Sonia Kruger Rejects LGBTI Scholarship, So We Fact-Checked Her Claims Of ‘Reverse Discrimination’
In today’s edition of Sonia Kruger expressing awful opinions, this morning on Today when speaking about a scholarship for LGBTI students funded by the Australian Business and Community Network Scholarship Foundation (ABCN), the host described the initiative as “reverse discrimination”.
While co-host David Campbell pointed out the majority of scholarships are awarded to non-LGBT people, Kruger said that scholarships should not be based on gender or sexuality.
“I don’t think it should have anything to do with the awarding of a scholarship. I thinks scholarships should be given on merit,” Kruger said.
So is this proposed ABCN scholarship an example of reverse discrimination?
Well, only if one is against all scholarships offering aid to an marginalised group. Just like someone with a disability, from a low socioeconomic or an Indigenous background can apply for a scholarship offering funding in Australia, this scholarship just targets a specific disadvantage- identifying as LGBTI.
i'm with sonia, i am sick of queer and trans teens getting a FREE RIDE
— Bec Shaw (@Brocklesnitch) August 1, 2016
The issue can be painted with the same brush stroke as the ‘All Lives Matter’ counter-argument to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ social movement. The latter is targeting a marginalised group being affected by discrimination, while the former is not.
The less-privileged being given access to a benefit that targets them, such as a scholarship, is to specifically address their disadvantage.
I wonder which already-marginalised demographic Sonia Kruger will target next week https://t.co/b8bhq1tI88
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) August 1, 2016
In a context such as Australian high schools, a recent study found that 61 per cent of young non-heterosexual people reported experiencing verbal abuse and 18 per cent reported physical abuse.
Young LGBTI people with a history of verbal, sexual, physical victimisation and abuse have higher chance of social and mental health problems, which leads to an increase in dropping out of school, homelessness, and attempted suicide.
.@SoniaKruger We would love to be assessed on our merits, but LGBTI people are pre-judged every day of our lives.
— Jonathan Brown (JB) (@JB_AU) August 1, 2016
So if a scholarship plans on solely being awarded to LGBTI people, is Sonia saying it’s fairer to include the majority heterosexual students?
People which have lived their lives without being socially oppressed, a pattern of oppression which probably led to the introduction of the scholarship in the first place.
love when ppl whine about "reverse discrimination" as if reversing discrimination were not the entire point
— ANTHONY OLIVEIRA (@meakoopa) August 1, 2016
It just doesn’t make sense.
In its simplest terms “reverse discrimination” can never truly exist. Wouldn’t the opposite of discrimination be no discrimination? It should cancel itself out.
This whole hurrah is merely over a single LGBTI scholarship, which could change the life of one LGBTI teen for the better.
Good news Sonia, there’s plenty of scholarships being snapped up by heterosexual students everyday.
Reverse discrimination is the stupidest phrase in the English language.
must be tough for Sonia Kruger being white, straight & wealthy ????
— Randy (@RandyVuck) August 1, 2016