http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/discrimination/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2013 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/does-a-fattist-insult-justify-a-sexist-one/ There’s been much high-fiving online this week among Adele fans, who are delighted with the way in which local comedy hero, Adam Hills, took down Joan Rivers for making fun of the the singer’s weight. The veteran comedienne went on David Letterman’s show after the Oscars and made cruel fun of Adele’s post-baby body. She said she’d met the singer at the event and then made a “she’s thiiisssss big” type gesture by spreading her arms wide and puffing out her face. Rivers was unrepentant when audience members jeered her for unkindness and added “What’s her song? Rolling in the Deep? She should add ‘fried chicken’.” Boom boom. Ugh. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/does-a-fattist-insult-justify-a-sexist-one/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/does-a-fattist-insult-justify-a-sexist-one/#item10717 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Faith-should-not-mean-freedom-to-discriminate/ Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Faith-should-not-mean-freedom-to-discriminate/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Faith-should-not-mean-freedom-to-discriminate/#item10601 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-need-to-have-a-talk-about-the-r-word/ Hardly ever does anyone ever call anyone else a racist, to their face. It’s such a heavy allegation that people have become extremely hesitant about using it, except as a joke. As a result, I reckon we’ve lost the ability to talk about racism. At the moment there’s so much power and weight in the word that as soon as you mention it, it makes you feel like one. Luckily, words don’t work like that. If they did, nobody would be able to call anybody anything ever. Saying that someone else is being racist doesn’t even mean that they are one. But these days even just bringing up racism, you completely change the conversation. Pointing out racism often has the same effect as complaining at a barbecue about the lack of a gluten free vegetarian option, or explaining how a magician performs his tricks, or worst of all, posting Dexter spoilers to Facebook. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-need-to-have-a-talk-about-the-r-word/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-need-to-have-a-talk-about-the-r-word/#item10540 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-mention-the-war-on-freedom-of-speech/ Shut up, shut down, and keep quiet.  That’s been the disturbing theme in the news in the last week with political correctness and censorship everywhere you look.  It appears we’ve lost our sense of humour and our sense of what it means to live in a free-thinking democracy. The biggie – national anti-discrimination laws.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-mention-the-war-on-freedom-of-speech/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-mention-the-war-on-freedom-of-speech/#item10504 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/stretching-manners-beyond-breaking-point/ “It must be hard being a tall woman”. That’s the pearl of wisdom passed on to my six foot four female friend by some idiot in a café. It was closely followed by “But you’ve got a good physique for a tall woman” and, at the mention of me, a fellow ‘doing-it-tough tall woman’ at six foot three, the man nodded sympathetically and said “Yeah, I bet you flock to your own kind”. Hmm. She laughed and politely exited. I probably would have punched him in frustration. Our own kind? We’re not martians. Women over six foot are not freaks. Yes, it’s hard to find pants long enough to fit sometimes, but that’s about the only handicap. Chances are I can see if the tosser who just made some stupid remark about my height is balding/has dandruff. I can reach things on top shelves. I can paint ceilings with just a long-handled roller and don’t need a ladder. It’s not like I do that often, but hey, the option is there if I want it. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/stretching-manners-beyond-breaking-point/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/stretching-manners-beyond-breaking-point/#item10476 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/pretty-much-dont-say-anything-about-anybody/ Wog. Breeder. Bimbo. Spaz. Are these terms a) offensive b) insulting or c) discriminatory? Perhaps I’m too thick-skinned, but having been name-called on all counts over the years, I’ve just shrugged them off. Whether I felt hurt depended if it was a jestful jibe from a colleague or rudeness from a screaming stranger. But proposed new anti-discrimination laws drafted by the federal government mean that I might soon have grounds to lodge a discrimination complaint. A Senate Committee is inquiring into the draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill, which combines and updates five existing sets of federal aw covering race, sex, age and disability discrimination. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/pretty-much-dont-say-anything-about-anybody/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/pretty-much-dont-say-anything-about-anybody/#item10483 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Parra-matters-for-gay-people-as-much-as-the-inner-city/ I think I speak on behalf of any gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender Australian who lives in the suburbs of our big cities: being able to express who you are freely and without fear of judgement - or worse yet, fear for your safety - just because you are different is still an issue. The controversy surrounding Parramatta Council’s homophobic approach to the allegedly “offensive’’ banners at Twenty10’s stall during the Rediscover the River event, only serves to exacerbate that issue. Although I’ve lived in the Parramatta Council area - the gateway to western Sydney - since I was 11, it wasn’t until I became a journalist with the Parramatta Advertiser a year ago that I really saw it as gay-friendly and progressive. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Parra-matters-for-gay-people-as-much-as-the-inner-city/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Parra-matters-for-gay-people-as-much-as-the-inner-city/#item10455 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/everyone-should-have-the-right-to-work-in-a-tuck-shop/ Dear Prime Minister, Senator Penny Wong is one of Australia’s strongest Finance Ministers, yet under the proposed federal anti-discrimination bill, she could be fired from a tuck-shop in a religiously affiliated school. Despite being Prime Minister, as a declared atheist, a school could ban you from providing leadership training to young girls. A church-run hospital in an isolated indigenous community could reject the expert knowledge of former AMA President Prof. Kerryn Phelps. Not only does discrimination directly affect those discriminated against, it affects entire communities. Religiously affiliated service providers are able to deny a community the best possible teachers, doctors, nurses, and counsellors, on grounds totally unrelated to to their ability to perform the job. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/everyone-should-have-the-right-to-work-in-a-tuck-shop/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/everyone-should-have-the-right-to-work-in-a-tuck-shop/#item10437 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fri-let-them-discriminate/ What’s the big deal people? Churches, religions and their various offshoots want the freedom to discriminate. That’s fair enough I reckon. Let them discriminate. Let them say no to gays and lesbians. Let them say no to divorcees, adulterers, single parents and gluttons. It’s their right as religious organisations to only hire people destined for the glory of heaven, or paradise, or whatever eternal reward they’re spruiking. And the rest of us sinners, who are quite clearly going to hell, or whatever eternal punishment they’re scaring believers with, should just shut up and let them get on with it. Here’s the thing, religion is based on discrimination. feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fri-let-them-discriminate/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/fri-let-them-discriminate/#item10417 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/stop-the-fattism-the-prejudice-we-never-talk-about/ Racism, sexism, ageism, disability-ism, sexual orientation-ism… None of these are really socially acceptable. But what about fattism? Like all prejudices, it’s easy to a be a fattist. It comes naturally. Particularly if you’re one of those freaks who have never felt plump because you eat at the speed of a tortoise.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (The Punch Team) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/stop-the-fattism-the-prejudice-we-never-talk-about/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/stop-the-fattism-the-prejudice-we-never-talk-about/#item10416 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:00:10 +0000 Religious schools are to bigots what the Cayman Islands are to a tax evader. For those seeking a place that shields them from the laws of the land, there’s no better place to hide. Yet while there has been a government crackdown on tax havens in recent years, faith-based institutions remain blissfully immune to anti-discrimination legislation. It doesn’t matter whether the higher power of your choice is God or Allah – attend a religious school and you become exempt from a few of the fundamental principles of a supposedly democratic, tolerant and secular nation.