The Wurst of human nature
People make fun of people who are different. They tease and are hurtful to people who are different. Our society makes it worse by glorifying the immaculate and vilifying the so called 'freaks.'
'As a comedian I have been guilty of this type of cheap shot as well. And although I have always known it is wrong, the temptation to get a laugh at someone else's expense is almost overwhelming.
Where I draw the line is when certain groups of people are are not only the butt of jokes, but when they aren't allowed to share in society's freedoms because of who or what they are.
You can laugh about fat people - but they can get married (preferably not to each other because that's not fair on the children.)
You can be blonde - and still get a job of your choosing.
You can be a black Irish Jew and still adopt a child and enjoy the freedoms afforded to you as a human being. But the same cannot be said for homosexuals, transvestites and transsexuals as is painfully evident with Eurovision 2014's winner, Sam Michael’s career as an American footballer or monogamous loving same-sex couples across Russia, the American mid-West or any Muslim state in the world.
The unbridled hatred heaped upon Eurovision 2014 winner Conchita Wurst from not only social media from all quarters of the 'civilized' world but from institutions as well as county's leaders. Putin went on to say this would never have happened if Russia still occupied Austria!
Austria or (Germany) of course being one of the first counties in the world to allow people to fill out official documents under the question of sex with:
Male
Female
Transgender
Closer to home, our very own Caster Semenya has been the butt of many a comics joke, myself, Trevor Noah and Mpho Popps included. Now rumor has it she is negotiating labola for her girlfriend Violet. Fabulous, and good luck to both of them. Jokes will be made and fun will be had but that's in all innocence.
It's when people start saying this is evil or that is illegal or that their decision is not protected by the full weight of the law that I begin to take serious umbrage.
Caster Semenya is different. Conchita Wurst is different. But difference is OK! And if his/her difference can, hopefully, water down the ignorance/racism/bigotry/fear gene pool - you go boyfriend/girlfriend!!!'
Here is Conchita Wurst performing at Eurovision 2014:
Take a look at what Jane Linley-Thomas had to say about Conchita Wurst Eurovision winner here