New Look

I’ve finally taken the plunge and moved the blog over to WordPress.  In doing so, I’ve also taken the opportunity to make significant changes to the way that the blog looks, feels, and works.

When I started this blog – almost six years ago – I was using it primarily as a teaching tool to support my (then) new undergraduate Law and Sexuality course.  I wanted to contextualise the module in a broader socio-legal environment.   Then, I wanted to improve the blog as a teaching resource.  I wanted the blog to become a ‘one stop shop’, to shave students moving from different access points (the virtual learning environment, individual sites etc).  That meant providing some useful links, plus RSS feeds so that students could also see live updates of news headlines.  When the excellent Pinksixty video news service was introduced, I also embedded that into my site, so that students could get a video news update, automatically updated every day.  The longer the blog ran, the more data was accumulated and searchable.  Finally, I wanted the blog to reveal a little of what Fiona Cownie has called ‘the private life of the Law School’, and it is perhaps revealing that my early posts relate to conferences – precisely the kind of activity that is often invisible to students.

The explosion of social media in recent years brought a new audience to the blog, and shifted the focus away from students and more to fellow commentators, academics, lawyers, and activists.  These readers are now the overwhelming majority of readers.  A final category into this mix are students – both undergraduates and postgraduates – around the world studying law or sexuality-related courses.

As the shift in readership has occurred, so too has a change in the way that we consume media, with people no longer needing updates all on this blog about breaking news.  So, I’ve been able to adopt a much more minimal, cleaner structure for this blog.

You can still subscribe to email updates (apologies to those who had done this over at Blogger, you’ll need to do it again).  This is at the bottom of any page/post – you’ll see a subscription box.

You can also search the blog as before, and like email updates this is accessible at the bottom of any page or post.

The links section remain but I hope they are now clearer, and easier to navigate to.

The personal aspect of this blog remains in terms of publications, media info etc, and these sections have been updated.

I would really welcome any feedback on the new look  -I  hope you like it and continue to find the blog a useful and interesting resource.

After ’82: The Documentary

I found out earlier today about a new British film, due to shortly be completed. After ’82 has been filmed over a period of three years and is close to completion. The film contains multiple interviews with people who were instrumental in highlighting the AIDS crisis in the UK in the 80’s, people living with HIV, activists and campaigners today. Split into two halves, the first half of After 82 looks at the history behind the AIDS crisis, whilst the second half examines the situation today.Without wishing to be depressing or doom laden – After 82 has a lighter touch than you might expect from such subject matter – the film IS a wake up call that asks why is there still so much ignorance surrounding the topic and why is so little currently being done by the UK government?

There are some short exerts on their website, and it’s a timely British companion to the extraordinary US documentary, How to Survive a Plague. 

Email subscriptions

Don’t forget, you can also subscribe to email bulletins of my blogposts, so you never miss another post yourself.  Just pop your email address in the box on the right hand side, and make sure you click the link in the verification email.  Thanks for reading -and apologies for the cheesy plug.

Out and About

I’m sometimes where I’m next going to be out and about (often, by would-be burglars).  I’ve accepted a couple of invites to speak next year, so hopefully see some of you at one of these events:

I’ll be speaking as part of the Newcastle Law School Seminar Series entitled ‘Law, Families, Personal Life:  New Reflections’.  I’m speaking on Thursday 7 February at 4pm in Seminar Room 3 in the Law School.  My presentation is entitled:   ‘Family and the Homonormative: Where Now for Queer Legal Identities?’

For further details contact: Suzanne Johnson, Newcastle Law School, Newcastle University, 21-24 Windsor Terrace, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU. Tel: 0191 222 8637 e.mail Suzanne.Johnson@ncl.ac.uk

Then, on Saturday April 6th, I’ll be over at Staffordshire University.  I’m speaking as part of the Staffordshire University Law School Centre for Family Law and Policy Annual Family Law Seminar.  My provision title is the very original:  ‘Family and the Homonormative: Where Now for Queer Legal Identities?’.  You may have seen it used elsewhere…

I’ll post more details about that next year.  If you organise a charity, community or academic event, I’m always willing to speak if I can fit in my diary, and providing my expenses are covered.  Don’t be afraid of getting in touch:  chris.ashford@sunderland.ac.uk

Diversity Week

I’m absolutely delighted to be speaking as part of the Student Union run Diversity Week in Sunderland next week.  More information about the week can be found here.

I’m speaking on Wednesday 14 November (not December as I accidentally wrote earlier) as part of the session called ‘Being Gay’.   Here’s the official description:  In order to celebrate, raise awareness and highlight the LGBT ( lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community at University of Sunderland as well as the Sunderland City, we are organizing an exciting event that will include a talk by Chris Ashford and a movie screening […] After the talk we will be showing: Beautiful Thing (trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf0fvLprGk4) There will also be a buffet available and the event is FREE to attend.

I’m going to talk on the subject of ‘Being Gay’, particularly how shifts in the law over the last few decades and re-shaped and re-made the LGBT identity.  Don’t worry, I’ll be pitching it for a broad audience so I promise there will be (I’ll try) no impenetrable theory.  If you’re in the area – whether a student at the uni or otherwise – do feel free to come along and say hello.  It’s an event for the City community, not just the University.  Me, a film and free food – what else were you going to do on Wednesday?  Hope to see some of you there!

Gong Time

It’s that time of year when the mantelpiece has a quick dust and re-arrange to make room for the accumulation of celeb gongs and awards.  Yet again, I obviously share your shock (not really) at being over-looked.

Anyway, the Independent published their annual Pink List yesterday which you can check out here.

Last week also saw the Annual Stonewall Awards which seemed to court some controversy with their ‘Bigot of the Year’ category.  The full list of winners consists of:

Hero of the Year (supported by PwC) – Reverend Giles Fraser

Broadcast of the Year (supported by London Women’s Clinic) – Britain’s Got Talent

Entertainer of the Year – Sue Perkins

Journalist of the Year – Hugo Rifkind (The Times) and Owen Jones (The Independent)

Politician of the Year – Ruth Davidson MSP

Publication of the Year – GayStarNews.com

Sports Award of the Year – Rugby Football League

Writer of the Year – Jeanette Winterson (Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?)

Community Group of the Year (supported by Square Peg Media and the Inclusive Foundation) – East London Out Project

Bigot of the Year – Cardinal Keith O’Brien

You can read more about the Stonewall awards here.

International Anti-homophobia Legal Clinic–El Salvador

International Anti-homophobia Legal Clinic–El Salvador

 Seeks Legal Advocates

Great opportunity  with a new start-up international human rights NGO, helping shape its future, combating the spread of HIV/AIDS,  fighting discrimination in education, employment, medical care and the impunity of hate crimes.  The legal clinic in El Salvador will, for the first time, make justice accessible to the LGBTQ community.  

The Project:  The leading LGBTQ human rights groups–Asociación Entre Amigos (‘AEA’), as well as other LGBTQ activists, have expressed the dire need for pro bono legal services for LGBT persons in El Salvador.  This community is the most vulnerable, at-risk-population including transgender persons and those living with HIV/AIDS who are grossly marginalized and persecuted.  The need for pro bono legal services has been confirmed by a report on the human rights situation of the LGBT community— Sexual Diversity in El Salvador July 2012, International Human Rights Law Clinic University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. 

Background:  Post conflict El Salvador is undergoing an exciting transformation after years of conservative Right Wing politics.  Through the new democratically elected FMLN liberal party, the country has real opportunities for strengthening the rule of law by asserting and defending the rights of LGBTQ.  We seek pro bono advocates to bring about historic change for the LGBTQ community in El Salvador’s legal justice system through the work of this new Anti-Homophobia Legal Clinic (in El Salvador known as ‘Asistencia Legal Para la Diversidad Sexual’).

Duties & Responsibilities:  Assist in promoting Thematic Hearing for LGBT in OAS Inter-American Commission of Human Rights.  Work to solicit the American Bar Association or other international pro bono NGOs to and establish high-impact legal advocacy projects.  Help organize the first LGBT Human Rights Conference at the University of Central America (‘UCA’) w/academics, LGBT presenters, human rights advocates/NGOs, along with cultural activities—art exhibit, musical performance, poetry/literature film etc.  Assist organizing  Anti-Homophobia Day May 17, 2013 Celebration at the University and or other additional forum.  Help develop a LGBT Human Rights Training Curriculum and creating a panel of local legal professionals capable of applying internationally recognized protections for LGBT rights. This may include prosecutors, Supreme Court justices, members of the Ministry of Justice and Interior, NGO representatives and other policy makers and legal professionals in El Salvador.  Research & Writing Projects  including compiling a Human Rights Violations Report on documented hate crimes from currently available materials on the 47 (or more) hate crimes committed, in recent years, against LGBT in El Salvador.  An important facet of your work at the clinic is  Accompaniment  (‘acompanamiento’) of individuals looking to assert their civil rights  This is your opportunity to work one-on-one with members of the LGBTQ community wherein you accompany them to institutions and venues where they seek to assert their civil rights for education, health care and fair labor/employment.  Your advocacy efforts will be guided by an attorney from the Salvadorian bar.  You may choose to participate in Outreach Activities to LGBT & NGO community.  Other projects that are of interest to you are welcome and will be considered.

Your Qualifications:

·       Experience with HIV & LGBT issues

·       Able to work independently, and also as part of a team

·       Competence with Microsoft Office, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel & other applications

·       Highly motivated with energy and ability to multitask , Ethical and compassionate

·       Possess excellent interpersonal skills

·       Spanish language competency desirable—but non-Spanish speakers are also invited to apply

·       Self-starter, able to work effectively with minimal supervision

·       Sensitive to cultural differences, comfortable working with low-income clients

·       Skilled communicator with effective oral, presentation and written communication skills                 

·       Willing to work with people living with HIV/AIDS, including sex workers and those who may be terminally ill and who suffer severe discrimination, prejudice and stigma.

·       Willing to travel and live in El Salvador for the duration of 12 weeks minimum

·       Economically self-sufficient, as this is a self-funded position.

The Clinic opened in April 2012; positions are available on a rolling basis.  Applicants please send a cover letter and resume to Ana Montano, Director & Supervising Attorney– ana@alrp.org  with the Subject Line ‘Legal Advocate for El Salvador’.   Please describe your international experience, Spanish language proficiency and preferred dates of travel. This is a self-funded position for attorneys, law school graduates, law students and others who have a passion for LGBT rights.                 

Benefits to you: Explore different kinds of legal work to help you figure out what you really want to do.  Gain International development experience, and ‘on-the-ground’ field experience & knowledge about human rights violations.  Have an impact and contribute to the protection of human rights in action.  Learn about LGBT & HIV/AIDS issues.  ­­­­­­­­­Make professional contacts and develop your legal career network.  Strengthen your Spanish language, and cross-cultural communication skills.  Work abroad with fun, intelligent, inspiring co-workers.  All legal advocates with the Anti-Homophobia Legal Clinic-El Salvador are encouraged to view their legal work as a dynamic factor in their agent-of-changeactivities through global human rights lawyering.  We a comfortable, secure, home stay program and there is the opportunity to attend an intensive Spanish Language program if needed.

* The Mission of the Legal Clinic for HIV/LBGTQ in El Salvador is to fight the spread of AIDS and promote the health, safety, dignity, civil rights and legal empowerment of HIV/LBGTQ, including children abandoned & orphaned because of their HIV status.

Intersection of Health & Human Rights:  The International AIDS Conference in Vienna 2010 focused on legal and human rights issues faced by the ‘vulnerable and most at risk’ i.e., LGBTQ persons.  It recognized the need of securing human rights to achieve medical access goals.

Challenges:   The AIDS Conference found that LGBT persons often have the poorest access to HIV medical care because of stigmatization and marginalization.  A panel ‘Opposing Grave Human Rights Violations On The Basis Of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity‘ at UN headquarters, discussing arbitrary arrests, degrading treatment, torture and murder concluded that a major challenge in controlling the spread of AIDS in the Global South remains the social stigma and discrimination faced by these vulnerable, high risk groups.

Popular Perceptions in Salvadoran Society that Contribute to Discrimination & Stigmatization

·       81% believe that employers have the right to request HIV tests as a requirement to employment,

·       65% believe that children with HIV should be educated at separateinstitutions,

·       54% believe that God has punished prostitutes and homosexuals with HIV/AIDS due to their lifestyles,

·       51% state that people with HIV/AIDS should not be able to use public places.

Hate Crimes against LGBTQ & Lack of Legal Protection–Although the need for legal services is immense, there is nolegal organization asserting the civil rights of LBGTQ in El Salvador.  By most accounts there have been more than 47 murders of gay men, transsexuals & transvestites.  In all these murders, no one has been brought to trial!  Many other LGBTQ are regularly assaulted, battered, threatened and shunned.  (See report ´La Alianza por la Diversidad Sexual LGBT de El Salvador ‘a report on the aggression suffered by LGBT community in El Salvador between Jan–Sept 2009) 

The work of the Anti-Homophobia Legal Clinic–El Salvador includes: Advocacy & Policy–working with branches of the Salvadoran government and other NGOs to develop resolutions to human rights violations. Thus, improving the LGBTQ community’s access to their civil & human rights.  Legal Aid–Our legal advocates, Promoters, and pro bono attorneys will provide legal counsel and representation to persecuted HIV/LGBTQ.   We aim to help the community navigate the legal process to access education, healthcare and employment rights and demand equal protection of police & courts.  Legal Empowerment—Our plan is to train members of the LGBTQ community as para-legal ‘promotores’, so they are empowered to provide basic legal advice and facilitate civic engagement within the community.  We also conduct Street Law-Know Your Rightseducation with the HIV/LGBTQ community and other social actors and services providers.  Social Movement Building –We are advancing the LGBTQ human rights agenda and planning to launch additional legal services offices in other Central American countries.   Strategic Litigation–The LGBTQ legal clinic will set legal precedent for human rights, through ‘emblematic’ test cases in regional courts as advised by the local LGBTQ community.                                                                                                                      

Links: What Am I Missing?

My occasional appeal; what links should I have on my blog that I don’t?  You’ll see they are arranged by broad category down the right hand side.  Suggestions are always welcome to make them a better and more useful selection.  Comment, tweet or private email your suggestions to me in the usual way.  I also need to have a check through them all before the start of term to check for broken links so do let me know if you spot any of those too!

RIP Jack Fertig, aka, Sister Boom Boom

Really sad to hear of the premature death of the wonderful Jack Fertig, better know as Sister Boom Boom.  The Bay Area Reporter carried a detailed obituary which can be read here.