CTU Out@Work Network
The CTU Out@Work network was set up in 2000 as the Council of Trade Union's network for lesbian, gay, takataapui, bisexual, intersex, transgender and fa'afafine union members.
Out@Work meets four times a year either by video conference or by a face to face meeting in Wellington, and comprises formal representatives from affiliated unions. Any interested union members and/or delegates are welcome to attend. The next Out@Work council meeting is scheduled for 18th February at 4pm by video conference courtesy of the NZNO.
Each affiliated union to the NZCTU can appoint a representative to the Out@Work Council although a number choose not to. Each union is responsible 
for its own selection process and they then notify the Council who their person is. Nominations are for a two-year period and usually occur after the bi-ennial Out@Work Kamp. This Kamp helps set the workplan for the two-years until the next Kamp. The picture above is from the Kamp and will be changed on a regular basis, so keep on coming back - if you were at Kamp you could be next ...
The CTU, in conjunction with the Council, has developed a pamphlet. You can either click here or on the image to download the Out@Work pamphlet (pdf doc 278 kb).
Upcoming Events
Proud 2010 Wellington - Wellington's annual GLBTI celebration runs from Saturday 23rd January until Saturday 6th February. Click here for a list of events for Wellington's Pride Festival.
Name, Logo & Team confirmed for 2010 Fest - Auckland's new LGBT Festival this February will be called OurFest. This festival will be promoted as being for anyone and everyone, no matter how people choose to identify themselves. The festival will be held within the month of February and will include the annual Big Gay Out in Pount Chev's Coyle Park on Sunday 14th February along with some new events. The events are a run up to the Sydney Mardi Gras with the intent of attracting some of the overseas travellers for that event to come to Auckland first. Body Positive and GenderBridge will be the charities to benefit from this festival. To read more about this, just click here.
Sydney Mardi Gras – This event is now a two-week event being held from the 21st February to the 7th March 2010 and has the theme: “History of the World”. The overall goal of the two-week event is to tell the stories of LGBTI people across the ages and provide a gay take on some of the big moments in history. The Parade and the Party will now be on two separate nights, with the Parade on the 27th February and the Party the following weekend. To read more about Sydney Mardi Gras, click here.
Pink Shirt Day - A number of organisations got together to create the first Pink Shirt Day in 2009, including SS4Q, NZEI, PPTA, Family Planning, Aids Foundatiation, and the Intersex Trust to promote safer schools for everyone. The date has been set for 2010 and it is the 24th February so remember to wear Pink on that day to stop bullying everywhere.
Health in Difference Conference - Australia's premier conference on the health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bixesual, transgender, intersex, queer and other sexuality, sex and gender diverse (LGBTI*) persons is being held from 29th April to May 1st in Sydney. To read more about this conference, just click here.
Christchurch Pride Week Confirmed for May - Organisers have confirmed that Christchurch Pride Week will be held in May from the 10th and 16th with an open Christchurch Pride Week planning meeting be held on Monday 1st February. If you want more information about planning for the week or how to include your ideas for an event into the schedule should e-mail the Christchurch Pride Week committee members Anna Nicholson.
Asia Pacific Out Games Wellington 2011 - This will be the biggest gay and lesbian event the capital city has ever hosted and will involve over 1000 people from throughout New Zealand, Australia, the Pacific Islands, Asia and beyond. The proposed dates are Saturday 12 March to Saturday 19 March 2011. Diary these dates and we will keep you updated as to what is happening as more detail becomes available. The OutGames home page will also have lots of information so bookmark this page to be kept informed.
2nd Asia Pacific Outgames Movie Fundraiser - BOY - Thursday 25th March 2010. Arrival time is 8.00pm with the screening at 8.30pm. Tickets are limited to 168 and it is the Premier Open Night Show at the Penthouse Cinema. Tickets are $20 with all proceeds going directly to bringing the Outgames to Wellington. Tickets will be going fast so get yours now by ringing Barry Taylor on 027 322 2271. Click here to see the trailer of the movie.
News
Auckland prepares for 1,400 gay cruisers - Auckland will be bustling in mid February as thousands of gay men arrive from around the world to join the very first NZ gay cruise to Sydney Mardi Gras. It departs from Auckland on Wednesday 17th February with stopovers in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin before setting sail across the Tasman to Melbourne, then arriving in Sydney on Saturday 27 February, just in time for Mardi Gras. Auckland is hoping that many of the cruise passengers will arrive in Auckland the weekend before so they can attend the Big Gay Out, New Zealand's largest annual LGBT event. To read more about this, just click here.
Labour MP supports Nelson youth hui - Maryan Street, chairperson and patron of Nelson's Q-Youth group, was proud to officially open and take part in workshops during Q-Youth's Link Together national hui for LGBTyouth in Nelson's Whakatu Marae over the last weekend in January. She believes it is essential that young people who think they are different from the majority of their peers have a safe environment to gtoup up in. Q-Youth's co-chair Any Linde says they were delighted with the turn-out with around 50 people from all over New Zealand attending the weekend hui. Along with workshop on variouys topics like group facilitation, internet safety and relationships, the hui provided for a chance gor the LGBT grouo facilitators from around New Zealand to meet and plan future networking opportunities. To read more about this event and what Maryan had to say, click here.
Pope speaks out against British gay equality plan - Pope Benefict XVI says he''' visit England this year, even though he doesn't approve of the British government's plans to introduce stronger equality laws for gays and lesbians. The Pontiff's statement has been widely reported in UK media as a clear assault on Britain's gay equality plans. It has sparked outrage among the country's LGBT lobby groups with many promising to protest his upcoming UK tour. This follows on from his comments last month that family is "founded on the marriage between a man and a woman ... because it is of paramount importance for the present and the future of humanity". Click here to read more about this issue.
The Weekend Wellington Was Proud - The promise of bad weather saw the festival promoters move Out In The Square from Saturday 23rd January to Sunday 24th January. This turned out to be a wise decision because Saturday was a gloomy wet day. Saturday night Devious paety was lively though expensive but will be returning next year. A crowd of around 350 had a great time. Sunday was still a bit grey but Out In The Square went ahead and attracted good crowds. A lucky addition was the rainbow dots all over the Art Gallery for a separate event but it helped make the place look very gay indeed. The US Ambassador to New Zealand David Huebner (2nd from left) was seen as was our own Kay Jones. To read more about this and other events, just click here.
End Arrests and Discrimination Against LGBT People in Malawi - The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission is calling upon the Malawi Government to release Steven Monjeza (aged 26) and Tiwonge Chimbalanga (aged 20) from detention and to end discrimination against LGBT and HIV/AIDS activists. They need everyone's help with this by sending a letter to Malawian officials so please click on this link and send your letter now.
5th International (Same-Sex hand holding) Sshh! Saturday - This Saturday (30th January 2010) is the 5th International same-sex hand holding event and the first one for this year. This is a monthly event to inspire and support public expressions of same-sex love. So get out and about and get someone to take your picture of this event and email them so we can get some New Zealand hand holding featured on this web page.
Gym chain apologies for homophobic article - In it srecent newsletter Club Physical gym chain a link was included to a discredited claim that drinking soy milk can turn otherwise straight boys gay. John Kingi (a gay man from Auckland) publicly criticised the gym for publishing homophobic, misogynist and racist material and set up a facebook page that has attracted over 300 people. It included comments by Paul Richards stating those people offended by this article need to get over it and if they cancel their membership because of it are just small minded. However, since these comments were made, Paul Richards has apologised and stated that he did not mean toi cause offence to gay people and that it was a mistake and that he will learn from this mistake. To read more about this apology, just click here.
Radio Host Mike Puru comes out live on air - Long-time radio host and former kids TV present Mike Puru came out to his listeners live on The Edge radio on Monday morning 25th January. Puru's comments surprised some of his listeners but the majority of messages on the Edge's website were positive. Click on this link to see his coming out video and comments.
GayNZ.com's New Year's Honour List - Want to know who GayNZ see as the people who stand out from rest? Then click here to find out who has made it. But what about those whose contribution to GLBTI life in New Zealand has been unhelpful or worse? Gay NZ has created their 2009 Dishonours list and it is right here for your perusal.
No 'Brokeback Mountain' trip for MP Brownlee - As Parliament wrapped up for the year, a bit of light hearted banter saw Labour's David Parker offer to take Gerry Brownlee camping during the summer break so he could explore the Mt Aspiring National Park and Gerry's rejection because he had noticed that all he had to take were a pair of boots but he seen Brokeback Mountain and so had to remain unavailable. Even when Mr Parker offered to carry his pack, Mr Brownlee was quite adamant that he was not prepared to make a fundamental live change. Click here to see the clip and read more about it.
Gay marriage vote passes in Washington DC - The Mayor has promised to sign the measure that was passed on Tuesday 15th December by the Washington DC City Council legalising same-sex marriage. This is seen as a major victory of the gay marriage movement in the United States after several defeats in other states. It will now go to Congress where it will be reviewed for 30 days, and barring opposition, will become law, with ceremonies possible from as early as March 2010. Click here to read more about this.
Earlier Events
Out@Work Kamp 2009 - The CTU Out@Work Kamp was held on the 14th and 15th May in Raumati. It was a very successful Kamp with the highest number of participants to attend since the first Kamp in 2003. The Kamp began on Thursday with introductions, course outline and expectations. It was clear from the onset that the participants were there to network and to share/build on their knowledge. Throughout the two days people worked really well together and a number of guest speakers added to the conference. Speakers included Joy Liddicoat from the Human Rights Commission, Bill Bevan from the Whiteria Community Law Centre, Kapiti District Counsellor Lyndy McIntyre and Bill Hastings, Chief Censor at the Film and Literature Classification. Due to the House sitting in urgency Kevin Hague from the Greens and Grant Robertson from Labour were unable to attend. Kevin sent through his speech which was read out by one of the facilitators and is attached here (18 kb pdf file) if you are interested. Click on the picture of Kamp to see more photos. And if you want to read a Kamp report on the two days from Co-Convenor, Karena Brown, then just click here.
Out@Work Kamp 2007 - The 3rd Out@Work camp was held on the 19th and 20th April at the Wainuiomata Outdoor Education Centre in Wellington. About 40 participants came to the event, including Tim Barnett, MP for Christchurch Central and Senior Whip for the Labour Party. Out of this very successful kamp a set of goals were developed as a workplan for the Out@Work Council as well as a recommendation to the NZCTU Conference for the Montreal Declaration to be endorsed. You can read this declaration here.
Speech to TUC Stamping out Conference - Carol Beaumont (CTU Secretary at the time) was a keynote speaker to the UK TUC Stamping Out Homophobia conference on 6 Feb 2006. You can read Carol's speech here.
Unions LGBTI Pages and Other Useful Links
Just click on the name of the Union to access their GLBTI pages.
Making schools safe for people of every sexuality is the booklet produced by the Post Primary Teachers Association and is available by clicking here.
Copenhagen Outgames Report produced by Robin Duff on his 2009 trip to the Outgames is available here.
Rainbow Youth is an Auckland-based queer organisation run by youth for youth. Keep up to date with what is happening at Rainbow Youth by clicking here.
UniQ is the New Zealand Queer Students group at Universities, Polytechs and Colleges of Education. It is run by students (and staff) for students (and staff). Here is the link to their web page.
Euro-Letter is the ILGA-Europe’s monthly electronic LGBT political and legal news bulletin. Read the most recent copies here.
The Trade Union Congress in the UK has a lot of good information on their website. To go directly to their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights page, click here. To read there latest LGBT Equality Newsletter then click here.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission is an excellent web site that links LGBTI rights and human rights. Click here to access this web page.
The Declaration of Montreal was endorsed by the participants of the International Conference on LGBTI Human Rights and by the NZCTU at its 2007 Biennial Conference. Click here to read more about this.
Stonewall Charity is a fantastic site with a lot of useful resources. Click here to view their site.
A Day in Hand is a website dedicated to same-sex hand holding or any other LGBT issues and has ;aunched a forum for people to post and discuss issues of importance to them. This is the link to the Day in Hand website.
Resources
To Be Who I Am (The Human Rights Commission transgender enquiry - 1.6 mb)
Transgender People At Work (Department of Labour - Employee Version)
Transgender People At Work (Department of Labour - Employer Version)
About Us: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and the Law in New Zealand (MSD and Whitireia Community Law Centre - 2 mb PDF File)
Pre-employment guidelines (EEO - 630 kb PDF file)
Homophobia and Discrimination on Grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the EU Member States: Part II - The Social Situation (EU Fundamental Rights Agency Report - web link)
The A-Z of Employment (Human Rights Comission - pdf file) is a resource for employers and employees looking at getting a job.
Religion and Sexual Orientation - How to Manage Workplace Tension (Stonewall Publication - web link to pdf file)
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Internat6ional Human Rights Law (Inernational Commision of Jurists Practictioners Guide - pdf)
Archived Articles - Did you miss an article and really wanted to read about it? Then click here for our archived articles.
Contacts
For more information about Out@Work contact convenors - Ian Gordon and Karena Brown
