Julia Gillard - You Are Homophobic!

...As is the Australian Government.

Let me explain, if my statement possibly could require an explanation.

This year Australia saw it's political leaders vote to continue to deny equal rights to it's citizens and residents who are members of the LGBTQ community, in voting NO to "Gay Marriage". The Prime Minister voted against equality. She has also stated her personal views that she does not believe marriage should be legal for gay couples. She isn't alone, with a majority of politicians appearing to agree with her.

This is in contrast to almost 70% of the Australian public supporting marriage equality.

The Government are NOT listening to the people they represent.

Macquarie, the official Dictionary of Australia, define homophobia as -

homophobia

// (say hohmuh'fohbeeuh)
noun fear of homosexuals, usually linked with hostility towards them. [homo(sexual) + phobia; popularised (? and initially coined) by G Weinberg in Society and the Healthy Homosexual (1972)]
–homophobic, adjective

Okay. Julia Gillard may not be fearful of the gays, nor can I say she is overtly hostile to my people, but she is homophobic.

With all the recent drama in Australian politics (see the above video), the word "misogyny" has been on the lips of many high profile people, and so has been given special attention by the clever word people at Macquarie.

misogyny

// (say muh'sojuhnee)
noun hatred of women. Compare misandry. [Greek mīsogynia]
–misogynist, noun
–misogynistic, adjective
–misogynous, adjective

In addition to the above definition, and because of the evolution of the word's current use, Macquarie have now decided to officially amend it's entry in their dictionary to also mean "entrenched prejudices towards women".

If we are talking discrimination, treating one group of people differently, poorly, because of their defining differences, then yes, Miss Gillard, her Government and her political peers are homophobic. There is clearly an entrenched prejudice towards gay people. I would like Macquarie to make a similar amendment to it's "homophobia" entry. And, making use of our convenient multi-media world, I have tweeted Macquarie with a simple question of whether they were considering making such an amendment.

I had actually started thinking about this tonight, after seeing a NEWS programme, showing Julia Gillard visiting India, and then Macquarie and it's amendment of the meaning of "misogyny" was mentioned on another TV show. Yes, I agree, I do watch too much TV.

The glimpse I caught of Miss Gillard in India, showed her falling to the ground, after a shoe heel stuck awkwardly on the surface of a lawned garden. Viewers were then treated to an Indian lady talking about how Gillard's stand against misogyny and sexism was amazing and wonderful and all the colours of the rainbow. Yes, Gillard is now a global icon, an inspiration to down trodden, maltreated women everywhere. I did think her speech was good - did you watch the video above?

However, her articulate and passionate speech only serves, in my eyes, to show Gillard as a hypocrite. She talks of standards, but she has fallen here, more so than her simple trip on a New Delhi lawn.

In her speech she talks at length about how those who exhibit sexism and misogyny are in no way suitable to serve or perform in high office. But discrimination seems acceptable when targeted at citizens who love those of the same gender? Yes, she discusses double standards. Here she lacks insight in her speech. She asks Tony Abbott to reflect on his actions and words, but she fails to evidence she has done the same. Gillard states she is offended by all things "anti-women", but anti-gay or anti-LGBTQ, again, seems by recent voting behaviour acceptable.

Gillard goes on to suggest that serious thought should be given to the role of women in public life and in Australian society.

Julia, you and I need to talk. The gays, the bisexuals, the lesbians, the queers and all those other wonderful people who perform wonderful and varied functions and roles in Australian society, and who are also active and informed voters, are also deserving of such serious thought.

When I see the praises of Gillard sung by citizens of other countries, by members of our international community, I feel great sadness and, I won't deny, a little despair. Australia, while denying equality and the acknowledgement of a huge portion of it's population, can not be seen to be also concurrently championing human rights in the guise of gender equality.

I am glad Gillard is demanding respect for women. I agree with her on her points of recognition of women and appropriate conduct by those at high office in this respect.

Her skewed championing of cherry picked equality issues is very interesting to me, in terms of agenda fulfillment, and I will be watching closely to see how things further develop. If  you know anything about Aussie politics, there is always more drama around the corner.