News
Aurora AGM – new officers elected
Aurora held its 2009 AGM on the 10th of November at Croydon Town Hall. Three candidates were all elected unopposed to fill the five vacancies for officers. More volunteers would be welcome.
Inquiry into the murder of Kellie Telesford
April 16th 2009 a meeting took place in
Croydon police station to review concerns about the investigation into
the murder of Kellie Telesford.
In the event two representatives of the Serious Crime Unit attended, and Lesley Burton, who heads the Crown Prosecution Service. Several civilians attended, and all those who requested a place were able to attend (even one for whom no place had been reserved because we'd forgotten to include his name).
Forced Marriage
New law to prevent forced marriages comes into force today, 25th November '08. It also protects those who have already fallen victim.
Anyone trying to force someone into marriage risks up to two years in prison.
There is a new Forced Marriage Protection Order. A victim, a friend or the police can apply for one. It will forbid families from actions such as taking people abroad for marriage, seizing passports or intimidating victims.
Lesbian and gay people have been deeply affected by forced marriage or the fear of it. But until today it has only been a policing matter where other offences or other policing issues involved.
But most victims will be afraid to use the legislation, and the government has taken very positive steps to support them. (See the page on Forced Marriage.)
23 November 2008
Internet Dating Attack in Streatham
The Pink Paper published a report of a conviction for an attack that nearly left the victim dead in a burning house. More
23 November 2008
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Sunday, 23rd November 2008
Dragon Hall, Stukeley Street, Covent Garden
An opportunity to remember, mourn and celebrate trans lives lost to
violence or suicide.
The Transgender day of Remembrance is an opportunity for trans people,
their friends, families and allies to come together in a safe space
to reflect on those trans people who have lost their lives through violence
or suicide because they are trans. It is a time to remember, mourn and
celebrate them and to tell their stories so they are not forgotten.
More
23 November 2008
New LGBT liaison officers
Croydon Division has committed to have 20 trained LGBT liaison officers, evidence of the commitment to LGBT people in Croydon. By November 2008 18 of them had completed their training.
13 November 2008
Mark Gore moves on
Our Borough Commander is moving on after over three years. He looks back over what has been achieved in Croydon over this time, and outlines hand-over arrangements. More
November 2008
Proposal to close Aurora
A motion was put to close Aurora permanently. Some Aurora members wanted this. The result was defeated on September 9th.
August 2008
Kellie Telesford - accused not guilty
The 18-year-old Shanniel Hyatt, accused of strangling transsexual Kellie Telesford, was found not guilty today, August 14th.
August 2008
Call for nominations
In November 2008 Aurora elects new officers. Aurora may well not continue if there are not enough people to fill the posts.
Please consider volunteering. See the Call for nominations.
August 2008
Kellie Telesford Murder Trial Begins
Shanniel Hyatt, who was 17 at the time, was accused of getting angry in Kellie's Thornton Heath flat, when he discovered that she was transsexual, of strangling her and stealing items including her Oyster card, which he used to get the bus home.
Hyatt denies the accusation and claims that Kellie was alive when he left her.
August 2008
Aurora's 5th Birthday
Aurora celebrated five years of achievement at its birthday in May 2008.
May 2008
GBL website
Jay Evans, a GHB addict, has launched a campaign and a new website, www.knowGBL.org.uk, to criminalise sale of GBL, which is now easily available over the Internet and widely used on gay clubs. It is often believed to be a 'safe' drug alternative. Ingesting it produce GHBs. The website contains a petition to Downing Street. Article from Pink News c June 4th 2008. [Note the website seems since to have disappeared].
June 2008
IDAHO 2008
On May 17th 2008, IDAHO, the International Day Against HOmophobia, Aurora spoke to people at the Bird in Hand about LGBT crimes against them.
May 2008
Aurora's 5th birthday
On May 6th 2008, we look back on over a dozen achievements.
May 2008
Arson attack
In February 2008 the 20-year-old Sonny Lockwood was sentenced to ten years in prison for an arson attack in January 2006 on the home of a gay couple, in the estate where he had made so many other people's lives miserable.
February 2007
YouTube kiss video - School Bullying
A 15-year-old suspected of forcing two schoolboys to kiss while filming them has been arrested and bailed by police. ...
February 2007
Kellie Telesford
Murder of Kellie Telesford
In November 2007 we heard that Kellie Telesford had been murdered in Thornton Heath.
November 2007
New LGBT Liaison Officer
It's official! Our new LGBT Liaison Officer is David Kay. David is to be our first full-time LGBT liaison officer, and as he is a Police Community Liaison Officer he will not be called away on other duties as our last officer was.
His photo and other contact details will be added as soon as possible.
Till then you can contact him by:
David.J.Kay@metpolice.co.uk
Telephone: 0208 649 0288
Post: c/o Croydon police station
71 Park lane
Croydon
CR9 1BP
spring 2007
Murder Review
The Independent LGBT Advisory Group to the Met has published a review of the investigations of some gay murders from recent years.
May 2007
IDAHO May 17th 2007
At 7pm in our usual meeting in the Town Hall we had a short ceremony for IDAHO, the International Day Against Homophobia.
It was nothing like the previous year's event. It was short and sweet. But not silent!
See IDAHO
May 2007
Condom danger
A warning issued after fake condoms hit high street shelves.
Jan 2007
WANTED!
More lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to get involved.
Aurora is tiny - we need you.
We're making a big effort to get more people involved.
- Perhaps you want only to join the mailing list.
- You can join just to raise just one issue.
- We specially need more women and more black and ethnic minority people.
- You can join in by e-group, you don't have to attend meetings.
To do any of these, e-mail info@aurora-croydon.org.uk or phone 07733 286954).
September 2006
Aurora at Brighton Pride
Aurora shared a stall at Brighton Pride with CAGS and other local LGBT organisations.
Summer 2006
Good news for Asylum Seekers
Aurora is helping lesbian and gay asylum seekers keep within the law.
It's hard for lesbians and gay men who've escaped persecution by the authorities in their own country to tell the authorities here the real reason they were persecuted.
Our authorities tend to distrust claims based on sexuality: anyone can say they are gay.
Sexuality is seen very different in other cultures. But very western ideas are used to decide that an applicant is not gay. They have included the number of children the applicant has and whether the applicant knows who Barbra Streisand is.
The Home Office's research on danger zones around the world is out-of-date compared with other government departments. So people often get sent back to torture, rape and murder, because official records of atrocities don't exist yet.
So genuine lesbian and gay asylum seekers often decide to 'disappear'.
0207 620 6010
Tue Wed Thur - office hours
admin@uklgig.org.uk
www.uklgig.org.uk
Aurora has just managed to get multilingual posters telling asylum seekers the helpline number of the UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group. This provides advice and the specialist legal support to which they are entitled and which is necessary to make a valid application. it is also the gateway to other services that are properly provided for them.
This will help more people to make valid applications and it will save time wasted when the grounds of asylum are changed late in the process. But we intend that fewer genuine asylum seekers will 'disappear', to work illegally, become vulnerable to criminal exploitation and blackmail and be denied access to essential services, including the police and justice system.
July 2006
Cruising incident
At the March Aurora meeting the Police told us of an incident that began in a cruising ground in Croydon. It ended with one man threatening the other with a knife in an attempt to steal his car. The incident was significant in that it occurred after they had had sex together.
There have been similar events in other cruising grounds where someone robs or assaults a cruiser after having had sex. This gives them the advantage of gaining the confidence of the victim. The moral does not need stating.
Summer 2006
