‘Gay hate punishment inadequate’
Australian Defence Force (ADF) members who joined a gay-hate Facebook page in 2010 have escaped punishment.
Instead the 40 serving members on the page were given written warnings and told to make sure their social networking security settings were in place.
Greens senator Bob Brown has called on Defence Minister Stephen Smith to explain why those ADF members involved in the page were not charged with insubordination when some of the gay and lesbian service members targeted included senior officers.
“Of the contributor and/or subscribers to the web page, who were junior in rank to those targeted, was a charge of insubordination, pursuant to section 26 of the Defence Force Disciplinary Act 1982 (the Act) contemplated; if not, why not?” Brown asked in a Senate Notice Paper.
During the Defence Department investigation, conducted over the last 12 months, no charges were laid against any ADF members found to have joined or contributed directly to the gay-hate page which called homosexuality a “filthy lifestyle decision” and outed some ADF members.
The creator of the page, a former ADF member, was charged with threatening behaviour earlier this year and has appeared before court.
The victim’s solicitor, John Davey, told the Star Observer the ADF’s response was inadequate.
“Much less abusive behaviour is treated much more severely,” he said.
Davey cited a recent case involving a female officer who was charged with insubordination for swearing at a superior officer.
“If you can be charged for swearing offensively at a superior officer, how then is it possible, for upwards of 40 members of the ADF to contribute to a website that has links to, or directly threatens the life of, a superior officer and nothing happen?” he said.
“I think the only reasonable conclusion that can be made from that is the ADF is completely indifferent. Certainly if you read all the ADF’s … workplace bullying documents, they’re great.
“But what my clients and associates in the ADF will tell you is that’s not what’s actually practised. What’s practised is an extreme form of threatening and violent behaviour towards gay and lesbian people that has manifested itself this time in social networking.”
A defence spokeswoman told the Star Observer the ADF had taken “administrative action” and sent a written warning to all ADF members who joined the Facebook page.
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This is a disgrace and challenges any confidence Australian’s should have as a nation in the ADF’s ability to address injustice and end harrassment and vilification in its own ranks.
If they cannot regulate themselves and show respect for one another and our countries laws, how do we have confidence as a nation that they would not abuse others human rights when placed in the pressures of a war zone against enemies they hate?
I saw this face book site and the attached youtube videos and the list of members under the Army’s rising sun logo who identified themselves on their own facebook pages as soldiers -many in ADF uniforms. There is simply no way in my view that these soldiers should escape some form of discipline.
Is the ADF suggesting that these soldiers accidently signed up to a facebook page and made comments on it without knowing the contents? Maybe their kids signed them up? Maybe their individual facebook sites with pictures of their wives, girlfriends and children are some elaborate fake? How dumb does the ADF think we are?
There is a real case for naming these individuals – as many on this website have called for – in the interests of public good.
Is the ADF seriously suggesting that a letter of warning is appropriate disciplinary action? Has any body been discharged or otherwise penalised?
Defence Minister Smith needs to explain why the ADF cannot see what is obvious to the general public. If the ADF cannot arrive at the same conclusions as ordinary Australians there is a major problem in the ADF’s investigatory process , the structures they have in place to regulate vilification and abuse, or simply the seriousness in which the ADF approaches homophobic and sexual vilification and abuse.
Cheers to Senator Bob Brown for seeking Ministerial accountability.
Having looked at the ADF equity and fairness website there seems endless rules and ample grounds for disaplenary action based on the evidence in the public domian – so it looks like the answer lies in the ADF’s actual lack of resolve to stop abuse when it comes to gays.
Should this come as a surprise- todays leadership of the ADF are the same people ( without new blood due to the unique structure of the ADF) that protested against gays being allowed in the military !
They lost the first round – maybe this is a way of druming gays out of the ADF and keeping there numbers in check!
I challenge the Chief of the Defence Force and Minister Smith to stand up and defend these findings – they will look like clowns when examined in the public spot light.
And all this in 2011 in the public realm – god help the 1000 or more alleged victims of unresolved sexual abuse in the ADF apparently under review currently – their chances of justice are close to zero.
Minister Smith should undertake an inquiry into these findings and hold the ADF leadership accountable.