'It', by which I mean the afore-mentioned Vanidy 'Van' Bailey, is now the first permanent 'thing' to be in charge of - and please give me a moment here - the bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender and queer (pheeew, did I forget anybody?) student life of Harvard University. According to The Harvard Crimson, via those subversive ratbags at IHTM, 'it's first task "would be setting goals for the upcoming academic year." Alas, 'it' has not actually specified what these goals will be for the - hang on, let me take a breath - bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender and queer student life of Harvard University. Imagination is left to run riot!
Now you may be wondering at my unusual lack of manners, this blog being, of course, always gentlemanly in every respect, in referring to Vanidy 'Van' Bailey as 'it' and 'thing', but the fact is that I am doing so at 'its' request. You see, the staff writer reporting on this great story, Nathalie R. Miraval, dropped a bit of a bollock - ooops, no she couldn't do that being a girlie - I mean, she made a boo-boo by referring to 'thing' as "her" and "she" and was instantly reprimanded and forced to add a correction to her story:
An earlier version of this article used the pronoun "she" to refer to Vanidy "Van" Bailey, the newly appointed director of bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender, and queer student life. In fact, Bailey prefers not to be referred to by any gendered pronoun.
A total loopy-loo dipstick by any other name, or pronoun, remains a total loopy-loo dipstick. Being bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender and/or queer is an aggravation most people would prefer to avoid but God rolls the dice and the genes land where they will but given that extra problem in life would you really want 'thing' to be in charge of your, er, "goals"? Personally, I wouldn't want her in charge of sharpening pencils!
Oh God! A sudden thought, Nathalie is a girlie, isn't she?
I thought it was a spoof, but apparently not. One letter too many.
Posted by: A K Haart | Tuesday, 10 July 2012 at 11:54
AK, I'm tempted to quote Littlejohn, "You couldn't make it up".
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 10 July 2012 at 12:32
"In fact, Bailey prefers not to be referred to by any gendered pronoun."
It is right. That's why we have gendered nouns, after all. Now what does it prefer: twat or prick?
Posted by: Whyaxye | Tuesday, 10 July 2012 at 13:13
I'm old enough to remember when the "Q" meant "Questioning". Somehow it got changed to "Queer". After the L and G, you really don't need Q.
Posted by: Dom | Tuesday, 10 July 2012 at 14:25
You know what's really confusing? I mean, aside from Vanidy itself. When a Lesbian transgenders into a man ... isn't that a "cure" for homosexuality? I mean, strictly speaking, the "man" is now straight, right? I thought the LGBTXYZ community was against that sort of thing. Why is this any different than a religious group that "prays the gay away", something we always mock?
Posted by: Dom | Tuesday, 10 July 2012 at 14:31
David, I'm impressed that you didn't go for the obvious headline:
"Vanidy, Vanidy, all is Vanidy!"
Posted by: Kevin B | Tuesday, 10 July 2012 at 14:49
I was going to, Kevin, but 'it' replied, "Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me"!
Dom, I just think what an embarrassment 'thing' is to all the homosexuals and lesbians who quietly go about their lives in harmony with their heterosexual families, friends and neighbours without the benefit of idiots setting them goals to achieve. And am I right now to believe that the biggest collection of fools is to be found in the Hallowed Halls of Academe? (Despite the tempting pleasure of the alliteration I am sure Harvard is not alone in its idiocy.)
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 10 July 2012 at 15:38