Mark Latham: Last News

By Michael MacKayOn The Transgender Day of Remembrance I am reflecting on the transgender lives lost to anti-transgender violence.

Guess what’s giving NSW MLC Mark Latham sleepless nights? Latham, known for his anti-LGBTQI stances, has claimed that parents have complained to him about an all female-production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at Campbelltown Performing Arts High, which featured a kissing scene between the two lead female actors. Dire Theatre Company’s Romeo and Juliet under its SHEkspeare project, was reportedly performed at the Sydney school to students in years 8, 9 and 10.  The play, with an all female cast, had a same-sex kiss between the two protagonists.

One Nation MP Mark Latham has described NSW police’s proposal to train 315 officers as special LGBTQI officers for Sydney WorldPride as “disproportionate.”The police officers would be Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers for next year’s Sydney WorldPride. Latham said they should instead be trained for “dealing with housing estate and elderly residents,”the  Daily Telegraph reported.The ex-Labor MP also described the move as “identity politics in policing.” According to the News Corp masthead, the NSW government sent “255 generalist officers to the special [LGBTQI] training to become Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers.” There is a “plan to train up to 100 more this year.” The officers will “engage positively and support members of the [LGBTQI] communities in NSW” and learn about the “history of the relationship between police and [LGBTQI] communities, challenges and sensitivities.” The training will also involve “[championing LGBTQI] inclusion at work and provide support to [LGBTQI] staff.” Latham claimed 12 officers for the elderly was “inadequate” and claimed the numbers were “out of balance.” Mark Latham“Three hundred and fifteen officers trained for LGBTIQ due for the Sydney World Pride next year, but only 12 for elderly and disabled people?” Latham said. “It’s almost 25 times more LGBTIQ officers than for the elderly and the disabled, then nothing for welfare recipients, public housing estates, remote and geographically remote people.

NSW Parliament’s Education Committee which inquired into Pauline Hanson’s One Nation MLC Mark Latham’s anti-trans education bill, has made a series of recommendations that LGBTQI+ rights advocates have said are a “direct attack on the safety of trans and gender diverse young people in schools.”   Activists have said that the report on the Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020, proposed by Latham, include recommendations that if enacted would erase the rights of trans students and out them to their parents.The committee that looked into the bill was also chaired by Latham. The other members of the committee were Wes Fang  from The Nationals, Liberal Party MLCs Catherine Cusack and Scott Farlow, Labor MLCs Anthony D’Adam

The Rainbow seems to be taking over the New South Wales legislative council. On Tuesday, openly gay Liberal MLC Shayne Mallard was elected the government whip in the legislative council.

The New South Wales Parliament has permitted One Nations leader Mark Latham to lead an inquiry into his controversial Bill that seeks to ban schools from teaching about gender and sexuality. The Parliament committee headed by Mark Latham is inviting submissions through an online questionnaire and LGBTQI advocacy organisations are asking the community to register their protest against the Bill. The Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 says its aim is to give parents, not schools, the primary responsibility “for the moral, ethical, political and social development of their children.” The Bill allows parents to object to the teaching of anything related to gender identity and sexuality in schools if it contradicts their

After October’s protest against Mark Latham’s proposed Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 went ahead despite being banned by the Supreme Court, Community Action Or Rainbow Rights (CARR) is planning a second protest for this Saturday.Speaking to Star Observer, CARR Co-Convener April Holcombe said, “we have plenty of rainbow facemasks left and attendees are welcome to them, for a small donation where possible.” Holcombe also stated that “hand sanitiser will be provided and those with symptoms will be required to stay home.”Since the protest in October, NSW restrictions have now changed to allow up to 500 protestors to gather.

Yesterday’s protest against Mark Latham’s Education Amendment Bill, which would see the erasure of transgender and gender-diverse identities within the New South Wales school system, was prohibited by the NSW Supreme Court on October 9.The protest went ahead nevertheless.In correspondence with Star Observer April Holcombe, a representative of the organising group Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR), stated that the day was an overall success. Holcombe was positive after the day’s events, stating that the overall feeling was that “we had won this one.”There was a strong police presence at the event.

As Mark Latham continues to promote his harmful Education Amendment Bill, the LGBTQI community is rallying together to protest this harmful bill at the Protect Trans Kids, Kill Latham’s Bills protest.This event has been organised by Community Action for Rainbow Rights (CARR), a grassroots campaign group for LGBTQI rights.Nationals state MP Mark Latham’s Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 seeks to ban any possibility for the recognition of transgender and gender diverse students in schools. This comes after Latham drew attention earlier in the year for promoting another bill, the Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms and Equality) Bill 2020.