I identify as a child and therefore demand entry to softplay/nursery/baby swimming lessons

[MissMarpletheMurderer]

My eldest is mixed race, I know she has been 'lucky' as has had very little bullying due to her heritage but a good friend she met at university had a very different childhood experience. Apologies for the DM link but she sent me this, how can someone choose their heritage. And wtaf about an artist getting funding meant for those from black backgrounds as he identifys as a 'born again African'?

Where does it end? I identify as a doctor so demand I be treated as one including being employed as one as it's against my human rights to discriminate against me.

Aibu to think that this is complete madness?

that's interesting, Ozgirl75 I saw a programme on Pick TV recently about customs at airports in Australia and a man was stopped to have his baggage searched. He was completely outraged that they wouldn't let him keep disease infested plant matter, claiming he was aboriginal and this was racist etc, except he looked totally white and wore a kipa (jewish cap), was tall and thin. However, if, as you say, people can claim to be 1/16th aboriginal, there can't be many people left who have no aboriginal ancestors at all!

My DC are mixed race, African, spanish and white British.

They relate to this There is a scene in Suits were(sic) Patrick expersses (sic) disbelief that Rachel (megan markle) had a black parent and Rachel says 'what, did you think this was a tan?'

earlydoors42 I wonder if you do not self identify as disabled as being disabled is generally shit? The disadvantages of being disabled surely outweigh the benefits, I am beginning to believe people only self identify as things that are pleasing to them.

Oh FFS! Regarding Australian Aboriginal people!

Just in case anyone else thinks "it's interesting"!

The 1/16th thing is not true and is actually a reference in racist policies of the early 29th century

Here: no mention of fractions aiatsis.gov.au/research/finding-your-family/before-you-start/proof-aboriginality

*Early 20th

Well it was only matter of time I'm just going to sit this one out and see if anyone reacts

I’m sorry, I was wrong about the 1/16. It’s actually if you can claim any aboriginal heritage at all - thanks for that link, very informative.

So basically if you’re accepted as aboriginal by elders, you are aboriginal and able to access the various initiatives to assist aboriginal people.

I’m sorry, I was wrong about the 1/16. It’s actually if you can claim any aboriginal heritage at all

I'm surprised that this has not been laughed out of court. It's completely tautologous and self-referential. You're aboriginal if you can show your ancestors were aboriginal. How do I establish that my ancestors were aboriginal? Well, it all depends on whether their ancestors were aboriginal.

The truth is that there is no way to define race objectively without this sort of infinite regress of circularity. It's a nonsense. It can only be done by self-identification.

The trouble with allowing people to self-identify as things is that it is well known that people will cheat in order to gain advantage for themselves.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/sep/16/gilestremlett.features11

The Spanish team here fielded 10 players who were not disabled and this article shows that many more people competed who also were not disabled

"In the Paralympics, just as in the Olympics, people cheat. It was not just the Spanish basketball team that was stuffed with frauds in Sydney, according to Ribagorda. Two swimmers on the Spanish team as well as a table tennis player and at least one track and field athlete were not, as they claimed, learning disabled, he says."

I'd say the problem is granting special status to a class of people which has no objective definition. You can define men, you can define US citizens, you can define over-55s, but there's no reliable objective way to define people with disabilities, or aboriginals.

I would say that in general, people are polite about white people claiming aboriginal heritage over here (at least to their faces and in the circles I move in), but eyebrows are raised when seemingly white people access specialist services for underprivileged aboriginals. Because there is no getting away that black aboriginals are significantly disadvantaged.