Thankfully this fool is not propping up the Australian Government (as with two other independent MPs) … otherwise we’d have extra reason to be worried at the awful comments of Independent Member of Parliament Bob Katter at an anti-equality rally in Canberra where conservative American commentator, Rebecca Hagelin, said same-sex marriage will lead to marriages between paedophiles and children, and Katter said the idea of same-sex marriages “deserves to be laughed at and ridiculed”.
Australian Marriage Equality spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said offensive rhetoric has no place in the same-sex marriage debate and called on the Australian Christian Lobby and Australian Family Association, who organised the rally, to distance themselves from the comments. ”Along with other independent MPs, Bob Katter will attend a charity dinner with same-sex partners in Parliament House later this year, and they will remind him why marriage equality is about some of the most serious things in life like love, commitment and family, and is definitely no laughing matter.”
The comments at today’s rally were also condemned as “damaging” by Queensland psychologist, Paul Martin, who is an expert in the mental health of same-sex attracted young people. ”Prejudice and ridicule damage the mental health of young same-sex attracted people and the last thing they need to hear are these kinds of offensive comments from people who purport to represent ‘family values’.”
Meanwhile, Australian Marriage Equality today released an opinion poll conducted by
Galaxy research which found that
53% of Australian Christians believe same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. The Christians 4 Equality webform and a list of clergy endorsing equality can be found
here:
