Hey readers,
Yeah I know it has been a while, so I am thinking a quick general update is in order! It has been a busy few months. When I got back from my amazingly awesome trip to the states, I wasn't well, it took my body a few months to realise it was back in Ireland. I have also been busy dancing, both teaching and performing, both have gone well :)
Social Groups:
Earlier this month I decided to set up a social group for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, or Questioning) women in Cork and the surrounding areas, who share common interests and want to get to know more women. The idea came from the Dublin based group, Running Amach, through which I joined last year and have made amazing friends and have been made feel very welcome. The group works by event organisers creating events on foot of ideas posed by members in the 'ideas' section of the site. An event is created and members RSVP to the event. The event is hosted by the events organiser and fun is had by all. The groups website also has a discussion board, where members can post discussions. I called the group "Vixen's Rainbow". I felt it was a strong but yet fun name. We had our first meetup at the end of January, dinner at a city centre restaurant, it was yummy and the company was awesome. We met in the Bodega to celebrate international women’s day and get to know other vixens. Nine were in attendance and it was a lovely night.
Dublin has a group of the same nature, Running Amach, it has been a huge success. I joined Running Amach a year ago because I felt very isolated in Cork. During the year I have met some really nice women at really fun events. I spent New Years Eve in Dublin with sixty odd other running amachers and had a ball. That was the kick in the butt I needed to start one in Cork. If you are interested, you can join by searching Vixen's Rainbow on the meetup website.
DJing Gigs:
I will be spinning the tunes in Cork in May at the Cork Womens Fun Weeked on both the Saturday and Sunday night...
Also if you want a dj I am all for doing "recession busting deals". I play a very mixed selection to cater for my audience on that particular night.
I am available for every occasion as well as house parties and parades.
Up Close and Personal;
I have decided that 2011 is the year of magic and it is up to every individual to make that magic happen for them. The year has been good so far; I have taught dance classes in Wicklow, Belfast and Dublin and am about to embark on a new adventure within my career as a professional dancer with a disability. On Friday of this week I start a three week very intensive training in aerial dance. I am a bit apprehensive, a bit scared but yet somewhat excited. I will try to post daily tweets about the experience. So add DJProudMary on your twitter. I am intending to keep a video diary too, but I honestly don’t know how or if it will pan out.
I have been doing a bit of thinking about disability, how it is perceived and how it is understood and whether all of that depends on where you were brought up, as in what part of the country. I was born with a disability but was raised in an able bodied environment surrounded with able bodied people. I also wonder how people with disabilities are seen in different communities. I find the general attitudes of people in relation to disability vary. As mentioned earlier I have started socialising a lot more on the scene in Dublin and that is because I find people on the scene in Dublin are more open to conversation, more open to getting to know regardless of abilities or disabilities. In a way it confuses me, how one can feel so isolated within their own community but yet so included in another only a few hours up the road.
Please feel free to email me on djproudmary@gmail.com
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Ramblings, events and the like, Edition 3
Hello fantastic followers,
Yes I am aware it has been a while since I have blogged, but in my defense it has been a busy few months, I've had Cork Pride, Tegan and Sara, P!nk, Dublin Pride and Melissa Eltheridge, it is tough being a lesbian! If that wasn't busy enough I was also studying and completing my final law exams as well as working on a new dance piece for the Dublin Fringe Festival. In between all of that I got to catch a few screenings at GAZE too and wow. I have also being thinking about the way I want this blog to go. I am so excited it is been read and comments are actually being left! :) I am thinking this blog will provide a bit of relevant information and hopefully will be a starting point of some discussion around some areas.
Cork Pride:
Cork pride ended up being busy for me as I ended up not only djing in LinC, but also in the parade (on the bus) and at the sports day too. There was a great vibe about the place however I came away thinking that maybe next year we inform people both in our own community as well as the wider Cork community about why we have a pride parade, a lot do not know! I must say a huge thank you to all at LinC who provided me with a space to sell me helped me in the selling of the products. Also helping set up my gear both in LinC and on the Pride bus! A huge thank you to Eamon who got everything together to make it possible for me to DJ on the parade and at the sports afternoon! Needless to say I made my way to the Savoy on the Sunday of Cork Pride and I have to say the security staff there were awesome! I went on my own, they helped me up the stairs and also with the bathroom, awesome I tell you! I feel I have to say I personally found PRIDE to be a bit isolating also, it is very difficult being on the scene in Cork with a disability on so many levels. Chambers is the only gay bar in Cork city that I know of with full wheelchair access, I feel they ought to be commened. By full wheelchair access I mean access into the premises, a wheelchair accessible toilet and also wheelchair access to the smoking area. I also find a percentage of the Cork LGBT community do not know how to treat people with disabilities, perhaps it's not confined to only people with disabilities. I find in Cork it is very easy to be out on the scene and not to be included in things, as in to be left sitting on your own for the night, moreso when you are physically unable in mingle with people. I can imagine people reading this thinking "it's not like that, not in Cork like" or "it's like that everywhere you go". They have a very valid arguement, it is probably the same in other parts too, however if people are aware of it, it may spark some change within our community.
Catch Up:
Tegan & Sara!T&S are a Canadian lesbian twin band, their music has featured in the LWord and Grey's Anatomy! Myself and a friend went up to Dublin on the early train so we could make our way to Wicklow Street to their accoustic gig at "Tower Records". It was awesome I got up to the side of thee stage, they sang for about 40 minutes and are getting even better! They were in the Olympia and yet again I got up front, in the actual pitt, what a gig! They sang old and new songs, did an accustic session, told stories and rocked the house out. They just get better and better, they seem so grounded too.
Saturday I went into the parade with "Running Amach". The vibe was fab, it was bigger then last year and Lydia Foy was Grand Marchel of the Parade (I will write about Lydia Foy in my next edition). After the parade I hung out with mates and then went to the Running Amach accessible dinner hosted by Maureen, who I met at P!nk. The food was yum and the company of the group was fantastic!
That night I ended up meeting a buddy from Cork and spending time in the Back Lounge and the Dragon. Now I feel I have to mention the Dragon. I was there on Easter Sunday and had not been there since. Security at the door remembered me, remembered I walk up the steps and remembered how to lift Johnny 5 in a particular way. They were so nice and even helped me later on in the night to access the wheelchair loo. Anyway I went home on the Sunday and prepared myself to hit London Baby on the Monday!P!nk!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my god, total and utter hottness. It was quiet funny, my P!nk trip to Dublin that is, I got off the train in Dublin and made my way to the Luas, all quiet normal I hear you say. Hmmmm. There was a dude dressed up as a burger doing a Supermac's promotion, bouncing around the place andf waving at passerbys, and walking into me and Johnny 5, it was so funny being apologised too by a burger! I made my way to Cassidy's hotel in Dublin, checked in, had a bite to eat, then hopped on a bus out to the RDS. There I met my fellow Celtic Tiger Gal, Julie and her mate and we all headed into the RDS, ok, admitily I was a wee bit hyper. We got into our postitions and a woman came zooming over and said 'hi'. It was Maureen, a woman I had been chatting with online for a few years, we finally met, it was fab :). The consort was amazing, she is so hot and talented and awesome and wow and wow and hmmmm did I say wow!?!Dublin Pride
The following week was Dublin Pride and it was fantastic, I really enjoyed it, even though I spent a lot of it screaming "mind yer legs". Seriously it works, excuse me as no effect at all, but people in Dublin still actually value their legs. I started the Friday evening sipping cocktails in a bar off O'Connell Street. before making by way to the G and catching up with mates there, after that we all went to the dyke night, it was in the tripod, fantastic venue, security was awesome, so helpful and went beyond the call of duty. Saturday I went into the parade with "Running Amach". The vibe was fab, it was bigger then last year and Lydia Foy was Grand Marchel of the Parade (I will write about Lydia Foy in my next edition). After the parade I hung out with mates and then went to the Running Amach accessible dinner hosted by Maureen, who I met at P!nk. The food was yum and the company of the group was fantastic!
London:
Monday morning I got my sterling, my friends called and we hit the airport! It was great, the staff assisted me onto the plane after a delay in boarding, the flight was nice and the assistance the other side at Gatwick was spot on! We got the train from the airport to Victoria station then took a ten minute walk to our hotel. Gee it was poky! Monday night I went for an amazing Indian meal, yum, seriously yum! After that we made our way into a gay cafe bar, now that was interesting, considering there was only two of us, the batmobele, a tube station and no lifts! When we eventualy got there, we sat outside as it was so warm, it was actually like being in Spain. On the Tuesday my friend and I hit Oxford Street! After improving the economic state of London and dropping our purchases back to the room, the three of us made our way to Sheperd's Bush! We met up with six others who flew over from Cork, had a bite to eat and went to see "sheer briliance" take to the stage! Melissa Etheridge played to 2,000 people and left me speechless. Even as I am writing this blog (2 months later) there are no words, WOW! She sang for near two hours, hits from years gone gone by and tracks from her new fantastic album, "Fearless Love". She spoke about being a cancer suvivour along with her break up with Tammy, she made the guitar talk, wow.
Now I couldn't possibly write this blog without mentioning the Civil Partnership Bill and the debates in both houses of the Oireachtas it generated.The Civil Partnership Bill, providing legal recognition for same-sex couples in Ireland was signed into law by our President Mary McAleese July just gone. The Act will extend marriage-like rights to gay and lesbian couples in relation to property, social welfare, succession, maintenance, pensions and tax. The Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern described it as "one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation to be enacted since independence." The legislation will be known as The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010. The first civil registrations for same-sex couples are likely to take place early next year. The legislation was widely supported in both the Dáil and Seanad. According to Green Party's Justice spokesman Trevor Sargent, "This Act is a significant step forward and a stepping stone towards greater equality in our society". I however am not so excited, yes it is great that we have rights and presummibly now will be protected under other Acts such as the Domestic Violence Act and the Family Home Protection Act also, however the question still remains, what about the children of same sex couples? Under the Act, same-sex couples will be able to avail of benefits in a wide range of areas such as property, social welfare, succession, maintenance, pensions and tax. It allows for ceremonies to take place in civil registry offices or other approved settings. The Act will recognise civil partnerships, or their equivalents, from other countries. Thes Act will also provide a limited redress scheme where a cohabitant is left economically dependent - this will be done through a presumptive scheme- cohabitants will not have to register their relationships but will automatically be covered once a qualifying period of time has passed. The redress scheme will apply to relationships of at least 5 years. However as far as I can see there are some questions unanswered, like what other partnerships/marriages will be recognised under the Act?
Dublin Fringe Festival
Yet again Croi Glan performed at the Fringe Festival with a new piece, "This Is", choreographed by Adam Benjamin. The brand new piece was performed by five dancers, Mary Nugent (aka DJ Proud Mary), Dawn Mulloy, Tom Pritchard, James O'Shea and Tara Brandel. The performences went well and we were reveiewed in the Irish Times.
USA
On Tuesday September 28th I left for the USA, Chicago to be exact. and since then I have been dancing, contact improv style. It is a type of contempory dance where you really use your body. There was a festifal last week called Glacier where dancers and non dancers met for a week and did contact. It was awesome, I met amazing people and made some really good friends. After being in Wilard for 6y days and eating veggie food we made our way to minneapolis where we visited a few different places and exchanged some skills. The first place was utterly amazing, it was called interact, a place for people with physical, mental, emotional and intelectual disabilities whose only focus was art, be it dance, drama, visual art or whatever. Then we visited a performing arts company and a young dance compand before heading back to Madison. Get this, I am sitting in a queer cafe in Madison called EVP drinking an Italian Soda with a shot of Vannila and the very cute woman working here gave it to me on the house...
Ok that's all for now, I will blog soon.
Ok that's all for now, I will blog soon.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Rambelings, Events and the like Edition 2
As some of you may know, I sell rainbow merchandise, as it is pride week I am running some very special offers on some of my items for pride:
Offers
Offer 1:
Pink Magnet + Ashtray + Shot glass = €15
Offer 2:
Braces + You Too Can Be A Lesbian Magnet + I became a Lesbian Magnet = €20
Offer 3:
Rainbow Tie + Small Rainbow Flag = €20
I am also open to negations
DJ'ing
This is my 5th year DJing, over the years I have played Cork, Dublin and Galway Pride, The Cork Women's Fun Weekend, 18ths, 21sts, 30ths, 40'ths and 50th Birthday parties, I have played at fundraisers, and am very open to doing Garden Parties and house parties too., I will also do themed parties etc. I play music from each decade as well as party tunes, Country, Motown, Rock 'n Roll, dance too mention but a few. My price varies as to how long I play and includes equipment.
Thursday 3rd June
Mna Mna Choir performing at Memorial Service at St. Annes, Shandon Street @ 8PM.
The fantastic WITLESS take to the stage of Chambers, wohhhooo
Friday 4th June 6-9pm @ LinC
BBQ to celebrate Pride 2010 with music provided by DJ Proud Mary, this is a mixed event, all are welcome. (Please feel free to bring your own beer/wine)
Saturday 5th June 12 noon @ LinC
Pre Pride Parade Brunch, with music provided by DJ Proud Mary, this is a mixed event, all are welcome.
Sunday 6th June @ The Savoy.
Closing Party at the Savoy: 4 Rooms of Music and Live performances: Sammy Jo “Scissor Sisters” (dj set), John Broz (so excited) and The Darg Boutique with your host Miss Daisy Drips (Alternative Miss Cork 2010) there will be live performances from Daisy and a host of other well known Cork Drag artists there will also be private booths and some very interesting surprises indeed! The smoking area will also be The Karaoke Lounge” with the karaoke queen herself Jendaria Replacia with all your favorite big power ballads at hand for you to sing your little gay heart out! Tickets are €15 euro and are available from www.tickets.ie (booking fee will apply) The Other Place South Main street and Loafers Bar Douglas Street. Doors Open @ 10:30 pm
Groups
Marriage Equality have moved offices to 105, Capel Street, Dublin 1. Tel: 01-8734183. Their email address and website address are the same as always.
News
An update on last weeks news:
The president of Malawi has pardoned two gay men who were sentenced to 14 years in prison this month for gross indecency and unnatural acts, the country's solicitor general, Anthony Kamanga, said Saturday.
President Bingu wa Mutharika announced his pardon of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga after meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Kamanga said.
Authorities arrested Monjeza and Chimbalanga in December at their home in Blantyre, Malawi after the couple professed their love in a traditional engagement ceremony. Police discovered the couple when local newspapers reported on their engagement ceremony.
The criminal case against them cast a light on prevailing African attitudes toward homosexuality, which is outlawed in more than 30 nations on the continent.
The White House said it is pleased to learn of the pardon, stressing that the people are "not criminals and their struggle is not unique."
"We must all recommit ourselves to ending the persecution and criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity. We hope that President Mutharika's pardon marks the beginning of a new dialogue which reflects the country's history of tolerance and a new day for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in Malawi and around the globe," it said.
Welcoming the action, the British government said, "Human rights apply to everyone regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity."
"Britain has a close and strong partnership with Malawi and it is in this spirit that we raised our concerns about these convictions with the Government of Malawi," Britain said in a statement.
Some in the conservative southern African nation of Malawi supported the prosecution, and government officials have said they were simply upholding the law. Human rights groups and advocates for gays and lesbians argued that the arrests violated Malawi's constitution, which outlaws discrimination.
Monjeza and Chimbalanga are in their 20s. While they were awaiting trial, they were subjected to medical examinations intended to find evidence of sodomy, according to Human Rights Watch. They also underwent psychiatric evaluations. All the exams were done without the men's consent, the group said. The director of an organization that helped provide legal support to the couple, Gift Trapence of the Center for the Development of People, welcomed the news. The president's decision provides an example to African governments and the world in general, he said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the news this week:
According to the Gay Liberation Network, on May 29th thirty Russian lesbian, gay and bisexual activists held a 10 minute flashmob Gay Parade on Moscow's Leningradsky Street despite the banning of such festivities.
Carrying a long rainbow flag and placards in Russian and English calling for "Rights for gays", the protesters chanted "No homophobia" and "Russia without homophobes."
The Chicago's Gay Liberation Network stated "Through clever organizing and disciplined execution of their plan, Russian lesbian and gay organizers were able to outwit the vastly superior resources of the Russian state," "Russian gay organizers defied homophobic Mayor Yury Luzhkov's macho bluster, demonstrating great courage and determination. They showed, even in difficult circumstances, people can successfully organize for freedom.
"LGBT activists from Moscow, St Petersburg and Minsk staged today the first-ever successful Gay Pride in Moscow, despite the [government] ban," said Nikolai Alekseev, principal organizer for Moscow Pride. "Though the March was short - it happened. All the Russian media reported that for the first time in five years, the gay parade took place in Moscow without being arrested by the police and assaulted by protesters."
Homosexuality has been decriminalized in Russia since 1993, but is still widely despised.
An unauthorized gay pride parade was held in Moscow in 2007, but police detained gay rights activists, among them European lawmakers, as they tried to present a letter to Luzhkov. It attracted a hostile crowd of people who punched and threw eggs at the activists.
Perhaps when we are freely walking on Saturday, though the streets of Cork in Pride we will cast our minds to those in Russia and all over.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ireland is hosting an LGBT music festival, MILK, several artists are already confirmed including Samantha Fox, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Bananarama and Right Said Fred. It sounds like the best of the '80s and early '90s!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Hot Press interview, Courtney Love reveals she once had an affair with International supermodel Kate Moss. “It was Kate Moss, It was just a thing that happened in Milan in the 90s. It happened and it was fun. And she talks about it so I hope she doesn’t get mad that I outed her about it….. I feel like such a kiss and tell…. Kate’s great, though! Kate’s a good friend of mine.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Lucas of Little Britian accepted undisclosed damages from the Daily Star newspaper after it printed incorrect information pertaining to the relationship between himself and his former civil partner Kevin McGee. According to the BBC, the High Court were told the paper "without foundation" published articles alleging the star was placed on suicide watch and the couple separated because of McGee's misuse of cocaine. The newspaper apologized for the inVasion of privacy and any distress caused by the articles. In October 2009 McGee hung himself following his civil partnership breakup,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New research by UK gay rights organisation Stonewall has revealed that lesbian and gay asylum seekers are being routinely deported because of institutionalised discrimination within the system.
The report, No Going Back (published today) features detailed evidence from both LGB asylum seekers and staff at the UK Border Agency, who say they have received no solid guidelines on how to question LGB asylum claimants from Jamaica, Malawi and Uganda, reports Pinknews.
The report also details the rape, torture and death-threats that LGB people face in countries worldwide and sheds light on specific disadvantages unique to their cases as a direct consequence of their sexual orientation. Harrison, a Jamaican asylum seeker quoted in the survey said: "As long as you're recognised, you're victimsed. [We live] every day in fear."
The report also reveals that LGB asylum seekers are often assumed to be either lying or capable of modifying their behavior to escape detection, should they be returned to their country of origin.
As a result, Stonewall have issued a set of recommendations to rectify errors of judgment made by UKBA staff. These include robust policy and guidance and training of all UKBA decision-makers to ensure effective questioning and fair case-hearings.
It is also recommended that Home Office Country of Origin services be improved to reflect up-to-date and accurate information about the level and nature of anti-gay persecution in countries where it is currently prevalent – including the 80 member states of the United Nations where same-sex relations between consenting adults is illegal.
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Background:
Early 19th century England is usually seen through the eyes of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. Sue Perkins explores a very different version of this era, as lived and recorded by the remarkable Anne Lister.
Anne was born in Halifax in 1791. A Yorkshire landowner, she was a polymath, autodidact and traveler who kept a detailed diary. Running to more than 4,000,000 words, deemed to be one of the most important journals in English literature. Parts of Anne's diary were written in code: when broken they reveal graphic details of Anne's many love affairs with women. She was 15 when she started writing the journals, she spent time at a York boarding school for ladies in 804 where she met her first love at the age of 13 with a girl called Eliza.
Anne's hot spot after boarding school for finding women was actually at church! Soon enough she became infatuated with Ms Browne and after two years finally pecked her on the lips. She then became involved with a doctors daughter, Marianna who after three years she married into money, an older businessman and moved the Cheshire. For five years the two women met for nights of passion. Marianne got uncomfortable with Anne's increasingly mescaline physic. Anne’s uncle passed away and inherited Shibden Hall and looked around for an eligible wife and met a young wealthy lady, Anne Walker. In 1834 the ladies got a blessing at church, they actually engineered a same-sex marriage, after which Anne Walker moved into Shibden hall. Anne then got into coal mining and was very successful. After which both women travelled to Europe for some time. The next time people heard of Anne Lister was in the local newspaper in the obituaries section. Anne Walker brought her remains back to Halifax which took six months.
Sue visits Halifax's public library to explore what Anne Lister's life reveals about her society. She meets Helena Whitbread, who spent 25 years cracking Anne's code and who was responsible for the publication of the diaries in 1988. Helena tells Sue the moving and tragic story of Marianne Belcome, the love of Anne's life.
Sue visited Shibden Hall, Anne's ancestral home, and discovers that Regency England was surprisingly tolerant of Anne's chosen lifestyle. Dr Margaret Reynolds and Prof Amanda Vickery told Sue that relations between young women were tacitly encouraged as a useful preparation for marriage. Anne was able to follow her sexual preferences in relative peace. It was only when she sought to profit from the Industrial Revolution by sinking a coal mine on her land that criticism of her private life became public. Anne acquired the capital for the mine from a wealthy female landowner, Anne Walker, with whom she enjoyed a relationship as close to marriage as the times would permit. Sue finds out that what happened to Anne Lister's diaries after her death is almost as remarkable as the story of Anne's life.
A relation, John Lister found the diaries who was a homosexual so buried the dairy’s and died in 1933. A woman called Murial Green found the transcripts two weeks after his death. In the 1960’s a local historian studied the diaries for eight years but publication of her studies were refused by the Halifax town council. In 1988 Helena published her book
-- DJ Proud Mary
Offers
Offer 1:
Pink Magnet + Ashtray + Shot glass = €15
Offer 2:
Braces + You Too Can Be A Lesbian Magnet + I became a Lesbian Magnet = €20
Offer 3:
Rainbow Tie + Small Rainbow Flag = €20
I am also open to negations
DJ'ing
This is my 5th year DJing, over the years I have played Cork, Dublin and Galway Pride, The Cork Women's Fun Weekend, 18ths, 21sts, 30ths, 40'ths and 50th Birthday parties, I have played at fundraisers, and am very open to doing Garden Parties and house parties too., I will also do themed parties etc. I play music from each decade as well as party tunes, Country, Motown, Rock 'n Roll, dance too mention but a few. My price varies as to how long I play and includes equipment.
Thursday 3rd June
Mna Mna Choir performing at Memorial Service at St. Annes, Shandon Street @ 8PM.
The fantastic WITLESS take to the stage of Chambers, wohhhooo
Friday 4th June 6-9pm @ LinC
BBQ to celebrate Pride 2010 with music provided by DJ Proud Mary, this is a mixed event, all are welcome. (Please feel free to bring your own beer/wine)
Saturday 5th June 12 noon @ LinC
Pre Pride Parade Brunch, with music provided by DJ Proud Mary, this is a mixed event, all are welcome.
Sunday 6th June @ The Savoy.
Closing Party at the Savoy: 4 Rooms of Music and Live performances: Sammy Jo “Scissor Sisters” (dj set), John Broz (so excited) and The Darg Boutique with your host Miss Daisy Drips (Alternative Miss Cork 2010) there will be live performances from Daisy and a host of other well known Cork Drag artists there will also be private booths and some very interesting surprises indeed! The smoking area will also be The Karaoke Lounge” with the karaoke queen herself Jendaria Replacia with all your favorite big power ballads at hand for you to sing your little gay heart out! Tickets are €15 euro and are available from www.tickets.ie (booking fee will apply) The Other Place South Main street and Loafers Bar Douglas Street. Doors Open @ 10:30 pm
Groups
Marriage Equality have moved offices to 105, Capel Street, Dublin 1. Tel: 01-8734183. Their email address and website address are the same as always.
News
An update on last weeks news:
The president of Malawi has pardoned two gay men who were sentenced to 14 years in prison this month for gross indecency and unnatural acts, the country's solicitor general, Anthony Kamanga, said Saturday.
President Bingu wa Mutharika announced his pardon of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga after meeting with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Kamanga said.
Authorities arrested Monjeza and Chimbalanga in December at their home in Blantyre, Malawi after the couple professed their love in a traditional engagement ceremony. Police discovered the couple when local newspapers reported on their engagement ceremony.
The criminal case against them cast a light on prevailing African attitudes toward homosexuality, which is outlawed in more than 30 nations on the continent.
The White House said it is pleased to learn of the pardon, stressing that the people are "not criminals and their struggle is not unique."
"We must all recommit ourselves to ending the persecution and criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity. We hope that President Mutharika's pardon marks the beginning of a new dialogue which reflects the country's history of tolerance and a new day for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in Malawi and around the globe," it said.
Welcoming the action, the British government said, "Human rights apply to everyone regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity."
"Britain has a close and strong partnership with Malawi and it is in this spirit that we raised our concerns about these convictions with the Government of Malawi," Britain said in a statement.
Some in the conservative southern African nation of Malawi supported the prosecution, and government officials have said they were simply upholding the law. Human rights groups and advocates for gays and lesbians argued that the arrests violated Malawi's constitution, which outlaws discrimination.
Monjeza and Chimbalanga are in their 20s. While they were awaiting trial, they were subjected to medical examinations intended to find evidence of sodomy, according to Human Rights Watch. They also underwent psychiatric evaluations. All the exams were done without the men's consent, the group said. The director of an organization that helped provide legal support to the couple, Gift Trapence of the Center for the Development of People, welcomed the news. The president's decision provides an example to African governments and the world in general, he said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the news this week:
According to the Gay Liberation Network, on May 29th thirty Russian lesbian, gay and bisexual activists held a 10 minute flashmob Gay Parade on Moscow's Leningradsky Street despite the banning of such festivities.
Carrying a long rainbow flag and placards in Russian and English calling for "Rights for gays", the protesters chanted "No homophobia" and "Russia without homophobes."
The Chicago's Gay Liberation Network stated "Through clever organizing and disciplined execution of their plan, Russian lesbian and gay organizers were able to outwit the vastly superior resources of the Russian state," "Russian gay organizers defied homophobic Mayor Yury Luzhkov's macho bluster, demonstrating great courage and determination. They showed, even in difficult circumstances, people can successfully organize for freedom.
"LGBT activists from Moscow, St Petersburg and Minsk staged today the first-ever successful Gay Pride in Moscow, despite the [government] ban," said Nikolai Alekseev, principal organizer for Moscow Pride. "Though the March was short - it happened. All the Russian media reported that for the first time in five years, the gay parade took place in Moscow without being arrested by the police and assaulted by protesters."
Homosexuality has been decriminalized in Russia since 1993, but is still widely despised.
An unauthorized gay pride parade was held in Moscow in 2007, but police detained gay rights activists, among them European lawmakers, as they tried to present a letter to Luzhkov. It attracted a hostile crowd of people who punched and threw eggs at the activists.
Perhaps when we are freely walking on Saturday, though the streets of Cork in Pride we will cast our minds to those in Russia and all over.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ireland is hosting an LGBT music festival, MILK, several artists are already confirmed including Samantha Fox, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Bananarama and Right Said Fred. It sounds like the best of the '80s and early '90s!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Hot Press interview, Courtney Love reveals she once had an affair with International supermodel Kate Moss. “It was Kate Moss, It was just a thing that happened in Milan in the 90s. It happened and it was fun. And she talks about it so I hope she doesn’t get mad that I outed her about it….. I feel like such a kiss and tell…. Kate’s great, though! Kate’s a good friend of mine.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Lucas of Little Britian accepted undisclosed damages from the Daily Star newspaper after it printed incorrect information pertaining to the relationship between himself and his former civil partner Kevin McGee. According to the BBC, the High Court were told the paper "without foundation" published articles alleging the star was placed on suicide watch and the couple separated because of McGee's misuse of cocaine. The newspaper apologized for the inVasion of privacy and any distress caused by the articles. In October 2009 McGee hung himself following his civil partnership breakup,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New research by UK gay rights organisation Stonewall has revealed that lesbian and gay asylum seekers are being routinely deported because of institutionalised discrimination within the system.
The report, No Going Back (published today) features detailed evidence from both LGB asylum seekers and staff at the UK Border Agency, who say they have received no solid guidelines on how to question LGB asylum claimants from Jamaica, Malawi and Uganda, reports Pinknews.
The report also details the rape, torture and death-threats that LGB people face in countries worldwide and sheds light on specific disadvantages unique to their cases as a direct consequence of their sexual orientation. Harrison, a Jamaican asylum seeker quoted in the survey said: "As long as you're recognised, you're victimsed. [We live] every day in fear."
The report also reveals that LGB asylum seekers are often assumed to be either lying or capable of modifying their behavior to escape detection, should they be returned to their country of origin.
As a result, Stonewall have issued a set of recommendations to rectify errors of judgment made by UKBA staff. These include robust policy and guidance and training of all UKBA decision-makers to ensure effective questioning and fair case-hearings.
It is also recommended that Home Office Country of Origin services be improved to reflect up-to-date and accurate information about the level and nature of anti-gay persecution in countries where it is currently prevalent – including the 80 member states of the United Nations where same-sex relations between consenting adults is illegal.
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Television:
Last Monday night, The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister were televised on BBC2. It was a bold and passionate drama telling the story of Anne Lister, 1791-1840, a Yorkshire landowner, industrialist, traveller and diarist. She was a lesbian, who, despite needing to keep her orientation secret from society at large, in private defied the conventions of her times by living with her female lover. Anne kept a detailed account of her life, her loves and her emotions in a fascinating and painfully honest 4,000,000-word journal. A sizeable portion was written in code, and the recent deciphering of the diaries provides an astonishing insight into the life of the woman who has been called Britain's first modern lesbian. This programe was followed by a one-hour documentary, presented by the fantastic Sue Perkins, telling the story of Lister and the decoding of her diaries.Background:
Early 19th century England is usually seen through the eyes of Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters. Sue Perkins explores a very different version of this era, as lived and recorded by the remarkable Anne Lister.
Anne was born in Halifax in 1791. A Yorkshire landowner, she was a polymath, autodidact and traveler who kept a detailed diary. Running to more than 4,000,000 words, deemed to be one of the most important journals in English literature. Parts of Anne's diary were written in code: when broken they reveal graphic details of Anne's many love affairs with women. She was 15 when she started writing the journals, she spent time at a York boarding school for ladies in 804 where she met her first love at the age of 13 with a girl called Eliza.
Anne's hot spot after boarding school for finding women was actually at church! Soon enough she became infatuated with Ms Browne and after two years finally pecked her on the lips. She then became involved with a doctors daughter, Marianna who after three years she married into money, an older businessman and moved the Cheshire. For five years the two women met for nights of passion. Marianne got uncomfortable with Anne's increasingly mescaline physic. Anne’s uncle passed away and inherited Shibden Hall and looked around for an eligible wife and met a young wealthy lady, Anne Walker. In 1834 the ladies got a blessing at church, they actually engineered a same-sex marriage, after which Anne Walker moved into Shibden hall. Anne then got into coal mining and was very successful. After which both women travelled to Europe for some time. The next time people heard of Anne Lister was in the local newspaper in the obituaries section. Anne Walker brought her remains back to Halifax which took six months.
Sue visits Halifax's public library to explore what Anne Lister's life reveals about her society. She meets Helena Whitbread, who spent 25 years cracking Anne's code and who was responsible for the publication of the diaries in 1988. Helena tells Sue the moving and tragic story of Marianne Belcome, the love of Anne's life.
Sue visited Shibden Hall, Anne's ancestral home, and discovers that Regency England was surprisingly tolerant of Anne's chosen lifestyle. Dr Margaret Reynolds and Prof Amanda Vickery told Sue that relations between young women were tacitly encouraged as a useful preparation for marriage. Anne was able to follow her sexual preferences in relative peace. It was only when she sought to profit from the Industrial Revolution by sinking a coal mine on her land that criticism of her private life became public. Anne acquired the capital for the mine from a wealthy female landowner, Anne Walker, with whom she enjoyed a relationship as close to marriage as the times would permit. Sue finds out that what happened to Anne Lister's diaries after her death is almost as remarkable as the story of Anne's life.
A relation, John Lister found the diaries who was a homosexual so buried the dairy’s and died in 1933. A woman called Murial Green found the transcripts two weeks after his death. In the 1960’s a local historian studied the diaries for eight years but publication of her studies were refused by the Halifax town council. In 1988 Helena published her book
-- DJ Proud Mary
Friday, May 28, 2010
Ramblings, events and the like, Edition 1
News:
This Sunday Cork Pride is kicking off and there is plenty planned to keep you occupied throughout, it is running from May 29th to June 7th inclusive.
There are tones of events arranged over the week, however the one I am most excited about is the Closing Party at the Savoy, 4 Rooms of Music and Live performances: Sammy Jo “Scissor Sisters” (dj set), John Broz (so excited) and The Darg Boutique with your host Miss Daisy Drips (Alternative Miss Cork 2010) there will be live performances from Daisy and a host of other well known Cork Drag artists there will also be private booths and some very interesting surprises indeed! The smoking area will also be The Karaoke Lounge” with the karaoke queen herself Jendaria Replacia with all your favourite favourite big power ballads at hand for you to sing your little gay heart out! Tickets are €15 euro and are availible from www.tickets.ie (booking fee will apply) The Other Place South Main street and Loafers Bar Douglas Street. Doors Open @ 10:30 pm
However before pride week starts, we the Eurovision Final to look forward to with the awesome Niamh Kavanagh representing us in Norway. Saturday night the curtains go up at 8pm on RTE1, why not pop into Loafers and watch the contest before I take to the decks and spin the tunes till close...
News:
Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, the Malawian couple sentenced last week to 14 years in prison with hard labour, have been separated by the authorities. Previously, the couple were held together in Chichiri prison. Eventhough in separate cells, they were allowed occasional contact. Recently Mr Monjeza was transferred to the notorious Zomba prison.
Human Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: "The decision by Malawian authorities to split up [the] jailed lovers. . . is a cruel, malicious and vindictive attempt to cause the couple psychological stress and heartache." He added: "Now they will have no contact at all. This move will be particularly hard for Steven. Of the two, he is more vulnerable and stressed. Tiwonge, in contrast, is robust and resilient."
Mr Tatchell also said that anecdotal reports suggested many Malawains thought the sentence too harsh, despite the widespread national belief that homosexuality is a sin. Lawyers for Mr Monjeza and Mr Chimbalanga are optimistic that their appeal may be heard around the end of June, and even suggested Mr Monjeza might be returned to Chichiri prison by the beginning of the appeal process. Mr Tatchell he remained "sceptical" and added: "My fear is that the appeal court may reduce the jail term but not revoke it."
Warm regards,
DJ Proud Mary.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Memories of the Lesbian Lives 2010.
I went to my first lesbian lives last Febuary, first of many, it was in Dublin Ireland and was so incredibly refreshing. It was so nice to be around women who had interests in both political and cultural things, women who tend not to judge on whether you are standing or sitting, women who can pay you a compliment. As a lesbian with a disability I am currently finding it very challenging where I am currently living, even though there is a very vibrant scene and community, being in Dublin was so refreshing. I was actually up there to perform an integrated contemporary dance piece, which went really well, the feedback was amazing. If you want to get a flavour of intergrated dance you can search "croi glan" on youtube.
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