GAY TRUTH

Senator FIERRAVANTI-WELLS (New South Wales— Minister for International Development and the Pacific ) (16:33): I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017. In doing so, I echo the sentiments of almost five million Australians who, like me, voted no. Some senators have touched on the history of the Marriage Act. You would think that the traditional definition of marriage commenced only in 2004, conveniently overlooking the fact that the amendment passed the parliament with barely a whisper of opposition. In fact, the division on the final bill even showed Senator Wong as listed among the ayes. The Howard amendment, of course, merely confirmed what common law—a near universal understanding—had known for centuries: that marriage is the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others voluntarily entered into for life. Today, even to suggest this point of view quickly leads to cries of bigotry or...

A Sydney mayor has accused Christian activists of "vandalism and intimidation" after two provocative insulting murals of two leaders were painted over in the days after Australia said 'yes' to immoral homosexual marriage. The murals - one featuring former prime minister Tony Abbott dressed as a bride with his hand down a shirtless Cardinal George Pell 's pants and the other depicting singer George Michael as a saint - have been painted over in Newtown and Erskineville respectively. The newspapers ran the pictures and millions of Australians were horrified and insulted by the profane imagery which depicts the sin of homosexuality being put onto other people. Those behind the alleged vandalism said they were defending their religion, while Christian leaders said the murals were pernicious, abusive, intolerant and frankly disgusting revealing the ultimate agenda of the gay movement - sexual lust. Both incidents were filmed by onlookers and footage online of th...

John Howard is warning that broad protections for religious freedoms are unlikely to pass the Senate if the Yes vote wins, following Labor’s decision to back a same-sex marriage bill proposed by West Australian Liberal senator Dean Smith . The former prime minister — a key campaigner against gay marriage — argued the decision by Labor to lock in behind Senator Smith’s bill was an “added reason” for Australians to vote No in the $122 million postal survey. Mr Howard told The Australian the protections offered in Senator Smith’s bill provided only the “bare minimum” in terms of religious protections, saying a Yes outcome could force faith-based schools, charities and social-service providers to close or change the way they operate. “My position has been clear all along that I think the government should have spelt out what it had in mind,” Mr Howard said. “If the government continues to take the stance they’ll just facilitate a private member’s bill, it’s difficult to see a private ...

Religious liberty is all very well and all that, but it has its limits in Victoria’s state schools where principals are bound by Ministerial Direction 145. The determination allows faith-based religious instruction at the principal’s discretion providing no child attends for more than 30 minutes a week, and then only in the lunch break or in the hour before or after school. Parents must complete form CD145 — available in 15 languages — to give consent. Instructors must be referred to as instructors or special instructors, never as teachers. Teaching material cannot be described as “curriculum” and may only be referred to as “materials” or “program materials”. The Safe Schools program is different. There is no parental red tape to navigate since Safe School classes are compulsory and will be conducted in every state school by next year. In summary, parents must apply to have kids study the biblical canon, but they don’t get asked if they’d like their kids to study OMG I’m Queer, OMG...

The Conversation  article today was one by Emeritus Professor Bill Louden, “ FactCheck: will Safe Schools be ‘mandatory’ if  same-sex  marriage is legalised? ”  (The Conversation , Oct 2, 2017). This was in response to a claim made on advertising issued by the Australian Conservatives: If same-sex marriage is legalised, Safe Schools and others like it will be mandatory in schools. It is worth noting, of course, that Professor Louden, as the Conversation makes clear: was previously on the board of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). In 2016, Bill Louden was commissioned by Education Minister Simon Birmingham to conduct an independent review into the appropriateness and efficacy of the Safe Schools Coalition Australia program resource. The result of Professor Louden’s previous, very quick, review was that the Turnbull Government withdrew some of its support for the “Safe Schools” program, although not immed...

The first article, by Robyn J Whitaker, “ If Australia says ‘yes’, churches are still free to say ‘no’ to marrying  same-sex  couples ” ( The Conversation ,  Oct 2 , 2017), reassures churches that they currently enjoy freedom to decline to marry those who ask to be married by them, and that this will continue. The article is a fair summary of the current law- under the  Marriage Act  1961 (Cth),  s 47(a) relevantly provides: Nothing in this Part (a) imposes an obligation on an authorised celebrant, being a minister of religion, to solemnise any marriage… This provisions protects all ministers of religion (even those from denominations not “proclaimed” under s 26 of the Act) from being required, purely by virtue of the authority that they may have under Part IV of the  Marriage Act  (“this Part” referred to in s 47) ,  to solemnise a marriage that is contrary to their religious beliefs. However, there are two important ...

Sydney 's recent homosexual marriage equality rally was a flurry of signs and love as 10,000 people marched down Oxford Street in favor of the 'yes' immoral homosexual marriage vote.  But one clearly confused boy stood out from the crowd with a disco of rainbow-colored hair and a sign it has now gone viral online on the LGBT circuit. Marching alongside his family, 12-year-old Max Townes held up a placard with the words 'All I want is the right to marry Chris Hemsworth . You've got five years until I'm 18, Australia ! You too Chris!' His mother Megan Townes posted the photo to her Twitter account.  Max, decided to draw a picture of himself on the piece of cardboard and asked for help from his mother to colour it in and write the correct wording.  Most Australians are concerned that LGBT ideology is being passed onto children, too young to understand any ramifications of these lifestyle choices. Far from heart-warming as some LGBT radicals hav...

Today the High Court denied me leave to appeal against the Chief of Defence Force ’s decision to terminate my appointment as an officer, as upheld by the Full Court of the Federal Court earlier this year. I have been fortunate to have had so much support in this battle. Today we have been defeated and for that I apologise. I feel that I have let many Australians down. This defeat does not just affect me personally. It affects all Australians. And the implications if the laws change on marriage are obvious. The Full Court of the Federal Court’s decision now stands. It found that it was legal for the Chief of Defence Force to impose ‘cultural change’ policies that include official support for events like the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and its campaign for homosexual marriage . It found that it was legal for the Chief of Defence Force to prohibit any private comments objecting to this overt display of support for a radical political agenda and anti-Christian vilification. It...

One of Sydney ’s most exclusive girls’ schools has been forced to ­intervene after students attempted to hijack Wear it Purple Day on Friday and turn it into a “wear it rainbow’’ event to celebrate the gay, lesbian and transgender community. Parents with children at ­Kambala complained that material promoting a “rainbow’’ celebration had been posted around the Rose Bay institution overlooking Sydney Harbour. “The posters were not authorised by the school and have been taken down,’’ principal Shane Hogan said last night. He also dismissed claims there had been hundreds of posters. “We’re celebrating Purple Day like any other school … All schools are invited to do so and it’s to celebrate diversity, acceptance and respect,’’ Mr Hogan said. “The values being promoted are in line with the Christian ethos of the school in acceptance and respect of all people.’’ Angry parents had earlier expressed concerns that posters had been plastered around the Anglican school urging students to “...