10 October 2011

The next Defence scandal - Homophobic attack on uni students

| ThatUniStudent
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It would seem that some young fghting men are not satisfied with just filming women in showers. Some of our country’s fighting men decided it would be fun to wander down to the ANU bar and harass some of the students there. They were observed kicking chairs around the beer garden, which they claimed was okay, because the chairs were “gay chairs”. They then went on to harass some of the gay and lesbian students in the beer garden.

When will these idiots learn? They are supposed to represent the best and finest this country has to offer in terms of military minds. But officers and gentlemen they aren’t. Instead they’re an embarrassment; homophobic idiots who are a time bomb in terms of potential embarrassment to the nation.

You would think that in light of past PR disasters that these idiots had been told to be on their best behaviour at all times.

I wonder how long it will take for the security video of this behvaiour to end up on Youtube. Or will it be a case of “we don’t care, they were only gay students being offended”.

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betto said :

This does not surprise me, but it should not happen.

These young defence jocks have no respect for anyone.

One night at Knightsbridge there was a group of short-haired muscular guys with popped collars in really nice suits standing near where I was with a friend.

We witnessed them walk to a group of girls on the other side of us. One of the guys said to one of the girls “you’re hot” and then literally grabbed her by her vagina area. Like, literally, that was how he introduced himself to her. The girl screamed and then her friend shoved the guy and yelled at him “you’re ADFA ****s aren’t you.” The guys laughed and said “how did you know?”. One of the other guys then tried to pull down the top of the girl who had shoved the crotch grabber — by that point thankfully a security guard came along.

I mean, WTF? Who does something like that?

You don’t go out often do you?
I’m pretty sure everyone can also pull out a “one time at..” story. Still not a scandal..

This does not surprise me, but it should not happen.

These young defence jocks have no respect for anyone.

One night at Knightsbridge there was a group of short-haired muscular guys with popped collars in really nice suits standing near where I was with a friend.

We witnessed them walk to a group of girls on the other side of us. One of the guys said to one of the girls “you’re hot” and then literally grabbed her by her vagina area. Like, literally, that was how he introduced himself to her. The girl screamed and then her friend shoved the guy and yelled at him “you’re ADFA ****s aren’t you.” The guys laughed and said “how did you know?”. One of the other guys then tried to pull down the top of the girl who had shoved the crotch grabber — by that point thankfully a security guard came along.

I mean, WTF? Who does something like that?

I used to play squash in the early 1990s with someone who was a hand to hand combat/self defence instructor at ADFA. He reckoned that as soon as they had a few lessons under their belt, and felt superior and all trained up, they would hang out at well known beats (which were much more prevalent in those days) and aim to bash some gays (the phrases were less polite). Usually the ADFA guys discovered that gay men were not necessarily weak or unable to protect themselves from 18 yr old half grown ups with rudimentary classroom fighting techniques.

So this is hardly a new thing. Its just not the kind of thing that becomes public.

for what its worth, the instructor told me the best tip for bar brawls: grab a stool and stand with your back in a corner. Or, of course, leave through the front door and go somewhere else.

ThatUniStudent must feel like someone has pissed in his cornflakes given the amount of scandal that this has generated, now pardon me while i go suck down on a fag.

Special G said :

Double standards much Violet

Are you deliberately trying to miss the point, or do you not do sarcasm?

Waiting For Godot10:13 am 11 Oct 11

There will be no scandal involved because only males were involved. Whereas if there was a precious woman involved . . .

Eyeofthetiger said :

How do you know they were defence students/personnel? Surely they would not have been in uniform, and surely not telling the world they were?

They could have been footy players or even a gang of self-hating gays who take it out on other gay people. At this point it, they could be anyone.

Tetranitrate said :

Mr Waffle said :

“the best and finest this country has to offer”

A fairly substantial proportion of the violence at mooseheads actually does involve defense force personnel. It’s not that unusual for groups of them to pick a guy and set out to instigate a fight – if he’s dumb enough to respond in kind to provocation, he can be up for a pretty savage beating.
.

I’m gonna call BS on this one, this seems like you are just trying to stoke a fire that isnt there with highly dubious anecdotal evidence. It takes all types to make Mooseheads what it is, try looking at the security first and their mates second and young tradies after that. Dont paint all defence folk with the same brush.

This sounds like a storm in a teacup that is being sensationalised by Carson Kressley. Were there any other witnesses there who are not as biased?

ThatUniStudent8:56 am 11 Oct 11

Morgan said :

Can you please stop saying “in terms of”, it doesnt add anything to the meaning of your sentence. Try leaving it out completely or simply say “for”.

What the heck? You’re trying to tell me that “They are supposed to represent the best and finest this country has to offer for military minds.” makes more sense than what I wrote? You must be an English teacher hey? Pretty typical of some one who can’t use “doesn’t” correctly.
Now, is that the best you can add to this thread?

Double standards much Violet

mareva said :

If this qualifies as a “scandal” then I think ADFA are doing pretty well.

Scandals rarely break from a one-off event. Its usually when standards slide, and what is normally unacceptable becomes acceptable and therefore repeated. If behaviour like this is tolerated I dont think it will be long until we see an escalation and a scandal.

DaveB said :

A couple of things.

First it was a foreign cadet that allegedly filmed the lady in the shower, not an Australian.
Secondly they are told to be on their best behaviour at all times.
Thirdly if you call up or send a letter to the Defence Minister’s office or the Vice Chief of the Defence Force or Commandant of ADFA or RMC Duntroon or where-ever they were from then it will be investigated. Putting a post on Riotact complaining about it is not the right way to go about getting things done.

I don’t suppose you got any names?

OMG they’re told to be on their best behaviour! And they certainly adhere to that….And putting a post on RiotAct is exactly the best way to get things done….at least the powers that be won’t be able to cover anything up.

mareva said :

If this qualifies as a “scandal” then I think ADFA are doing pretty well.

yeah I spose it’s only thugs standing over innocent people …..no biggy.

Unless it’s “non uniformed” thugs, then we should lock those kind up, or lynch em, or flog em, or better still hang em……now there’s a scandal for the rednecks…….yeehaw!

If this qualifies as a “scandal” then I think ADFA are doing pretty well.

Tetranitrate8:27 pm 10 Oct 11

Mr Waffle said :

“the best and finest this country has to offer”

Well, compared to the glassings on offer at Mooseheads down the road, I’d say they’re a step up from your average young Australian male out in Civic at night…

A fairly substantial proportion of the violence at mooseheads actually does involve defense force personnel. It’s not that unusual for groups of them to pick a guy and set out to instigate a fight – if he’s dumb enough to respond in kind to provocation, he can be up for a pretty savage beating.

From working there a few years ago I got the impression that this sort of behavior was basically condoned and encouraged among younger cadets by the older ones – after a particularly nasty incident where a guy had his head bashed on the concrete outside I overheard an older ADFA/Defense/whatever guy talking on his mobile, saying something along the lines of “yeah don’t worry, just cadets. It’s all cool, they did a good job”.

…the things you hear while hosing blood off the pavement.

These violent thugs should not be allowed to walk the streets and either locked up or sent off to Afghanistan to learn how to be respectful citizens…..oh and their parents are to blame!

jules_from_latham7:52 pm 10 Oct 11

Really Morgan, that’s your contribution to this issue??

I too am surprised that these people haven’t been subject to many lectures about appropriate public behaviour recently – they appear to believe the hype that they are the nation’s best and finest! Sadly, this type of behaviour is all too common.

“the best and finest this country has to offer”

Well, compared to the glassings on offer at Mooseheads down the road, I’d say they’re a step up from your average young Australian male out in Civic at night…

So how do you know these individuals were defence personnel? I’m guessing they weren’t going around in dress uniform..

They sound like drunken idiots, but no different to most other drunken idiots. Your description of the incident sounds a bit of a non-event if all that happened was kicking some chairs and name calling. Also curious why they would pick the ANU bar for their antics, it’s not exactly a mecca for gay people.

But hey, next time I see some drunk ANU students do the same, I’ll be sure to write 4 paragraphs about it..

Eyeofthetiger6:12 pm 10 Oct 11

How do you know they were defence students/personnel? Surely they would not have been in uniform, and surely not telling the world they were?

Unfortunately, not everywhere is as sensitive to the feelings of gay people as the ANU is. The reality is that people get called names all the time in the real world (fatty, wog, coon, fag, chink, etc) and I’m pretty sure that this “homophobia” would just be considered relatively harmless name-calling by the majority of folks unless it is connected to violence. It’s offensive, for sure, but nothing particularly unusual, and I think that any apathy would be due to the fact that people get called names by drunken tools all the time, rather than any distaste for gays in particular.

Also, expecting ADF members to observe the rules of political correctness? You might as well wait for Godot.

justsomeaussie5:42 pm 10 Oct 11

I would presume that by these antics that the people involved were either Duntroon or ADFA cadets rather than actual soldiers. If that is the case it’s perhaps apt to remember that the cadets are effectively trainees and are a lower rank than a private. They don’t represent Defence as an organisation any more than a trainee at mcdonalds represents that organisation.

It might be worth mentioning the time and date of the incident, so that Defence HR can track down the people involved.

A couple of things.

First it was a foreign cadet that allegedly filmed the lady in the shower, not an Australian.
Secondly they are told to be on their best behaviour at all times.
Thirdly if you call up or send a letter to the Defence Minister’s office or the Vice Chief of the Defence Force or Commandant of ADFA or RMC Duntroon or where-ever they were from then it will be investigated. Putting a post on Riotact complaining about it is not the right way to go about getting things done.

I don’t suppose you got any names?

Can you please stop saying “in terms of”, it doesnt add anything to the meaning of your sentence. Try leaving it out completely or simply say “for”.

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