Getting there

Just a quick update: Ken has now found somewhere to live close to his work, and says he had a good day in court Wednesday.

The court gave Ken another two weeks in which to find witnesses to testify on his behalf in his case against the Dept. of Sustainability & Environment.

However, so far no-one in Mansfield is willing to testify, for a variety of reasons.

Some are fearful of losing their jobs. Some just wish Ken would give up. Ken is loath to do so because that would mean he finally has to give up on his dream of getting his family home back.

But at this stage the reality is, that without witnesses, the case will not get up in court.

The good news is that although he won't be able to go back to the family home and life as he knew it in Mansfield, with a place to live and a job, he now has the beginnings of a new life in Melbourne, and is beginning to move forward.

On the AFL front, however, Kens case progresses well. Although the VCFL and VFL are onside, the AFL continues recalcitrant, because they are angry at The RJM Trust and Rob Mitchell for championing Ken's case and insisting they have overall responsibility. But pressure on them is mounting.

Jason Akermanis wrote about the issue of gays in footy on his Herald Sun blog - please take a moment to read it and give him a pat on the back for having the courage to at least talk about the issue.

State Labor MP for Albert Park, Martin Foley, tabled motions inviting the Liberals to join Labor in condemning Jeff Kennetts remarks on Kens case, earning the wrath of Denis Napthine among others. I am reminded of UK politician Dennis Healey, who once said that being attacked by his opposite number on the Tory benches was 'like being savaged by a sheep.' I expect Martin's experience was similar!

Martin Foley's motions read:

this House condemns the former Liberal Premier of Victoria , President of the Hawthorn Football Club and Lord Mayor aspirant ,Jeff Kennett for his recent comments equating the presence of bi-sexual people in community organisations to having a ‘paedophile as a masseur in a football club’;

this House calls upon the Leader of the State Opposition to distance himself from the comments of the former Leader of the Liberal Party attacking our bisexual community and in so doing asks him to note that these types of remarks to the extent to which they go unchallenged can profoundly and adversely impact on the lives of lesbian gay and bi sexual members of our community;

this House calls upon the leader of the Opposition to take a public stand against the type comments and acts of homophobic vilification as reflected in the Former Liberal Leader Jeff Kennett’s comments and to take a step to protect the health and well being of all of those in our community

Please would you also take a moment to thanks Martin for his support martin.foley@parliament.vic.gov.au.

Support has also come from Greens member Sue Pennicuik, and Labor member Steve Herbert. And several Liberal members from both houses have written to me privately asking for more information on homophobia in rural areas, and expressing exasperation at Kennetts ill-thought remarks and his refusal to withdraw them or apologise.

Some of them have also privately congratulated Martin on his motions.

There will be more pressure on the AFL with an imminent announcement this weekend - watch this space.

AFL rattled

The AFL is trying to duck responsibility for discrimination in the VCFL and keep out of Ken's case.

It's told the human rights commission that it's anti-discrimination policies only apply to AFL players and administrators - but the policy says it also applies to "affiliated state bodies" such as the VCFL.

The Sunday Herald Sun reports that "Next week there is a meeting, which will be attended by AFL representatives, to discuss the issues Ken Campagnolo had with this country football club and his complaint.

"The CEO of the organisation is not required to attend."

Donate for Ken!

Ken Campagnolo Fund Launched

Many people have asked what they can do to help Ken while he battles to win his rights. In response the RJM Trust has now set up a special fund where you can deposit money to help and support Ken.

Donations will only be used to help Ken practically and directly, not for campaigning. Make your donation to:

R J M Trust Ken Campagnolo Fund
St George Bank South Melbourne
BSB 113-879
A/c No.: 429044701

And please email me with your details so we can keep our records in order, and also say thank you!!

Thanks you all for your help, support and above all the encouragement, which Ken really appreciates. He has already has a win with the Victorian Country Football League, and negotiations are now beginning with the VFL and AFL. We will win through but in the meantime Ken needs all the help he can get.

His home has now been repossessed and will shortly be put up for auction to meet his debts. As a distress sale it’s unlikely to make full market value, which only adds to the injustice. We’ll keep you posted.

Doug Pollard
RJM Trust

Bisexual man evicted

Bisexual man evicted

Wednesday, 04 June 2008

Rachel Cook - MCV Mansfield football trainer, Ken Campagnolo, who has been unable to gain employment since being outed, has now been evicted from his family home. “I am not able to go to my home and I can be charged with trespass,” Campagnolo told MCV. “I asked the local shire for help but they have no emergency housing in Mansfield.” Campagnolo was outed as bisexual by a work colleague while working as a forest contractor for the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE). He has consequently suffered homophobic harassment, including being stood down as a volunteer trainer with the Bonnie Doon Football Club due to fears of a backlash from the parents of children playing at the club, despite there being no suggestion he was a sexual predator. Campagnolo claims he has suffered years of verbal abuse from fellow DSE workers. He also alleges a DSE Manager told him: “You can fight the fires for free but you will never get a job with DSE because you are a poof.” His case of discrimination on the basis of sexuality against the DSE has been dismissed twice by the Victorian Civil Administrate Tribunal (VCAT), but is now due to be heard a third time. “DSE have launched another strike out application, their third,” said Rob Mitchell, of the RJM Trust, a philanthropic organisation set up assist people who have suffered sexuality-motivated discrimination. “Why keep trying to strike the case out? Because they can. When you are a government department with, to all intents and purposes, unlimited financial power and legal resources why wouldn’t you?”

Now Homeless - here's why

Ken rang me Friday to tell me that the mortgage company have foreclosed on him and changed the locks on his family home. He is now homeless and jobless, and forced to rely on his military survival skills.

He says he has made up his swag and a ration pack, and is OK for now, but he's obviously very shaken by the experience of being thrown out of the home he's lived in since he was born. He says - with his usual gallows humour - he's now Australia's newest street kid.

To recap for those who don't understand how this could happen:-

Ken went public with his story after enduring years of taunting and discrimination because of his sexuality.

As a result of Kens sexuality being made known in the press (it was already known privately to most people locally, including footy club officials and members), Bonnie Doon football club removed him as a trainer.

They said they did so because parents would be worried having Ken around underage boys, and this might affect recruitment. This led to Ken being called a paedophile and spat at in the streets of Mansfield (see previous posts).

Mud sticks, unfortunately, and although the club accepts there is no suggestion Ken is or was ever a paedophile, nor have here ever been any complaints against him, the damage has been done. BDFC have so far refused to make a public apology or retraction.

Ken was replaced as trainer at Bonnie Doon by one of the senior managers from the local DSE, who he alleges was responsible for much of the taunting he has endured, and for blocking his attempts to gain paid employment with them. The same local DSE recently made a sizeable cash gift to the club.

Al this meant Ken could no longer get work. He used to earn a living, not as a fireman, but as a forest contractor for DSE and other local forestry employers (and employed people himself). The DSE will no longer do business with him now that he has gone public with his story.

People who used to work alongside him fear to associate with him and have been warned not speak to the media about the situation. Other potential employers will not touch him, because places like Mansfield are tight-knit communities and people are unwilling to offend the DSE and in particular the local DSE management. It is, after all, a high fire-risk area.

As regards the tribunal, the process is playing out with regards to both the DSE and Bonnie Doon football club. The DSE have repeatedly refused to do anything other than request the case be thrown out as groundless. They have employed every possible blocking and delaying tactic, hoping to wear Ken down.

Local politicians, including Tony Lupton, David Davis, Gavin Jennings (the Minister responsible) and others have been approached by the RJM Trust on Kens behalf but have declined to meet with us or to assist, saying that the matter is being handled and please let us know how the
tribunal turns out. This is of no help to Ken, of course.

Ken had been reduced to ekeing out a living selling firewood, but the last time he came down to Melbourne for a tribunal hearing, he returned to Mansfield to find his entire stockpile had been set alight in his absence.

As the old saying goes, "there's no proof, but I've lost sixpence and you're eating lollies."

Today Tonight sniffed around the story a while back but lost interest. Maybe A Current Affair will pick it up.

Ken is homeless at the onset of winter. It's going to be a long cold wait for him till the tribunal grinds out a conclusion - see previous posts for a timeline.

Thanks for any practical help any of you can offer - it will be much appreciated. Please feel free to ask if there is any more information you would like or if you can help Ken in any way.

The RJM Trust, for which I work, is providing Ken with legal representation in all his cases against both BDFC and DSE.

Doug

Homophobia Hypocrisy

Yesterday a seminar was held at Mansfield Town Hall, led by Sue Hackney of rural gay youth outreach program Way Out.
The seminar was supported by shire mayor Marg Attley. She said it took a whole community working together to change and stop nurturing homophobic attitudes. Great words. However, she has not lifted a finger to help the most visible victim of homophobia in her town, Ken Campagnolo.
When confronted by questioners she could not explain why the council had made no efforts to help Ken in his struggle with the DSE and the Bonnie Doon football club.
When reporters from the paper later attempted to question her on the issue they were told she had gone to Melbourne for three days - although it is reported that she was in the next room at the time, and could be glimpsed through a glass door.
Efforts to combat homophobia in rural areas and save young people from isolation and self-harm will founder unless local community organisations such as the football and netball clubs are front and centre in the effort.
Instead Ken, who trained many young footballers over the years, continues to suffer without any support from the local politicians who pay lip service to the notion of combatting prejudice.

Quick update

I will make a more detailed post later, but it appears matters are finally moving in Ken Campagnolo's fight.
At a recent VEOHRC hearing the Bonnie Doon Football Club (BDFC) were not prepared to make a public apology to Ken for the hurt and harm caused as a result of their sacking him as a trainer.
But at the direction of the commission, the RJM Trust is now working on a draft public apology for the BDFC, VCFL, VFL and AFL to sign. This will form the basis of further negotiations.
Ken is not seeking compensation, only the restoration of his good name and reputation, and reinstatement at the club in his former position.
The Mansfield Courier has today published a full account of his case, and tomorrow Sue Hackney of rural gay youth outreach group Way Out will hold a two hour information session on the impact of homophobia at Mansfield Town Hall, supported by the Mayor.