Tolerance, Tolerance (Does That Mean Intolerance?)
Scottish politics generally don’t get that much media coverage down here south of their border. Most recent times Scotland has had hysterical media coverage due to The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
What is the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill?
“The Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill is a bill passed by the Scottish Parliament. The bill seeks to amend the Gender Recognition Act 2004 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, making it simpler for people to change their legal gender.” — Wikipedia
Then, more recently….
1st Person: Jeezy peeps. No joke? No witty one liner?
Me: Not suicidal.
Anyway, more recently there has been hysterical media coverage because Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, a woman so collaborative she decided, “Fuck it,” and resigned, triggered a leadership contest.
Enter, so far, three candidates, (Muslim) Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care Humza Yousaf, (Christian) Kate Forbes Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy and (ginger) former Minister for Community Safety Ash Regan.
Current hysterical media coverage concerns Kate Forbes who said that had she been elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2014, when gay marriage legislation was approved, she would have voted against it. Technically, it’s Same-sex marriage, but that’s just one of those common mistakes us Hets make innit.
Mrs Forbes regularly turns up to same-sex marriage ceremonies and shouts from the back of the room, “You need to stop this right now!”
1st Person: Help ma boab! Really?!?
Me: No. Of course not.
1st Person: I bet she does though eh.
Me: No. I literally…. Ne’ermind.
Moving on. So, what is Tolerance?
“willingness to accept behaviour and beliefs that are different from your own, although you might not agree with or approve of them.” — dictionary.cambridge.org
Now, I pride myself on being toleranty. I will ask you a question. You can choose one answer, more than one answer, or, no answer. Why? Because I rock tolerance like that.
Question: Why is Kate Forbes, a woman so youthful looking she could be Katie Morag, getting so much shit?
The answers:
(A). Integrity
We want our politicians to be honest, but not that honest.
(B). Sexism
Kate Forbes is a woman. Due to unconscious bias we expect more of women. They’re pink, fluffy and usually tolerant, whereas men, well, where do you think the phrase, “What do you expect? He’s a man,” comes from?
(C). Worship of Superhuman Power Bias
‘Wrong colour religion.’ Kate is a politician and a Christian; therefore she must receive intense scrutiny over her faith and her religion. Whereas, other politicians and their faith and their religions? Leave you to it mate.
(D). Nationhood
President of the United States Joe Biden is a Catholic; the Catholic Church is anti-abortion, however Joe Biden supports abortion rights. Obviously Scotland ain’t big enough to deal with similar apparent contradictions.
(E). Worship of Superhuman Power Knowledge
People who aren’t religious know exactly how people who are religious think and feel. So when these ‘faith shaggers’ say, “I’m’ not that bothered about it to impose my beliefs on others,” they’re obviously fucking liars. Faith shaggers. Oh they make me so mad!
(F). Dogmatism
Mrs Forbes said, “Equal marriages is a legal right, and as a servant of democracy, rather than a dictator, I absolutely respect and defend that democratic right.” Unfortunately we live in a time where folks expect you to be a slave to their beliefs. After all, if others don’t agree with you what’s the point of them existing?
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Dedicated to my girlfriend Hen.
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