Essendon officially recognises LGBTI member group

[AJB84]

I know the thought is in the right place, but to me the reality is much like the example I gave, if we are all to live together in peace and harmony why highlight whether someone is or isn't gay, does anyone really care these days whether you are straight or not, I mean there are good and bad people in all walks of life.

Yes

Been to many games of footy with cringeworthy kiss cam yet not one gay couple ever. Part of me says it would be hard to tell a gay couple the other part say that there would be too many complaints if they did it.

 

[Heisenberg_]

People realise it's not a seperate membership yeah?
Pays to make sure you know what's actually happening before getting outraged.
You buy a Essendond membership, if you are gay you can join this supporter group of which most clubs have many varied groups.
Not even a big story.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

What, could LGBTI Essendon fans not buy a membership before? Was a regular membership not good enough for them? No, they have to be special, segregated and stand out, because that's what equality is all about. It's about putting groups of people on a pedestal and singling them out, crying, "we need to treat these people as we do everyone else!" as we hand them special memberships and their own dedicated sports teams.

Do they get their own little section of the stadium too? Look, we're all for equality! Here's your own special stand!

Are they giving people a special membership card which says what their sexuality is too? Sort of like the ethnicity cards that were implemented in Rwanda, and boy, did that work out well.

How about they have a membership for "supporters", and everyone, whether man, woman, black, white, straight, gay, transgendered, eunuch, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist etc. can get one — the same exact membership — and they stand united under the banner of supporting their club. No one feels left out that they're not given a special membership, because that doesn't matter, and it shouldn't matter.

 

[Tiger2709]

Then you have serious issues.

It's not a membership. It's a group. People will choose to join. Newsflash: Gay people are often proud of who they are and some might like to demonstrate this. That's their choice.

okay well that is a slightly different thing, the thread title describes it as separate membership which is discriminatory if all aren't allowed to access it, I assume anyone could be a member of this club which is fine.

 

[Dave]

I have no idea what restrictions are applied on this club you talk about and I never said anything about evil in my post, but yes separate clubs for males and females is obviously discriminatory, my point is if we are to except that all people are the same no matter their preferences in life then having a separate membership is surely going the wrong way about it?

Good thing we don't have a separate membership then isn't it?

 

[ManWithNoName]

What, could LGBTI Essendon fans not buy a membership before? Was a regular membership not good enough for them? No, they have to be special, segregated and stand out, because that's what equality is all about. It's about putting groups of people on a pedestal and singling them out, crying, "we need to treat these people as we do everyone else!" as we hand them special memberships and their own dedicated sports teams.

Do they get their own little section of the stadium too? Look, we're all for equality! Here's your own special stand!

Are they giving people a special membership card which says what their sexuality is too? Sort of like the ethnicity cards that were implemented in Rwanda, and boy, did that work out well.

How about they have a membership for "supporters", and everyone, whether man, woman, black, white, straight, gay, transgendered, eunuch, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist etc. can get one — the same exact membership — and they stand united under the banner of supporting their club. No one feels left out that they're not given a special membership, because that doesn't matter, and it shouldn't matter.

You'd wanna know where they are. You might catch "the gay", right?

 

[blue harvest]

People realise it's not a seperate membership yeah?
Pays to make sure you know what's actually happening before getting outraged.
You buy a Essendond membership, if you are gay you can join this supporter group of which most clubs have many varied groups.
Not even a big story.

So basically The Age used a misleading headline, what a surprise.

/thread

 

[ManWithNoName]

No I have no issues, well not in this area anyway, I dont care if you or anyone else here is gay or straight, separate memberships is discriminatory whether you like that fact or not

So are memberships for children discriminatory against adults?

 

[Tiger2709]

Good thing we don't have a separate membership then isn't it?

Yes as I posted above the thread title is incorrect hence my comments

 

[Timewaster]

The AFL and its clubs should concentrate on footy. In between Multicultural rounds, scribbling aboriginal stuff on jumpers and lecturing us all on constitutional amendments they could surely find the time.

Sermonising should be left to churches, the footy people should be making the game as well-run and enjoyable as possible.

 

[Tiger2709]

So are memberships for children discriminatory against adults?

no not really as to be discriminatory it needs to be prejudicial, child memberships aren't set up for that reason they are to give value to families.

 

[Heisenberg_]

So basically The Age used a misleading headline, what a surprise.

/thread

It creates outrage amongst the great unwashed so they got what they wanted

 

[AM]

People realise it's not a seperate membership yeah?
Pays to make sure you know what's actually happening before getting outraged.
You buy a Essendond membership, if you are gay you can join this supporter group of which most clubs have many varied groups.
Not even a big story.

Not particularly fussed either. But where does the "varied groups" thing start and end. Ultimately the common theme should be a love of the club combined with a love of the game. I'm for less separation I suppose.

 

[Silvagnis]

It's a political statement furthering the acceptance and standing of LGBT people in society and just another step down the road that ends one day where most people aren't ****heads about it and stop acting like it's not normal.

I'm fine with it, and some of you are tools.

The membership is irrelevant, it's the message that matters.

You're doing it for the goodwill and the dollars. Clubs aren't charities and not for profit organisations. They run multicultural programs and the like whilst investing in pokies.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Whilst I don't get it - what I think doesn't really matter.

It's completely inoffensive so if one group gets value out it - then all the best for it

I would have thought that having a gender option of "other" would have been equally as important for those who may not want an LGBTI membership, but don't identify as M or F

(Essendon may have done this)

 

[melbournemartin]

As a gay guy I am glad that Essendon is recognising our community. However, I agree with others in this thread that I don't really see the point of a gay membership. I don't see what purpose it serves other than segregating us.

I think the purpose is to show acceptance in a community that unfortunately still has some elements of homophobia in it. Perhaps this isn't the best method of doing so though.

 

[AJB84]

Not particularly fussed either. But where does the "varied groups" thing start and end. Ultimately the common theme should be a love of the club combined with a love of the game. I'm for less separation I suppose.

That would be fine if this was a perfect world but it is not.

Having others around may allow someone to be themselves in a less threatening environment knowing that if someone has a go at them there are people who will stand up for them would make a massive difference.

 

[AM]

That would be fine if this was a perfect world but it is not.

Having others around may allow someone to be themselves in a less threatening environment knowing that if someone has a go at them there are people who will stand up for them would make a massive difference.

Ah! So that's the reason. Maybe we should think about religious groupings then. Any Calathumpians out there.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

The AFL and its clubs should concentrate on footy. In between Multicultural rounds, scribbling aboriginal stuff on jumpers and lecturing us all on constitutional amendments they could surely find the time.

Sermonising should be left to churches, the footy people should be making the game as well-run and enjoyable as possible.

This is a good point, my club in particular spend most of their time worrying how they are perceived and trying to be front page news with feel good stories that they forgot what they are there for which is to be a footy club first and foremost.
It has become out of hand the rubbish the AFL go on with and the clubs also when in actual fact they are just a footy club in a footy competition. And even worse they actually judge themselves how they go in these certain area's.
The best part is they have hoodwinked most of the supporters to actually think these things are important to them. The AFL are kings of "Tell them what they want to hear" they will all go along with it.

 

[galindez]

People realise it's not a seperate membership yeah?
Pays to make sure you know what's actually happening before getting outraged.
You buy a Essendond membership, if you are gay you can join this supporter group of which most clubs have many varied groups.
Not even a big story.

Seriously. This thread is embarrassing.

 

[melbournemartin]

The AFL and its clubs should concentrate on footy. In between Multicultural rounds, scribbling aboriginal stuff on jumpers and lecturing us all on constitutional amendments they could surely find the time.

Sermonising should be left to churches, the footy people should be making the game as well-run and enjoyable as possible.

There's so much wrong with this post it's hard to know where to begin. I took the liberty of boldening the most ridiculous and offensive part of your post.

The AFL is one of the most popular and visible organisations in Australia. It CAN BE, SHOULD BE and IS used as a vehicle for promoting social causes. I have no idea why people are up in arms about trying to use our main league for a good cause, outside of football.

 

[Ron The Bear]

When did LGBT become LGBTI? A tenuous agglomeration of sexual deviancies. The P's will be wanting to join next.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

You'd wanna know where they are. You might catch "the gay", right?

I actually laugh when I imagine how much of their lives some of these guys worry about catching the gay

Also why is it that every fat, bald, hairy homophobic prick is obsessed with the idea that every gay man in the work wants to have sex with them? just like 99% of women, most gay men have no interest in having sex with them either

 

[galindez]

When did LGBT become LGBTI? A tenuous agglomeration of sexual deviancies. The P's will be wanting to join next.

Intersex means somebody who was born with genital or chromosomal ambiguity. This happens sometimes. It's a biological condition, not a "deviancy".

Obviously neither is being gay but I can't be ****ed arguing that point.

 

[Donakebab]

People realise it's not a seperate membership yeah?
Pays to make sure you know what's actually happening before getting outraged.
You buy a Essendond membership, if you are gay you can join this supporter group of which most clubs have many varied groups.
Not even a big story.

It even mentions in the article that Collingwood have their own group named the Pink Pies. But of course, it's likely the vast majority who are complaining about this didn't even read the article.