Editors --- "'Sit down Giriie': Gidie gets about" [2004] AltLawJl 76; (2004) 29(5) Alternative Law Journal 254

• 'SIT DOWN GIRLIE'
• Girlie gets about
• Fake assumptions.
• Patient confidentiality
• Who's Family First?
• What's not up Doc?
• Come away with me

'SIT DOWN GIRLIE'
Girlie gets about

Fake assumptions.

Caroline Overington (The Age, 1 September 2004) must surely be in the running for the most sexist introduction to a piece of writing this year. Covering the US Elections and under the headline 'Kerry Living a Girl's Worst Nightmare' she writes:

There isn't a woman alive who won't sympathise with democrat John Kerry for doing what he did this week Who among us has not done the same th1ng? That is, made a stupid, stupid decision regarding our appearance right before a Very Important Event. Senator Kerry, who IS trying to w1n the race for the White House hit the bottle. The fake tan bottle. Or maybe the sun bed. No one is sure. But whatever, the day before this mom1ng's all important first TV debate with President George Bush, Senator Kerry turned orange.

Overington concludes, 'It's also possible that Senator Kerry, like most older men, thought a tan would help him attract the chicks'.

Sorry Caroline but most of the women Girlie knows have far more important things to do than worry about fake tans. They are running law firms, conducting research, making policy decisions, writing, and bringing up families. Indeed most of the joumo's Girlie has a glass of white with from time to time are far too busy meeting deadlines to sympathise with such trivia.

Patient confidentiality

On 8 October 2004, a Victorian magistrate decided that hospital records relating to woman who had a termination in her third trimester of pregnancy should be given to the Medical Practitioner's Board of Victoria ('the Board'). The woman had become seriously distressed and suicidal following a diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia (dwarfism). Psychiatric examination had indicated that termination was necessary to protect the psychiatric health and life of the patient

The State Coroner had earlier concluded there was insufficient evidence for the Crown to prove the termination was procured unlawfully. In May 2001, Senator Julian McGauran, having obtained the woman's medical records from the Coroner, asked the Board to investigate the doctors involved. The patient refused to consent to the release of hospital or medical records and the Board decided to conduct a preliminary Investigation, and to do so required access to the hospital and medical records. The hospital, respecting the patient's wishes, refused to provide the Board with the records and the Board applied for a search warrant, which was executed. The magistrate rejected the Board's arguments that pat1ent confidentiality and privacy should prevail. The case has serious implications for the patient.

Who's Family First?

The Family First Party campaigning for the federal election against the dreaded scourge of the Greens made it clear they were anti­ abortion, anti-same sex marriages, anti-everything that they see as a threat to 'the Family'. But what is a family? Mum, dad and the kids? If you are childfree does that mean you don't exist for them? Families in our pluralistic society are refreshingly diverse these days but this is not recognised by Family First members who claim they are primarily a social party that wants to protect the traditional family against 'radical' groups like the Greens. Their solution to declining birth rates is to discourage abortion (oh, if only life was so simple) and they disclaim any connection with churches like the Assembly of God. Nonetheless, like so many other radical right wing groups, they claim to be speaking for and on behalf of God Almighty. ·

What's not up Doc?

Interesting new research from a doctoral thesis at the Australian Catholic University reveals seven in ten priests have negative thoughts about celibacy. Jane Power, who conducted the research, found that 55% of Australian priests believe celibacy should be optional and enforced celibacy was counter productive. The Online Catholics website contains information about a similar US study in which 67% of priests supported optional celibacy. It also appears the Church's official negative attitudes about homosexuality and lesbianism are discouraging to many priests especially younger ones.

Come away with me

Searching the travel pages for holiday ideas Girlie notes the Japanese Penis Festival also known as the Matsuri Festival or the Festival of the Steel Phallus held in Kawasaki in March and April, which includes displays of penis shaped radishes, lollipops and see-saws. Women over 45 kg may prefer the Wife Carrying

World Championships held in Finland in July. The women must be carried for a distance of 253 metres. Girlie also considered visiting the US Testicle Festival only because she really dug the alliteration but was deterred by possible travel balls-ups and has instead opted for the World Toe Wrestling Championships in the United Kingdom - but she remains tempted by Australia's very own World Record Ute Muster or the Air Guitar World Championships, England. Girlie has not been tempted this year by the Camel Wrestling Championships in Turkey (Source: Fran Cusworth 'Funky Fun Fests' Herald Sun, 1 October 2004).

BON VOYAGE is a feminist lawyer.