“Significant drain”

The postal vote survey on same sex marriage is causing a significant drain on the LGBTIQ community, apparently.

Let’s just unpack that statement, shall we?

Firstly, definitions.

LBGTIQ apparently stands for;

L = Lesbian

B = Bisexual

G = Gay

T = Transgender

I = Intersex

Q = Questioning

So, the vote survey is only directly relevant to 2 of those groups then; lesbians and gays. As an aside, one wonders whether it might save significant ink and keyboard wear and tear for intersectionalists if they were to refer to lesbians and gays as homosexuals and use an H instead. But we digress.

Transgender people will be unlikely to be bothered about same sex marriage until they’ve completed the medical procedures and then, presumably, decided they are attracted to members of the gender they’ve transitioned to.

Similarly, intersex people will have fewer concerns too.

“Questioning” people are presumably still on a journey of discovery so may or may not arrive at the conclusion that they wish to marry someone of the same sex. Hopefully, this questioning is using a robust methodology such as Socrates’.

So, just the lesbians and gays then.

Why does the journalist write about the LBGTIQ “group” as if they were an amorphous lumpen mass with exactly the same desires, concerns and needs?

Lastly, what is a “significant spike”? The only numbers we’re offered are from the Reachout website service; they claim 1.5 million unique visitors a year and a 20% increase since August. So about 800 more a day then, (presumably not independently verified).

Given that Reachout are currently running an advertising campaign in favour of same sex marriage and this is their website’s landing page, perhaps there’s an alternative explanation behind the increase in traffic?

Bill’s Opinion

To suggest that there is a single common opinion held by people falling into the manufactured categories of LBGTIQ is a red herring (“furphy” in Australian vernacular).

There is an agenda behind the users of theses acronyms; to shut down debate on the issues by suggesting that there is a much large demographic with a single common opinion than there actually is.

The author of the article could have spent his/her/zhe’s 400 words arguing the pros and cons of same sex marriage instead. It speaks volumes that Adam Gartrell chose not to.

6 Replies to ““Significant drain””

  1. They have framed their argument such that it avoids/prevents/minimizes open debate with those that are opposed to same sex marriage and want to maintain the traditional norms of the family and raising children. It implies that those that are in favour of maintaining the status quo are actually killing young homosexuals, which is of course not true.

  2. I fear a Yes.

    Plus I only discovered during the weekend that we haven’t received the survey, cough, in the mail yet. Maybe they know my intentions, I have asked my female wife to chase it up. She asked me in all seriousness if I would still be a No if both of my sons were gay. I said that that I don’t see how that matters and yes I would still be a No. She is a No as well by the way.

    1. I suspect it may be a Brexit/Trump moment for Australia. Non-compulsory voting is an alien concept to them.

      Just like Brexit and Trump, people are afraid to openly-express a negative opinion for fear of the usual labels being applied. They’ll vote silently No, however.

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