Category Archives: Current Affairs

Jodie Foster’s Golden Globe Speech

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Jodie Foster’s sexuality is a trending topic after her recent Golden Globe coming out speech.

Her sexuality has been assumed for years, though on Sunday January 13 when accepting her Cecil B. De Mille Award at the 70th Golden Globe Awards, it was confirmed.

“So while I’m here being all confessional and I guess I just have a sudden urge to say something that I’ve never really been able to air in public, so a declaration that I’m a little nervous about,” said Foster

“I’m just going to put it out there, right? Loud and proud, right? So I’m going to need your support on this. I am single.

I hope that you’re not disappointed that there won’t be a big coming out speech tonight because I already did my coming out about a thousand years ago back in the Stone Age in those very quaint days when a fragile young girl would open up to trusted friends and family, co workers and then gradually, proudly to everyone who knew her, to everyone she actually met.”

She went on to talk about privacy and the expectation put on celebrities.

“Now apparently, I’m told that every celebrity is expected to honor the details of their private life with a press conference, a fragrance, and a primetime reality show.

So I guess you could say it was not a coming out as such? More a statement that celebrities shouldn’t have to make the details in their life official to the public.

Either way though, all I kept thinking through the whole speech was..”Is she even allowed to be up there that long. Shouldn’t they be forcing her off the stage with music right now?This is one mighty long speech!” I guess if your name is Jodie Foster, the rules can be bent…(excuse the pun).

Below are some celebrity comments on the speech. Unlike a lot of media outlets, the celebrity commentary seems to be all very supportive.

Kathy Griffin: “I’m a big #JodieFoster fan, especially 2nite. Her speech tells LGBT youth: America has evolved, b proud of who u are!”

Rosie O’Donnell: “jodie foster – rather amazing speech

Lena Dunham: “The highlights of my evening (aside from the obvious) were Bill Clinton and Jodie Foster. Also seeing Adele turns out to be like seeing G-d”

Ricky Gervais: “Jodie Foster’s a lesbian? No way. In other news: Elton John isn’t completely heterosexual either.”

Marlee Matlin: “Jodie Foster at the #GoldenGlobes. Pure Jodie, rightfully defending her privacy while doing it with brains and a smile. She is pure class.”

Kat Dennings: “KEEP SECRETS, Y’ALL #jodiefoster”

Chelsea Clinton: “Thank you #JodieFoster for your sharing your grace & grit over 47 yrs, and most of all tonight. #AnExample #GoldenGlobes”

Ricky Martin: “Jody Foster On your terms. Its your time! Not before nor after. Its when it feels right!”

Zach Braff: “Jodie Foster’s seizure/speech was moving.”

Melanie Griffith: “‘@katebosworth: “Normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.” – Jodie Foster’. Awesome!”

What did you think of the speech?

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Living Proud – A Perth Suicide Prevention Initiative

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(As published on the Living Proud Website)

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By Stephanie Lane

Living Proud is a new suicide prevention initiative for the LGBTI* community in Perth with a number of successful community involvement opportunities already completed for 2012.

From community picnics and gender diversity forums to a large presence in this year’s Pride events, Living Proud is definitely becoming a well known name within the Perth community.

Coordinated by Gay and Lesbian Community Services (GLCS), it is part of the One Life WA Suicide Prevention Strategy which has community action plans in place across the state.

According to Living Proud community coordinator Tamara Bézu, the community approach the One Life Suicide Prevention Strategy has used is a useful way to look at suicide prevention.

“Suicide prevention is everyone’s issue, it affects everyone in the community,” she said.  “It’s important to be able to bring people together to discuss this, and to create safe environments where people are comfortable talking about how they feel.”

According to Ms Bézu, homophobia is still prevalent in society despite popular belief.  Suicide within the LGBTI* community is still largely due to discrimination, homophobia and transphobia.

“I think there’s sometimes the perception that homophobia is going away or that it’s not really an issue anymore because people might see a lot of celebrities that are out,” said Ms Bézu. “[People] might not think about the difficulties that are faced in everyday life by people who aren’t well supported or don’t have access to the resources they need.”

Lifeline WA community engagement manager Sally Hedderwick welcomes any community groups who can provide help to those in distress.

“People phone Lifeline when they are in crisis, and anything which can be done to prevent someone reaching this stage must be good,” she said. “Research shows that we must talk about suicide – not talking about it is not working. By talking about it we can help to de-stigmatise the subject and the people who are having suicidal thoughts feel able to get the help they need.”

Edith Cowan clinical psychology PhD candidate Geoffrey Carastathis has completed a study on the resilience faced by gay men and lesbians when coming out to their family. Mr Carastathis says research shows that people are most suicidal when they first disclose their sexuality to their family.

“When you first start to realise that you’re not straight you start to doubt yourself and you start to internalise some negativity,” he said. “When you come out to your family who are some of the most important people in your life, having them reject you for your sexuality really hones in that message that being gay or lesbian is not okay.”

Living Proud has been funded until June 2013.

For further information about Living Proud and upcoming events, visit www.livingproud.org.au.

*Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender and intersex people, and other sexuality, sex and/or gender diverse people, regardless of their term of self-identification.

Perth Rally for Marriage Equality

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Crowds gathered at Stirling Gardens in Perth on Saturday August 11 for the eighth annual Marriage Equality Rally.

That’s right! It’s been eight years since the ban on marriage equality in Australia.

The event, organised by Equal Love WA included speakers Lynn Maclaren (Greens), Louise Pratt (Labor), Bec Leighton (National Union of Students), Owen Bandura (regional high school student speaking out against homophobia in schools), Amber Maxwell (Equal Love WA) and
Sam Cavallaro (Curtin University Queer Officer).

For further information on Equal Love WA check out http://www.facebook.com/EqualLoveWA.

But for now, check out these photos!

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Obama, First to Come Out

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President Obama is the first acting president to come out in support of marriage equality!

He made his opinion known in an interview today, which he explained stemmed from his experience with gay staff in committed relationships and discrimination against gay service members.

“I’ve stood on the side of broader equality I hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient. But I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” said Obama.

In a world still filled with so much discrimination and hate toward the LGBTQ community, this is a massive step forward. Let’s hope other leaders follow in his footsteps.