According to the Rev. Gentlepersons over on “Coo-ees from the Cloister”, VCAT has decided that the indefatigable Babbette Francis will have to simmer away in private over the offensive YWCA T-Shirts worn by certain senators in parliament. Apparently they do not infringe Victoria’s Racial and Religious Tolerance Act because while “many ordinary people would find the slogan to be distasteful”, it did not constitute religious vilification as “the sale and distribution of T-shirts containing the slogan did not incite hatred against, serious contempt for, or revulsion or severe ridicule of Mr Abbott, Mrs Francis or any other Catholic”.
There goes my case against Richard Dawkins and the ABC!
“the sale and distribution of T-shirts containing the slogan did not incite hatred against, serious contempt for, or revulsion or severe ridicule of Mr Abbott, Mrs Francis or any other Catholic”
Are they serious?!!! If this had been the other way round or, say, Christians saying something negative about Muslims, “hate-filled speech” would be the standard phrase.
Both “serious contempt” and “severe ridicule” were obviously intended and produced with such a slogan (as idiotic and nonsensical as it is).
An obvious case of double standards.
I assume Mrs Francis was trying this as a test case to see whether in fact Catholics are likely to get a fair go with this new (and idiotic) legislation?
Yes, it does appear to be double standards. Yet there is another interpretation: the VCAT seems to be less and less eager to hear cases of any kind whatsoever. As far as I know, there has not been a single case accepted for hearing since the Catch the Fire case. I think they got “burnt by the fire”, and so are being very, very cautious about what applications they will accept. I’m happy with that.