Turnabout is Fair Play

One sure-fire way to get the hysterical left kicking and screaming is too simply use the very same philosophies and tactics they do, in pursuit of a more conservative ideaology. One great example of this school of thought is playing itself out right now in Australia, where the University of New England in northern NSW has named a "heterosexual officer" to act as an advocate for straight students, exactly as a "queer officer" does for gay students.

I think the photograph at right illustrates his bonafides quite nicely, don't you?

In a world that almost demands an advocate for every group and subgroup imaginable through gender, orientation, interests, or background, you might think that left-leaning students and faculty would welcome Australian conservatives obvious embrace of a progressive worldview. Naturally, you would be wrong.

National Union of Students queer officer Craig Comrie said the appointment of a heterosexuality officer was "crazy".

"The reason why queer departments are set up is because those students are disadvantaged on campus," he said. "I think it's just a really unfair reaction to the fact that student unions support queer activism and women's activism on campuses."

Let's see if I have this guy's thinking straight. Setting up an entire office to deal with a group that feels disadvantaged is a great idea that should be embraced by one and all. However, setting up an office to prevent a group from becoming disadvanteged is "crazy."

In the final analysis, what the Comrie is really saying is that he does not believe in equal rights. That groups he deems worthy, in this case the gay community, should be able to take advantage of a certain level of advocacy and support that non-gay students should not be allowed access too.

Ironically, a student of the university, James Wilson, seems to have missed that obvious point.

"If someone can show me how heterosexual people are marginalised in society, I'd be happy to hear it," he said.

Well, James, how about a concerted effort by the university's gay community to deny straight students access to equivilant resources as gay students? Does that count?

Personally, I think having a heterosexual officer is a great idea, and his message is right on the money as well.

"It doesn't matter whether you're straight, gay, black, white or brindle, but when it starts getting 'Oh, we need a space for us to hang out', it's crap; just come down the pub and have a few beers with us."

How's this for a compromise? Discontinue the queer officer and the heterosexual officer. Then, all students will once again be equal. Equality is what this is really about anyway. For a group that constantly claims that equality is all it is after, the gay lobby here and abroad seems awfully dedicated to creating inequality everywhere it can, and then whines when attempts to reestablish that equality are made.