government proceeds with its proposed internet filtering scheme, sites on the blacklist will be blocked for all Australians.Self-Perceived Effects of Pornography ConsumptionThe self-perceived effects of ‘‘hardcore’’ pornography consumption were studied in a large representative sample of young adult men aged 18–30. Using a survey that included the newly developed Pornography Consumption Effect Scale, this report assessed participants’ reports of how pornography has affected them personally in various areas, including their sexual knowledge, attitudes toward sex, attitudes toward and perception of the opposite sex, sex life, and general quality of life. READ FULL REPORT HERE
Revelers decked out in sequins, feathers, wigs and leather danced through the streets of Sydney on Saturday to the cheers of more than 300,000 people at the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. More than 130 floats and 9,500 people participated in the procession, which began as a protest march in 1978 by homosexual and transsexual men and women and has flourished into one of the world's largest and most flamboyant gay pride events.The parade kicked off with Olympic gold medal diver Matthew Mitcham, who stood atop the first float surrounded by male dancers dressed in Speedos and carrying scorecards. Lifeguards, cheerleaders, nurses and sports teams strutted and spun to their floats' music. Banks, schools and churches were represented, as were the Australian Federal Police, the Defense Department and state firefighters. All of the marchers, whether flamboyant in feathers and high heels or wearing their official work uniforms, were grinning ear-to-ear as they waved to the crowd.
Spectators waited for up to six hours for prime viewing spots along the 1.5-mile route of the 31st annual parade. Many were packed 10 rows thick along the sidewalk along the main thoroughfare Oxford Street, which was lined with metal barricades and manned by police and parade officials.[MEDIA not found]
TV personality Joan Rivers, in town for her one-woman comedy show, waved from atop a truck. Another float was dedicated to slain U.S. gay rights activist Harvey Milk, the subject of a movie last year starring Sean Penn, who won an Oscar for his role.[MEDIA not found]
This year's parade theme was "Nations United," a tribute to homosexuals around the world, particularly in countries where they cannot live openly. In Australia last year, lawmakers passed legislation giving homosexual couples the same rights as heterosexuals, though they have not legalized same-sex marriages.A quick look at the news coverage of the event:
The Sydney Morning Herald has a gallery of Mardi Gras photos from the last 30 years. Can’t help noticing the lack of images from the period 1979–1995, when the Herald’s treatment of the event was far less sympathetic than it is today.
Former High Court Justice Michael Kirby has an op-ed piece in the Sydney Daily Telegraph about why Mardi Gras is important, even if you find the bare bottoms and breasts a bit much, as Kirby plainly does. The Terror manages to misspell ‘Mardi Gras’ in the headline.
Thousands of ecstasy tablets destined for Saturday's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia were taken out of circulation after a major police operation. Strike Force Boult, a four-month undercover investigation, ended in police from the Surry Hills Regional Enforcement Squad swooping on a McDonalds restaurant at Kingswood to arrest a 22-year-old man. Ryan Kirkbride, from Wentworthville, was charged with selling a large commercial supply of a prohibited drug. Police will allege Mr Kirkbride was organising the supply of 2000 ecstasy pills for Saturday's Mardi Gras. Worth about $80,000 on the streets, police, more importantly, believe the arrest has ended a valuable supply chain to this weekend's gay parade. NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Catherine Burn hailed the bust as a significant blow ahead of the parade. "We will be alleging that the drugs were destined for the Mardi Gras parade," Ms Burn told The Daily Telegraph last night. "The disruption of this drug supply chain has put a dent into the market and it will reduce the amount of drugs available. "It's essential that people understand we are going to target drug crime up to and including the Mardi Gras parade." Strike Force Boult was formed last October, targeting large scale ecstasy supply in the Sydney area. Police will allege Kirkbride sold a large commercial quantity of ecstasy to an undercover officer numerous times during the investigation. It culminated last night with his arrest for organising the sale of a further 2000 pills. A large amount of pills were allegedly found in Kirkbride's car after his arrest. Three separate cars were hit during the arrest, however police charged only Kirkbride. He provided little resistance. At the same time police raided his home in Wentworthville. "It is an extremely significant result for the Surry Hills Regional Enforcement Squad," Ms Burn said. She praised the work of officers involved in the operation.
"There is a link to the Mardi Gras," she said. "It's a win for the NSW Police force just before a major event in Sydney." More than 10,000 gays and lesbians are expected to march in the Mardi Gras.
A 25 year old man tried to blackmail $15,000 from a Melbourne, Australia senior political figure for a sex tape so he could pay his rent, bills and buy a scooter. Jake Michael Della-Vedova, pleaded guilty in the County Court Friday morning to one count of blackmail. Prosecutor Simon Cooper told the court Della-Vedova came into contact with the man on a gay chat site in June last year. The court heard testiomony that after exchanging text messages the pair arranged to a meeting at Della-Vedova's apartment. UPDATE: He was sentenced on Monday morning and ordered to serve four months behind bars.The Prosecutor said the victim paid Della-Vedova $150 after he complained about needing money, but unbeknown to him Della-Vedova had also secretly taped the sexual encounter. The court heard that during another meeting the victim, who cannot be identified because of a court order and his political position, paid Della-Vedova $250 to cover his rent. The Prosecutor said after that meeting the victim began receiving a number of threatening messages on his phone. The court heard they included still picture images of the sex tape and threats that it would be sent out to media organisations or the victim's employers if $15,000 wasn't paid. Della-Vedova was caught in a police sting on July 5 when he went to a meeting to pick up the money. Defense lawyer Trevor Wraight said his client had shown a clear lack of judgment in his amateurish offending. "It was relatively situation motivated - he saw an opportunity, he jumped at it but really not a great deal of serious thought was put into how it was to be affected," he said. Mr Wraight said the case had been a wake-up call for Della-Vedova, who acknowledged the trauma he had put his victim through. Judge Lisa Hannan jailed Della-Vedova until sentencing on Monday. At sentencing he could get up to 15 years in prison.
A restaurant in a northwest suburb of Adelaide, Australia that refused a blind man entry because it thought his guide dog was "gay" was ordered by the Equal Opportunity Tribunal to pay him $1,500, The (Adelaide) Sunday Mail.
Ian Jolly, 57, was barred from dining at the Thai Spice restaurant in May 2009 after a staff member mistook his guide dog Nudge for a "gay dog," a tribunal heard this week.
A statement given by restaurant owners Hong Hoa Thi To and Anh Hoang Le said one of the restaurant's waiters said that Jolly's partner Ms. Chris Lawrence stated "she wanted to bring a gay dog into the restaurant."
Jolly and Lawrence were refused entry to the restaurant -- which displays a "guide dogs welcome" sign -- even after providing staff with a guide dogs fact card.
At an Equal Opportunity Tribunal conciliation hearing Friday, the restaurant agreed to provide Jolly with a written apology and attend an Equal Opportunity education course, in addition to paying him $1,500.
"The staff genuinely believed that Nudge was an ordinary pet dog which had been desexed to become a gay dog," a statement from the hearing said.
Jolly said while he was happy with the result, the embarrassing incident had dampened his enthusiasm for eating out at restaurants. "It gives you some comfort that Equal Opportunity is there," he said.
"But I always have that fear now, when I go out.
"I just want to be like everybody else and be able to go out for dinner, to be left alone and just enjoy a meal."
Thai Spice refused to speak to the Sunday Mail when contacted for comment.
Source: The (Adelaide) Sunday Mail
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Chicken restaurant tycoon Gerardus Gerrit Heijne strangled his gay lover in the kitchen of their Perth, Australia penthouse because he stood in the way of a new life with a much younger male lover.
A blacklist of banned websites drawn up by the Australian government includes gay sites. The government is proposing a law that requires internet service providers to filter and block inappropriate content, such as that related to terrorism and abusive images of children. It has drawn up a list of sites to be blacklisted. However, webpages such as gay and straight porn sites, YouTube links and certain Wikipedia entries have been included in its scope. The blacklist of about 2,395 banned sites was obtained by Wikileaks, a website which allows anonymous whistleblowers to leak official documents.
The self-perceived effects of ‘‘hardcore’’ pornography consumption were studied in a large representative sample of young adult men aged 18–30. Using a survey that included the newly developed Pornography Consumption Effect Scale, this report assessed participants’ reports of how pornography has affected them personally in various areas, including their sexual knowledge, attitudes toward sex, attitudes toward and perception of the opposite sex, sex life, and general quality of life. 
Revelers decked out in sequins, feathers, wigs and leather danced through the streets of Sydney on Saturday to the cheers of more than 300,000 people at the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. More than 130 floats and 9,500 people participated in the procession, which began as a protest march in 1978 by homosexual and transsexual men and women and has flourished into one of the world's largest and most flamboyant gay pride events.
Thousands of ecstasy tablets destined for Saturday's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia were taken out of circulation after a major police operation. Strike Force Boult, a four-month undercover investigation, ended in police from the Surry Hills Regional Enforcement Squad swooping on a McDonalds restaurant at Kingswood to arrest a 22-year-old man. 
A 25 year old man tried to blackmail $15,000 from a Melbourne, Australia senior political figure for a sex tape so he could pay his rent, bills and buy a scooter. Jake Michael Della-Vedova, pleaded guilty in the County Court Friday morning to one count of blackmail. Prosecutor Simon Cooper told the court Della-Vedova came into contact with the man on a gay chat site in June last year. The court heard testiomony that after exchanging text messages the pair arranged to a meeting at Della-Vedova's apartment. UPDATE: He was sentenced on Monday morning and ordered to serve four months behind bars. 
Della-Vedova was caught in a police sting on July 5 when he went to a meeting to pick up the money. Defense lawyer Trevor Wraight said his client had shown a clear lack of judgment in his amateurish offending. "It was relatively situation motivated - he saw an opportunity, he jumped at it but really not a great deal of serious thought was put into how it was to be affected," he said. 
