A panel of inquiry set up to investigate if comments made on social media by Ben Duncan, a Green Councillor for Queens Park were appropriate, has ruled his comments brought himself and colleagues into disrepute.
Ben Duncan, Councillor for Queens Park Ward
On Armed Forces Day, Saturday June 28, Councillor Duncan tweeted:“Armed Forces Day has certainly brought the hired killers onto the streets of Brighton today. Hard to explain to my son!”
Following an angry backlash, Cllr Duncan apologised saying his comments had been taken out of context.
Lisa Murray, Chair of Brighton and Hove Green Party, said:“The panel of inquiry has concluded that Councillor Ben Duncan should no longer serve as a member of the Green Group of Councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council. This follows his recent statement on Twitter concerning the armed forces which understandably offended many both within and outside the party.
“The panel concluded that since this recent incident follows a history of making comments in social media that many would view as inappropriate for someone in such a position, taken as a whole, Councillor Duncan’s actions amount to a breach of standards and judgement expected of a Green councillor, bringing himself and colleagues into disrepute.
“Councillor Duncan’s removal from the Green Group is for the remaining council term.
“From this point Councillor Duncan will not participate in votes or discussions in the Green Group or be involved in any decisions of the Group and will sit as an independent councillor and not be counted as a part of the Group.
“Any further investigation is beyond the remit of this disciplinary panel. We thank Councillor Duncan for the contribution he has made while a member of the Group.”
Cllr Warren Morgan, Leader of Labour and cooperative, responded saying: “Ben Duncan was elected as a Green and they cannot just wash their hands of responsibility. The right thing for them to do would be to have him resign immediately. It is wrong that he continue to be paid as a councillor until next May.”
Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton Pavilion, said:“What he did was completely unacceptable and it made his position untenable.”
Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Brighton will celebrate Pride at a special service at the Brighthelm Centre at 6 p.m. on 27 July
Being a community celebration, the proceedings will be kept as secular as possible. At the beginning of the service there will be a procession of Gay flags (Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Bi, Pan, Bears, Leather etc) and Aneesa Chaudrey, musical director of the Rainbow Chorus, will be joining the celebration along with performances from The Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus and Actually Gay Women’s chorus.
Rev Michael Hydes, Pastor of the MCC Church, said:“There will be a communion right at the end of the service but folks are more than welcome to leave, or see the event as a community celebration rather than a religious sacrament – a community sharing and blessing rather than a Christian celebration of the Eucharist.”
Three non-religious homilies will be given, by Rev Michael Hydes from MCC and community leaders, in celebration of the LGBT community.
Lunch Positive and Vineyard Church will be supplying refreshments and sandwiches. The Terrence Higgins Trust will be staffing a table where they give out condom packs and advice on safer sex and HIV testing.
Any money raised from the event will be donated to the Rainbow Fund, which makes grants to LGBT/HIV organisations delivering front line services to the LGBT community in Brighton and Hove.
There is no cost to attend. The event will start at 6 p.m. and you’re welcome to arrive any time after 4 p.m. Proceedings will finish around 7 p.m. and will be followed with an hour when folks can get to know each other and do some networking.
What: A Service to celebrate Brighton Pride
Where: Brighthelm Centre, North Rd, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1YD
Highlights include a conversation with NBA player Jason Collins, a panel on Chicago-style politics and expert tips from Oprah producer Chris Gajilan on landing the interviewer’s Big Get and More.
The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) will hold its National Convention and 10th LGBT Media Summit at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago from August 21 through to August 24.
This annual event marks the 22nd year the organization has brought together journalists, news executives and communications professionals to build skills, network and engage in a lively and engaging discussion on the topic of fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues in the news media.
The four-day assembly will begin with the LGBT Media Summit on Thursday, August 21 and three boot camps, followed by two full days of programming with more than 30 workshops designed to address the needs of journalists and those in the communication industry.
The convention also will include Connect: the NLGJA Student Journalism Project, the Women’s Networking Dinner, NLGJA’s Excellence in Journalism Awards and numerous other learning and networking opportunities.
Jason Collins
NBA Brooklyn Nets player Jason Collins will be among the headliners at this year’s convention, sharing his experiences in dealing with the news media after coming out after the end of the 2012-2013 season.
Among this year’s speakers will be Chris Gajilan, National Emmy and Gracie Allen Individual Achievement Award-winning Oprah producer. She will discuss how to land the big get at The Art of the Interview.
Melissa Bell, founder of Vox Media, will address delegates at the Digging Deeper with Digital Media boot camp.
Craig Dellimore, political editor at WBBM Newsradio, will lead The Center of the Universe: Chicago and Politics and implications for election news coverage in a live airing of the station’s ‘At Issue’ program.
Jen Christensen, NLGJA president and a CNN producer, said: “We believe this year’s convention is going to be one of the best ever.”
“Chicago is a perfect location for staging the event given how central it is to issues driving the news both literally and figuratively. In addition, we are excited about innovative new programming we are introducing.”
There are two new additions to the convention this year; a slate of boot camps focused on marketing, communications and business skills and the Michael Triplett Speaker Series on the intersection between religion and the LGBT community. Both are open to the public.
The boot camps will be held August 21 and will focus on the following subjects:
• The Write Stuff: How to Write a Book Proposal that Sells Without Selling Out
• Digging Deeper with Digital Media and The Business of Me: Innovative Ways to Build Your Personal Brand or Business.
The convention will also feature StoryCorps, which will collect the various stories of NLGJA’s members through the years and the organisation’s impact and for possible inclusion in a StoryCorps OutLoud segment. StoryCorps is a national nonprofit organization that records the stories of everyday people and preserves them at the Library of Congress, with selected stories broadcast on NPR.
To register for the NLGJA National Convention and LGBT Media Summit, CLICK HERE:
NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBT issues. NLGJA was founded in 1990 and opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members.
The Rainbow Fund will benefit once again this year from the annual Pride Sunday cabaret fundraiser at Legends on Sunday August 3.
Lola Lasagne
Nothing will tickle you quite like the monster cabaret line-up hostess’s Lola Lasagne and Tammy Twinkle have put together for this sensational Pride Sunday event.
Artistes confirmed to appear include Miss Jason, Myra Dubois, Mary Mac, Miss Penny, Rose Garden, Eva Iglesias, Connie Conway, Krissie DuCann, Jacque Bennett, Gabriella Parrish, Maisie Trollette, Cassidy Connors, Sally Vate, Lucinda Lashes, Jennie Castell, Davina Sparkle and Dave Lynn.
Lola Lasagne, said:“The annual Sunday Pride Fundraiser carries on where the Legends Cabaret Tent at the Brighton Pride Festival leaves off, with your favourite artistes giving superb performances and really helping Legends and Brighton to prove why cabaret is such a big part of our LGBT scene and the Pride’s celebrations. It also boosts the coffers and the profile of the Rainbow Fund who provide money for local groups and organisations to continue their already excellent work.”
Tammy Twinkle
Paul Elgood, Chair of the Rainbow Fund, said: “Once again Legends and Lola have chosen to make the beneficiary of this fundraising event, The Rainbow Fund
The cabaret starts at 3pm and continues until 10.30pm. Whilst there is no admission, donations to the Rainbow Fund will be encouraged (you don’t want to disappoint the cream of the cabaret scene now do you?). There will also be a raffle with lots of fabulous prizes.
What:Legends Sunday Pride Fundraiser
Where: Legends, 31-34 Marine Parade, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 1TR
The Chapel Royal in Brighton is staging a Summer Flower Festival in support of The Martlets and Chestnut Tree Children’s Hospices.
The festival will take place from 10am to 4pm on August 23-25. Admission is free, light refreshments will be available and voluntary donations to The Martlets Hospice and Chestnut Tree Children’s Hospices gratefully received.
What:Summer Flower Festival
Where: The Chapel Royal, Chapel Royal, North Street, Brighton, BN1 1EA
When: August 23-25
Time: 10am-4pm daily
Cost: Free entry
For more information about Chapel Royal, CLICK HERE:
Brighton’s LGBT choir, The Rainbow Chorus has been awarded a £9,000 Big Lottery Fund Grant, as part of the Awards for All program.
Rainbow Chorus
The grant will allow the Chorus to buy technical equipment to improve lighting, sound and presentation in performance. It also allows the purchase of a portable keyboard which will enhance their varied performances, increasingly in the community.
Finola Brophy
Rainbow Chorus Chair, Finola Brophy, said:“This will be a great opportunity to continue to support our local community and improve the resources available to the Rainbow Chorus.
As a community choir it is important that we support local events and are able to engage with the diverse groups Brighton and Hove has to offer, together we are stronger and in our true spirit – there is strength in harmony”
“We are also looking for some local storage space to store the new equipment and further support from the community to sustain the choir, if anyone is interested please get in touch!”
The chorus are always looking for new members – there’s a new member night on September 15 where all are welcome – no auditions required.
Duncan Brown, membership co-ordinator, said:“We are particularly seeking Bass, Baritone and Soprano voice parts to maintain balance within the choir, but everyone is welcome. We are also keen to hear from people who would be interested in supporting us behind the scenes please get in touch via facebook or email membership@rainbowchorus.org.uk”
What: The Rainbow Chorus – Strength in Harmony Summer Concert
Where: St George’s Church, St Georges Road, Kemp Town, Brighton, BN2 1ED.
When: Saturday, July 12
Time: 19.30 (Doors open at 19.00)
Tickets: £12, £10 concessions. (Children under 12 – half price) Available from choir members, or www.brownpapertickets.com or on the door.
The Rainbow Chorus is the only Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) choir on the Southcoast. Based in Brighton and Hove, the choir aims to provide an enjoyable and supportive environment for LGBT members to sing together, making new friends, developing their community spirit, individual talents and confidence. Through performance, the Rainbow Chorus also raises the profile of the LGBT community in Brighton & Hove as well as providing top quality entertainment. Everybody is welcome to join, you don’t need to audition, just want to sing! The choirs musical director is Aneesa Chaudhry and accompanist is Mojca Monte.
For more information about the Rainbow Chorus, CLICK HERE:
Egale, the Canadian Human Rights Trust is calling for immediate action on the gender segregation of trans* people in Canadian correctional facilities.
Avery Edison
British comedienne Avery Edison has filed human rights complaints with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and the Canadian Human Rights Commission about her “outrageous treatment” at Pearson Airport and her subsequent detention at a men’s prison, despite her identification as a woman. Egale Canada strongly condemns the treatment of Edison and her placement in a men’s facility.
Helen Kennedy, Executive Director of Egale, said:“Edison’s experience with Canadian correctional authorities as a transgender woman mirrors the experience of trans people in detention and correctional facilities across Canada.”
Kennedy went on to say that federal and provincial governments must immediately address the wrongful gender segregation of trans* people in Canadian correctional facilities and to comply with their obligations under Canadian human rights law.
The placement of trans* people in Canadian correctional facilities raises serious human rights concerns. In the face of outdated, unclear, or nonexistent policy guidelines, corrections officials make placement decisions primarily on genitals, rather than on the individual’s legal sex or self-identification.
Trans* people report experiencing high levels of discrimination, harassment, and violence while in custody. The only alternative correctional institutions offer them is long-term solitary confinement. The United Nations Special Rapporteur has identified this practice as a form of torture.
Edison’s case is one of two high-profile cases that demonstrate that this pressing human rights issue requires immediate action from both federal and provincial governments.
In February 2014, Edison, a transgender woman from the United Kingdom, was detained by officials at Pearson Airport for overstaying a previous student visa. Despite her legal status as a woman, she was placed in a men’s correctional facility. After international outcry, she was transferred to the adjacent women’s facility.
That same month, Katlynn Griffith, a trans* woman from Cornwall, Ontario, was placed in a holding cell with four men at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. After Griffith expressed concerns about her safety, she was placed in protective custody with two men accused of engaging in sex crimes. After spending the night in protective custody with these two men, she was transferred to the women’s section of the facility. Griffith reported being subjected to homophobic and transphobic slurs by inmates, and being referred to as ‘it’ by prison officials.
These are not isolated incidents. A 2013 report from Trans PULSE, a community-based, academic research group, notes that trans* people are placed in inappropriate facilities and subjected to discrimination, harassment, and violence throughout Canada every day.
As a community that experiences overwhelming rates of discrimination, unemployment and underemployment, poverty, harassment, and violence, trans people regularly come into contact with the criminal justice system.
A 2010 survey of 443 trans Ontarians conducted by Trans PULSE found that 43% of respondents had attempted suicide, 20% had been targets of physical or sexual assaults, and 34% had been verbally harassed or threatened.
Both recent cases demonstrate that federal and provincial governments are not complying with their obligations under their respective human rights codes, recent human rights caselaw, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.
Egale calls on federal and provincial governments to develop new placement guidelines for trans people in correctional facilities.
These guidelines must include:
• Allowing trans* people to determine whether they wish to be housed in a men’s facility or a women’s facility, regardless of whether they have undergone surgeries;
• Conducting an internal review of all policies and practices in federal and provincial correctional facilities in consultation with trans community organizations;
• Developing training programs in consultation with trans community organizations to ensure that all corrections officials understand their human rights obligations; and
• Considering non-custodial alternatives that take into account other categories of identity and experience, including race, socioeconomic status, and disability.
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