The night was brisk, and having finished work at 11.30, I was tired and grumpy. I hurried to my car, and began the short drive home.
As I drove along Port Road, a white Mitsubishi began merging from the far right lane into my own. The car veered too soon, and what would have been a textbook merge soon became a near sideswipe. I clamped my hand upon the steering wheel, horn blaring, until the Mitsubishi retreated to its own lane.
I drove on, but some time later noticed that the car was behind me, tailgating with high beams on. I was not going to further provoke such stupid road rage, but the car continued behind me, following, turn after turn.
I drove down a maze of back streets, further away from my house, but it was stupid to think I could shake this car off. I approached Queen Street, well lit and lined with coffee shops and boutiques – all closed at this hour, of course. I planted my foot to the brake, and wrenched up the handbrake.
Keys still in the ignition, I pushed my door open, jumped out and walked towards the Mitsubishi. Only when I was several metres away did I realise that my pursuers were four girls, probably younger than me.
The driver did not wind down her window, so instead I raised my voice demandingly.
“Do you have a problem? I’ve got your rego and I won’t hesitate to call the police.”
“You can’t park here, you know.”
It was true; I had stopped in the very middle of the road. The whining response was hardly an explanation though, so I announced again that I would call the police.
Besides advising me to report the incident, the police were useless. The car had sped away and thus no further action could be taken. I was shaken and reluctant to go home, and it wasn’t until later that I rationally concluded that the four stalkers had likely been intoxicated, and were youngsters just out to cause trouble.
The next day, I reported the incident to the police. The officer who recorded my details was dismissive and uninterested. He took my details not on a computer nor an official document, but a small, torn scrap of paper.
“If action was taken for every conflict on the road, there would be too much work for us. Also, there are always two sides to a story. There’s no point following it up.”
The condescension was unmistakeable, oozing from the officer’s voice and inscribed upon his face.
Surely this testosterone fuelled young man provoked the girls. He and his mates probably inflamed the situation. Maybe he’s submitting a false report to cause the girls a bit of trouble.
Of course, I had forgotten that women constitute the position of a minority group, whereas men are the more dominant majority. I should have remembered that women have an unwavering domestic preoccupation and an innate submissive character, and that men are aggressive and misogynistic.
Hang on. I’m confused. Where did societal development disappear to? No longer does the male hunt and the female gather, and yet judging by the officer’s response, the legitimacy of the incident I reported seemed to be dictated by institutionalised gender stereotypes.
Sex, gender and sexuality should not define someone nor dictate their character. Cultural background, beliefs, perceptions and personal experiences play a much larger role, but one should not be discriminated on such.
Stereotypical qualities are simply developed in response to conditioning and social discrimination; for a man to be male he must be masculine, and to hell with the spectrum in between. In an ideal world, biological differences would not be used as a justification to shackle us into specific roles. If this were the case, I’m sure that true diversity would thrive.
As I was pursued home the other night, I was thinking more of my own safety than of the sex of my pursuers. Had it been four men following me, or perhaps four men following a female, would the officer have perceived the incident as more serious? Maybe I’m being a bit unfair, but the catch phrase “SAPOL: Keeping SA Safe” just doesn’t seem to cut it.
By Ben Nielsen
I go back to study next week. Unfortunately I haven’t had my hysterectomy yet, despite being on the public waiting list for over 90 days. My abnormal medical condition has gotten worse over the last year. It was irregular heavy bleeding and when I say irregular I mean it could be bleeding weekly to every few months ranging from a few hours of bleeding to even 3 months of constant bleeding.
That is still happening except the bleeding has become heavier over time. This year I am now getting severe abdominal pain which has required several emergency department admissions and strong prescription medication such as panadine forte and endone. I don’t like these medications as they make me confused, dizzy and sleepy which interferes with daily activities that I need to concentrate on as well as have balance for activities such as study, driving and going to the gym.
There is not only the physical pain that I have been through but also emotional torment by being a man with such a humiliating medical condition involving female reproductive organs. It has been very embarrassing having to out myself as trans* in such a way in emergency departments in front of confused triage nurses and members of the general public listening in.
The good news is that I am on the waiting list to have a hysterectomy done publically to fix my pain and bleeding. I am also perusing my options into suing a hospital who refused to help me because I have transitioned from female to male (which I have in writing).
My doctor who has exhausted all non-surgical options to treat my condition for over five years was furious that his medical recommendations were ignored by a senior management who haven’t even met me and refuse to name themselves. He was shocked that the senior management went against the medical professionals who recommended this procedure and that they are fine with letting me suffer in pain and lose large amounts of blood just because I am transsexual.
The fact that I have legal options means not only a lot to me but also to the trans* and trans ally community. In fighting back against this hospital we are saying that discrimination is no excuse to refuse medical treatment. I want them to know that there are costly consequences for discrimination in hope that policy will change so this does not happen to others. We are standing up for ourselves and refusing to be oppressed.
Everyone has their own opinions regarding internet censorship. Whether it be nation-wide, at the office or school, or even in home, restricting access to information is a big deal.
In Australia, many schools don’t cover issues specific to youth with diverse gender and sexuality. Things like safer-sex is brushed over, or ignored completely. It is because of this that many young people at turning to the internet to get the kind of education their straight peers receive as a matter of course. For some, their home computer is fine. For others, their online privacy at home may be compromised for a number of reasons (shared computer, parental filters, public location). For many, their library computer is the next step.
Removing this access has a number of negative results. This can mean that our youth are prevented from connecting with the wider LGBTQ community, or finding out where else they can access information or support services. It can also be dangerous when such filters block information regarding safe sex. Perhaps most importantly, allowing these filters to block any reference to sexuality reinforces to vulnerable youth an idea that they are second class or abnormal, which is highly damaging to self-esteem and mental health.
Earlier this year, a high school in Missouri, USA, was busted for having internet filters which allowed students access to plenty of anti-gay content, while blocking websites which provided a positive or supportive view [ http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/education/missouri-school-district-questioned-over-anti-gay-web-filter.html?_r=1 ]. This is not uncommon. All too often, websites like Exodus International is classified as ‘religious’ content, but pro-gay websites are listed as containing information of a sexual nature.
This form of discrimination is particularly difficult to spot, as users need to actively seek such information to discover its absence, rather than it being spotted in passing. But it exists, and everyone should be aware of the dangers of both free and commercial internet filter.
Want to see just how biased your internet filters are? Take a look at these links, and see just how many from either end of the spectrum have been blocked at your school, work and home.
Anti-gay websites
Exodus International [www.exodusinternational.org ]
People Can Change [ www.peoplecanchange.com ]
Living Waters Ministries [ http://livingwatersaustralia.org/ ] -Promotes and provides “conversion therapy”
Bowers v. Hardwick [ http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0478_0186_ZS.html ] - A 1986 Supreme Court ruling that upheld a Georgia statute criminalizing sodomy
Westboro Baptist Church [ www.godhatesfags.com]
Klu Klux Klan [ www.kkk.com] -Notorious American hate-groups
Positive LGBTQ websites
Human Rights Campaign [http://www.hrc.org]
Equal Love [ www.equallove.info ] -Campaigns for marriage equality
GLSEN [ http://www.glsen.org ] -Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network
LAWRENCE et al. v. TEXAS [ http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=000&invol=02-102 ] - The 2003 Supreme Court ruling that held that laws in the US criminalizing sodomy were unconstitutional
Whosoever [http://www.whosoever.org ] - An online magazine for LGBTQ Christians
By Suzie Day
Equal marriage has become one of the most topical issues facing our country today – and rightly so. Very rarely does another topic touch the very constitutions of our society and its beliefs regarding equality, justice and dignity. I would be one of the first to readily admit that I await my Mr Darcy to come along and sweep me off my feet right into the nearest chapel. But tight now, such a dream is not available to me. On the current state of the law, some people are denied the opportunity to celebrate their commitment publicly, not for want of love and affection, fidelity and devotion, but because some other people have said that they shall not. It is, in some bitter irony, truly a struggle between pride and prejudice. The marriage equality movement is important for two reasons. Directly, it is a movement that aims to secure a civil right. Indirectly it engenders in our society a certain type of discourse where justice and equality take the spotlight. Justice is an idea. An idea, like a seed, can grow into something big, something strong and powerful. As a seed grows into a tree it bears fruit for all enjoy. So too the labours of civil libertarians will benefit society as a whole. But the seed needs fertile soil, it must be watered and tended to. Same then for ideas - they are mute without their advocates. Our liberal democratic society is fertile soil for justice. If we persevere in our cause, justice will yield the fruit of equality. This is the hope upon which I ride when I support equal marriage. But at the same time, I am conscious not to lose sight of the battles ahead. We should remember the energy that we gave for our cause, because that is the same energy that we should give to any other cause to advance the welfare of our fellow Australians. Remember especially the energy that our friends and our families gave to supporting our cause, because we should fight for their cause with the same dedication of theirs to ours. We should keep in mind demographics like youth, Indigenous Australians, immigrants, the elderly, and all those who are on the margins of society. Why should they not enjoy the fruits of equality alongside us and all other Australians? Indeed there are not an insignificant number of us in the LGBT community who fall into one or more of those above demographics. If we stand for diversity, then we should embrace its every facet. Prejudice must necessarily be defeated before we can embrace pride in diversity. To this end we should recognise that equal marriage is only one facet of discrimination in our society. There is an old adage that there is no rest for the wicked. We must be vigilant against mischief and social injustice. Until the last Australian can walk proudly with their head held high and free from prejudice, we too cannot rest.
