Germaine Greer takes out top GLORIA (dis)honour for comments about trans women
Image: Germaine Greer
TYPICALLY, winning a public award is a cause for celebration and an excuse to plaster your success across social media, but that’s not the case for the inglorious winners of the 2015 Gay and Lesbian Outrageous, Ridiculous and Ignorant comment Awards (GLORIA).
[showads ad=MREC] Presented at a ceremony at NSW Parliament House on Tuesday night, the fifth annual GLORIAs “are an annual event that shines the light on outrageous, ignorant and ridiculous comments made about our GLBTI citizens every day”.
NSW Premier Mike Baird today declined to comment on his win in the politics/law category for comments he made in August when he said rainbow families documentary Gayby Baby should not be shown in schools.
“I think tolerance is a good thing. But I think there should be some parameters around it,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald at the time.
Feminist and writer Germaine Greer took out two awards including the Golden GLORIA — the evening’s most illustrious award — for comments she made about Caitlyn Jenner at a Cambridge University Student’s Union (CUSU) event in January.
“Just because you lop off your d**k and then wear a dress doesn’t make you a f***ing woman,” she said.
Greer’s transphobic comments about drew the biggest boos from the unimpressed crowd of about 100.
So #GermaineGreer won the Golden Gloria & Media Gloria for LGBTI abuse in the #NSW Parliament tonight. Loudest boos. https://t.co/KGE89nPabT
— Kate Doak (@katedoak) November 10, 2015
Returning for the fourth time to MC the GLORIAs, journalist David Marr said ensuring he had “a good, strong drink to wash out the bile” of the ignorant comments was the key to hosting the event.
“Making mockery of these comments is powerful… these people deserve to be mocked for being fools and bigots,” he said.
“It’s useful to be reminded hate is still out there.
“Hate is part of the everyday experience of some preachers, politicians, sportspeople and journalists.”
Other winners included Kentucky county court clerk Kim Davis in the international category for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples after the US Supreme Court legislated it, and TV host Sam Newman in the sports category for his criticism of gay NFL draft pick Michael Sam for the “annoyingly gratuitous act” of kissing his boyfriend when he found out he was drafted.
Scroll to 1:21 to see the kiss between Sam and his then-boyfriend:
Taking out the religion category was Canberra couple Nick and Sarah Jensen who penned a letter in the Canberra City News declaring they would divorce if marriage equality was legislated in Australia.
“Marriage is the union of a man and a woman before a community in the sight of God,” Nick wrote.
“My wife and I, as a matter of conscience, refuse to recognise the government’s regulation of marriage if its definition includes the solemnisation of same sex couples.”
You can attend their divorce here.
Event organiser and upper house Labor MP Penny Sharpe said while things were improving for the LGBTI community, the GLORIAs still received almost 100 submissions this year and urged political leaders to help end discrimination.
“About 800 people voted online… these awards show we’re paying attention,” she said.
“We know things aren’t rosy, but can’t we laugh at them?”
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I think GG has become so bitter and inhumane in her old age is because she could could not have kids…….fortunately most Trans women are happy dispite the same problem….maybe she is one of the few unhappy Trans females.?……and as they say ” offense is the best defence ”