‘Religious freedom’ is just a guise for bigotry
The federal government’s Religious Freedom Review is not about religious freedom. It is homophobia and transphobia, pure and simple. A leaked recommendation from the review, obtained by Fairfax Media, suggests that LGBTI staff and students could be fired or expelled from their schools base...CONTINUE READING
Against the French court’s pathologising of Marine Le Pen
“Pathological liars” is a valid description of the far right. But we should be cautious not to take the first word literally. Last month, the leader of French far right party Rassemblement National (National Rally, formerly the National Front) was ordered by a court to undergo a psychiatri...CONTINUE READING
Farage met with protests in Perth and Melbourne
Since the election of Donald Trump, Australia has become the “it” destination for far right provocateurs. The latest is Nigel Farage, former leader of the UK Independence Party and notorious anti-Muslim racist. Farage began his speaking tour of Australia and New Zealand on 2 September, arr...CONTINUE READING
The man-babies who ‘marched for men’
The delicate snowflakes of the alt-right held their inaugural “March for Men” in Melbourne on 25 August. And they blamed every problem in their lives, from mental illness to the downfall of Western Civilisation, on women. Some 200 cry babies (of the more than 5,000 who expressed interest o...CONTINUE READING
The ‘March for Men’ is nothing but misogyny
“I’m not going to apologise for supporting men … I won’t be shamed into backing down.” With these brave words, Melbourne University journalism graduate Sydney Watson is rallying all the bleeding hearts who cry at night over the plight of that oppressed and abandoned social group – men. At...CONTINUE READING
Loser Lauren Southern and her man-baby bros flee to Somerton. Sad!
“Fascists like things to run smoothly, they like their trains to run on time. Well, tonight, we made sure that things did not run smoothly for them.” – A Melbourne anti-fascist activist last night. Far right activist Lauren Southern did not expect to host the Melbourne leg of her Australia...CONTINUE READING
The misogyny at the heart of the new far right
On a recent Sunday afternoon, self-proclaimed fascist Blair Cottrell filmed himself chasing down and abusing a street performer wearing a pink leotard. For daring to don the costume, the performer, known as Dandyman, was called a “paedophile”, threatened with violence and forced to end his...CONTINUE READING
The state, the far right, and repressive laws
The debate on the left sparked by Emma Norton’s recent comment piece in Red Flag about establishing safe access zones around abortion clinics exposed a worrying trend among some of Norton’s critics. Norton argued that the left must oppose moves by governments to criminalise anti-choice big...CONTINUE READING
Media bias against Muslims documented
Reading “Islam in the Media 2017”, an investigation by Sydney-based Muslim production studio OnePath Network, is like looking through the greatest hits compilation of the world’s worst band. In this case, it’s the Murdoch press. Who could forget the Daily Telegraph’s dogged campaign agains...CONTINUE READING