Response to Young Labour President

Michael Wood should resign as president of Young Labour for incompetence and dishonesty. He asks the Maxim Institute "How are dead people supposed to send complaints to the Human Rights Commission?" after quoting the following passage from their Real Issues Bulletin (1 July).

"One of the often-used examples of discrimination is the claimed inability of same-sex couples to be buried in the same plot next to their partner. No complaints have been received the HRC on this issue."

Wood then goes own to say:

"It is beyond me how anyone can take an organisation seriously when it comes out with such ludicrous statements.

"The people who work at Maxim demonstrate a regular disconnection from reality, but this really does take the cake. Wally of the Week award definitely goes to Maxim for this one."

The Maxim Real Issues Report was based on a response from the Human Rights Commission to an Official Information Request, lodged by the Society, and supplied to Maxim and many other organisations.

One of the Society's formal questons was:

How many formal complaints has the HRC received from individuals in same-sex relationships concerning claimed discrimination against them by funeral directors etc. who have denied them the opportunity to be buried in the same plot next to their same-sex partner following their own death (married couples have these 'rights')?

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0407/S00020.htm

Civil Union Bill &Claims of Unjust Discrimination Friday, 2 July 2004, 12:46 pm Press Release: Society For Promotion Of Community Standards Inc.

How can someone who is denied an opportunity to be buried anywhere " following their own death" complain to anyone. They are dead. Dead people cannot complain. Perhaps the question should have been worded a little differently.

David Lane Responds.

Queer Logic at its very best is illustrated by the pathetic and ludicrous garbage from the GayNZ.com article below - attacking Maxim & SPCS. It would appear that Mr Crampton has been taken in by this queer logic. The HRC had no problem understanding the question. The grammatical construction of the question ...

"...buried in the same plot next to their same-sex partner following their own death..." ...etc.

correctly links the phrase "following their own death" with the wish to be "buried in the same plot". It is NOT linked with the timing of the receipt of the complaint to suggest that the complaint is being made by a dead person!! The phrase "the opportunity to be buried" is forward looking in time. It is NOT in the past tense.

See:

http://www.gaynz.com/news/default.asp?dismode=article&artid=1601

Maxim - no complaints from the dead

The absence of complaints from dead people is evidence that gay couples are not discriminated against, according to the Maxim Institute.

The Human Rights Commission has received no complaints from same-sex partners who have not been able to be buried together, says the Institute in its Real Issues newsletter, and very few complaints from other couples on next-of-kin issues.

¡°How are dead people supposed to send complaints to the Human Rights Commission?¡± asks Michael Wood, Young Labour President. ¡°It is beyond me how anyone can take an organisation seriously when it comes out with such ludicrous statements. The people who work at Maxim demonstrate a regular disconnection from reality, but this really does take the cake.¡±

The Institute was assisted in its research by the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards, who successfully lobbied to have the rating of Mel Gibson¡¯s ¡°Passion of the Christ¡± lowered, so children could see graphic footage of Christ being tortured for two hours.

___________

COMMENT from SPCS

If same-sex couples were concerned that the law prohibited them both from making an arrangement, while STILL LIVING, to be buried in the same plot, surely at least one complaint would have been notified and registred with the HRC by now. If a person in a same-sex relationship loses his or her partner and subsequent to the loss, seeks to ensure they can be buried alongside the deceased parner when they die; only to have this prohited by law; then this could be viewed by "gays" as a case of unjust discrimination. Not one case a such a complaint has been lodged with the HRC.

The attempt to denigrate SPCS over the Passion film reclassification is puerile.

Greg Fleming of Maxim responded to the GayNZ attack.

"This stmt of his is so absurd that I can only wonder if its either a gag or something he wrote while under the influence?"

David Lane comments:

Dave Crampton appears to have been taken in by this gag!!

David Lane Secretary SPCS

© Scoop Media