BEARS TO HELP QUEER YOUTH-Bears Perth will be holding a special fundraising Den Night at Loton Park on Friday, March 27. The event will raise money for PICYS (Perth Inner City Youth Services) and go toward their work with GLBTIQ homeless youth. ‘When we were told that 70 percent of the homeless youth here in Perth identify as being either gay, bisexual or transgender, what else could be more appropriate?’ said Bears President Paul Hayter. The event is open to all, will start at 9pm and include a sausage sizzle, a licensed bar and a raffle with a host of great prizes from Eagle Leather Melbourne, Devine Cellars, Travelworld and many others. For more information, see the website www.bearsperth.org
PRIDE SHIFTS WOMEN’S NIGHT-This month’s Pride Women’s Sundowner, on March 11 will be the last to be held at Grapeskin Wine Bar. As of April the event will be moving to Vultures bar and restaurant on the corner of Francis and William Street. Pride co-president, Sharlene Dixon says Grapeskin has been a great venue but the new space is larger and will allow for the addition of entertainment such as a DJ or live music. Pride is also hosting a women’s dance at Loton Park on Saturday March 28.. Pride is hoping to make the women’s dance a regular event every three to four months depending on interest. Tickets are $15 or $10 for members and concession. For further information contact Sharlene Dixon on 0408 097 254.
GAY BASHERS JAILED-Two men have been sentenced to a year in jail after an unprovoked and savage attack on two gay men in Northbridge last May. According to The West Australian, Rhys Daniel Clark, 20, and Jordan Abraham Viforj, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm. Magistrate Paul Heaney was quoted as saying ‘Our society has had enough of this violence and expects the court to take a tough stand,’ and that CCTV footage shows the attack as being cowardly and ferocious. Mr Heaney described how the victims were approached outside a café, asked if they were ‘poofs’, punched and kicked to the ground and beaten. According to the report the offenders fled when café staff rushed outside to help the victims. Viforj and Clark are eligible for parole.
LESBIAN SMOKING SURVEY STILL SEEKING ANSWERS-Researcher Jude Comfort is seeking women to interview for her PhD study on gay/lesbian women and smoking. The research has the potential to add much to gay health literature yet she has met with a poor response in finding smokers and recent smokers to talk to. “Maybe women think I am about to try and get them to quit. This is definitely not the case. I am trying to understand why women start smoking and why they continue – what role does smoking play in their livesâ€, she said. Contact Jude on 0422 654 244 or j.comfort@curtin.edu.au to find out more about the study or to arrange an interview.
