News in brief

Surry Hills Police respond to bashing concerns

Surry Hills Police have responded to community concern over the alleged bashing of a member of the public by an off-duty police officer in Bourke St. Superintendent Allan Sicard from Surry Hills Local Area Command (LAC) said the officer involved in the Sunday, November 25 incident was not stationed at Surry Hills.

“He’s not attached to Surry Hills LAC,” said Supt Sicard. “He’s a special constable who provides protective security to selected police and government agencies.”

Supt Sicard said the officer was still working on “restricted duties” but “has no contact with the public”. He said the public had nothing to fear from police: “This is an isolated incident [and] assaults in Surry Hills are in fact on the decrease, largely due to the good work of police from Surry Hills and elsewhere.” The alleged offender will face court on January 9.

Mardi Gras announces 2013 details

Sydney Mardi Gras has announced details of its 2013 festival. Key dates for the 35th Sydney Mardi Gras will include Fair Day on Sunday, February 10; Queer Thinking on Saturday, February 16; and the Mardi Gras Parade and Party on Saturday, March 2. The news comes as Mardi Gras bosses ponder yet another name change for the event.

Organisers have announced a formal plan to seek community feedback on its name, the Same Same website reports. Last year, the festival changed its name from ‘Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras’ to ‘Sydney Mardi Gras’, in a move that angered many gays and lesbians. Others, however, felt it made the event more inclusive of other sexual minorities such as trans and intersex people.

Tickets to Mardi Gras 2013 events are available at www.mardigras.org.au

Gay activist wins payout

Sydney gay activist Gary Burns has won a long-running case against an anti-gay taxi driver, who has taunted him online with homophobic epithets for the past several years.

The Administrative Decisions Tribunal (ADT) last Wednesday ordered Newcastle cabbie John Sunol to pay Mr Burns $11,000 for posting comments on blogs, websites and via social media which derided Mr Burns for his homosexuality, described homosexuality as a “disease”, called same-sex marriage “evil”, spoke of killing gay men with Mortein and equated gays with paedophiles.

Woollahra resident Mr Burns said the verdict had state-wide ramifications: “It’s a reminder that in NSW, you are responsible for what you say under the law, and that vilification of homosexuals and other minority groups is illegal.”