Settle in once again for GenQ news in 5! In this news in 5, Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett outrages GenQ and fellow GLBT community members with his views on the sacking of a gay veteran footy trainer, yet another John McCain interview regarding Gay adoption, G-A-Y says goodbye and Lesbos looses case against ‘lesbian’. Read On..
GLBT
AUSTRALIA - Jeff kennett gay row, calls for him to step down from Beyond Blue
Former state premier, Hawthorn President and potential Melbourne Lord Mayor Jeff Kennett has provoked a gay rights storm by backing a football club that sacked a trainer for being gay. Kennett stated that Bonnie Doon Football Club was within its rights to sack veteran trainer Ken Campagnolo after it found out he was gay.
"The club felt that once this had been pointed out and you had this gentleman there who was obviously close to young men - massaging young men - it ran an unnecessary risk and that's why it decided it was best that he not perform those duties again. So the club was trying to do the right thing," Mr Kennett said.
Mr Kennett likened the situation to as if the club had a pedophile trainer.
"It's the same if you have a pedophile there as a masseur, right?"
"And you might say the pedophile would do no damage, but once it was pointed out to you, you have a duty of care to those underage children not to put them in a situation of risk."
Mr Campagnolo is fighting the Bonnie Doon Football Club, the AFL and Benalla and District Football League in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal over his 2007 sacking. On Friday, the AFL failed in a bid to have his complaint against it struck out, with the tribunal ruling the matter must go to mediation.
Mr Campagnolo said he was appalled by Mr Kennett's remarks.
"I am not a pedophile. Does that mean every straight male doctor cannot treat any female patient?" he said.
Rodney Croome, of the Australian Coalition for Equality, said: "Jeff Kennett should immediately step aside from his role in Beyond Blue."
We At GenerationQ.net are mortified at Mr Kennett’s comments. Please let us know how you feel about the topic by commenting below.
ATHENS - Greek court rules Lesbos not misrepresented by lesbians
A Greek court has dismissed a request by residents of the Greek island of Lesbos to ban the use of the word lesbian to describe gay women, as revealed in court ruling made public on Tuesday. Lesbos was the birthplace of the ancient Greek poetess Sappho, whose love poems inspired the term lesbian. Three inhabitants of the island argued that the use of the term in reference to gay women insulted their identity.
On July 18th, the Athens court ruled that the word did not define the identity of the residents of the island, and so it could be validly used by gay groups in Greece and abroad.
"This is a good decision for lesbians everywhere," Vassilis Chirdaris, lawyer for the Gay and Lesbian Union of Greece, told Reuters. "A court in Athens could not stop people around the world from using it. It was ridiculous."
CANBERRA - Lesbians lose Australian court battle over twins
An Australian lesbian couple have lost a one of a kind court battle after trying to sue their doctor for having twins instead of the one child they requested from an in vitro fertilisation procedure. The ruling left doctors on Friday praising the verdict.
"If there's an outcome which is a healthy, live baby, these things shouldn't end up in the courts," Dr Paul Jones, from the doctors' body the Australian Medical Association, told Australian radio on Friday.
The couple had sought about A$400,000 ($385,000) in compensation from their obstetrician after they had healthy twin girls instead of one baby, telling the court the stress of the second baby had damaged their relationship. READ MORE.
But the Supreme Court in Canberra dismissed the civil case and ruled the doctor was not negligent for implanting two embryos instead of one during the IVF procedure.
BRITAIN - Four in five Protestants say gay sex is a sin
According to survey by ComRes of 517 Protestant Christians in Britain, most Christians believe gay sex is a sin and that practicing gays should not be ordained. Only 3 per cent of nonCatholic Christians believe homosexuality is not a sin, while 81 per cent say it is and 15 per cent say “it is more complicated than this”.
USA - McCain On Gay Adoption
In an interview with Stephanopoulos on “This Week”, John McCain gave more opinion over gay adoption. Read more here, and see an except below.
STEPHANOPOULOS: What is your position on gay adoption? You told the “New York Times" you were against it, even in cases where the children couldn’t find another home. But then your staff backtracked a bit. What is your position?
MCCAIN: My position is, it’s not the reason why I’m running for president of the United States. And I think that two parent families are best for America.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, what do you mean by that, it’s not the reason you’re running for president of the United States?
MCCAIN: Because I think — well, I think that it’s — it is important for us to emphasize family values. But I think it’s very important that we understand that we have other challenges, too. I’m running for president of the United States, because I want to help with family values. And I think that family values are important, when we have two parent — families that are of parents that are the traditional family.
LONDON - London's G-A-Y closes with favourite Dannii Minogue
G-A-Y, one of London's most famous gay nightclubs big clubbers farewell at the weekend, and despite rumours of an appearance by Kylie Mingue, her sister Dannii Minogue was there instead. She was joined a host of G-A-Y's favourite acts including indie band Texas, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Alcazar, GenQ NSS artist Sam Sparro and comedian Pam Ann.
Previous Saturday nights at G-A-Y have featured such performers as Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, The Spice Girls, Girls Aloud, the Sugababes and Steps. The Astoria building which hosts G-A-Y nights will be pulled down to make way for a new central London rail project.
A video clip of Minogue's performace can be seen below.
ENTERTAINMENT
SAN FRANCISCO - Shia LaBeouf arrested for drunk driving
"Indiana Jones” and “Transformers” star Shia LaBeouf has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after he was injured in a car accident early Sunday, a police official stated.
LaBeouf made a left turn in front of the other vehicle, causing a collision in which his car rolled over at 3 a.m. in Hollywood, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Scott Wolf said.
"He subsequently injured his head, knee and hand and was hospitalized," Wolf said.
Wolf said LaBeouf was booked for misdemeanor DUI (driving under the influence) and then released. LaBeouf's passenger and the driver of the other vehicle sustained minor injuries.
LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears to pay $20,000 a month child support
Singer Britney Spears has been ordered to pay $20,000 a month in child support to ex-husband Kevin Federline for the care of their two children, according to a final custody agreement filed in court on Friday.
This order has formally settled the custody battle between Spears and Federline, and allows Federline to retain sole custody of his children with Spears -- Sean Preston, 2-1/2, and Jayden James, 22 months.
After marrying in 2004, Spears and Federline then seperated in late 2006 and their divorce was finalized last year. Spears lost custody of the boys in January this year after two brief hospitalizations for psychiatric evaluation. Spears displayed increasingly bizarre behavior in public during the divorce and custody battle last year such as shaving her head and going after the paparazzi with an umbrella. But in recent months Ms Spears has been credited with turning her life around and just last month was given court permission for overnight visits with her sons.
SAN DIEGO, California - Guy Ritchie says marriage to Madonna is "fine"
Film director Guy Ritchie finally spoke out on Friday over the constant rumours that his marriage to Madonna is on the rocks, telling People magazine it was "fine".
"My marriage is fine as far as I'm aware of," the British director told People Mag in an interview.
The rumour mill has been running hot for months regarding Ritchie's 8-year marriage to Madonna, 49 being on the rocks, despite several denials by the singer that the couple are planning a divorce.
Ritchie is in Southern California promoting his new movie "RocknRolla", while Madonna is rehearsing in New York for her upcoming world tour starting in August.
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