Sydney to Host Bingham Cup in 2014

 Australia’s first gay rugby club, the Sydney Convicts, will play host to the Bingham Cup – dubbed the gay rugby world cup – in 2014 and have called upon the city and the LGBTI community to help them defend their title in two years time.

After having their official bid for hosting rights endorsed by the likes of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and rugby greats John Eales and Nick Farr-Jones, the Convicts were considered to be frontrunners to host the biennial tournament which they won earlier this year when it was held in Manchester, England.

“It gives me great pleasure to support the Sydney Convicts’ bid to host the seventh Bingham Cup rugby tournament in Sydney in 2014,” Gillard says in the video.

“Australia is a sports-loving nation which also has an abiding commitment to diversity and mutual respect. The vibrant city of Sydney is the perfect location for the Bingham Cup. And the Sydney Convicts, Australia’s first gay rugby union club, are the perfect hosts.

“In recent years, Sydney has hosted the Olympics, and gay games and the Rugby World Cup with a remarkable spirit of openness and celebration. I know that Bingham Cup participants would receive the same warm and generous welcome.”

The prestigious trophy is named after gay US rugby union stalwart Mark Bingham, who lost his life in the 2001 September 11 attacks in  the US attempting to overpower hijackers of United Airlines 93.
The Convicts bid had also received support from the likes of NSW Governor Marie Bashir, Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Olympic gold medallist Matthew Mitcham as well as rugby legends John Eales, Phil Kearns, Brendan Cannon, Mark Ella, Nick Farr-Jones and Peter Fitzsimons.
The Wallabies and captain David Pocock, a big supporter of marriage equality, were also behind the bid.

In September, the Convicts also took out their local suburban Sydney competition the Nicholson Cup and then the country’s title as the best gay rugby club with success in the Purchas Cup held in Brisbane.

The titles went along with the club’s sweep at this year’s Bingham Cup to make this season the most successful in the club’s nine-year history.

AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE IN LONDON TOMORROW. MORE DETAILS TO FOLLOW.

Photo: Members of the Sydney Convicts celebrate their Bingham Cup success with rugby greats Phil Waugh, Nick Farr-Jones and Mark Ella (Jason Nichol)

Gay Travel: Ten Things to Do at Sydney Mardi Gras

The incredible thing about Australia during the months of February and March is that this Aussie summer season makes for one hot Mardi Gras celebration! Thousands of people come together Down Under to mingle and meet for one special Sydney Mardi Gras. Events span over two weeks and will shake you to the core of your being with plenty of festivities to go around.

Whatever your celebratory style may be, you'll be sure to find many events that are just right for you. Start by checking out our Sydney Mardi Gras 2012 Top Ten List; we might even see you there!

Fair Day- February 12th

Fair Day is the ultimate way to kick off the official Mardi Gras season. Fill February 12th with a fun and relaxed day out in the park with friends, family, and pets too! Up to 70 000 people routinely show up to sit on the grass, browse the stalls, enjoy the wide range of delicacies available at food stands, and have a few drinks. Fair Day runs from 10am until 8pm, so you'll have plenty of time to get the whole family out and about to celebrate!
Homage- February 18th, 25th, and March 10th

Join local GLBTQI musicians as they pay Homage to their queer musical heroes in this cabaret tribute to our community's trailblazers. Top-notch young talent from Sydney's music scene will cover KD Lang, Antony & the Johnsons, Melissa Etheridge, Ricky Martin, Ani DiFranco, Gossip, the Village People, Dusty Springfield and so many more amazing queer artists. Come together in this musical celebration to record our history, celebrate our heroes, and reflect on the songs which are etched into the queer memory bank.

Every Saturday night 5 different bands will be featured at the Blackcat Lounge at the Sidetrack Theater for a different collection of tunes and talent, classic hits and few undiscovered gems.

Full Story from GayTravel.com

'I DO' - Australian Marriage Equality Ad

Australian Marriage Equality have released their latest video campaign on YouTube to promote the growing support for Gay & Lesbian Marriage. Hundreds of people attended the event which was held at Sydney Town Hall on the 25th September 2011.

Have a look if you haven't seen this already

Barry O'Farrell Backing Gay Marriage Conscience Vote

The NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has said that he would allow Liberal MPs a conscience on the issue of same-sex marriage if the issue were presented on a state level.

O’Farrell joins South Australian Liberal leader Isobel Redmond in support of a coalition conscience vote on same-sex marriage.

The NSW Premier expressed his support today in response to an inquiry on the issue from Australian Marriage Equality national convener Alex Greenwich on Twitter.

O’Farrell’s stance puts him at odds with Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott, whose office has said there would be no conscience vote for Federal Liberal MPs on an marriage equality legislation. Greenwich welcomed the Premier’s comments on the issue.

“The Premier knows that there is growing support for marriage equality within the coalition, and understands the importance of allowing that support to be expressed,” he said

** Reposted from the Sydney Star Observer**

http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/australia-news/new-south-wales-news/2011/10/26/ofarrell-backs-gay-marriage-conscience-vote/64544

Yardhouse is Sydney's New Hotspot

Yardhouse Bar and Brasserie opened last week in Haymarket and should be a hit with Sydney’s urban business crowd and theatre-goers attending the neighbouring Capitol Theatre.

Formerly Paddy McGuire’s pub, a major refurbishment undertaken by the Metro Hospitality Group has created a stylish and contemporary venue while still paying homage to the heritage of the area — particularly the former Palace Hotel which once occupied part of the site.

Metro Hospitality Group chief operating officer George Bedwani said the Yardhouse’s name was inspired by the popular beer-drinking vessel of the 1800s, the yard glass. The front bar off George St has been renamed the Palace Bar and will continue to appeal to the traditional patrons of the area who enjoy a drink after work.

“Yardhouse Bar and Brasserie is an exciting new venue in Sydney’s entertainment precinct,” Bedwani said.

“We wanted to ensure the venue retained links to its important heritage while also expanding its offering to appeal to a broader clientele.”

Chef Daniel Collins, previously head chef at the Russell Hotel, has created a menu that includes light meals to tempt pre-theatre patrons as well as hearty fare for its business clientele.

While the pre-theatre menu includes dishes like spiced calamari with Szechuan pepper salt, chilli, coriander and citrus aioli or beef and James Squire Porter pot pie, the full menu has a selection of four steaks (including a 300g Wagyu rump), four types of skewers with different international heritages, and six mains including slow-braised pork belly, Queensland spanner crab linguine and crisp skin salmon with tomato, white bean and fennel.

At the Palace Bar, choose from more than 60 craft beers, while an all-day bar menu is available.

A downstairs area in the venue has been created specifically for live music. Reggae bands will be featured on Monday evenings while rock bands are expected to prove a popular option for patrons on Friday and Saturday evenings.

All areas can be hired for private functions, providing an opportunity for corporate event managers to combine an evening at the theatre with pre-theatre dinner and drinks in a designated area, or a post-show nightcap.

Food is served in the bar from 11am until late every day while the brasserie is open for lunch from noon-3pm, Monday to Friday, and for dinner from 6pm. On weekends, the brasserie menu is available all day until late.

INFO: www.yardhouse.com.au or (02) 9212 2111 for Reservations and Enquiries

REPOSTED FROM: The Star Observer (http://www.starobserver.com.au/life-style/food-life-style/2011/10/11/sydneys-new-yardhouse-is-a-palace/63657)

Conscience Vote Most Likely on Gay Marriage

Will we ever get the right to marry? This is the question on everyone's tongues at the present moment in time and it looks like a Parliamentary Conscience Vote will be held on Same-Sex Marriage at Labour's National conference later on this year.

All the Labor state and territory branches, except NSW, now support gay marriage after the Victorian Labor Party yesterday voted in support of a resolution calling on the ALP to amend the party platform.

''In a way it feels odd to get up here at a Labor state conference and talk about love but it is such an important and central foundation … to happy lives,'' the co-convener of Rainbow Labor, Sarah Cole, said.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, supports the current definition of the Marriage Act but says she is prepared to debate the issue t the party's conference.

Although senior members of her cabinet have spoken in support for the change, many MPs remain uncomfortable about a more liberal position. Changing the Labor Party platform to support same-sex marriage would be controversial, painting Labor as beholden to the Greens.

''The easiest way to accommodate everyone is a conscience vote,'' one Labor source said.

Federal Labor's position on asylum seekers was also criticised at yesterday's state conference, with members calling for the offshore processing system to be scrapped.

The government's attempts to amend the Migration Act will be thwarted in the Senate, where it will be voted down by the Greens and the Coalition. The Coalition also wants the changes to be knocked back by the House of Representatives later this week, which it would argue is tantamount to a vote of no-confidence in the government. But the outcome likely depends on West Australian Nationals MP Tony Crook, who has not decided how to vote.

Yesterday, a group of prominent figures, including former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, called on the government to process refugees onshore. In an open letter to Parliament, the group says the government should honour its commitment to take 4000 refugees from Malaysia and expand its current intake of refugees to 25,000 people.

Among the 19 individual signatories are former Australian of the Year Patrick McGorry and former NSW attorney-general and human rights advocate John Dowd.

MPs yesterday played down any suggestion Ms Gillard's leadership would be challenged before the end of the year, citing the importance of getting the carbon and mining taxes passed by Parliament.

But there is anger at the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, who some MPs wish would ''just shut up''.

Click on the link and send an email via Petition Online to your local Member of Parliament if you agree that homosexual couples should be allowed the same basic rights as heterosexual couples.

Sign the Petition Now (Click Me)

A Gay Ole Time

Author:Deborah Erwin

Re-Posted From: Alternative Media Group of Australia

Posted:Tuesday, 27 September 2011

All walks of sexual nuance will be out en masse this weekend to celebrate, gyrate and drink at their favourite Oxford St venue.

Big Gay Weekend, a three-day party organised by New Mardi Gras (NMG), is a fundraiser for the city’s annual Mardi Gras Parade which celebrates sexual diversity and acceptance.

The producer for the weekend-long party James Bridge is a former manager at Midnight Shift and has been on Oxford Street’s “scene” for eight years.

“We’re aiming to fundraise about $40,000 this weekend,” he said.

The money will be spent on producing both community-based and NMG floats.

Mr Bridge said the organisation receives a lot of support from the City of Sydney and Events NSW, they rely heavily on donations. “Last year we lost over $30,000 running the parade,” he said. “But this year we managed to get all the party promoters to donate a portion of their ticket sales. This has never been done before so it’s very exciting.”

Chief executive of NMG Michael Rolik said the upcoming public holiday has been a fundraising tradition for the last 30 years.

“The main objectives of the weekend are to raise funds for the Parade and to support businesses on Oxford St,” he said.

The event involves dozens of restaurants, bars and entertainment venues and officially begins at 5pm Friday.

Part of the ticket sales for the parties on Oxford Street this weekend will go toward funding the annual parade.

“In recent years, due to a number of reasons which had to do with having different teams every year, it hasn’t been that successful. So we decided to park it and come up with the concept of the Big Gay Weekend,” Mr Rolik said.

Mr Bridge said an army of volunteers are integral to the parade’s whole operation.

“We rely on volunteers to do everything from bucket collecting (getting donations) to building websites. Even those on the Board are volunteers,” Mr Bridge said.

“The organisation wouldn’t run without them.” The Parade is more than an excuse to prance around in sequined costumes for most Sydneysiders, it is also a platform for raising awareness about social issues pertaining to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered individuals.

“The Parade started off as a march to get a point across in terms of equality,” Mr Bridge said. “Today marriage equality is at the forefront. To me, it seems like a no-brainer. Everyone should have the same rights. They should be able to marry whoever they want.”

Gay Marriage - Tasmania Passed

The Tasmanian House of Assembly is the first state in Australia to pass an amendment to the Marriage Act, allowing marriage equality for gays and lesbians.

The Greens' motion now calls on the Federal Government to change the Marriage Act.

The passage of the motion was greeted with applause from Labor and Green members on the floor of the House and a standing ovation by same-sex marriage activists in the public gallery.

Liberal members voted against the motion.

The debate was watched by a large national audience on the Parliament's internet broadcast.

Greens leader Nick McKim said the motion provided hope.

"By voting in support of marriage equality, Tasmania has written itself into this country's history books, as a national leader in advocating a compassionate and progressive society," he said. "It is now time for the Federal Government to act to remove legally entrenched discrimination."

Mr McKim said that if the Federal Government did not reform marriage laws by the end of the year, he would push on with plans for state legislation.

Premier Lara Giddings said the vote was a great day for the state.

"Tasmania has come a long way since 1997 when we rectified the terrible situation of having homosexual relationships considered illegal in this state," she said. "We've come a long way to show we are in fact a tolerant and compassionate community."

Australian Marriage Equality national convener Alex Greenwich said people nationwide followed the debate.

"What they heard today was a message of hope. They heard a message of hope coming out of the Tasmanian Parliament that one day gay and lesbian Australians will be treated equally by the law and by the Marriage Act," he said. "This gives us the momentum and the encouragement to go on and keep fighting."

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesman Rodney Croome said: "If every state and territory parliament were to do what we have seen in Tasmania today, it would be impossible for the Federal Parliament to continue to resist change. If Tasmania can do this, other states and territories can do it too."

Catholic Archbishop of Hobart Adrian Doyle expressed disappointment: "Our position on maintaining the current meaning of marriage is well known and the church will continue to lobby both state and federal politicians to ensure the Act is not changed."

Presbyterian minister Campbell Markham was also unhappy with the result: "Today's Greens motion is an attack on the basic rights of children."

Click the link to see ABC's News Coverage

Britney Spears - Femme Fatale Australia Tour Rumour

Two years after her controversy-filled visit Down Under, Britney Spears is rumoured to return to our shores. An official announcement is yet to be made but it's believed Spears, who has just announced a new South American leg of her Femme Fatale tour, will come to Australia in late November/early December. Spears is grinding through the American leg of her extensive 67-date World Tour and is set to trek to Europe in September before she does two shows in Brazil in early November.

Reported in 'The Herald Sun' August 01, 2011

Vengaboys 2012 Australian Tour

That's right party people the Vengabus is coming to Sydney in January 2012

It’s time to dust off that tatty old party pass because the Vengabus is due at any minute. And God forbid you miss it. 90s European chart toppers, the Vengaboys, are heading to Australia this summer with a brand new album, rather gloriously entitled ‘Rocket To Your Uranus’.

The new album marks a sparkling return to form for the party-centric foursome. Back after a brief hiatus with their tongues firmly in cheek and doing what they do best.

The Vengaboys are probably best remembered for a string of Euro- flavoured party anthems originally released back in the mid-1990s, most notably ‘Boom Boom Boom’ and ‘We’re Going To Ibiza’. They not only dominated the pop charts but permeated dance floors across the globe, from weddings to nightclubs and pretty much any social/embarrassing occasion you can think of.

The group are set to cause similar destruction this year, following up their album with a tasty XXX remix of ‘Parada de Tettas’ and a recent sell out show in Eindhoven. Fans of the Vengaboys can watch the fun unfold simply by taking a look at their rather entertaining twitter feed. The joys of the digital age.

Wed 11 Jan The Hi-Fi QLD
Thu 12 Jan The Corner Hotel VIC
Fri 13 Jan Selina's - Coogee Bay Hotel NSW
Sun 15 Jan Coolangatta Hotel QLD

Janet Jackson - Up Close & Personal

Last week it was announced that Janet Jackson would be coming to Australia to perform her current Number Ones World Tour in October and November 2011. Instead of performing this concert at Acer Arena or the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Janet Jackson has decided to do the concerts in Australia in a more personal atmosphere.

The tour which is now named in Australia as "Number Ones: Up Close & Personal" is a more fitting title being that she has chosen the Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall.

Tickets for the show go on sale on Wednesday 3rd August 2011. The list of concert dates are as follows for Australia;

DATE LOCATION

TUE 18 OCT	PERTH	BURSWOOD THEATRE
SAT 22 OCT	ADELAIDE	FESTIVAL CENTRE
WED 26 OCT	MELBOURNE	ARTS CENTRE, STATE THEATRE
THU 27 OCT	MELBOURNE	ARTS CENTRE, STATE THEATRE
WED 2 NOV	GOLD COAST	CONVENTION CENTRE
SAT 5 NOV	SYDNEY	OPERA HOUSE, CONCERT HALL
SUN 6 NOV	SYDNEY	OPERA HOUSE, CONCERT HALL

Gaga a Go-Go in Gay Old Night on the Town

IT HAS taken a couple of Sydney drag queens to bring out the ''real woman'' in Lady Gaga. On Tuesday night, it was up to Courtney Act, aka Shane Jenek, and fellow drag artiste, Heaven Lee (aka Perry Meek) to introduce the pop star to Sydney's pink mile, Oxford Street.

Doubling as hand maidens for the reigning Queen of Pop, the bewigged duo accompanied Gaga at her two impromptu shows at gay clubs, Nevermind and Arq, navigating the hordes of fans desperate to catch a glimpse of their idol at the frantically organised last-minute shows.

''She really is the most genuine, down to earth and engaging person you could hope to come across,'' a slightly hoarse-voiced Jenek told PS yesterday morning.

Jenek had accompanied Gaga during her mini concerts at both clubs, spending the wee hours of Tuesday morning at the downstairs bar at Arq, on Flinders Street, which had been roped off for Gaga, her dancers and entourage, which comprised a ragtag gaggle of drag queens, muscle men and fruitcakes.

Gaga managed to indulge in Sydney's nocturnal delights away from the prying lenses of the paparazzi and, by all accounts, was enjoying herself immensely.

Jenek met Gaga last year when he, as Courtney Act, did a special birthday performance for the pop star during her stop in Canberra.
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Wearing 15cm heels, Jenek serenaded Gaga with the Rocky Horror hit Sweet Transsexual before giving her a lap dance. Gaga's father, Joe Germanotta, who had flown in for the party, was also rather taken with the routine, offering Act his hand so ''she'' could climb on to the table.

''I would have forgiven her for forgetting my name, but I was totally blown away. She remembered me like I was one of her best friends. She is an awesome woman … a very real woman,'' Jenek gushed.

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