Knock one down, set another one up

It'd be really handy if different places around the world could stop coming up with inhuman legislation, a minute after the same piece of stupid shite is defeated somewhere else. It really makes you feel like you're running just to stand still.

Australia tells gays to get fucked

It's amazing how one burst of news, all along a certain theme, conjures a solid picture of something. Like when you read a half-dozen or so articles all about the way Australia reacts to homosexuality in general.

Like not giving a shit about one of the most draconian bits of legislation outside of the Uganda 'Kill the Gays' bill. Nah, fuck the Russian gays, Federal Parliament says.

And don't even try to find a better life somewhere else, we won't let you.

Mind you, even if we do make a promise here, don't expect anyone to, you know, actually honour it or anything. Update: This is some further info on this badly delivered promise. The PM has now announced a date to meet with the couples, early in the new year, significantly after the National Conference. Of course.

So sometimes, all you can do is hope that some other place hears what a bunch of douchebags Australia's government is being and waive certain bits of paperwork, like in New York or in the Netherlands.

Oh Australia, you're a fucking ugly country.

UPDATE: Then there's this. Now, I think by now most people will have worked out that I can't stand The Australian newspaper. Mind you anyone with an inkling of sense and a squirt of compassion should hate The Australian Pravda as well. If you can't be bothered reading it I will sum it up for you.

So, a right-wing newspaper desperately goes searching for some of the only people left in Australia opposed to same-sex marriage who don't wear jackboots or a pointy white hood. Sadly, all they find is Rocky Mimmo of the Ambrose Centre, a fella who's gone out of his way to campaign against stem-cell research, and also to promote the idea that religious figures and bodies should be free to slang each other, indeed anyone out, and not be subject to anti-vilification laws. He also held this talk last year. A lot of this stuff walks the line between intolerance and a touch-feely appearance. They're also connected to this mob, who look like Republozombies.

So what was grand poo-bah Mimmo's conclusion? The Australian public don't see the issue as a priority, so maybe, you know, forget about it for now...

That's it? Fuck me Australian, is this the best shit you can come up with?

"Religious, pro-vilification, anti-science think-tank, think Government should take longer to make up their minds about same-sex marriage, primarily because they're opposed to anything that intrudes on their superstitions, but don't want to come out and say that, because they'll look like a pack of c*nts if they do. This represents a serious challenge to the 'Gaypocalypse Agenda' says nameless spookshow from the Murdoch Goon Patrol.'

Yeah, um, get fucked.

For immediate reading by all ALP members

Attention members of the Australian Labor Party. Read this. Good, now read it again. Now read the last paragraph again. Once more. Good. Did you understand all of the words? Do you understand the general sentiment?

You know what, I'll just excerpt the last paragraph here eh?

"I know that a debate is taking place in Australia on the same issue and I note that our brothers and sisters in the Australian Labor Party are torn as to what to do. I would urge them to look into their hearts. As social democrats and democratic socialists, the most basic values we share in common are a commitment to freedom, community, democracy and equality. We can only ensure that gay and lesbian citizens are truly free, truly a valued part of our communities and truly able to play a full democratic role in our societies when we say that henceforth all will be afforded equality of treatment and in the case of marriage, equality can only be achieved when all couples, opposite sex or same sex can stand their families and friends and enter a fully equal marriage."

A lot happening today

So here are some snippets;

A dissection of the real Climategate over at The Conversation.

A new candidate for Arseholes of Australia. Not political, but he's still a big fucking tool regardless.

Anti-marriage equality spookshow release a survey... which supports marriage equality. Facepalm.

White supremacists infiltrating and taking over a town in Montana, USA.

According to Fox News, pepper spray is now - like pizza - a vegetable.

Russia set to make talking about anything to do with homosexuality or gay rights illegal. This foul bit of fucking dirty fascist legislation has gone through one reading with a second reading due next week. Get involved to stop this loathsome act of totalitarianism here.

Lastly, Australia has been embroiled in the aimless farrago of war in Afghanistan for a good while now. While Australian soldiers fight and die to end the reign of the Taliban, what are we leaving in its place? Well, the answer is evil shit like this. Given that the nation is still not safe, even more so if you have the bad fortune to be born with ovaries or happen to be a Hazara, Australia also recently signed a deal to turn back Afghan asylum seekers. Well yay us. What? We're supposed to be the good guys you say? Well, fuck me.

Why the ALP has to change and the Nat Conference is the place to do it

A brief tirade against the ALP and a look at the trio of big-ass fights they are due to have at the National Conference.

Compare and Contrast

In the Australian same-sex marriage debate, two subtle shifts have recently occurred. Inside the ALP, momentum is gaining to shit-can a conscience vote, and adopt a policy platform supporting marriage equality. In the Coalition, the ground has shifted from voting en masse against marriage equality, to having a conscience vote, where everyone will vote en masse against marriage equality anyway.

Ladies, gentlemen and humans of indistinct gender I present to you the ALP case, as argued by Federal Finance Minister Penny Wong, and the Coalition case, as argued by professional human potato Barnaby 'the Buckler' Joyce. Compare and contrast.

It's hard to have a conscience vote without a conscience

As the ALP National Conference approaches, a welter of policies are set to be debated. Three of the big ones are likely to be uranium trading with India, onshore refugee processing, and of course same-sex marriage.

Well, Mr DeBruyn, we meet again.

Hot on the heels of flaming this bigoted jerk the other day, Joe DeBruyn got a special mention in a press release from GetUp! which I will share with you all after the jump.

They also mention another bold Knight in Australia's Sacred Order of Solemn Arseholery, Jim Wallace of the Australian Christian Lobby. If you've tried to live free or have fun in Australia, you've probably run afoul of one of their misinformation-laden hate campaigns before.

So what's the big fucking deal Joe?

I've been known to harp on same-sex rights on this blog. Today will be no exception. Today, however, I'm going to talk a little about one shit-fly in the ALP's ointment at the upcoming Nat Conference, and also a nice bite-size factoid on the stance of Australia's organised religions.

Same-sex marriage debate in QLD

QLD is trying to introduce civil unions as mentioned here. It's sad to see the opposition camp wheeling out all the arguments I trounced so long ago here. Some people never learn. Sigh.

An open letter to all Australian politicians on the topic of same-sex marriage

The following is intended as a boot up the arse for all Australian politicians dithering on this topic.

News flash: ALP might benefit from doing the right thing

This appeared on New Matilda today. It is a well-reasoned piece which appeals to Labor to support same-sex marriage as a way of stashing a few more votes away for a rainy election.

All good. Very sound. Just one thing, one question to the ALP. You know how you guys are totally lazy? I mean, you know how getting you to do anything that involves a notion of compassion or human decency has been like pulling teeth? Yeah, well, I'm still not sure I would vote for a party that needs to be dragged like an obstreporous donkey towards common sense. So, can you tell me, if you can mein kamaraden, mes amis, mi cabrones, is it going to be like this every damn time a social justice issue comes up? Are we going to have to organise multiple national days of action, campaign constantly, get MP's to canvass their electorate, watch them refuse to do that, campaign more, and generally try to use every argument of common sense a hundred goddamn thousand freaking times before you finally come to the table, stop alienating your own base and just generally wise the fuck up?

Because if it's going to be like that, I'd still really rather vote for someone whose conscience is actually switched on all of the time, and not left in standby mode. Forever. So, go on, reverse the Howard era nonsense, make it a binding party policy. But don't expect me to come back, tears in eyes, wondering why we ever fought, and oh let's promise never to fight again. I've wised up. I'm hip to your games.

Sorry ALP, I know you mean well, but I'm seeing someone else now.

All your arguments are made of fail

I have the following, all-purpose guide for why there is no - that's N.O. zip, nada, zero - argument to oppose same-sex marriage. Seriously, every argument fails, and I'll tell you why.

(Note: At one point, responding to an argument about revulsion for same-sex couples, I lapse into some examples of other forms of intimate interactions people might find gross. These are not listed for prurient reasons, but still a warning is necessary that there's a wee bit of detailed sexual description in this piece.)

Idiot.

(This piece contains a LOT of swearing, mostly due to my complete quaking fury. If swearing bugs you, don't read this. The link referred to is here.)

The essay I tear apart here originally appeared on the website of a place called Menzies House, where a bunch of conservatives sit around and pat each other on the back about how awesome they are. It concerns the supposed 'flaws' in the arguments of the pro-same-sex marriage camp, and instead succeeds in exposing many more flaws in the arguments of the anti-camp.

The first (or near to) person to comment on the original essay was MP Bill Shorten. Unless he's got plenty of time to just doodle about on the internet in parliament, I have a suspicion he knew the young man who wrote this piece of drivel. I also have a suspicion he wouldn't recognise a cogent argument if he tripped over one.

Freedom of (Hate) Speech

Update: Since this was written, at least some of the hate groups involved have been barred from using Paypal.

An article on the campaign to stop hate groups from using PayPal and the questions of freedom of speech it raised.

Have we entered the Twilight Zone and nobody told me?

Bob Katter, the 'Kat in the Hat' being a loony.

A reflection on Australia's inane debates on same-sex marriage and the cowardice of the most vocal proponents of the anti-camp. Plus, a gag or two at Bob Katter's expense.

Doing in Uganda what you can't get away with in the US.

Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann's connection to Ugandan anti-gay campaigners, and news generally on those countries that have a death penalty for homosexuality.
http://deathpenaltynews.blogspot.com/2011/09/executed-for-being-gay.html

The Gaypocalypse

Wow, conservatives are messed up. Yeah, another petition. This is on same-s-x marriages. It seems the far right have been badgering MP's to sink any kind of momentum, so usual guidelines apply - if you care about this stuff, check it out. If you don't then... I must not know you very well, and vice-versa.

GetUp! - Sign Now!

Update: Since I originally posted this elsewhere, a few pleasant advances have been made with state governments committing to same-s-x marriage, and some rumblings promised at the Nat ALP conference later this year.