Today, May 17 2011, is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). Many organisations and people go to great effort to acknowledge the occasion and take a stand against homophobic and transphobic intolerance in society.
Take for example the head of Victoria Police, Chief Commissioner Simon Overland. He has a pretty supportive message. Similarly, Dr Helen Szoke from the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission has an unambiguous message on inclusion. Even Hilary Clinton and Jeremy Browne each had a message of support.
As I’ve previously mentioned, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria set up a reference group to investigate the issues affecting GLBT people in the Jewish community. They’ve also made it pretty clear, via their messenger of intolerance Rabbi Chaim Rapoport (here and here), that GLBT people are not welcome as members of their organisation, despite JCCV President John Searle saying that “racism and prejudice in all its evil forms will not be tolerated.”
This week the JCCV published a number of media releases. There was one on how they’re getting on well with the Catholic community, another on working with Victoria Police on combatting anti-semitic hate crimes, yet another on working with people with disabilities, and lastly one on welfare organisations in the community (mind you, not one of them openly advertises services supporting GLBT people).
I had trouble finding the JCCV media release on how they’re supportive of initiatives that combat homophobic intolerance in the Jewish community in this week of IDAHO. I tried to find one, but I just couldn’t see it. I guess they had it all prepared, but didn’t manage to get it out in time.
Now I’ll just have to wait until next year’s IDAHO to see if the big bad JCCV bully has learnt a lesson from the wider community and has realised it’s time to stop creating the hate and intolerance and start fighting it.
And lastly a message to John Searle. You talk about racism and prejudice in all its evil forms. Take a look in the mirror mate.