Manager's Report

by Elizabeth Riley

(The Gender Centre advise that this article may not be current and as such certain content, including but not limited to persons, contact details and dates may not apply. Where legal authority or medical related matters are cited, responsibility lies with the reader to obtain the most current relevant legal authority and/or medical publication.)

This report was part of the Annual Report 2002-03 of the Gender Centre, distributed at the Centre's Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 30 September. It is reprinted for general information and the benefit of Centre members who were unable to attend the A.G.M.

Re: Kevin

The 2002 - 2003 year has yet again seen some major progress and achievements for the transgender community. Of major significance was the successful outcome in the Re: Kevin case which involved the legal dispute with the Federal Attorney General to have the marriage between Kevin, a female to male transsexual, and his partner Jennifer to have their marriage declared valid. The Family Court originally heard the case and Justice Richard Chisholm found in favour of the applicants. However, the Federal Attorney General appealed the decision and the case was re-heard before the Full Bench of the Family Court. There followed a further protracted legal contest with the Full Bench taking a further eighteen months before they handed down their decision. That decision was finally handed down in February of 2003 with the Full Bench supporting in full the original decision of Justice Chisholm.

A number of expert medical witnesses, both national and international, gave evidence in favour of Kevin and these proved enormously significant, not only in supporting a positive outcome in this case, but also in overturning a number of precedents dating back to the Corbett v Corbett case in 1970 which found against the transsexual person. As such the outcome of this case has been ground breaking and we acknowledge the tremendous courage of Kevin and Jennifer in their determination to challenge the legal system, the great skill of Rachael Wallbank, their solicitor, and the valuable contribution of all the expert witnesses whose testimony and commitment was so crucial in effecting this historical change.

While the case now opens the door for all people who experience transsexualism to marry a member of the opposite sex, it is important to note that such a right remains available only to those people who have satisfied the necessary criteria in relation to sex affirmation surgery, (sex reassignment surgery).

Partnerships

As an integral part of the Gender Centre's ongoing philosophy of the value of networking in promoting the rights of the transgender community, we have continued to maintain and foster partnerships with a wide range of external organisations. While these are many and varied, the ones listed below are those with whom our partnerships have been most significant.

The Women's Housing Company

As stated in last year's Annual Report, in the latter part of 2001 we entered into an invaluable partnership with the Women's Housing Company which provided the centre with additional exit housing for our residential clients. In the partnership we have gained four additional units. The units and tenancies of these properties are managed by the Women's Housing Company with support to residents being provided by the Gender Centre. This arrangement means that eligible residents of our refuge program will be able to enter the units for a period of twelve months after they have completed their stay at the Centre.

I am pleased to be able to report that this program has proved hugely successful. There were no teething problems of note and a number of our residents have now been able to take advantage of exit housing as an interim step towards independent living. The Women's Housing Company are very supportive and a delight to work alongside. We have also developed a positive working relationship with B. Miles, a women's housing organisation who have a similar partnership with the Women's Housing Company, and who hold two flats in the same complex as the Gender Centre.

In conjunction with this partnership, The Gender Centre received additional funding to employ a part-time case management worker to work specifically with our residential clients, both in our and the Women's Housing Company services. This position was filled in October of 2002 by David Gofton and he has proven to be an extremely caring and effective worker and a valuable addition to the Gender Centre staff.

N.S.W. Attorney General's Crime Prevention Division

As reported last year the Gender Centre submitted an application to the N.S.W. Attorney General's Crime Prevention Division for an Innovative Grant. This was a one-off grant provided to organisations for the purpose of undertaking innovative projects that have the potential to reduce crime. The Gender Centre applied for a grant to conduct an investigation into strategies undertaken, both nationally and internationally, to reduce the levels of violence against minority groups. The aim of the project was to compile a comprehensive report with recommendations on those strategies and to then conduct a trial on one or more of those strategies with a specific focus on the transgender community.

Twelve months on, and after an enormous amount of work and effort from everyone involved, in particular Katherine Cummings, this project is nearing completion. Due to the innovative nature of the work and the many difficulties Katherine encountered in uncovering the necessary resources, and also due to recognition from Attorney General's of the importance of the project, we were successful in applying for a six month extension to complete the report. We expect this to be achieved by December of the current year. My thanks go to the many representatives on the Steering Committee, from DoCS, A.G.s, N.S.W. Police, South Sydney City Council, Marrickville Council, the Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project and The Gender Centre, for giving their time and commitment to this project.

Though the project is yet to be completed, one interesting possibility emerging from the research was the possibility of developing a performance piece to tour schools in N.S.W. to promote awareness among young people of gender difference. In pursuit of this goal we applied for a further one off grant for this year. While the assessment panel described the project as innovative and brave they were keen to have a more detailed submission before agreeing to commit funding. In the process, however, we have made solid contact with a professional theatre company, interested in assisting with the project, and we have received the tentative support of the Department of Education and Training. With this in place we are hopeful that our application next year will be successful.

Other Significant Partnerships

We have continued our ongoing representation on two key committees with local councils. These were the Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Advisory Committee with South Sydney City Council, (S.S.C.C.), and the Gay and Lesbian Liaison at Marrickville, (G.L.L.A.M.), with Marrickville Council. Sadly, with the shake up of council boundaries the S.S.C.C. committee is now no longer in operation. Marrickville Council, however, have shown a commitment to providing an appropriate range of services to our community and we are pleased to continue our involvement with them. They have adopted a grass roots approach to the G.L.B.T. communities and are keen to promote diversity within council's boundaries and to conduct a range of community events specifically targeting our communities.

At the time of writing this report, the next planned event will be the Marrickville Festival to be held on Sunday, September 21. Representatives from the G.L.B.T. communities will be holding a stall at the event to raise our community profile in Marrickville.

Employment Equity Specialists Association (E.E.S.A.)

The Gender Centre is maintaining an active involvement with E.E.S.A. to keep transgender employment on the agenda for E.E.O. practitioners. We continue our membership with E.E.S.A. and will continue to attend meetings where issues being addressed are ofre1evance to us or where there are issues that we may wish to draw to their attention. Through our work with E.E.S.A., and also with the Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment (O.D.E.O.P.E.), we seek to achieve strong support from the E.E.S.A. practitioners in the public sector in advancing work opportunities for transgender people.

N.S.W. Health

Apart from the obvious connection we have with NSW Health who, through Central Sydney Area Health Service, provide funding to the centre, we are also sitting on an advisory committee charged with providing N.S.W. Health with direction on access to health needs for the transgender and intersex communities. This committee is relatively new and is scheduled to meet for a period of one year. We are optimistic that this committee will result in some positive responses to the health needs of our communities and I will inform you of these as they occur.

N.S.W. Anti-Discrimination Board

Last, but certainly not least, we have enjoyed a long and positive association with the N.S.W. Anti-Discrimination Board. This culminated, during the year, in the running of the 'Neglected Communities Forum' at Parliament House, as part of the 2003 Mardi Gras Festival. The keynote speaker at the event was Georgina Beyer, the New Zealand M.P., a delightful woman and a wonderful speaker. Other speakers included Jay Ramanathan, Rachael Wallbank, Tony Briffa, Glen Vassillio and myself. The event was very well received and enormously important in providing a forum for transgender, transsexual, intersex and bisexual people to air those issues that impact upon them.

It is planned to progress the resolution of those issues through further consultation with the A.D.B., but with the unfortunate resignation of Chris Puplick from the board, and the subsequent threat of significant funding cuts to the A.D.B., this process has, at best, been delayed. We can only hope that the funding issues will be satisfactorily resolved and that progress will occur in the coming year.

Polare is published in Australia by The Gender Centre Inc. which is funded by the Department of Community Services under the S.A.A.P. Program and supported by the N.S.W. Health Department through the AIDS and Infectious Diseases Branch. Polare provides a forum for discussion and debate on gender issues. Advertisers are advised that all advertising is their responsibility under the Trade Practices Act. Unsolicited contributions are welcome, though no guarantee is made by the Editor that they will be published, nor any discussion entered into. The editor reserves the right to edit such contributions without notification. Any submission which appears in Polare may be published on our internet site. Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor, The Gender Centre Inc.I, the Department of Community Services or the N.S.W. Department of Health.