An attack, for that’s what it is, on the use of gender specific words is taking place in our universities and schools. ‘He says’, ‘she says’ ‘mother’ and other words descriptive of reality are now seen as divisive.
Not long ago, here in Australia, we had the same sex marriage debate which never was a debate as insults got hurled at anyone who dared to suggest that ‘same sex marriage’ was not the question actually being debated.
If I’d been asked if I was in favour of gays and lesbians having equal rights when it comes to issues such as inheritance I would have said ‘yes’ but this wasn’t the question being asked.
If I’d been asked if gays and lesbians should have the right to a union recognised by law and which was similar to a marriage I would have said ‘yes’ but, again, this wasn’t the question being asked.
If I’d been asked if I was in favour of redefining marriage entirely I would have said ‘no.’
The question being asked was ‘Are you in favour of same sex marriage’ which simplified the issue neatly without the need for thought.
A huge amount of resources was poured into this issue with much being made of the word ‘discrimination.’ I am pretty much alone within my extended family in seeing that there was more to this issue than an appeal to end discrimination.
And so it is …. ‘The gender fairy’, which is a book within the libraries of primary schools, suggests that ‘When a baby is born the doctor tells you whether you’re a boy or a girl.’ This is playing with words and a twisting of the truth. The doctor doesn’t tell you anything other than what your genitals suggest.
Not all traditions are worth keeping. Most would not be in favour of slavery yet it existed without much debate. As to whether slavery ever ended – that’s another matter and I’d suggest that our system of Central banks has ensured that slavery continues but under another name.
Oh for a time in which a person is judged not by the colour of their skin but by their character. Nobody suggests that colour of skin should be made invisible – that’s something that physically can’t happen. Women who dress as men, men who want to become women …. ‘The Life of Brian’ could not now be made due to political correctness. What a loss to diversity that would be.
I don’t care whether someone is gay or lesbian – it’s never been an issue whereas character is, and it’s worth mentioning that once I played my music in a restaurant where two groups of people were celebrating Christmas. One group was the local Rotary group and the other was a local Gay and Lesbian group. There was no difference between the two groups either in dress or behaviour.
I do sometimes wonder why I write when this site was set up primarily to place my songs but circumstances are always in state of change – and paradoxically, ‘change’ is the only ‘constant’ that we have.