THE FOLLOWING WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN A EMAIL DISCUSSION FORUM AND PICKED UP BY VICTORIA'S "BNEWS" MAGAZINE
CHANGE in societal attitude vs CHANGE in legislation ... the question of the chicken or the egg?
by Collin Mullane
I could write a thesis on the principle of change. It is something we mortals are faced with repetitively and yet most of us cannot easily cope with its process. Many of us despise it, while at the same time desiring its benefits.
The change in attitude we seek from society needs to start with ourselves. Charity (and change) as they say, begins at home.
If the G&L community continues to discriminate, ignore or even ostracise bisexual, transgender, transsexual or intersex people then how is it possible for those groups to gain respect and visibility within the wider society.
I can cite many examples where the G&L community has done the above either accidentally or deliberately. It still does. And it isn't just non-G&L people that get the brunt of the attack. I am floored at the number of times I have heard gay men (some well respected community leaders too) say hateful or disrespectful things about lesbians and vice versa. A few years ago I may have been one of the guilty. Undoubtedly, this attitude is caused by ignorance or insecurity (of what I'm not sure).
The bickering and in-fighting that I have witnessed within the GLBTIQ community in the last 12 months, at least here in WA, is atrocious. The gay vs lesbian debates over the collapse of Mardi Gras (not to mention their anti-bisexual policies) were not pleasant either.
If there is one thing of which I am certain, it is that we do not (and will not) have a "community" until such time as we accept and completely adopt the three principles of diversity, respect and equality.
No exceptions. No Exclusions. No disclaimers.
Any argument against this philosophy is just bigotry in one form or another.
"Change will only occur when the pain of change is less than the pain of staying the same."
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