If You Wanted Free Speech, You Should've Been Born White And Male
Indigenous women should know enough to keep their opinions to themselves...right??
Since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, most of the opinions voiced have been positive, in the vein of “don’t speak ill of the dead.” Most of the British Isles and the Commonwealth have good memories of the Queen, and the outpouring of grief has been genuine and heartfelt.
But what if you’re a member of an indigenous community in one of the countries once part of the British Empire? And what if your cultural history isn’t nearly so positive? It turns out that voicing a dissenting opinion, especially as an indigenous female, can be a hazardous and unwelcome undertaking.
An Indigenous women’s rugby league player in Australia has been fined and hit with a one-match ban for criticising Queen Elizabeth II.
Caitlin Moran, a 25-year-old who plays for Newcastle in Australia’s National Rugby League Women’s premiership, joined censored critics of the monarchy from around the world this week after she labelled Queen Elizabeth II a “dumb dog” in a since-deleted Instagram post.
Of course, you first need to understand the perspective of the First Nations people of Australia, whose opinion of Queen Elizabeth is nowhere near as positive as elsewhere.
The First Nations people resented the Queen for what she represented, the British arrogance and willingness to ignore the suffering of indigenous people under their rule.
Indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia have, on the whole, reacted to Queen Elizabeth II’s death with an outpour of anger and resentment.
For First Nations people of Australia, like other Indigenous peoples across the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II was an “architect” of colonisation and a bystander to the ongoing suffering of Indigenous people around the world.
“We largely call it the Commonwealth, but many Aboriginal Australians will say ‘stolen wealth,’” Sandy O'Sullivan, a professor of Indigenous studies at Macquarie University in Sydney, told VICE World News.
“The monarchy has been the centre of how colonialism has played out in this continent. And for Indigenous Australians, the monarchy has been an agent of colonialism and ongoing colonisation.”
So perhaps referring to the late Queen as a “dumb dog” wasn’t the most politically correct criticism she could have offered, but most First Nations people didn't hold Elizabeth in fond regard.
Caitlin Moran’s since-deleted Instagram post merely reflected the First Nation's antipathy toward the late Queen.
Moran’s coach, Ronald Griffiths, did offer moral support in the wake of the controversy, but it was hardly enough to quell the fury.
“I wasn't worried. The relationship between Indigenous people and the monarchy is a complicated one. If Caitlin has done something then it will be investigated by the Integrity Unit and we'll work our way through the process. We're talking a little bit of negativity with Caitlin, but if we look at where she's come from, in 2017 she wins us the World Cup and does her knee the year after and has probably been in the wilderness since then. Those are the sort of things we need to look at and celebrate. We believe she's gone from strength to strength.”
The sad part of the story is the way Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) reacted to the situation. Perhaps in a country so overcome by grief for the Queen, the NRL felt sufficient pressure that they had no alternative but to bring the hammer down on Moran.
And while Moran could’ve been more diplomatic in her response, there’s no doubt that the First Nations people feel they have a legitimate grievance against the British Empire. If you look at their history, it’s hard to argue that point.
Without knowing much of Moran’s background, I’m certainly not about to pass judgment on her. She may have had very good reasons for saying what she did, though I suspect even she would probably admit she could’ve chosen her words more carefully.
That’s not to diminish her right to her opinion. While the rest of the world seems committed to mourning Queen Elizabeth II, there are communities within the Commonwealth that have good reason not to remember her so fondly. It may not even be her personally, but what she represented. The British Empire, and in some aspects the Commonwealth, weren’t know for looking kindly on the affairs of non-Whites. Indigenous communities have a long list of legitimate grievances against the British.
What I find interesting about the penalty served upon Moran by the NRL is the severity of it. And I wonder if the same sort of penalty would’ve been meted out to a prominent White male? I have no basis of comparison, of course, so this is pure speculation, but it hardly defies belief to think that slapping down Moran, a First Nations woman, was easier because of her race and gender.
The 25-year-old will also be required to attend education and training programs concerning her responsibilities as a player and her use of social media. The NRL said the fine will be suspended if she attends those programs, but if there is another violation of the code, she will be required to pay the fine immediately.
“Rugby league is an inclusive game and has a proud and strong relationship with many communities,” said a statement from the NRL.
“Regardless of any personal views, all players and officials must adhere to the professional standards expected of them and on this occasion, the public comments made by the player have caused damage to the game.”
In the end, of course, all of us have a responsibility to be respectful in how we use social media. Some folks never grasp that reality and some lack the maturity to understand that what goes on social media never goes away. I’m not certain where Caitlin Moran would fit on that spectrum, but referring to the late Queen as a “dumb dog” perhaps wasn’t the most politic way to make her point.
For their part, I think the NRL could stand to realize that Moran wasn’t denigrating anyone in their league or in the sport of rugby. She was voicing an opinion about the late Queen Elizabeth II, which in retrospect wasn’t a very popular opinion. Outside of the “dumb dog” faux pas, was the NRL upset because Moran was swimming upstream against the vast majority of Australians who were mourning the Queen’s passing? Shouldn’t Moran have the right to voice a dissenting opinion, even if it turns out to be overwhelmingly unpopular?
And I’m still not convinced that the NRL would’nt have dropped the hammer on Caitlin Moran as heavily if she was a White male. I still believe that her status as a minority female made it easier for the NRL to level a harsh penalty and claim that Moran’s comments “have caused damage to the game.”
How was the game damaged? Was it bad PR? Or were they upset that an indigenous woman spoke out as strongly as Moran did?
