The Straight Australia Policy

Reading up on the White Australia Policy and past racism in the United States of America, I couldn't believe how similar the logic used to discriminate is to the rationale against homosexuals.  The reasons given as to why black Americans couldn't hold fighting roles in World War Two includes the 'fact' that they aren't as mentally capable to do battle.  I wonder who decided that?  Surely not a black person.  It seems that those who discriminate like to pluck stupidity out of thin air and proclaim it as a reason to justify their awful actions.  Australia wouldn't allow black American servicemen to enter their country and had to stay in the ships at port.  They were concerned about spoiling their society, yet never considered this racism.  They were simply, based on 'fact', protecting their institution.  They didn't even let the black half of a mixed race couple to immigrate.  Does any of this ring a bell?

Now, it took decades for such blatant blindness to be abolished from our supposedly educated and civilised western laws.  They couldn't prove that they were smarter and what their feelings were.  They didn't need to prove that they are black though.  That fact is plain to see.

The battle to stop gay discrimination faces an even more difficult challenge based on two extra layers of difficulty: our invisibility and sexual taboo.  We can't prove our existence.  You can't see gay.  Some people behave in ways stereotypically to what is perceived as gay behaviour, but most of us are transparent.  The difference between us and the norm isn't our skin colour but our sexual orientation.  Something much harder to deal with as a society and break down to one simple fact that every gay person knows:  Being gay isn't a choice and the discrimination we face is immoral and wrong.

-Forky