Same-sex parent law passes final hurdle
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 17.11.09.
A Tasmanian Government law giving legal parental status to the same-sex partner of a woman who has a child through fertility treatment has passed its final hurdle and will now become law.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said the move will bring legal peace-of-mind to many Tasmanian families.
Womens' Legal Service Managing Solicitor, Susan Fahey, said her service will now begin the process of educating same-sex couples, their families and the broader community about the impact of reform.
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Officially-recognised relationship ceremonies welcome
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 17.11.09.
Tasmanian gay activists have welcomed today's announcement by the Tasmanian Government that couples entering State Deeds of Relationship can now have officially-recognised ceremonies involving celebrants and witnesses.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said the new ceremonies will allow same-sex couples to declare their love and commitment in front of friends and family members in a way which is dignified, solemn and has official recognition.
"Until now, registering a Deed of Relationship has been a dry, administrative process, but the Government's initiative allows it to be linked to, and marked by, an officially-recognised declaration of love and commitment overseen by a celebrant and witnessed by loved ones", Mr Croome said.
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Tasmanian Upper House passes & upgrades same-sex parent law
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 29.10.09
The Tasmanian Upper House has passed and improved a new law giving equal recognition and protection to families headed by same-sex couples.
The Legislative Council has unanimously endorsed a State Government initiative that will recognise the same-sex partner of a woman who has a child through fertility treatment as the child's other legal parent.
An amendment proposed by Windermere Independent, Ivan Dean, which was also unanimously supported by Upper House members, has improved the new law by backdating the recognition to include all those children born to two mothers through fertility treatment since same-sex couples were first recognised in Tasmanian law six years ago.
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Tas provides official ceremonies for recognised partners / Same-sex couples can now have their 'special day'
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 30.9.09.
Couples entering a Tasmanian Deed of Relationship will soon have the option of an official relationship ceremony.
From November 1st the Tasmanian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages will change its procedures to allow a couple to bring their Deed of Relationship into effect by signing their relationship certificate in a ceremony presided over by a marriage celebrant.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, welcomed the initiative saying "this provides same-sex and other couples with a way to have that 'special day', on which they officially declare and affirm their relationship in front of friends and family members".
"Tasmania led the nation with the establishment of our registry of personal relationships, and now it is leading with official ceremonial recognition of these relationships."
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Tas Social Inclusion Strategy first in Aus to acknowledge GLBTI exclusion but still 'short on details'
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 21.9.09.
Gay activists say the Tasmanian Social Inclusion Strategy sets a new Australian standard by acknowledging the exclusion faced by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (GLBTI) people, but is still "short on solutions".
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said the Strategy, released today by Social Inclusion Commissioner, Professor David Adams, is the first in Australia to cite levels of discrimination and disadvantage faced by GLBTI people but fails to propose any solutions, despite highlighting ideas for tackling the exclusion of a wide range of other social groups.
"We are pleased the Strategy is the first in Australia to acknowledge the exclusion GLBTI people face, but frustrated there's no pointers for how to tackle this exclusion", Mr Croome said.
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Timber Communities Australia apologises for harmful election advertising / Pledges to work on educational brochures
This media release was jointly issued by the TGLRG and Timber Communities Australia on 16.9.09.
At a joint media event today, Timber Communities Australia (TCA) Tasmanian State Manager Barry Chipman handed over letters of apology to Martine Delaney and Peter Power for ads the TCA published during the last federal election.
Ms Delaney and Mr Power made complaints to the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner over the TCA television advertisement aired during the run-up to the 2007 Federal Election.
The advertisement attacked Greens' policies relating to same-sex marriage and the legal recognition of intersex people - using poison symbols, danger signs and audio effects to describe these policies as extremely dangerous.
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Hate ad stoush set to continue
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 23.8.09.
Human Rights advocate, Martine Delaney, says that while she welcomes healthy debate, she will seriously consider a fresh anti-discrimination complaint against the Liberal Party if it attacks the human rights of transgender and intersex people in the lead up to the next state election.
The warning is in response to a claim yesterday by Liberal state director, Jonathan Hawkes, that the Party "could not rule out future ads targeting Greens policies on transgender and intersex people".
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Libs admit involvement in Brethren 'hate ad'
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 21.8.09.
"My hope is that the Liberal Party has suffered sufficient embarrassment over this to ensure it thinks twice before again targeting vulnerable minorities."
- Martine Delaney
Human rights advocate, Martine Delaney, has welcomed an admission by the Liberal Party that it helped place 2006 Tasmanian election advertisements, authorised and funded by members of the Exclusive Brethren, which targeted the human rights of transgender and intersex people.
Ms Delaney alleged to the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal that the ads incited hatred by declaring transgender and intersex rights will "destroy families and society".
In the course of the investigation it was found the Liberal Party had been invoiced for the ads, although it had previously denied any involvement.
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Overwhelming Lower House vote on gay parenting sends strong message to Legislative Council
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 20.8.09.
Human rights and legal advocates have welcomed overwhelming, cross-party support in Tasmania's Lower House for the recognition of families headed by same-sex couples.
All but three members of the House of Assembly today voted to legally recognise the non-biological mothers of children born through fertility treatments like IVF.
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said that the overwhelming vote sends a strong message to the Tasmanian Upper House that it's time to end legal discrimination against same-sex partners and their children.
"Our message to Upper House members is simple: the issue they face is not whether children should have a father and a mother, but whether children already being raised by two mums should have one legal parent or two", Mr Croome said.
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Brethren members apologise for election hate ad
This media release was issued by the TGLRG on 19.8.09.
Members of the Exclusive Brethren who were involved in the publication of 2006 state election ads attacking the human rights of transgender and intersex people have apologised for the offence and hurt the ads caused.
The apology, published in all three Tasmanian daily newspapers today, is the result of a case before the State Anti-Discrimination Tribunal taken by human rights advocate, Martine Delaney.
Ms Delaney said she was pleased the people responsible for the ads have said sorry for the distress they caused.
"It's hard enough being a transgender or intersex person in this society without your basic human rights being hatefully attacked", Ms Delaney said.
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