After being bouyed and
lifted by the Sgt Troy Simmonds’ interview we have this embarrassing picture and article as headline news in today’s
The Australian. For those who don’t know, the woman was a man and Lieutenant Colonel in the Army who changed sides. The guy is retired Major General Morrison, named yesterday as the Australian of the Year (AOTY).
She is having a cat fight and isn’t happy that she didn’t get AOTY.
It is supposed to be unifying, dignifying and above reproach. But the freshly minted 2016 Australian of the Year award is embroiled in bitterness, recrimination and division with a finalist from the beaten brigade, transgender military officer Catherine McGregor, shooting down the choice of David Morrison as “weak and conventional”.
A rift between RAAF reservist Group Captain McGregor and her former boss, retired Lieutenant General Morrison, the former chief of the army, was aired in a gay and lesbian journal, the
Star Observer, as the nation went back to work after Australia Day celebrations.
“He’s on a steep learning curve when it comes to LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex) and trans issues, he needs to learn a lot and rapidly,’’ Group Captain McGregor, a former political adviser, told the journal.
Catherine, nobody needs to be on learning curve about LGBTI issues be they steep or flat. We aren’t interested in your medical condition and if you don’t believe that try and raise the subject in your local pub. Shut up about it and go on with your life. No reasonable person would condemn you for your affliction but we don’t need to hear about it every second day in the media.
It’s bad enough that the panel chose another activist as AOTY without cat fights from losers.
While the good Sergeant was fighting the good fight his boss, the General commanding the Australian Army, was fighting for gender equality in a video that went viral as a pidgeon pair with Gillard’s misogyny speech. (Scripted, I might add by Catherine when she was Malcom). It became his claim to fame and it is obviously the main consideration in his selection.
What must the western world think of us. Our allies will be sniggering and the ADF simply embarrassed by it all.
Facebook
Twitter
Cate McGregor excuse for the hissy fit – “I like to win things” http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/local-news/cate-mcgregor-wants-to-train-new-australian-of-the-year-on-trans-issues/144998
Thanks for that link Dave, talk about a cat fight, LOL. It’s comment “I like to win things ” says it all. Me! Me! Me! stuff the LBGT.
Great post Kev. I was looking up Gen. Cosgrove earlier today and was struck by this comment in his wiki from after he got AOTY:
Quite a contrast.
Eric Roche
282788
I’m not sure which is funnier – the AOTY process, or the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the Right about the outcome. Disagreements in the upper echelons of the military establishment such as that between Morrison and McGregor are not unknown. They’re just not usually so public.
Anyway, it’s great entertainment.
More on Morrison
http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber/hansards/6b734b2a-e113-486c-bacc-822e11cbf7e6/0248;query=Id:”chamber/hansards/6b734b2a-e113-486c-bacc-822e11cbf7e6/0000”
I glad my interview buoyed you, but as you mention me in this story, I would like to make the point that personally I dont have an issue with gay or LGBQI (or whatever the term is), or females in combat roles in the military. The proviso would be that they pass everything at the same standard and perform at the same standard in training and on ops. If they did that, I would be happy to work alongside them the same as any other of my mates. We had an openly gay soldier in SASR when I was there and he was among the best and respected operators in the unit. There was some light-hearted jokes when he first came out but we already respected him as a colleague and there were never any issues.
Indeed Troy, If that was the case it would’t be an issue to most. A bonus would be forcing life long hucksters like 1735099 to get a life.