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Important or not? You be the judge! - Dawn Hoskins (29th Jun 2009 - 12:05:11) There is a Parish Council meeting tonight Mon 29th June (8pm in the Haskell Centre) I have flagged this meeting up as when looking at the Agenda I discovered (at point No:9) there has been an investigation regarding Fabuliss using the Millennium Hall for their meetings. It says that recommendations have been put forward by Cllr Anna James. It was a problem for me that this discussion was scheduled AFTER the public participation session – so that we would be unable to comment on the points raised / recommendations to be voted on. So I have investigated further and discovered that the skeleton argument is as follows: • When the Trans Gendered guests are in the hall the curtains must be closed so as not to cause offence. • The group must not have a photo of the venue (Millennium Hall) on their website • Councillors are not allowed to be friends with members of the group / form personal relationships without disclosing it. • Other users of the centre must be told that Trans Gendered guests are using the hall. • ‘Performers’ should be required to have a licence. • Trans Gendered guests should not be allowed to ‘hang around’ in the public areas like the entrance foyer. I would very much welcome a response about this from any parish councillor - to inform me as to why these recommendations are considered necessary and whether they will also be applied equally to all users of the hall. This looks like a witch hunt to me.

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - Alan (29th Jun 2009 - 12:29:15) Interesting.... If this was a gay / lesbian group would the council be able to treat them any differently to other members of the public booking the room - I think not. The council could be in for more trouble then they have bargained for if they go down that course of action. IMHO. Alan

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - Alan (29th Jun 2009 - 12:54:33) From www.easthants.gov.uk/.. "East Hampshire District Council recognises that individuals and communities may face unlawful and/or unfair discrimination on the grounds of their race or ethnicity, disability, gender (including transsexual and transgender people), sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual), age, HIV status, language, background, physical or mental impairment, faith or belief, or physical appearance. There are two ways in which discrimination can occur: Direct Discrimination - Treating an individual less favorably than others would be treated in the same or similar circumstances. Indirect Discrimination - When a policy, provision, practice or criterion is applied equally to all people but has a disproportionate and unjustified adverse impact on a particular group." ...... "The Council’s Commitment Ensuring equality of access to services for all residents Eliminating unlawful discrimination on grounds or gender, race and disability, age, sexual orientation, faith and belief for both Council’s employees and residents of the area who use Council’s services Promoting good relations and equality opportunity for all sectors of the community Ensuring all our equality schemes, current and emerging, meet the objectives of this Policy Framework" Hopefully they will check with EHDC before taking any action which could break this policy.

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - Dave MacDonald (29th Jun 2009 - 14:30:58) Dawn, as you know, I live opposite the hall and can honestly say I have never seen any of the folks arriving or leaving at their meetings, had it not been for somebody passing this on to the papers, I would still not know. What ever happened to live and let live, their money is as good as anyone elses when it comes to hiring the hall. p.s If you get the chance can you ask what the parish council is doing to ease the allotment waiting list, perhaps they can take a leaf out of Haslemere's book and purchase some land.

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - Eneida (29th Jun 2009 - 14:37:34) There is no doubt in my mind that this would be Direct Discrimination and they certainly would not be allowed to treat gays in this way. Since these Councillors work for us, I very much resent them proposing to behave in this appalling way in my name!! Eneida

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - Chris (29th Jun 2009 - 16:21:08) Fabuliss are hobbyists not a minority group, the fabric of whose lives is being deliberately repressed by some violent Stalinist regime. Some hobbys are not as publically acceptable as others. This is not important unless your agenda is to bring in to question the actions/decisions of reigning parish councillors with the purpose of discrediting them.

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - Gerry (29th Jun 2009 - 17:34:44) I read it that the public exclusion was item 15 which would mean that item 9 was public

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - Dawn Hoskins (29th Jun 2009 - 19:39:31) Chris I take it you haven't been to any of the meetings or met any of the people who attend then. I make this assumption as if you had - you would never in a million years have made that statement. As for critisism. If something is wrong I will speak up about it whoever is saying/doing/proposing the offending action. It has nothing what-so-ever to do with personalities.

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - barbara (30th Jun 2009 - 17:34:52) I do not think that the group who are meeting at the hall under the name Fabuliss would like to think that they are considered to be pursuing a hobby? A hobby is trainspotting or model trains! If it had not been for the Daily Mail full page spread about Fabuliss, only a few people would have known. I certainly was not told until the Daily Mail article. So long as there are no fisticuffs I cannot see a problem. The hall needs revenue from hirers does it not?

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - Sue W (1st Jul 2009 - 00:02:59) Barbara I totally agree - most of those attending would not consider that they were merely hobbyists. Chris This group, as I understand it is for occasional cross dressers, Transvestites and gender re-assignment. The latter is by no means a hobby, and it is totally a serious transition from being one sex to another. The years of torment - living and dressing as a sex not chosen by them and then having extremely painful and traumatic operations to 'put' yourself as your brains tells you is by no means a walk in the park. The attempted suicide and suicide rates within this section, speak for its self. My main concern is that someone from the council openly wishes to stop councillors mixing, being friendly or associated with this group, and therefore is seeking their removal or dictating whom they can be connected with outside the council duties. What would happen if a member of Fabuliss wished to stand for council? Would they not be accepted? I wonder if those proposing this sought legal advise prior to this - and who gives them legal advise? Would the council also openly discourage Carnival floats to have men dressed as ‘ladies’ – done in the best possible taste (of course)!!

Re: Important or not? You be the judge! - Claire (1st Jul 2009 - 22:24:55) sheesh! they are blokes in frocks ...... not the anti-christ. I'd be more inclined to want the curtains closed when all us lard arses are at our weight watchers meetings!

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