The State Department has decided to make US passport application forms “gender neutral” by removing references to mother and father, officials said, in favor of language that reminds one of George Orwell’s 1984. The DS-11 form is required of first-time passport applicants and children younger than 16.
The change is “in recognition of different types of families,” according to an official announcement buried at the end of a Dec 22 news release titled “Consular Report of Birth Abroad Certificate Improvements” that highlighted new security features. The US Government just loves “gobbledygook.”
The new policy is viewed as a win for gay rights groups, and follows last month’s vote to end the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which gay leaders consider one of their biggest victories in years.
Why couldn’t they retain mother and father on the application form and merely add “other” as an alternative? Mark my words same-sex parents will squabble over the right to be Parent 1 and their partner will object to being relegated to No 2. The trauma of being Parent 2 could tarnish the rest of their lives spending hours in psychoanalysis which is further proof that the US Government has opened yet another can of worms in the quest to being “politically correct.”
Rosemary Macray of the State Department Bureau of Consular Affairs shrugged off complaints of political correctness and stressed that is was important to accurately reflect families in these applications. The change will go into effect on February 1. Okay, so why don’t we eliminate male and female references and give the child a number on the form: Parent 1 or 2 of Child 3, 4 or 5? Why don’t we eliminate names all together and allocate a number to the new born which could also be used as their social security number?
In 2000, Hilary Clinton was the first wife of a president to march in a gay parade, and as Secretary of State she has advocated on behalf of gay rights. In a speech last June (2010) she said the United States “was elevating our rights dialogues with other governments and conducting public diplomacy to protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.” She left out transvestite which smells of discrimination to me!
You may have heard it a million times, but a recent ruling now deems Dire Straits’ 1985 hit “Money for Nothing” unacceptable for Canadian airwaves. As CBC reports, a ruling released on January 12 by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) says the song contravenes the human rights clauses of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ Code of Ethics and Equitable Portrayal Code.
The CBSC came to the decision following a listener’s complaint to St. John’s radio station CHOZ-FM due the tune’s use of the word “faggot,” finding it to be discriminatory to gays. While the broadcaster argued that the song was a staple of classic rock radio, the CBSC concluded that even if the word “faggot” was once acceptable, it has evolved now to the point where it is inappropriate in most contexts. As of now, you won’t be able to hear the Dire Straits hit, lest it undergo some judicious editing.
Can someone explain why it’s taken over 25 years to make this accusation? But wait a minute, shouldn’t we also take into consideration the feelings of the female of the species. There are far more references to “chicks for free” in the lyrics than faggot, and on a scale of 10, the term “chicks for free” is arguably more derogatory than faggot.
Furthermore one cannot forget the lyric line referring to a chimpanzee playing the bongos which could be construed as offensive to a self respecting ape. Playing the bongs conjures up a scene in a smoke-filled jazz joint where the player is usually alcohol/drug imbibed. Have you ever seen an ape under the influence?
This question is for my brother if only to establish he still reads my blog. Terry Williams who hailed from Swansea was the drummer on all of Dire Straits’ big hits including their platinum album “Brothers in Arms.” Correct me if I’m wrong bro, but I believe he was never officially a member of Dire Straits but played on a contractual basis.
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