Stevie
Nile dictates to Fahey
Until the last week, the lesbian and gay communities themselves have been divided about the anti-vilification legislation, but the unprincipled actions taken by Fred Nile, who forced the government to modify the bill by threatening to vote against its other, unrelated, legislation in the upper house, have only served to galvanise the community with a single focus.
The main arguments used publicly against anti-vilification legislation have been that it attacks freedom of speech and that it singles out one segment of society for special treatment. Both of these are "red herrings". The fight against the bill is being led by the same people that it is designed to protect us from, the right-wing conservative religious groups like the Council of Churches and the Festival of Light. Their only real motivation is a hatred of homosexuals and a desire to protect themselves from prosecution.
The fact is that we do not have freedom of speech now. In all Western societies, there are laws which restrict what an individual can or cannot say publicly within limits which that society considers reasonable. Anti-vilification laws will give a clear message to all individuals in this society that statements which incite hatred, contempt and violence, are outside of those limits and are unacceptable.
The argument that this legislation would single out one segment of society for special treatment is nothing short of ridiculous. We are already singled out for special treatment. Every day of the week a lesbian or gay man in NSW is harassed, abused or beaten. In the last five years, at least 14 have been murdered. This bill was designed to redress the "special treatment" that we already get.
The Fahey government has now deleted the section of the bill covering vilification on the grounds of homosexuality and may yet delete the section on HIV/AIDS. The irony of the situation is that all parties know that if the bill were voted on in parliament it would pass. That is why the deal with Fred Nile has been to prevent the bill ever being introduced.
In effect the government has abdicated its responsibilities for human rights issues by trading off our quality of life (and for some of us our very lives) for the sale of the State Bank.
The message to John Fahey must be loud and clear. This betrayal of the lesbian and gay community is absolutely unacceptable. The rally outside Parliament House on September 14 is only the first step in what may be a long and bitter struggle, but we will have anti-vilification legislation, and come the next election, we will remember who tried to prevent it.
[The writer is secretary of the Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby.]