Thursday, 15 September 2011
Freaks and Perverts

http://aebrain.blogspot.com/2011/09/freaks-and-perverts.html

As a follow-up to the previous post, from Yahoo News: 'X' now a gender option in Australian passports - Yahoo! News

The comments (nearly all from US readers) are instructive. Here's some of the more popular ones, those "upvoted".

[...]

    They should only have three options on any passport in the world: "Male" for human beings born male and currently male, "Female" for human beings born female and currently female, and "Freak" as a catch-all for pretty much everyone else who does not fall into the first two categories. This approach has the value of being the most accurate representation possible.

...and B for Bigot .

Lol at the "B"!

Seriously though I'm not sure about this stuff. Australia's northern neighbour Indonesia is obsessed on putting data on documents. The driving licence there has age, gender, marital status and religion on it. This can cause serious problems when one is stopped by the police or when having to present ID in other circumstances as people can and do make judgements on what's written. I've witnessed that personally. As a pessimist by nature I can see Australia's move causing problems to those who travel. Immigration officers aren't the most cuddly of types worldwide and will pick on anything on many occasions. Can you imagine landing in Saudi Arabia with that written on one's passport?

If they were to leave gender off entirely I would consider that a far more progressive move.

I guess the X is for people who feel strongly enough about their non-binary gender nature to be prepared to take any trouble having this on their passport might cause them.

Viewing what is considered normal in various parts of the world makes the terms Freak and Pervert sound like a compliment

It's interesting how the media focus of attention on this X matter has been on trans- and androgyine/genderqueer people - but it's also profoundly relevant to many intersex people, of course.

Quote from: V M on September 17, 2011, 08:24:46 AM
Viewing what is considered normal in various parts of the world makes the terms Freak and Pervert sound like a compliment

Harsh on Sarah Palin!

Quote from: V M on September 17, 2011, 08:24:46 AM
Viewing what is considered normal in various parts of the world makes the terms Freak and Pervert sound like a compliment

I am a total pervert, but it's not because I'm transsexual.....

The last time I read such hate filled bile it was when I followed a link to the neo nazi site stormfront, they were ranting about death to anyone who wasnt white & straight.

People like that should be sterilized for the good of society 

"I'd like to laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints..."
  -Billy Joel

That pretty well sums it up for me.

-Sandy

Quote from: Jane on September 18, 2011, 07:26:33 AM
People like that should be sterilized for the good of society

stifling that speech with which you do not agree is hardly the mark of a free society.  It becomes a slippery slope.  The key is to remain vigilant of WHAT is being said...but until it moves to the boundaries of threats to actually commit an illegal act, they are doing little else than the demonstration of their ignorance. 

Quote from: Ann Onymous on September 18, 2011, 10:04:39 AM
stifling that speech with which you do not agree is hardly the mark of a free society.  It becomes a slippery slope.  The key is to remain vigilant of WHAT is being said...but until it moves to the boundaries of threats to actually commit an illegal act, they are doing little else than the demonstration of their ignorance.

Sorry, my bad for not making things clearer. I've modified my statement & added a smiley to show i'm not serious about that comment.

Many people commenting on that link have tried to take some moral high ground by using god & religion to justify their bigotry & narrow minded attitudes but their comments are hardly the mark of a free & tolerant society.
I'm willing to try & educate people about what we face but the people commenting on that link are trying to claim that we are "nutters" "perverts" "geneticly inferior filth" "maggot infested garbage" "evil to god" & "morally disgusting freaks that want to destroy your children by infecting them with perverted propaganda" why should I be tolerant to the intolerant when they are obviously so full of hate that no amount of education will penetrate theirbile spewing hatred?

You say that until it moves to the boundaries of threats to actually commit an illegal act, they are doing little else than the demonstration of their ignorance but what do you think of the person who posted this? "all homosexuals, ->-bleeped-<-s, cross dressers, pedophiles, homosexual pedophiles, beast lovers, dead body part lovers, and sexual freaks should be branded on their foreheads with a big x"
Marking those who you despise with a big X is no better than what the nazi's did to the jews, thousands died & many more suffered to prevent this kind of hatred from taking over the world during the second world war, freedom of speech comes with the price of responsibility & eternal vigilance & I will never tolerate this kind of neo nazi view.

Sorry if my view is seen as a bit over the top but this poster is advocating segregation & discrimination & that sickens me to my core.

Quote from: Jane on September 18, 2011, 10:35:50 AM
Many people commenting on that link have tried to take some moral high ground by using god & religion to justify their bigotry & narrow minded attitudes but their comments are hardly the mark of a free & tolerant society.

free speech and tolerance (or the right to be intolerant) go hand in hand, at least in my country.  As th esaying goes, "I may not approve of WHAT you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."  Censorship is anathema to the right of free expression and to engage in such an act begins a descent down a slippery slope... 

QuoteI'm willing to try & educate people about what we face but the people commenting on that link are trying to claim that we are "nutters" "perverts" "geneticly inferior filth" "maggot infested garbage" "evil to god" & "morally disgusting freaks that want to destroy your children by infecting them with perverted propaganda" why should I be tolerant to the intolerant when they are obviously so full of hate that no amount of education will penetrate theirbile spewing hatred?

Not all people CAN be educated.  It is one of the reasons why 'No Child Left Behind' is such a failed concepts in American public education.

QuoteYou say that until it moves to the boundaries of threats to actually commit an illegal act, they are doing little else than the demonstration of their ignorance but what do you think of the person who posted this? "all homosexuals, ->-bleeped-<-s, cross dressers, pedophiles, homosexual pedophiles, beast lovers, dead body part lovers, and sexual freaks should be branded on their foreheads with a big x"

I don't have to agree with what is said in order to respect their right to utter crap and prove their ignorance.  Speech is NOT the same thing as engaging in actions...and if they DID engage in the described action, then it moves to an assaultive category, which creates the illegality that crosses the line I previously mentioned.

I don't want to get into an argument about this but there is a difference between having an ignorant view & promoting hatred.
In the UK promoting hatred based on sexuality is a crime & many of the posts on that link would be illegal over here, for example:

On 13 October 2001, Harry Hammond, an evangelist, was arrested and charged under section 5 of the Public Order Act (1986) because he had displayed to people in Bournemouth a large sign bearing the words "Jesus Gives Peace, Jesus is Alive, Stop Immorality, Stop Homosexuality, Stop Lesbianism, Jesus is Lord". In April 2002, a magistrate convicted Hammond, fined him £300, and ordered him to pay costs of £395

I do support free speech but free speech should not be used to justify the promotion of hatred.

Free speech?  Yes, but face the consequences after your words.

Using free speech to justify the spread of hate is a fallacy.

I read the comments and punched my computer screen. Is having murderous feelings normal when something pisses you off real bad?

Quote from: missF on September 18, 2011, 12:32:03 PM
Free speech?  Yes, but face the consequences after your words.

Using free speech to justify the spread of hate is a fallacy.

just remember that the same squelching can be used against those who would otherwise speak on ANY subject that is not popular at the moment.  Let's face it, we have already seen the impact of silenced voices just on this site with regard to certain topics...

The moment restrictions start getting placed is the precise moment where free society has ceased to be free...today it may be what you consider to be hate speech, tomorrow it may be your ability to speak out against some component of politics (since, after all, someone may view THAT speech as improper).

I find it ironic that those who preach that they want the world to be tolerant of their choices would seek to squelch the voices deemed to be unpopular...not unusual given the divides that exist, but certainly ironic.

Quote from: Ann Onymous on September 18, 2011, 02:21:45 PM
Let's face it, we have already seen the impact of silenced voices just on this site with regard to certain topics...

No one is being silenced here. If a topic is moderated or locked, it is because someone violated the TOS. A reminder of Rule 2.

Quote
2. Any attempts to stage protests, dispute the site policy, the TOS/rules, or actions of the staff; in the public areas of this site will not be tolerated and will result in your removal. If you have issues I suggest you contact susan@susans.org and not bring your issues into the public spaces on this website. For the proper way to raise issues see term #20 below.

Kia Ora,

Aotearoa [NZ] has had the X factor on their passports for some time now, here's an interesting report...
http://massey.academia.edu/JaimieVeale/Papers/76749/The_prevalence_of_transsexualism_among_New_Zealand_passport_holders

BTW I'm an Aussie citizen however I have a "F" on my passport...

Metta Zenda

I fully support free speech as a basic human right and yes, haters have rights also    But that doesn't mean I have to listen to them... When I realized that the article was full of bigoted hater rhetoric that was only going to make me angry, I quit reading