OPINION
Sir Bob Jones
nopunchespulled.com
The shouting turnouts in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch were obsessed in their cries and placards with “rights”. The indisputable fact is that trans folk have exactly the same legal rights as everyone else. Their cry is for extra ones, such as for blokes who think they’re women, to use women’s toilets and compete with them in sport, despite their physical advantages. They can flounce and bellow all they wish but those things are never going to happen, not the least because women understandably won’t tolerate it.
George Beyer’s name was much bandied about. I knew George from when he was about 5 years old, his adopted father being a close friend. I recall him as a very polite little boy.
Then after a long gap I ran across him at a Government House function in 1993 when he called out to me. The first thing he said as he approached was “Call me George, Bob”. George wasn’t the brightest but maintained an uncomplaining approach and let nothing stand in his way in putting his hand up for public office.
The newspaper reported many ridiculous comments, such as one from someone called Tabby Besley on behalf of a charity supporting rainbow young people.
Tabby declared the protest which saw Posie Parker pelted with paint, abuse and physical threats was “a clear message of spreading love, not hate”. She may believe that but it was indisputably the opposite.
One world-class piece of rubbish proffered up was a mind-blowingly stupid article by former journalist Deborah Coddington in the Sunday Times.
Deborah recounted the extraordinary contribution by Alan Turing in the 2nd World War but how he, a homosexual, eventually committed suicide, following his prosecution, homosexuality then being illegal.
What relevance this had to the issue wasn’t explained. Presumably Deborah is implying that somewhere there’s a bloke in a dress who perhaps may discover a miracle drug, but only if he’s allowed to use women’s toilets, failing which he’ll top himself.
No one is stopping blokes who think they’re women from wearing dresses etc. Again, it’s down to two key issues, namely using women’s toilets and competing in women’s sport, these being things the vast majority of women and sports bodies understandably object to.
An immensely more sensible article was written in the Sydney Morning Herald by senior journalist Jacqueline Maley. Its heading “Let women speak. Anti-activists don’t give a damn about our (women’s) rights”.
As a libertarian I believe people should do as they wish but never at the expense of others. Note for example, the only political party ever to come out openly for homosexual law reform, homosexual practise being illegal here up until 1985, was the New Zealand Party I headed. It was part of our manifesto of social and economic reforms all of which were adopted by the incoming Lange government which is why we closed the party, its job done.
P.S. Lots of chaps wear feminine attire in private, albeit not wishing to use women’s toilets. Prominent Lower Hutt lawyer David Butler for example, frequently dons a ball-gown while well-known Wellington identity Chris Gollins likes getting about in a tutu on the weekend. Each to their own is my philosophy.
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