10 January 2013

Want to be on the Queer Council?

| johnboy
Join the conversation
97

Andrew Barr is calling for nominees to the increasingly awkwardly named ACT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Community Advisory Council:

The ACT Government is committed to Canberra as a socially and culturally inclusive community that celebrates its diversity and supports LGBTI Canberrans.

The Council provides an opportunity to discuss and provide advice to government on its policies, programs, services and processes. It will make recommendations to the ACT Government on current and emerging issues affecting LGBTI people.

Members will be selected for their expertise and experience in issues affecting the LGBTI community and their networks. Nominations are invited from both individuals and people representing organisations associated with LGBTI groups.

To find out more email communitypolicy@act.gov.au .

Join the conversation

97
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
Here_and_Now5:34 pm 13 Jan 13

Ben_Dover said :

Will there be any straight people on the ACT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) Community Advisory Council?

There are many straight people who have ‘expertise and experience in issues affecting the LGBTI community and their networks’. So I guess it’s up to them to apply if they want to join.

If you or any straight people you know wish to apply for membership, you can email communitypolicy@act.gov.au to find out more.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd5:09 pm 13 Jan 13

Roundhead89 said :

OMG, what’s happened? In my previous post paragraph 1 is by Comic and Gamer Nerd. My reply to that is paragraph 2. Ignore everything below that.

NOOB!

OMG, what’s happened? In my previous post paragraph 1 is by Comic and Gamer Nerd. My reply to that is paragraph 2. Ignore everything below that.

bikhet said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

I realise that there are a bunch of religious types who are not bigots, but the simple fact is that most of bigotry comes from religion. Nobody can deny that. Hell, even the opposition leader of this country is a self admitted religious nut and huge bigot.

When Tony Abbott was Minister for Health AIDS funding increased by 15%. He also resisted a push by the Catholic leadership to bar AIDS educators from mentioning condoms during seminars in religious schools.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

You make my point, fear of difference, as in you don’t fit in with my retarded religious beliefs.

I also agree that your religious beliefs are retarded.

Ben_Dover said :

Will there be any straight people on the ACT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) Community Advisory Council?

oh, and will Joel Monaghan get a place?

I’ll take a guess that Bisexuals are straight around 50% of the time, Transgenders may or may not be straight depending on how you percieve their actual gender and the gender of their partner and Queer … okay, I must admit Queer I tend to percieve as “girls who want to go to better nightclubs”…

Will there be any straight people on the ACT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) Community Advisory Council?

oh, and will Joel Monaghan get a place?

Masquara said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Antagonist said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Easy and quick way to say it is, religious and bogan pos are total pos and need to be eliminated very quickly so that all peeps can live a bit more peacefully.

Bogans can also identify as GLBTIQ. Leave us out of it, thanks.

They can also be incredibly nasty towards gays as well

Oh come on. Homophobia is rife – and brutal – at the exxy men’s colleges in the sandstones.

True that…But mixed in with the macho homophobia are a few sticky moments in the shower blocks as well..

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Nope. Was raised a catholic and hold all religious institutions in the same contempt. I deal in science and facts. If you want to argue against those then you can be included into the halfwit category.

Where is the science in your assertion in a previous post that:

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

I realise that there are a bunch of religious types who are not bigots, but the simple fact is that most of bigotry comes from religion. Nobody can deny that. Hell, even the opposition leader of this country is a self admitted religious nut and huge bigot.

I agree that there are religious bigots, but I doubt that most bigotry come from religion.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

You make my point, fear of difference, as in you don’t fit in with my retarded religious beliefs.

I also agree that your religious beliefs are retarded.

Girt_Hindrance9:45 am 13 Jan 13

Masquara said :

Girt_Hindrance said :

Masquara said :

And there are communities and sectors where the hets are oppressed. Don’t bother trying to get a job in large swathes of the Arts sector if you’re competing with a queer/gay man!

Translation: “DER GAYZ! DEY TERRRK MEH JERRRB!!!”

Your selective quoting (this board could perhaps do with an optional “prevent selective quoting” facility) has deliberately created a misleading impression. Here is remainder of the full post to contradict the impression you are trying to create, as readers won’t be going through all of this thread.

“In a town where one of the most senior military folk has changed gender with the total support of the military bureaucracy, and passports can carry transgender identities without fuss, and there’s scope for any form of parenting on a child’s passport, frankly, we’ve clearly made great strides. By all means, protect the oppressed – such as young people in redneck areas – but they are a VERY small proportion of GBLTs. And there are communities and sectors where the hets are oppressed. “

Let me help you with that-
Oppression- “unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power”
Unjust- “Not based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair.”

So you not getting a job was because you are being oppressed?
I’d have to suggest that it probably came down to other factors.
You’re not exactly a joy to be around, and that’s just from what you put into your own words and submit to this website.

Girt_Hindrance said :

Masquara said :

And there are communities and sectors where the hets are oppressed. Don’t bother trying to get a job in large swathes of the Arts sector if you’re competing with a queer/gay man!

Translation: “DER GAYZ! DEY TERRRK MEH JERRRB!!!”

Your selective quoting (this board could perhaps do with an optional “prevent selective quoting” facility) has deliberately created a misleading impression. Here is remainder of the full post to contradict the impression you are trying to create, as readers won’t be going through all of this thread.

“In a town where one of the most senior military folk has changed gender with the total support of the military bureaucracy, and passports can carry transgender identities without fuss, and there’s scope for any form of parenting on a child’s passport, frankly, we’ve clearly made great strides. By all means, protect the oppressed – such as young people in redneck areas – but they are a VERY small proportion of GBLTs. And there are communities and sectors where the hets are oppressed. “

DrKoresh said :

Masquara said :

Don’t bother trying to get a job in large swathes of the Arts sector if you’re competing with a queer/gay man!

So my first impression of you as a talentless hack within the arts community was indeed accurate. Personally knowing many, many straight men in the A.C.T arts sector, I’m just gonna say you are full of it and leave it as that.

How many senior straight men do you know in the international galleries/curating sector?

DrKoresh said :

Masquara said :

Don’t bother trying to get a job in large swathes of the Arts sector if you’re competing with a queer/gay man!

So my first impression of you as a talentless hack within the arts community was indeed accurate. Personally knowing many, many straight men in the A.C.T arts sector, I’m just gonna say you are full of it and leave it as that.

Wrong!

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd1:08 am 13 Jan 13

chewy14 said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

bikhet said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

I realise that there are a bunch of religious types who are not bigots, but the simple fact is that most of bigotry comes from religion. Nobody can deny that.

I can, and do. I’d argue that most bigotry comes from fear of difference. It can be hard to understand those we see as different from us, and so we tend to attribute all manner of undesirable characteristics to those perceived as different. Sometimes that attribution is reasonable, but often it is not.

You make my point, fear of difference, as in you don’t fit in with my retarded religious beliefs.

Or you don’t fit into my bigotted view of religion. Good work showing us some perfect examples of what ignorance and bigotry are all about.

Nope. Was raised a catholic and hold all religious institutions in the same contempt. I deal in science and facts. If you want to argue against those then you can be included into the halfwit category.

Girt_Hindrance12:17 am 13 Jan 13

Masquara said :

And there are communities and sectors where the hets are oppressed. Don’t bother trying to get a job in large swathes of the Arts sector if you’re competing with a queer/gay man!

Translation: “DER GAYZ! DEY TERRRK MEH JERRRB!!!”

DrKoresh said :

LSWCHP said :

All the laws in the world won’t protect gay people from ignorant homophobes. In order to address this, what needs to happen, and I believe it is happening, but ever so slowly, is that young people need to understand in their hearts that gay people aren’t wrong, or evil or anything like that. Those young people who get the picture will educate other young people, and eventually their own children. And a long time from now after we’re all dead and gone nobody will give a stuff about what consenting adults do with each others genitals. And that will be as it should be.

I think it is happening. and not quite as slowly as you think. I graduated college in 2010 and can say with confidence that homophobia was not very prevalent at all amongst my peers. I used to hang-out with a lot of different social groups and none of them, not even the sporty types who went on to become tradies were fairly nonchalant about the issue and the Christian kids too. That’s not to say the subject didn’t make some of them uncomfortable, but I think it’s safe to say that in the last decade acceptance of homosexuality as a social norm has come forward in leaps and bounds, at least with the younger generation.

Well that’s good to hear.:-)

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

bikhet said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

I realise that there are a bunch of religious types who are not bigots, but the simple fact is that most of bigotry comes from religion. Nobody can deny that.

I can, and do. I’d argue that most bigotry comes from fear of difference. It can be hard to understand those we see as different from us, and so we tend to attribute all manner of undesirable characteristics to those perceived as different. Sometimes that attribution is reasonable, but often it is not.

You make my point, fear of difference, as in you don’t fit in with my retarded religious beliefs.

Or you don’t fit into my bigotted view of religion. Good work showing us some perfect examples of what ignorance and bigotry are all about.

Masquara said :

Don’t bother trying to get a job in large swathes of the Arts sector if you’re competing with a queer/gay man!

So my first impression of you as a talentless hack within the arts community was indeed accurate. Personally knowing many, many straight men in the A.C.T arts sector, I’m just gonna say you are full of it and leave it as that.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd8:18 pm 12 Jan 13

bikhet said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

I realise that there are a bunch of religious types who are not bigots, but the simple fact is that most of bigotry comes from religion. Nobody can deny that.

I can, and do. I’d argue that most bigotry comes from fear of difference. It can be hard to understand those we see as different from us, and so we tend to attribute all manner of undesirable characteristics to those perceived as different. Sometimes that attribution is reasonable, but often it is not.

You make my point, fear of difference, as in you don’t fit in with my retarded religious beliefs.

Dork said :

THIS is why we need this sort of thing. Completely disgraceful behavior.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/facebook-post-boasts-of-gay-hate-crimes-in-civic-20130111-2clss.html

I’m at a loss how people like this can be allowed to walk the streets.

seriously.

I think the same about the minority of men who attack women (straight, lesbian, bisexual; doesn’t really matter?) who have an effect far beyond their numbers in reducing women’s confidence to go out, particularly at night.

The mystery to me is how these people come into being.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Antagonist said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Easy and quick way to say it is, religious and bogan pos are total pos and need to be eliminated very quickly so that all peeps can live a bit more peacefully.

Bogans can also identify as GLBTIQ. Leave us out of it, thanks.

They can also be incredibly nasty towards gays as well

Oh come on. Homophobia is rife – and brutal – at the exxy men’s colleges in the sandstones.

poetix said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

And, of course, many gay men and lesbians have religious beliefs themselves.

Such as committed Anglican Michael Kirby …

In a town where one of the most senior military folk has changed gender with the total support of the military bureaucracy, and passports can carry transgender identities without fuss, and there’s scope for any form of parenting on a child’s passport, frankly, we’ve clearly made great strides. By all means, protect the oppressed – such as young people in redneck areas – but they are a VERY small proportion of GBLTs. And there are communities and sectors where the hets are oppressed. Don’t bother trying to get a job in large swathes of the Arts sector if you’re competing with a queer/gay man!

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

I realise that there are a bunch of religious types who are not bigots, but the simple fact is that most of bigotry comes from religion. Nobody can deny that.

I can, and do. I’d argue that most bigotry comes from fear of difference. It can be hard to understand those we see as different from us, and so we tend to attribute all manner of undesirable characteristics to those perceived as different. Sometimes that attribution is reasonable, but often it is not.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd3:49 pm 12 Jan 13

poetix said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Easy and quick way to say it is, religious and bogan pos are total pos and need to be eliminated very quickly so that all peeps can live a bit more peacefully.

Loving the Yoda sentence structure!

You can be religious (usually in a fairly mild sort of way) without being a bigot who hates gay people, or even being a pos. Or so I’ve heard. And, of course, many gay men and lesbians have religious beliefs themselves.

Bogans, of course, should be crucified in their tracksuits wearing their Aussie flag caps (-:

I realise that there are a bunch of religious types who are not bigots, but the simple fact is that most of bigotry comes from religion. Nobody can deny that. Hell, even the opposition leader of this country is a self admitted religious nut and huge bigot.

It’s a common thing unfortunately, anything that will assist in educating these people is good in my book. Not only that, but so that people know where they can go to get assistance if something like this happens to them. The council will be responsible for letting the government know what we need to stop the sort of thing happening. You’re also making a massive generalization about the sorts of people who commit these crimes.

P.S- I meant to say to say that the sporty kids and such did NOT have a chip on their shoulder about homosexuality, and were much more tolerant than I would have expected.

Also, I’d like to make it clear that I didn’t mean to make it sound like everything is fine and dandy for queer peeps at my age, just that progress is definitely being made.

LSWCHP said :

All the laws in the world won’t protect gay people from ignorant homophobes. In order to address this, what needs to happen, and I believe it is happening, but ever so slowly, is that young people need to understand in their hearts that gay people aren’t wrong, or evil or anything like that. Those young people who get the picture will educate other young people, and eventually their own children. And a long time from now after we’re all dead and gone nobody will give a stuff about what consenting adults do with each others genitals. And that will be as it should be.

I think it is happening. and not quite as slowly as you think. I graduated college in 2010 and can say with confidence that homophobia was not very prevalent at all amongst my peers. I used to hang-out with a lot of different social groups and none of them, not even the sporty types who went on to become tradies were fairly nonchalant about the issue and the Christian kids too. That’s not to say the subject didn’t make some of them uncomfortable, but I think it’s safe to say that in the last decade acceptance of homosexuality as a social norm has come forward in leaps and bounds, at least with the younger generation.

Dork said :

THIS is why we need this sort of thing. Completely disgraceful behavior.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/facebook-post-boasts-of-gay-hate-crimes-in-civic-20130111-2clss.html

You’re not serious of course? What the hell effect would a govt talking shop have on a repressed homosexual who boast about beating gay men up and; “Will keep doin [sic] it until the dirty c—- are eradicated from our streets”?

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd11:50 am 12 Jan 13

Antagonist said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Antagonist said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Easy and quick way to say it is, religious and bogan pos are total pos and need to be eliminated very quickly so that all peeps can live a bit more peacefully.

Bogans can also identify as GLBTIQ. Leave us out of it, thanks.

They can also be incredibly nasty towards gays as well

So can any other group. I call bullsh!t on the link you have made between bogans and homophobic bigotry. In fact, I would suggest from your post that you don’t actually know what a bogan really is.

Sadly, I know all to well. I have had to deal with many over the years. I’m sure more than you have.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Easy and quick way to say it is, religious and bogan pos are total pos and need to be eliminated very quickly so that all peeps can live a bit more peacefully.

Loving the Yoda sentence structure!

You can be religious (usually in a fairly mild sort of way) without being a bigot who hates gay people, or even being a pos. Or so I’ve heard. And, of course, many gay men and lesbians have religious beliefs themselves.

Bogans, of course, should be crucified in their tracksuits wearing their Aussie flag caps (-:

1337Hax0r said :

I somehow doubt that many people would step in and defend an Intersex or Trans person from being beaten up.

It is unlikely that any of us would know if we were talking to an intersex person, let alone defending one. In fact, many intersex people do not know they are intersex until they are adults. Pheobe Hart (who found out she was intersex at age 17) did an fantastic documentary on it called ‘Orchids’ or similar. They ran it on the ABC recently.

ScienceRules said :

I know it’s wrong, but I did laugh at that, Ben. Does that make me a bad person?

It depends, you are either bad, mad, confused or saintly. Ask a poof. 😉

ScienceRules10:12 am 12 Jan 13

Ben_Dover said :

Because of the context in which it was reclaimed, queer has sociopolitical connotations, and is often preferred by those who are activists; by those who strongly reject traditional gender identities; by those who reject distinct sexual identities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight; and by those who see themselves as oppressed by the heteronormativity of the larger culture. In this usage it retains the historical connotation of “outside the bounds of normal society” and can be construed as “breaking the rules for sex and gender”. It can be preferred because of its ambiguity, which allows “queer”-identifying people to avoid the sometimes strict boundaries that surround other labels. In this context, “queer” is not a synonym for LGBT as it creates a space for “queer” heterosexuals as well as “non-queer” homosexuals.

The term is sometimes capitalized when referring to an identity or community, rather than merely a sexual fact (cf. the capitalized use of Deaf).

In the late 2000s (decade) and early 2010s, a number of internet communities started to use the term ‘LGBTQ,’ the ‘Q’ standing for ‘queer,’ to represent forms of sexuality that fall outside of the original LGBT framework, in order to promote awareness and acceptance of these forms of sexuality. The term has a similar function to that of LGBTI, except LGBTQ focuses on sexuality rather than gender

Well when the poofs get their house in order over the term, they can get back to us and let us know whether we can use the term or not.

I know it’s wrong, but I did laugh at that, Ben. Does that make me a bad person?

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Antagonist said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Easy and quick way to say it is, religious and bogan pos are total pos and need to be eliminated very quickly so that all peeps can live a bit more peacefully.

Bogans can also identify as GLBTIQ. Leave us out of it, thanks.

They can also be incredibly nasty towards gays as well

So can any other group. I call bullsh!t on the link you have made between bogans and homophobic bigotry. In fact, I would suggest from your post that you don’t actually know what a bogan really is.

Because of the context in which it was reclaimed, queer has sociopolitical connotations, and is often preferred by those who are activists; by those who strongly reject traditional gender identities; by those who reject distinct sexual identities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and straight; and by those who see themselves as oppressed by the heteronormativity of the larger culture. In this usage it retains the historical connotation of “outside the bounds of normal society” and can be construed as “breaking the rules for sex and gender”. It can be preferred because of its ambiguity, which allows “queer”-identifying people to avoid the sometimes strict boundaries that surround other labels. In this context, “queer” is not a synonym for LGBT as it creates a space for “queer” heterosexuals as well as “non-queer” homosexuals.

The term is sometimes capitalized when referring to an identity or community, rather than merely a sexual fact (cf. the capitalized use of Deaf).

In the late 2000s (decade) and early 2010s, a number of internet communities started to use the term ‘LGBTQ,’ the ‘Q’ standing for ‘queer,’ to represent forms of sexuality that fall outside of the original LGBT framework, in order to promote awareness and acceptance of these forms of sexuality. The term has a similar function to that of LGBTI, except LGBTQ focuses on sexuality rather than gender

Well when the poofs get their house in order over the term, they can get back to us and let us know whether we can use the term or not.

I think far too many people are equating GLBTI with Gay people only. Having a gay son, I used to think the acronym was some sort of overarching umberlla term for gay and lesbian people till some one pointed out that it stood for Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans and Intersex. So, what the heck were Trans and Intersex I thought? Trans means transgender, transexual and transvestite. Basically, people who to some degree identify as being the opposite gender. Intersex people are people who were born with some characteristics of both genders.

I’ve asked my son if he thinks he can go out into society as freely as I can and be who he want to be. He’s said no, he can’t. He does not hold hands with his boyfriend in public often, because he’s been harassed for doing so. Even at ANU where he studies he has to be careful. Before I separated from my wife, I would have thought nothing of holding her hand and kissing in public. It was my right.
My son says things are better than in my day,and are getting better, but still have a way to go to improve.

That’s what’s happening with gay people. I have found out that for Trans people things are worse still. Those that can easily pass as the gender they are trying to become would I suppose face less harassment than those who don’t pass so easily. I know the stereotype is some bloke with a three day growth in a dress and fishnet stockings. I’ve heard and read that’s not the norm. There are some trans people though that stand out, and I would not want to have to put up with the shit they have to put up with. I know what my son has had to go through, and that would be a lot worse.

Then there are Intersex people, who are born not quite male or female. I imagine going through school like that could be a living hell. Being an adult who does not conform to gender stereotypes would be further hell. That’s not a nice thing to have to go through just because you were born with a naturally occurring difference. I think it would be a bit like the hell society used to put mentally disabled kids through before we were educated to know better. In my day we used to pick on kids in the blue bus. I even know of guys who’d beat up those kids for fun. I could not imagine anyone thinking that was acceptable today. If I saw anyone beating up a disabled kid today I’d step in and do something about it, even with my own limited fighting skills, or at the very least I’d call the police. I somehow doubt that many people would step in and defend an Intersex or Trans person from being beaten up. I imagine several would cheer on the attacker, or even join in the attack.

In Plain English, that’s why we need this advisory council.

As for those saying we don’t, go put on the clothing of the opposite gender and stand around the bus interchange or night clubs late at night. I think you’ll soon change your mind, or have it changed for you.

ScienceRules8:17 am 12 Jan 13

ScienceRules said :

If you’re suggesting specifically gay-related laws (and I may have misunderstood – in which case please excuse me) then I don’t think you’re heading down the right path. As chewy pointed out, we already have laws aplenty to deal with assault and other nastiness.

The prevalence of gay targeted violence, discrimination and general nastiness is not due to a lack of laws, it’s due to variety of cultural and societal phenomena, primarily based around ignorance and lack of education, which is pretty much the same thing.

All the laws in the world won’t protect gay people from ignorant homophobes. In order to address this, what needs to happen, and I believe it is happening, but ever so slowly, is that young people need to understand in their hearts that gay people aren’t wrong, or evil or anything like that. Those young people who get the picture will educate other young people, and eventually their own children. And a long time from now after we’re all dead and gone nobody will give a stuff about what consenting adults do with each others genitals. And that will be as it should be.

And it may be small comfort, but if I was gay I’d be glad to be living in Australia rather than in one of those places where gay people end up hanging from government sanctioned gallows.

Totally agree. Well said!

ScienceRules said :

If you’re suggesting specifically gay-related laws (and I may have misunderstood – in which case please excuse me) then I don’t think you’re heading down the right path. As chewy pointed out, we already have laws aplenty to deal with assault and other nastiness.

The prevalence of gay targeted violence, discrimination and general nastiness is not due to a lack of laws, it’s due to variety of cultural and societal phenomena, primarily based around ignorance and lack of education, which is pretty much the same thing.

All the laws in the world won’t protect gay people from ignorant homophobes. In order to address this, what needs to happen, and I believe it is happening, but ever so slowly, is that young people need to understand in their hearts that gay people aren’t wrong, or evil or anything like that. Those young people who get the picture will educate other young people, and eventually their own children. And a long time from now after we’re all dead and gone nobody will give a stuff about what consenting adults do with each others genitals. And that will be as it should be.

And it may be small comfort, but if I was gay I’d be glad to be living in Australia rather than in one of those places where gay people end up hanging from government sanctioned gallows.

Totally agree. Well said!

Dammit – stupid not being able to nest quotes properly!

ScienceRules8:02 am 12 Jan 13

If you’re suggesting specifically gay-related laws (and I may have misunderstood – in which case please excuse me) then I don’t think you’re heading down the right path. As chewy pointed out, we already have laws aplenty to deal with assault and other nastiness.

The prevalence of gay targeted violence, discrimination and general nastiness is not due to a lack of laws, it’s due to variety of cultural and societal phenomena, primarily based around ignorance and lack of education, which is pretty much the same thing.

All the laws in the world won’t protect gay people from ignorant homophobes. In order to address this, what needs to happen, and I believe it is happening, but ever so slowly, is that young people need to understand in their hearts that gay people aren’t wrong, or evil or anything like that. Those young people who get the picture will educate other young people, and eventually their own children. And a long time from now after we’re all dead and gone nobody will give a stuff about what consenting adults do with each others genitals. And that will be as it should be.

And it may be small comfort, but if I was gay I’d be glad to be living in Australia rather than in one of those places where gay people end up hanging from government sanctioned gallows.

Totally agree. Well said!

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd7:31 am 12 Jan 13

Antagonist said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Easy and quick way to say it is, religious and bogan pos are total pos and need to be eliminated very quickly so that all peeps can live a bit more peacefully.

Bogans can also identify as GLBTIQ. Leave us out of it, thanks.

They can also be incredibly nasty towards gays as well

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Easy and quick way to say it is, religious and bogan pos are total pos and need to be eliminated very quickly so that all peeps can live a bit more peacefully.

Bogans can also identify as GLBTIQ. Leave us out of it, thanks.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd11:57 pm 11 Jan 13

LSWCHP said :

ScienceRules said :

Regarding violence against gays, of course there is recourse to the courts and legal system after the assault. However I suggest that being assaulted, spat on, ridiculed etc simply because you are straight rarely, if ever happens. Not so for gays. This must be addressed, it’s a shameful part of human behaviour.

If you’re suggesting specifically gay-related laws (and I may have misunderstood – in which case please excuse me) then I don’t think you’re heading down the right path. As chewy pointed out, we already have laws aplenty to deal with assault and other nastiness.

The prevalence of gay targeted violence, discrimination and general nastiness is not due to a lack of laws, it’s due to variety of cultural and societal phenomena, primarily based around ignorance and lack of education, which is pretty much the same thing.

All the laws in the world won’t protect gay people from ignorant homophobes. In order to address this, what needs to happen, and I believe it is happening, but ever so slowly, is that young people need to understand in their hearts that gay people aren’t wrong, or evil or anything like that. Those young people who get the picture will educate other young people, and eventually their own children. And a long time from now after we’re all dead and gone nobody will give a stuff about what consenting adults do with each others genitals. And that will be as it should be.

And it may be small comfort, but if I was gay I’d be glad to be living in Australia rather than in one of those places where gay people end up hanging from government sanctioned gallows.

Easy and quick way to say it is, religious and bogan pos are total pos and need to be eliminated very quickly so that all peeps can live a bit more peacefully.

ScienceRules said :

Regarding violence against gays, of course there is recourse to the courts and legal system after the assault. However I suggest that being assaulted, spat on, ridiculed etc simply because you are straight rarely, if ever happens. Not so for gays. This must be addressed, it’s a shameful part of human behaviour.

If you’re suggesting specifically gay-related laws (and I may have misunderstood – in which case please excuse me) then I don’t think you’re heading down the right path. As chewy pointed out, we already have laws aplenty to deal with assault and other nastiness.

The prevalence of gay targeted violence, discrimination and general nastiness is not due to a lack of laws, it’s due to variety of cultural and societal phenomena, primarily based around ignorance and lack of education, which is pretty much the same thing.

All the laws in the world won’t protect gay people from ignorant homophobes. In order to address this, what needs to happen, and I believe it is happening, but ever so slowly, is that young people need to understand in their hearts that gay people aren’t wrong, or evil or anything like that. Those young people who get the picture will educate other young people, and eventually their own children. And a long time from now after we’re all dead and gone nobody will give a stuff about what consenting adults do with each others genitals. And that will be as it should be.

And it may be small comfort, but if I was gay I’d be glad to be living in Australia rather than in one of those places where gay people end up hanging from government sanctioned gallows.

ScienceRules said :

chewy14 said :

ScienceRules said :

chewy14 said :

ScienceRules said :

How can providing the same rights and protections to gays in any way diminish straight people’s rights (except perhaps to be bigoted arses in some cases)?

Now I’m confused. What rights and protections do gays currently not have?

lets start with the right to marry and protection against being assaulted or discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality. Is that enough to be getting on with?

I don’t think that marriage is a right and I think it would be very hard to argue that it is. But either way I’ve written here previously that I think the government should repeal the marriage act and enact a civil union bill that allows anyone to register a relationship. That would solve the issue.

But the rest of your comment is more interesting. Can you tell me which law(s) specifically exclude homosexual people from protection against assault and discrimination?

I was pretty certain that those laws covered everyone no matter what sexuality they were.

Such are the dangers of my posting “shorthand” – I know what I meant and assumed that the meaning was carried across.

Setting aside civil unions (which I don’t disagree with you on) for the moment, right now straight people have the “right” or “privelige” or whatever to marry and gays don’t. This needs to be addressed as there is no earthly reason for the discrepancy.

Regarding violence against gays, of course there is recourse to the courts and legal system after the assault. However I suggest that being assaulted, spat on, ridiculed etc simply because you are straight rarely, if ever happens. Not so for gays. This must be addressed, it’s a shameful part of human behaviour.

Hope that makes my point a bit clearer.

Yep, Ok now I’ve got what you were saying and would agree.

ScienceRules5:12 pm 11 Jan 13

Masquara said :

Madam Cholet said :

I agree with FGC – the gay community may use the word, but it would cause offence if used by someone not from that community.

That is just nonsense. Allow me to quote comedian Lenny Bruce: “It’s the suppression of the word that gives it the power … why don’t we just say nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger nigger, nigger, nigger … nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger – until nigger doesn’t MEAN anything any more. Then you wouldn’t have some six year old black kid crying because someone called him a nigger in school.”

I’m a little alarmed that this needs to even be pointed out but the reason that this word is unacceptable is due to it’s hate-filled historical context. I doubt it will ever be alright for a white person to use it against/to a black one simply because of the baggage that it carries. It’s not a matter of exclusivity or even “us and them” but simple courtesy.

Same with “faggot” I presume.

Masquara said :

Madam Cholet said :

I agree with FGC – the gay community may use the word, but it would cause offence if used by someone not from that community.

That is just nonsense. Allow me to quote comedian Lenny Bruce: “It’s the suppression of the word that gives it the power … why don’t we just say nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger nigger, nigger, nigger … nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger – until nigger doesn’t MEAN anything any more. Then you wouldn’t have some six year old black kid crying because someone called him a nigger in school.”

You never fail to fail do you.

ScienceRules4:45 pm 11 Jan 13

chewy14 said :

ScienceRules said :

chewy14 said :

ScienceRules said :

How can providing the same rights and protections to gays in any way diminish straight people’s rights (except perhaps to be bigoted arses in some cases)?

Now I’m confused. What rights and protections do gays currently not have?

lets start with the right to marry and protection against being assaulted or discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality. Is that enough to be getting on with?

I don’t think that marriage is a right and I think it would be very hard to argue that it is. But either way I’ve written here previously that I think the government should repeal the marriage act and enact a civil union bill that allows anyone to register a relationship. That would solve the issue.

But the rest of your comment is more interesting. Can you tell me which law(s) specifically exclude homosexual people from protection against assault and discrimination?

I was pretty certain that those laws covered everyone no matter what sexuality they were.

Such are the dangers of my posting “shorthand” – I know what I meant and assumed that the meaning was carried across.

Setting aside civil unions (which I don’t disagree with you on) for the moment, right now straight people have the “right” or “privelige” or whatever to marry and gays don’t. This needs to be addressed as there is no earthly reason for the discrepancy.

Regarding violence against gays, of course there is recourse to the courts and legal system after the assault. However I suggest that being assaulted, spat on, ridiculed etc simply because you are straight rarely, if ever happens. Not so for gays. This must be addressed, it’s a shameful part of human behaviour.

Hope that makes my point a bit clearer.

Madam Cholet said :

I agree with FGC – the gay community may use the word, but it would cause offence if used by someone not from that community.

That is just nonsense. Allow me to quote comedian Lenny Bruce: “It’s the suppression of the word that gives it the power … why don’t we just say nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger nigger, nigger, nigger … nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger – until nigger doesn’t MEAN anything any more. Then you wouldn’t have some six year old black kid crying because someone called him a nigger in school.”

ScienceRules said :

chewy14 said :

ScienceRules said :

How can providing the same rights and protections to gays in any way diminish straight people’s rights (except perhaps to be bigoted arses in some cases)?

Now I’m confused. What rights and protections do gays currently not have?

lets start with the right to marry and protection against being assaulted or discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality. Is that enough to be getting on with?

I don’t think that marriage is a right and I think it would be very hard to argue that it is. But either way I’ve written here previously that I think the government should repeal the marriage act and enact a civil union bill that allows anyone to register a relationship. That would solve the issue.

But the rest of your comment is more interesting. Can you tell me which law(s) specifically exclude homosexual people from protection against assault and discrimination?

I was pretty certain that those laws covered everyone no matter what sexuality they were.

Madam Cholet said :

Nowt’ so queer as folk…apparently.

For the record, I’m not that comfortable with the usage of it due to the common use being derogatory – just the memories from my childhood of how people of my parents generation dealt with the Aids epidemic.

I agree with FGC – the gay community may use the word, but it would cause offence if used by someone not from that community.

Maybe if it’s use is intended to cause offence, but generally it isn’t, and people taking offence at it when isn’t offensive are the problem. It’s like getting offended by another person’s clothing or hairstyle. Getting stroppy about ultimately harmless things like choice of language is a waste of everybody’s time and wasting everybody’s time is gay.

ScienceRules2:28 pm 11 Jan 13

Ben_Dover said :

ScienceRules said :

Well yes we do, but it is a powerful weapon, Ben and on occasion must be weilded with care! 🙂

Definitely, that’s why the sequestering of words or phrases by nebulous groups should be seen as dangerous and divisive.

I’m commandeering the word “cleave” for my own personal use. Anyone else using it is a bigot.

And will be guilty of cleavage…

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd2:15 pm 11 Jan 13

Threads like these always make identification of bigot pos real easy.

The comments just make me think we need more of this sort of thing.

But from reading the description/selection criteria for this council, it’s just so that they can make canberra Australia’s gay friendly state!

This to me is not the point, I don’t care about tourism I care about health/mental health issues and young people and discrimination etc. you may think it’s going further than it should, but people still have to be careful. Just because you don’t hear about it doesn’t mean it’s not happening. I’ve heard recently from a few people who were followed from cube until they were somewhere quiet and beaten to a pulp. Too much? I don’t think so.

ScienceRules said :

Well yes we do, but it is a powerful weapon, Ben and on occasion must be weilded with care! 🙂

Definitely, that’s why the sequestering of words or phrases by nebulous groups should be seen as dangerous and divisive.

I’m commandeering the word “cleave” for my own personal use. Anyone else using it is a bigot.

Ben_Dover said :

Madam Cholet said :

I agree with FGC – the gay community may use the word, but it would cause offence if used by someone not from that community.

That way lunacy lies, we either have a shared language or we do not.

Bob yes! Its the first sign of the Apocalypse.

ScienceRules1:44 pm 11 Jan 13

Ben_Dover said :

Madam Cholet said :

I agree with FGC – the gay community may use the word, but it would cause offence if used by someone not from that community.

That way lunacy lies, we either have a shared language or we do not.

Well yes we do, but it is a powerful weapon, Ben and on occasion must be weilded with care! 🙂

ScienceRules1:42 pm 11 Jan 13

Chop71 said :

Are my tax $$$ supporting this? …. ahhhh, more Canberra warm and fuzzy

Strictly speaking it’s your rates and yes, they are. As they should be.

ScienceRules1:40 pm 11 Jan 13

chewy14 said :

ScienceRules said :

How can providing the same rights and protections to gays in any way diminish straight people’s rights (except perhaps to be bigoted arses in some cases)?

Now I’m confused. What rights and protections do gays currently not have?

lets start with the right to marry and protection against being assaulted or discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality. Is that enough to be getting on with?

Madam Cholet said :

I agree with FGC – the gay community may use the word, but it would cause offence if used by someone not from that community.

That way lunacy lies, we either have a shared language or we do not.

Chop71 said :

Are my tax $$$ supporting this? …. ahhhh, more Canberra warm and fuzzy

No, your tax dollars are really special and they’re only spent on things that you care about, like … I dunno … bourbon.

Here_and_Now1:13 pm 11 Jan 13

Chop71 said :

Are my tax $$$ supporting this?

Yep, just as taxes of pedestrians go towards roads, taxes of the childfree go toward childcare subsidies, and taxes of healthy people go towards Medicare.

Yep, paying taxes that don’t all go on things that benefit you directly is still happening. It’s almost as though taxes work that way.

Antagonist said :

Solidarity said :

Antagonist said :

Solidarity said :

What’s wrong with the word queer? I though that was the one word you were allowed to call them…. queer people call themselves queer even…. argh it’s too much effort trying to keep up with what offends people and what doesn’t offend people these days.

I don’t think we are the ones having trouble keeping up, Solidarity.

Here we go again, us vs. them… I thought all people were equal…

I think you misunderstand me. We are in agreement. Queer is indeed a mainstream term as you originally pointed to. I’m pretty sure the current acronym is GLBTIQ (gay, lesbian, bi, trans, inter, queer). It is Mr Barr and the council who have not updated their *increasingly awkward* name.

http://www.agmc.org.au/

Hmm. I am quite the fool then…

Wait up, why are transexual and intersex people being grouped with homosexuals?

Masquara said :

The queer community is affluent and privileged socio-economically, exceptionally well networked, and already highly influential. We don’t need this. Who is paying?

Neither clever nor funny. So full of holes you could strain pasta with it. Must troll harder.

Solidarity said :

Antagonist said :

Solidarity said :

What’s wrong with the word queer? I though that was the one word you were allowed to call them…. queer people call themselves queer even…. argh it’s too much effort trying to keep up with what offends people and what doesn’t offend people these days.

I don’t think we are the ones having trouble keeping up, Solidarity.

Here we go again, us vs. them… I thought all people were equal…

I think you misunderstand me. We are in agreement. Queer is indeed a mainstream term as you originally pointed to. I’m pretty sure the current acronym is GLBTIQ (gay, lesbian, bi, trans, inter, queer). It is Mr Barr and the council who have not updated their *increasingly awkward* name.

http://www.agmc.org.au/

Are my tax $$$ supporting this? …. ahhhh, more Canberra warm and fuzzy

Antagonist said :

Solidarity said :

What’s wrong with the word queer? I though that was the one word you were allowed to call them…. queer people call themselves queer even…. argh it’s too much effort trying to keep up with what offends people and what doesn’t offend people these days.

I don’t think we are the ones having trouble keeping up, Solidarity.

Here we go again, us vs. them… I thought all people were equal…

Madam Cholet11:49 am 11 Jan 13

Nowt’ so queer as folk…apparently.

For the record, I’m not that comfortable with the usage of it due to the common use being derogatory – just the memories from my childhood of how people of my parents generation dealt with the Aids epidemic.

I agree with FGC – the gay community may use the word, but it would cause offence if used by someone not from that community.

FGC said :

Solidarity said :

What’s wrong with the word queer? I though that was the one word you were allowed to call them…. queer people call themselves queer even.

If you stand on a corner in Harlem, there’s a word you’ll hear a lot of people calling themselves and each other. You would be ill-advised to try to use it yourself.

Um, that’s more like using the word faggot.

Solidarity said :

What’s wrong with the word queer? I though that was the one word you were allowed to call them…. queer people call themselves queer even…. argh it’s too much effort trying to keep up with what offends people and what doesn’t offend people these days.

I don’t think we are the ones having trouble keeping up, Solidarity.

Solidarity said :

What’s wrong with the word queer? I though that was the one word you were allowed to call them…. queer people call themselves queer even.

If you stand on a corner in Harlem, there’s a word you’ll hear a lot of people calling themselves and each other. You would be ill-advised to try to use it yourself.

Here_and_Now11:17 am 11 Jan 13

Masquara said :

The queer community is affluent and privileged socio-economically, exceptionally well networked, and already highly influential. We don’t need this.

This is not accurate. And if this is what people believe, then some education and awareness raising should happen. In other words, you do need this.

What’s wrong with the word queer? I though that was the one word you were allowed to call them…. queer people call themselves queer even…. argh it’s too much effort trying to keep up with what offends people and what doesn’t offend people these days.

Here_and_Now11:14 am 11 Jan 13

screaming banshee said :

ScienceRules said :

Fairly sure that the hetrosexual community doesn’t have to cope with the bigotry, discrimination and inequality that the LGBT folk do. Hence the need for an Advisory Council.

Give it time.

Please clarify. Do you mean that the heterosexual community will get an Advisory Council soon, or that they will be as discriminated and bigoted against as the GLBTI community?

If the latter, this seems…well, let’s just go with ‘unlikely’.

pommyb said :

They have the right not to be referred to as “queer” for a start.

Unless they choose to self identify as queer,m then you’re a homophobe for denying them the right to be called a queer, unless they don’t want to be called queer, or not, sometimes, but not others, by the right people, or something.

Some people actually identify as queer actually, and get offended when they are referred to as anything else.

Masquara said :

The queer community is affluent and privileged socio-economically, exceptionally well networked, and already highly influential. We don’t need this. Who is paying?

Regardless of the benefits or otherwise of this Council, we, the taxpayers of Canberra, will.

pommyb said :

They have the right not to be referred to as “queer” for a start.

And I have the right not to be referred to as as an anglo, as a skippy, or as a breeder. But I don’t get offended by it, even though in my case the last is a capability rather than an actuality.

They have the right not to be referred to as “queer” for a start.

ScienceRules said :

How can providing the same rights and protections to gays in any way diminish straight people’s rights (except perhaps to be bigoted arses in some cases)?

Now I’m confused. What rights and protections do gays currently not have?

Aeek said :

Dork said :

Is that not what the legislative assembly is for? Barr one?

Hey, it Rhymes, that’s almost Poetix !

No, it doesn’t! It puns, but not in a particularly nice way, unlike every single one of poetix’s comments ever.

ScienceRules10:04 am 11 Jan 13

screaming banshee said :

ScienceRules said :

Fairly sure that the hetrosexual community doesn’t have to cope with the bigotry, discrimination and inequality that the LGBT folk do. Hence the need for an Advisory Council.

Give it time.

What do you mean by this? Are you really suggesting that working to provide equality and freedom from violence for the LGBT community will in some way threaten your hitherto priveliged existance?

How can providing the same rights and protections to gays in any way diminish straight people’s rights (except perhaps to be bigoted arses in some cases)?

P.S. I’m not suggesting that you are bigoted, just that your comment really needs further explaination.

Masquara said :

The queer community is affluent and privileged socio-economically, exceptionally well networked, and already highly influential. We don’t need this.

Those of us who are able to differentiate between the real world and an episode of Will and Grace, as well as those who are familiar with the frightening rates of suicide amongst LGBTI youth, know better.

Ben_Dover said :

Is that a community which advises? Or is it a group which advises the community? Or a community which advises the community?

I think it’s a group of gays who advise about the Community.

Think of it as a kind of Queer Eye for the Bogan Guy.

bd84 said :

Will they also elect a queen to lead the council? That might turn into a cat fight..

With a few of them it could turn into a Queens’ Council!

So many puns, so little time…

eyeLikeCarrots9:27 am 11 Jan 13

poetix said :

Awkardly?

Awkward spelling, what?

Make awkward sexual advances, NOT WAR!

There was a huge amount of reaserch put into various LGBTIQ projects including this one, believe me, it is nesiscary.

thebrownstreak698:00 am 11 Jan 13

Ben_Dover said :

Let them have their little get together for goodness sake, we don’t need handbags at dawn over it. As long as they self fund of course.

+1. It will just be another lobby group that the majority ignores. No reason for anyone to get scared back to their natural hair colour.

ACT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) Community Advisory Council

Is that a community which advises? Or is it a group which advises the community? Or a community which advises the community?

Isn’t this idea of “community” getting worked to death these days?> The smoking community,. the hunting community, the law breaking community. Any bloody disparate group gets given the monica* “community” today, just lazy bloody thinking by the political crowd.

Let them have their little get together for goodness sake, we don’t need handbags at dawn over it. As long as they self fund of course.

* monica = Monica James (was a writer) and it rhymes with “names.” It is usual in Cockney slang to use only the first half of the couplet… hence “Put yer monica ‘ere.” means sign your names.

The queer community is affluent and privileged socio-economically, exceptionally well networked, and already highly influential. We don’t need this. Who is paying?

Will they also elect a queen to lead the council? That might turn into a cat fight..

Dork said :

Is that not what the legislative assembly is for? Barr one?

Hey, it Rhymes, that’s almost Poetix !

screaming banshee1:04 am 11 Jan 13

ScienceRules said :

Fairly sure that the hetrosexual community doesn’t have to cope with the bigotry, discrimination and inequality that the LGBT folk do. Hence the need for an Advisory Council.

Give it time.

If you get on the Queer Council, do you get to put QC after your name?

Is that not what the legislative assembly is for? Barr one?

Nice of you to spell it out Poetix 🙂

ScienceRules8:43 pm 10 Jan 13

Pork Hunt said :

Will he also call for nominees for the ACT Heterosexual Community Advisory Council? Oh wait, there isn’t one…
We are doomed to blundering through life advice free.

Fairly sure that the hetrosexual community doesn’t have to cope with the bigotry, discrimination and inequality that the LGBT folk do. Hence the need for an Advisory Council.

Awkardly?

Awkward spelling, what?

Will he also call for nominees for the ACT Heterosexual Community Advisory Council? Oh wait, there isn’t one…
We are doomed to blundering through life advice free.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.