NEWS: Violence Against Gays Unchecked In Sydney

[Tragic Rabbit]

Violence Against Gays Unchecked In Sydney

by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Posted: January 16, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET

(Sydney, Australia) LGBT civil rights groups are voicing concern about escalating violence against gays in Sydney and are warning it may spiral out of control in the lead-up to Mardi Gras.

The Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project of the AIDS Council has lodged a formal complaint with the New South Wales Ombudsman accusing police of failing to protect the gay community.

In the past six weeks there have been 22 reports of anti-gay violence alone.

The situation has become so extreme and the police response so slow Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has complained twice in writing over the past month to NSW Police Minister David Campbell.

Moore has demanded that police take more action.

Despite advocating for years for more police protection in and around Oxford Street little has been done said AIDS Council CEO Stevie Clayton.

"We?ve trained police about dealing with homophobic violence, we?ve helped develop the Oxford St Safety Strategy, we?ve set-up systems to share intelligence and we?ve continually called for more resources," said Clayton.

"Despite these efforts, the violence continues to escalate and the police response is not keeping pace with it. Like the rest of our community, we feel that enough is enough. That?s why we?re now taking the matter to the Ombudsman so we can get an independent assessment of the problem and finally put an end to the inaction and buck passing."

Last month a gay couple was attacked leaving one of the men with a shattered jaw and broken leg. There have been no arrests.

With tens of thousands of people expected to attend next month's Mardi Gras gay festival in Sydney Clayton expressed concerns the the mounting violence will worsen.

This year Mardi Gras turns 30. It kicks off February 9 and culminates with the world-famous parade along Oxford St on Saturday March 1.

?365Gay.com 2008

http://365gay.com/Newscon08/01/011608oz.htm

[Insomniac]

Pink Pistols

You can't always expect the Police to save you from the bad guys. Sometimes the person most responsible for your own safety is you. I wish the world were different but until it changes it's ways neither can I. What is really sad, though, is that most victims of hate crimes tend to be either attacked by groups or targeted because they appear weak and an easy victim.

[Graeme]

Australia's gun laws don't permit most members of the public to own guns. I don't want to divert this into a discussion on gun control, so I'll just add that the news article above reinforces my opinion that gay-bashings are NOT being swept under the rug -- that people in charge (eg. Sydney's Lord Mayor) are treating it seriously.

The article doesn't say what the NSW police response is, but the NSW Police web site details their official policy and their involvement with Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

[Graeme]

An article from today's Sydney Morning Herald on the subject

[Insomniac]

Australia's gun laws don't permit most members of the public to own guns. I don't want to divert this into a discussion on gun control, so I'll just add that the news article above reinforces my opinion that gay-bashings are NOT being swept under the rug -- that people in charge (eg. Sydney's Lord Mayor) are treating it seriously.

The article doesn't say what the NSW police response is, but the NSW Police web site details their official policy and their involvement with Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

Sadly, this is pretty much the only reason why I couldn't live there or in Britain. Take away my right to defend myself and you've taken away my right to live. I really hope it gets better. I want to have faith in humanity so bad, but sometimes it's so hard to.

[Graeme]

Sadly, this is pretty much the only reason why I couldn't live there or in Britain. Take away my right to defend myself and you've taken away my right to live. I really hope it gets better. I want to have faith in humanity so bad, but sometimes it's so hard to.

You are allowed to defend yourself -- you are just not allowed to use certain weapons, such as nuclear bombs, mustard gas, grenade launchers and any sort of firearm. Knives are a grey area, but baseball bats are definitely on the approved list.

[Insomniac]

You are allowed to defend yourself -- you are just not allowed to use certain weapons, such as nuclear bombs, mustard gas, grenade launchers and any sort of firearm. Knives are a grey area, but baseball bats are definitely on the approved list.

Maybe, but in a world where criminals commonly carry around knives and guns themselves, I want to be at least on the same level to defend myself.

[Bruin Fisher]

Maybe, but in a world where criminals commonly carry around knives and guns themselves, I want to be at least on the same level to defend myself.

I hesitate to weigh into a debate that carries such strong feelings on both sides, but I think it's worth pointing out that in the countries where the carrying of such weapons is illegal, law-abiding citizens don't carry them, and while some criminals certainly do, far fewer of them carry weapons because it is difficult to obtain them and they don't perceive the need since they're not likely to meet similarly armed defence. Thus, combining the much reduced likelihood of being shot by a criminal with the negligible likelihood of being shot in a domestic accident, life in these countries is much safer.

Statistics uphold this assertion: UN Survey of gun crime 1998-2000

From Wikepedia article on Gun Violence: "The United States has the highest rates among developed countries, which some account to [sic] the loose firearm laws in the U.S. compared to other developed countries."

My twopenn'orth

Bruin