So, taggers will have to wear pink vests, with the label "tagger" on them, while cleaning up their handiwork. And this is somehow "akin to Nazi Germany's persecution of gay men during World War II"?
Excuse me while I regain some sort of equilibrium...
When we hear about WW2 and Nazi Germany, there is an automatic association with gas chambers and many, many Jews being killed in the gas chambers. Quite an accurate association if you consider that most of Poland's 3 million Jewish citizens were killed in this way. In comparison, very few gay men were gassed. The pink triangle lead to temporary imprisonment only, and not normally an appointment with a gas oven.
However, saying that making taggers wear pink vests somehow associates them with gay men killed by Nazis ... is that because the taggers are wearing pink? I could give the woman making this accusation some credence if the word used on the tagger's vest was "tagging makes you gay" or "tagging is gay" or "gay tagger", but the pink colour is a bit of a stretch. My favourite colour is pink, so if the colour (and male) pink makes one gay, then I'd be in big trouble.
Here's some of the story from the Dominion Post today:
Related Link: Taggers in pink while cleaning up their work
Excuse me while I regain some sort of equilibrium...
When we hear about WW2 and Nazi Germany, there is an automatic association with gas chambers and many, many Jews being killed in the gas chambers. Quite an accurate association if you consider that most of Poland's 3 million Jewish citizens were killed in this way. In comparison, very few gay men were gassed. The pink triangle lead to temporary imprisonment only, and not normally an appointment with a gas oven.
However, saying that making taggers wear pink vests somehow associates them with gay men killed by Nazis ... is that because the taggers are wearing pink? I could give the woman making this accusation some credence if the word used on the tagger's vest was "tagging makes you gay" or "tagging is gay" or "gay tagger", but the pink colour is a bit of a stretch. My favourite colour is pink, so if the colour (and male) pink makes one gay, then I'd be in big trouble.
Here's some of the story from the Dominion Post today:
Taggers caught by him or processed through the courts would be made to wear the vests while they cleaned up their handiwork to turn their tagging "fame" into "shame" with their classmates, he said.
Mr Gommans showed the pink vest at Rongotai College last week and was greeted by stunned silence, nervous laughter, then a big round of applause.
He expects a similar response when he visits St Patrick's Town today.
But councillor Iona Pannett said the scheme was akin to Nazi Germany's persecution of gay men during World War II and would reinforce prejudice against gay and lesbian people.
"What we're saying is that we're going to shame you as a tagger by associating you with a gay man, for a behaviour that has nothing to do with being gay or lesbian.
"Marking out people in that way is something we should move beyond."
The vests should be withdrawn from talks at schools and another way found to deal with taggers. "There will be young men or young women who are out [as gay] or exploring [their sexuality]. The giggles and the laughter create an unsafe environment."
Related Link: Taggers in pink while cleaning up their work