<H2><b>JEWISH COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF VICTORIA AND "GLBT REFERENCE GROUP"!</b></H2>

The following advertisement appeared on page 4 of the Melbourne edition of the Australian Jewish News on Friday 29 July 2011:

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Jewish Community Council of Victoria established a GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender) Reference group to investigate issues surrounding vilification, discrimination and mental health concerns faced by members of Victoria’s Jewish GLBT community.

These are serious issues and to assist the JCCV in formulating its views it is now calling for relevant submissions.

It is expected that members of Victoria’s Jewish GLBT community will predominantly provide submissions. However, submissions from other community members are welcome. Submissions may detail relevant experiences, positive or negative in relation to matters of discrimination, vilification and/or mental health issues within the Jewish community or may raise other points of relevance.

We are particularly concerned about the impact which these issues may have upon suicide rates and submissions concerning this aspect are also sought.

Submissions may be particularised to address the following issues:

• your personal experience of instances of vilification
• your personal experience of episodes of discrimination
• any impact that GLBT issues have had upon your mental health

Submissions will be received on an entirely confidential basis but will only be considered if they are accompanied by the author’s name and contact details.
Submissions should be sent to:

The President
JCCV
306 Hawthorn Road
South Caulfield Victoria 3162
or alternatively via email to president@jccv.org.au

Submissions must be received by close of business on 31 August 2011.

Help is always available from the following:
Lifeline – 131 114
Gay & Lesbian Switchboard – 1800 184 527 / (03) 9663 2939
Jewish Care – 8517 5999 (business hours)

Now here is where things start to become very strange - when the President of the JCCV was approached to provide information about the so-called "GLBT Reference Group", he replied as follows:

"The GLBT members of the reference group have at this stage requested that
their identities remain undisclosed.
Accordingly, I am not in a position to advise you of their names. I am
sure you appreciate the need to respect their confidentiality."

The questions now have to be asked - are there people in this so-called group? Are they activists of any sort? What is their expertise to deal with and respond to submissions such as were asked for in this advertisement?

Is this merely an attempt on the part of the President of the JCCV to appear to be doing something about the problems besetting Jewish people who happen to be gay, lesbian, transgender or people with HIV (GLTH)?

If this is the case, then I suggest the whole exercise is a sham and there will be no outcome to this shoddy little exercise, failing the Jewish GLTH communities yet again!