Valuing diversity by exclusion

In response to Lesbians Only Need Apply, The Age 12/09/2003

“Valuing diversity” is a one way street. The ordinary citizen in continually exhorted to accept increasingly diverse ethnic, religious, political, sexual and family behaviours. When an individual fails to be accepting, the organisation that they work for is often publicly criticised for its “culture” of intolerance. Organisations that say “male only please” or “no lesbians need apply” are stridently attacked. The press usually jumps on the bandwagon.
It is astonishing and disturbing that groups like the Victorian lesbian festival organisers and Muslim men in ascot Vale (Lesbians only need apply. The Age Sept 12) can gain permission to discriminate against the general community in ways that would be illegal for anyone else. The tribunal is willing to do this to give the lesbians a sense of “security and well-being” and to allow muslims to continue their “religious traditions”. Surely many groups can also now argue “tradition” and “security” to exclude muslims and/or homosexuals from their activities.
Valuing Diversity is really a new code for the further undermining of values shared across our community. Without them, we will create an increasingly fragmented and segregated society.