Tony Abbott deserves praise, not ridicule, for supporting Cate McGregor

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/-1mhu2t.html

By Julia Baird | April 10, 2015
Via Sydney Morning Herald/smh.com.au

"If we don't applaud decency when it occurs, how the dickens can we expect to see more of it? When Cate McGregor told the Canberra Press Club this week that Tony Abbott should have been lauded, not mocked for his support for her gender transition, howls of derision predictably ensued."

"Critics rightly pointed out that he does not support same sex marriage, and that his Catholic religion sees homosexuality as sin and sex change as disorder."

"But does that not then make what he did particularly significant?"

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Opinion piece on the public support from conservative Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott for top military brass Kate McGregor's gender transition.

Nice piece by the Premier of NSW's sister!

Abbott is quite supportive of family and mates. Outside of those groups he remains as intransigent as ever.

Ha! I never saw the connection.

There was a general article about McGregor's speech which I didn't share at the time. I found this article interesting because Baird acknowledges the difficulties faced by trans people in her article.

I'm kind of divided on this, both McGregor and Baird have a point, and I know my sheer loathing of Abbott has me reacting towards him in exactly the way they describe... but I know I was surprised when I heard he was a friend if McGregor's and that he did the intro for that TV piece. I guess my underlying feeling is that it was massively incongruous. I mean, good on Abbott for supporting a friend but clearly he doesn't give a $#*% about the wider issues and difficulties faced by trans people. Like Abbott, it just doesn't add up.

Ack! And now I have gone back and watched Abbott's intro for that piece on Australian Story. Not once does he make any reference to gender or transgender, it's just a "we're great friends and share a love for cricket" and what a strong, brave, smart woman McGregor is. I feel a response to the SMH coming on...

I think somewhere in tg Australian Story piece there was also some mention of how she chose "Cate", because saying it was similar to saying "mate"......!

Perhaps there could be a reference to "Cateship" in the constitution?!