News & Reviews What's going on for Women and Lesbians...
Calendar 2007 Pre-Order the 'Maid in Cornwall' Calendar NOW! Special Price £7.50 (inc uk P&P).	Topical Information.   Bullying in Schools - Stonewall Click here for info   BBC2 Documentary: Hetro to Gay   Civil Partnership Bill - Victory!!! Stonewall News update   Alex Parks wins Fame Academy   Women & Work - Pay the facts! Fawcett Society Promoting Women's Rights since 1866 Where are the Women? Fawcett demands a fair deal for women Libertas! Women's Bookshop to close it's doors. Unison G&L support in Devon & Cornwall   Stonewall Media Work Support required. Details   Pink Parenting Helpline Details   Also See "Special Features" for issues which affect us as women and lesbians. Most recent first... Support for lesbian, gay or bisexual parents Lisa Saffron, working with ParentlinePlus, is running a free telephone support group in the autumn. The group will run once a week from Tuesday 5th September 2006 to Tuesday 3rd October 2006, between 9.45 am and 11.15 am. This is for lesbian, gay or bisexual parents living anywhere in Britain . All you need is a phone (landline or mobile). The group is a safe place for LGB parents to talk about parenting issues and share experiences of family life in a supportive environment. Lisa Saffron is a lesbian mother, author of It’s a Family Affair – the complete lesbian parenting book and founder of PinkParents. If you are interested, email Lisa on Lisa_Saffron@compuserve.com or complete an online application by visiting www.parentlineplus.org.uk. Go to Parents Together groups and National telephone groups and register your interest in the Families Dealing with Homophobia group. --------------------------- Support Required: Can you help us with our campaigning and media work? Stonewall is looking for the stories and experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual people to inform our campaigning and lobbying work. If you have encountered discrimination or have another experience that would help us with our work, we would like to keep a record of your story. Very occasionally, and only with your permission, we may offer your story to the media to highlight the issues facing LGB communities. Stonewall also receives many media enquiries asking for gay people to speak about their positive experiences. We're looking to promote positive examples of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals to challenge negative perceptions. If you are interested in challenging these negative perceptions, please go to www.stonewall.org.uk/casestudy and click on the link to the case study form where you can let us know the type of media work you would feel comfortable doing. There are many areas in which we need your help: Parenting - Lesbian and gay parents, either biological parents or non-biological parents who have children through adoption or fostering. Education - Young people who have experienced homophobia in education in the last few years, including those with a positive experience of how their school/college dealt with it. Education - Teachers or education staff who have witnessed homophobia against students or staff, including those with positive experiences of how their school/college dealt with the incidents. Employment - People who have encountered discrimination, bullying or harassment in employment due to their sexuality or perceived sexuality. Lesbian Health - Lesbian and bisexual women who have had positive or negative experiences of health care in the UK because of their sexuality. Housing - People who have faced housing problems due to their sexuality. Hate Crime - People who have experienced homophobic hate crime. Incitement to Hatred - People who have come across calls, either verbally or in publications, for verbal or physical assaults to be made against gay people. Goods and Services - People who have experienced discrimination in the UK in the provision of goods or services because of their sexuality or perceived sexuality, e.g. people refused a room in a hotel or turned away from a pub or bar. Civil Partnerships - People who plan to have a civil partnership in the near future. General - People who are willing to speak about their experiences, positive or negative, of being gay, lesbian or bisexual and who would like to be considered for inclusion in general media stories in the future. If you are able to help in any of these areas, please complete the case study form at www.stonewall.org.uk/casestudy and tell us your story. Many thanks for your help. With best wishes, Ben ----------------- Bullying in Schools - Message from Ben Summerskill (Stonewall) Chief Executive Have you heard about Education for All? Our campaign to stamp out homophobia and homophobic bullying in schools. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters we've been able to make an incredible start. We've already sent out over 3,500 teaching packs to schools across Britain. We've launched a dedicated website providing information and resources to both teachers and young people. Later this year, an interactive play about homophobic bullying will tour schools across the country. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our supporters. We're hugely grateful. However, I am writing to ask whether you would now consider lending your support. Since the launch of Education for All, we've been contacted by young people with distressing stories of what's happening to them today in British schools. For some, it's years of name-calling which saps young people's self-confidence. However, other children have been hospitalised by homophobic bullies. Children are on anti-depressants because their school doesn't take this kind of bullying seriously. Sixteen year-old Michael told Stonewall: “I can't honestly recall a single day in which I haven't had some sort of reference to my sexuality. I've received physical violence twice. On each occasion I had to go to hospital.” Some lesbian and gay children are now leaving school with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. That's a disgraceful indictment of Britain's schools in 2005. Amazingly, given the persistent harassment they receive, there has never been an attempt to measure the school experiences of young gay people. With your help, we want to undertake the first comprehensive survey of the educational experiences of the hundreds of thousands of young gay people in our schools. Testimonies from young people such as Michael are compelling but the results of a reputable national survey will allow us to engage forcefully with policy makers and educational professionals, persuading them of the pressing need – all too often still denied - to address homophobia in our schools. GLSEN, the US body which has done this work in the past, describes it as a “powerful tool in changing young gay people's lives.” We believe it would be equally powerful in Britain. The young people who contact us have convinced us of just how much work there is still to do. This pioneering survey will give a voice at last to thousands of lesbian, gay and bisexual children who would otherwise remain unheard. Your support will ensure we can make positive changes to the lives of thousands of school children. They may have been let down by their teachers and headteachers. They've often been let down by their parents as well. But these are our children too. Please help us fund this important piece of research. To make a donation online go to: http://www.stonewall.org.uk/stonewall/support_us/stonewall_appeal.html?CFID=845867&CFTOKEN=50893455 . If you prefer you can send a cheque (made payable to Stonewall) to Stonewall, FREEPOST SW5537, LONDON, SW1W 0YJ. If you are able to help we will, of course, keep you in touch as the research programme progresses and share the eventual findings with you. --------------------------------- Friend of Stonewall Stonewall has a long history of success - but there is still much to be done. Please support our important work by becoming a Friend of Stonewall. For as little as £5 per month you can help Stonewall change our world - in return we will keep you involved with our campaigning work through our newsletters and fact sheets and ensure you get priority booking for Stonewall events. Your support will make a real difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. If you would like to become a Friend of Stonewall today, please contact Rebecca on 020 7881 9469 or info@stonewall.org.uk.   -----------------------------------------------------------------   BBC2 Documentary: The BBC is making a programme about people who made heterosexual partnerships only to discover later that they are gay. It will use the experiences of three or four people who have experienced this, and will explore society's changing attitude to same sex relationships. They are keen to talk to anyone who has been, or is presently going through, this experience. If you are interested please Contact: Benetta Adamson on 020 7482 3217 / 07770 794 883 / badamson@caledonia-tv.com or Faye MacLean on 020 7490 8996 / 07810 891 342 / fmaclean@caledonia-tv.com. Confidentiality is guaranteed. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Civil Partnership Bill - Victory! Time to celebrate!! The Civil Partnership Bill was passed by the House of Lords!! It's wonderful news and we wanted you to be the first to know. It could be another year before the first civil partnerships can take place while registration systems are set up across the country. We'll be in touch soon to let you know how it is going to work. The Bill represents a historic step forward for lesbian and gay people in Britain. A huge thank you for all your support and encouragement over the past few months - we couldn't have got here without you. Ben Ben Summerskill - Stonewall Chief Executive ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Libertas! to become Web & Mail-Order Only. The service continues but shop closes on 17th December 2003. It’s been nearly five years since Libertas! first opened it’s doors to a delighted crowd of women customers and there is no doubt that the years in between have been filled with much pleasure and fulfillment for all of us in the shop. We’ve made many friends, built a good level of business and, we hope, made it easier for you to buy the books and videos that you like. However, whilst our mail order business has thrived, the sad fact is that the shop itself has lost money during every one of those five years. We hoped that the move to the new premises - and the addition of a low-cost book shop for local people - would help to solve that problem. Unfortunately it hasn’t. So, in order to protect the main, and very successful, part of our business we have decided that there is no alternative to closing the Fossgate premises, and trading purely as a web & mail order business. The shop will close on Wednesday 17th December 2003 The new mail-order and web service will recommence (from different premises) on Monday 5th January Sadly, this means that this year’s Libertas! Festival will be the last (for the moment at any rate) as our new and smaller organisation will simply not have the resources to organise such a major event next year. However there are also many positive aspects to the change Our lower cost base means that there will be free postage on all orders over £30 (it’s £50 at present). We will be publishing a colourful, fortnightly e-news which is FREE to everyone with an e-mail address - all you need to do to subscribe is tell us your name and your e-mail address (just click on the 'get e-news' button on the home page). This web site already has over 1000 items on it - many unavailable from anywhere else - and it will be expanded even further in 2004 to include many more products. Whether you subscribe to the free e-news or not, you can still browse our online bookshop 24 hours a day - and order whatever books you like at the click of a button. If you prefer the printed sheet... you can still receive Dykelife from February onwards. Subscriptions are £5 per year (UK only) - but in return you will get 5 x £1 vouchers, each redeemable against every £10 spent. As always, it will be sent out in discreet plain envelopes with no mention of Libertas! If you prefer you can download each issue of Dykelife, from our web site, for free (Just click on the Dykelife Subscriptions button). The business will continue to be run by Ann and Jenny and you will still be able to order by phone or mail or online; you can still pay by credit/debit card; and we will still be pleased to order any special, non-stock, lesbian books for you. If you’re a mail order customer already, then we are sure that the only changes you will notice will be good ones. Everyone will receive a further Dykelife update at the end of November (with full details of our sale in December). But basically most of our contact details will be unchanged. The web site address remains the same; the telephone number is still 01904 625522 and our e-mail address will also be unchanged. The only difference will be to our postal address which, as from the new year will be Libertas! PO Box 649 York YO31 7ZL This has not been an easy decision to make, and it is particularly distressing to break up our wonderful and dedicated team in the shop. But however hard it is for us, however sad, we feel that it is the right thing to do. And provided that we retain your support over the years ahead, we’re certain that this move will guarantee our long term service to the lesbian community. Jenny Where are the Women? Are you fed up with male dominated quiz shows? Are you bored with the lack of women on News discussion panels? Phone these complaint lines and ask "Where are the Women?" BBC Complaints Line 0870 010 0222 Channel 4 Viewers Enquiries 020 7306 8333 ITC - For Complaints about ITV 020 7255 3000 Broadcasting Complaints Commission 020 7233 0544 Contact Fawcett (See Below) for more Info and register your protest action to: Laura Pattison, Fawcett, 45 Beech Street, London. EC2Y 8AD E-mail fawcett@gn.apc.org Women & Work - Pay the facts! Key Facts: Women who work full time earn on average only 80% of the average hourly pay of men who work full time. Women who work part-time earn on average 60% of the hourly pay of men who work part-time. 44% of women and 8% of men in paid work, work part-time. The mid-skilled childless woman is estimated to earn £241,000 less over her life time than her male equivalent. if she has two children, she will lose a further £140,000 over her life time. The pay gap is exacerbated for certain ethnic groups. Indian, pakistani and Bangladeshi women earn on average only 84% of the average hourly earnings of white and black women. Female average hourly earnings are lower than male houlry earnings in all ethnic groups. Women's low paid and unpaid work throughout their lifetime often leads to poverty in retirement. retired men receive an average income of £174 per week, compared to an average of £94 per week for retired women. Women's work is still undervalued. jobs which are poorly paid and traditionally regarded as low status are still heavily 'feminised'. Better paid jobs tend to be those where men are in the majority: the lowest paid jobs tend to be those where women are in the majority. (Info supplied by the Fawcett Society). The Fawcett Society goes back a long way - promoting women's rights for over 130 years. In fact, it was Millicent Fawcett and the Suffragists who helped win the vote for women. Contact: Fawcett 5th floor, 45 Beech Street, London. EC2Y 8AD. Tel: 020 7628 4441 email: member@fawcettsociety.org.uk web: www.fawcettsociety.org.uk Fawcett Society: Fawcett 1-3 berry street london ec1v 0aa tel: 020 7253 2598 fax: 020 7253 2599 Email: info@fawcettsociety.org.uk Aims & objectives Fawcett wants to see women and men equal partners at home, at work and in public life. We demand a fair deal for women. We believe every woman should have financial security, work-life balance, educational choice, representation, autonomy and equal treatment. What we do... Fawcett achieves real results We identify the barriers to equality and offer solutions. We examine laws and policy proposals for their impact on women and publicise the results to politicians, the media, women's organisations and individual women. We ensure that women's concerns are at the heart of election debates. We commission and conduct research into gender inequalities. We bring together experts and non-experts to take part in debates, share ideas and develop solutions. We expose inequalities, raise awareness and educate through extensive coverage in the national and local media. We produce exciting campaign packs for our members and the public so they can raise issues affecting women themselves. We work directly with decision makers to develop new policies. History: Fawcett has been promoting women's rights since 1866. In fact it was Millicent Fawcett and the suffragists who helped win the vote for women. All of Fawcett's archives are housed at the Women's Library: www.thewomenslibrary.ac.uk Fawcett trust The Fawcett Society receives an important part of its income from the Fawcett Trust (reg charity number 29633), which funds research, educational and other charitable aspects of Fawcett's work. The trust's objectives are to promote the equality of women with men, particularly in political and economic opportunity, by advancing public education about the position of women in society, and in particular about the ways in whic women may take better advantage of the political, economic and otehr opportunities open to them. Make a donation to the trust. UNISON Equalities - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Self-organised Group (the LGBT Group)   Lesbians and gay men are still denied equality in the workplace - too often we face discrimination and harassment instead of a fair deal. Joining UNISON gives you a voice in Britain's biggest union, which is committed to working for lesbian and gay rights. Lesbians and gay men in UNISON organise locally and nationally to support each other, to identify discrimination, to increase awareness of lesbian and gay rights and to campaign for change. Together we can speak up for our rights at work and improve each other's lives. For more information visit the National (www.unison.org.uk/out/index.asp) or Local websites (www.devoncountyunison.org.uk/lgbt) From April last year Devon County Branch has had an elected LGBT Officer and a group that has steadily grown in numbers. Contact is by email, telephone/mobile and post. In addition some members of the Group meet each month, in a pub just outside Exeter. If you'd like to join in (coming to meetings isn't essential, but is enjoyable), or have questions you need answered, or you're experiencing problems at work, Contact Details: e-mail us on: lgbt_devon@yahoo.co.uk Telephone our Branch Office in confidence on 01392 382530 write to: LGBT Group, UNISON Devon County Branch, Matford Offices, County Hall, EXETER, EX2 4ZZ.   Do the maths! UNISON has over1.3 million trade union members. So how many are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans (LGBT)? If you work for the police, NHS, councils, utilities, or anywhere where you can join UNISON there’s a UNISON Group for you. If you’re in Cornwall or Devon (or other parts of the Southwest) contact our lesbian co-convenor on lgbt_devon@yahoo.co.uk to join UNISON and go on the mailing list for information and events. See the Devon County Council UNISON lgbt website at www.devoncountyunison.org.uk/lgbt   What we're doing now: 11th lesbian and gay Conference action update report Civil Partnership Bill: write to your MP! National lesbian and gay conference 2004: dates and deadlin Not Just A Friend - Best Practice Health Care Guide National meetings of UNISON black and disabled lesbian and gay members Government consultation on civil partnership - a framework for the legal recognition of same sex couples Legal protection for lesbian and gay workers www.unison.org.uk/out/index.asp   Alex Parks wins Fame Academy.   Local Cornish Lesbian Alex Parks came storming through at the Fame Academy contest final on Saturday night and won herself a million pound record contract. Name - Alex Age - 19 Hometown - Truro, Cornwall Skills - Singer/performer Alex was born and bred in the pretty village of Mount Hawke on the Cornish coast. She loves surfing and hanging out on the beach and has fronted a surf-rock band. Aside from her singing abilities Alex has loads of circus performing skills and can mime, juggle and does a bit of magic. She is also learning to ride a unicycle. Alex has been writing rock songs since the age of 15 and has been performing since her early teens too. Her favourite artists are Ani Di Franco, Annie Lennox, Skin and Jimi Hendrix. Alex says she would love to release her own album and be happy! Stuff you never knew about Alex: Favourite Song - Walking On Broken Glass, Annie Lennox Favourite Artist or Band - Ani Di Franco First Album Bought - International Velvet, Catatonia Favourite Record of 2002 - So Much Laughter, Ani Di Franco Alex's musical idol - Ani Di Franco. Here are some of the reviews that floated around about her after she won Fame Academy 2003                 Fame Academy winner Alex gets to work. LONDON (Reuters) - Fame Academy winner Alex Parks, fresh from victory on last night's live television contest, was straight in the recording studio today to record her debut single. The spiky-haired 19-year-old beat Alistair Griffin in the final on Saturday to win a million pound recording contract with Polydor and a 12-month showbiz lifestyle. Carolynne Good had earlier come third in the contest. Alex, the bookies favourite for much of the series, sung John Lennon's "Imagine" and "I Am Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera to widespread praise from the panel of judges. She also performed her own composition -- "Maybe That's What It Takes" - winning major accolades from hard-to-please Fame Academy head teacher Richard Park, who said the song was "extraordinarily moving". After Alex and Alistair had performed their final songs, the choice of winner was given to the viewing public. The BBC said 4.5 million viewers voted in the final. After weeks of life in the Academy Alex will now be able to enjoy a luxury lifestyle, including a modern London apartment and a sports car. Last year's winner, David Sneddon, went on to top the charts with his debut single "Stop Living The Lie", and enjoyed top 10 success with his album 'Seven Years - Ten Weeks'. The current series of Fame Academy began on 26 July, when about 4.9 million viewers watched the two live shows. Since then, viewing figures have risen, despite competition from ITV1's talent show "Pop Idol", which is broadcast at the same time. About 5.8 million people tuned in to see the result of last week's show, the BBC said, compared to 6.2 million for Pop Idol. Last year's final attracted more than eight million viewers.   Hot favourite Alex wins Fame Academy. By by Simon Holden Alex Parks, the little woman with the big voice, has won Fame Academy. The red-hot bookmakers' favourite captured the hearts of millions of BBC viewers and beat Alistair Griffin. Alex, 19, was clearly overcome with her win and seemed too shocked to speak afterwards. She told BBC3 viewers "I can't feel my body. I think a lot of people deserved to win it. I'm happy." Asked what she liked most about her time in the Academy she said "always the singing." She has been championed by headmaster Richard Park all along. After she sang a version of John Lennon's Imagine Park told her: "That was absolutely special. I don't think British television has seen a 19-year-old come on to the BBC and perform at that level." Alex, from Truro, Cornwall has won a year's stay in a London flat, a car, champagne and a recording contract. Chirpy runner-up Alistair Griffin, 25, said he expected to come second to Alex Parks. He also took a pop at Richard Park who rarely complimented him. "I thought he might pull out of criticising me just for one moment but he didn't." "I came here to be myself and I hope people would love me just as I am. As my grandmother would say 'I don't have much but I do see life." Chart-topping star Daniel Bedingfield caught Fame Academy host Patrick Kielty off guard after singing with both finalists. Asked him for his opinion on Alex and Alistair, he said: "I think Alex has something very unique and very special. I think that British music needs that at the moment".                       Alex Parks Herself In Fame's Hot Seat. Pre-show hot favourite Alex Parks was celebrating after winning the Fame Academy final and earning herself a £1 million record deal."I'm happy!" said the 19-year-old, after pulling in the most phone votes to beat fellow finalist Alistair Griffin in the live TV showdown. Tomboy Alex, who thrilled the studio crowd and the judging panel with her performances throughout the evening, will live like a celebrity in a luxury apartment for a year, as part of her prize. After nine weeks, Fame Academy had whittled down 13 students to the last three, with the winner, second and third place all voted for by the public. Alex, from Truro, Cornwall, was an out-of-work clown and was not planning to audition for the BBC1 show before her father sent a video of her to Fame Academy. But she has won the hearts of the judges and wowed the live audience with her versions songs by Tracy Chapman, John Lennon's classic Imagine, and her own work. Clearly a nervous performer, Alex looked overwhelmed when the results were read out. Speaking afterwards, Alex said:"I want to do well in the industry and try and keep to my own path". "My legs were like jelly after the first two songs and I just got it back together to keep performing. I was so overwhelmed I was worried my voice wouldn't come out."   Alex Wins Fame Academy! She's still in her teens, but in winning Fame Academy 2003 Alex now has a flash motor, a top London pad and a record contract worth a cool mil...; It's been one of the most dramatic live showdowns yet, and this night had it all - nerves, fabulous singing, and speculations about who's going to be number one. And while lovely Ali gave it his all, the Yorkshire lad, failed to win more votes that his spikey haired rival, the Cornish pixie, Alex... We take a look back at the Cornish girl's memorable stay... Despite the pressures of life in front of the cameras, Alex has kept her cool and often set standards during her stay. There's no doubt that one of her greatest achievements is managing to stay away from the bottom three - a massive vote of confidence from the general public if ever there was one. Even on week seven's live show, despite suffering from a sore throat and not having the chance to rehearse, she managed to pull off, to quote Vocal Coach Carrie, a "magical" performance. "I think Alex is a unique artist. She's not just excellent, but she's also different," Carrie said of her, and David agreed. "I don't think she has any idea of the potential she has," he commented. Highlights? There have been plenty: it's every aspiring artist's dream to perform live on Top Of The Pops, and after a close run battle on Radio One, the stunned Cornish lass edged out Alistair to do just that. "It's amazing. I was going to sleep last night and still couldn't believe it," she said at the time. Then there was her coded messaging with Carolynne. Whether it was talking cryptically about pigeons and chickens or whispering furtively amongst themselves, the pair never gave away their innermost secrets. And when Kevin chided Alex for whispering, she came out with the classic catchphrase "Everyone whispers in Cornwall..." But it hasn't all been a bed of roses for Alex. She's had her tiffs too - notably with Pete, whose comment about her "stale" breath strained their relationship somewhat. The now legendary snog between Pete and Carolynne also tested her loyalties. "The Pete and Carolynne thing is doing my f***ing head in," she said at the time, "I feel awkward, I feel stupid, I don't know what to say." She"s also had her doubts, claiming from time to time that she never really wanted to win the competition, and even questioning her own desire to stay in The Academy. Only a week before the final show she indicated that walking out "would be best for everyone," but fortunately she talked herself round and made it right through to winner's podium... In the end, she was just too far ahead of the pack for the others, and she has deservedly waltzed off with the prize of a lifetime.
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