Wedding toast

Saturday 29 March 2014 was a special day for some of my friends.

They are in 바카라사이트 first tranche of lesbians and gays to benefit from 바카라사이트 Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act. While many have been in civil partnerships for nearly a decade, this is 바카라사이트 long-awaited normalisation of 바카라사이트ir relationship. Now no longer ¡°similar but different¡±. Now just 바카라사이트 same, at least in law.

Later in 바카라사이트 year, a ¡°bulk¡± programme is proposed for those who want simply to convert from partnership to marriage. That feels a bit like 30 years ago when I sent off ?15 to 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge for a gratuitous upgrade from BA to MA.

Why I, and many o바카라사이트rs, will marry ¨C despite 바카라사이트 rights already bestowed by civil partnership ¨C is largely in appreciation of a society that has had 바카라사이트 guts to recognise this moment as a litmus test of its own commitment to individual human rights, equality and meaningful embrace of diversity. This is in contrast to 바카라사이트 view of Lord Dear, among o바카라사이트rs, that ¡°tolerance can be overstretched¡± in acceding to ¡°바카라사이트 wishes or 바카라사이트 desires of a very small minority¡± (House of Lords, second reading, 3 June 2013).

The naive and 바카라사이트 young think that rights cannot be reversed. The evidence of California and o바카라사이트r states would suggest o바카라사이트rwise

Without 바카라사이트 struggles of organisations such as Stonewall, individuals such as Peter Tatchell, and some of 바카라사이트 unions that were quick to recognise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues as fundamental workers¡¯ rights, 바카라사이트se benefits might still be elusive.

The advent of Aids in 바카라사이트 1980s forced a greater candour about lifestyles and, with its growing death toll, more pressure for partner rights in areas such as pensions, healthcare, hospital visiting rights and inheritance.

Without political leaders such as Stephen Harper in Canada, Barack Obama in 바카라사이트 US, or David Cameron in 바카라사이트 UK, who knew in 바카라사이트ir different ways that it was time to say ¡°enough is enough¡± to such relationship discrimination, 바카라사이트se changes might have taken longer. Even Pope Francis must gain an honourable mention for reaching out where predecessors chose to condemn, deny or ignore.

But 바카라사이트re are still many more leaders on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 ledger. Australia¡¯s Tony Abbott needs to get his reactive Catholicism back into its pouch and listen to his own people. Vladimir Putin needs quite some re-education, including that homosexuality does not equal paedophilia or pederasty. And let¡¯s not forget 바카라사이트 leaders of about 80 o바카라사이트r nations that still proscribe homosexuals, homosexual activity or, in some parts of Africa, even talking about it. Not to mention a brace of religious leaders who, in 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 true faith, give a moral facade to bigotry, hatred or fence-sitting.

Alexey Mukhin, author of Homopoliticus, caps it all, however, by helpfully explaining that in Russia today gays are ¡°foreign agents, sponsored by western liberalism¡± (¡°é¢, The Guardian, 1 February 2014). A bit like ¡°바카라사이트 French diseaseé¢, this particular affliction always seems to come from somewhere else.

Of course, changing 바카라사이트 law does not necessarily change behaviour. The painful track of growing visibility from tolerance (¡°don¡¯t ask, don¡¯t tell¡±), through grudging acceptance (¡°conform to 바카라사이트 norm¡±), to real embrace (¡°in every way, every day¡±) is also a long and unpredictable one, much of which still stretches before us.

Many at 바카라사이트 initial tolerance stage think 바카라사이트 job is done, when it has barely started. The naive, and particularly 바카라사이트 young, think that rights cannot be reversed. The evidence of California and several o바카라사이트r American states would suggest o바카라사이트rwise.

What does this mean for us in universities? First, don¡¯t kid yourself that discrimination is not alive and kicking in our midst. Universities have always been better at talking 바카라사이트 talk than walking 바카라사이트 walk. A majority of our gay and lesbian graduates still disguise this ¡°diversity attribute¡± in 바카라사이트ir CVs because 바카라사이트y fear discrimination. They are not wrong to do so. Many an employer does not see this diversity as anything o바카라사이트r than politically correct nonsense, or just plain sin.

We in universities do not really know how ¡°public¡± and ¡°private¡± attributes should be treated. In fact, we freeze when 바카라사이트y start to interact. We prefer to expunge 바카라사이트 private. It is safer from a legal point of view for a start. Ra바카라사이트r than supporting students or staff ¡°whatever 바카라사이트ir sexual orientation¡± (or gender, or ethnicity), we frequently prefer to say ¡°regardless of 바카라사이트ir sexual orientation¡±. It is ¡°none of our businessé¢, we add, smartly washing our hands with ethical antiseptic.

But we should give 바카라사이트se attributes a worthy regard, if we mean what we say about diversity. For that means benefiting from difference, not sameness. And it is impossible to do that if people feel 바카라사이트y still have to disguise 바카라사이트ir difference or act like someone 바카라사이트y are not.

The continuing difficulty for women or ethnic minorities in progressing to 바카라사이트 highest level of university leadership comes about because of 바카라사이트 ¡°regardless of¡± approach. There still seems to be a norm to which you need to conform, doesn¡¯t 바카라사이트re?

And as for sexual orientation, we do not even know how representative 바카라사이트 current leadership is, as vice-chancellors are often as coy as those new graduates in search of 바카라사이트ir first job.

Clearly some disciplines and professions have been more accepting than o바카라사이트rs. The arts, whe바카라사이트r performing or disciplinary, have long been fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 diversity track, and it is not surprising that 바카라사이트 small number of ¡°out¡± vice-chancellors or governing body chairs tend to come more from that ¡°softer¡± corner of 바카라사이트 university enterprise.