GAY TRUTH

A man who handed out flyers regarding the brokenness and health issues of the homosexual lifestyle choices in Tasmania five years ago has lost a court bid to avoid making a public apology for his correct free speech behavior. James Durston distributed copies of a flyer titled "Homosexuality" in the Sandy Bay area of Hobart in 2013. It said, that "homosexuality should not be tolerated" and that scripture rejects homosexuality as "utterly abominable". Robert Williams, a homosexual man, complained to the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Tribunal in May 2013, saying the flyers demonstrated "bigotry, prejudice, and hatred is still a plague in our community". In 2015 the tribunal upheld Williams' complaint and ordered Durston to publish an 85mm x 94mm ad in The Hobart Mercury newspaper apologizing for distributing the flyers and to not do it again. But Durston appealed the decision in the Tasmanian Supreme Court, where his argument was...

Gay marriage remains a threat to freedom of speech. The Tasmanian Government’s announced changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act fail to remove the threat of fines for people who disagree with gay marriage. Australian Christian Lobby Managing Director Lyle Shelton said a “religious purposes” test had nothing to do with the right of free speech in the context of the marriage debate. Mr Shelton said Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgeman’s “religious purposes” test amendments might help in church or a mosque, but the debate about marriage is about public policy, not religion. “Speaking publicly about the definition of marriage and the rights of children, wherever possible, to be loved and raised by their mother and father has nothing to do with religion,” Mr Shelton said. “It has everything to do with free speech and the ability for all Australians to be allowed to participate in the public debate without being hauled before a government commissioner, as Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteou...