Jim Wallace of the Australian Christian Lobby
By CARL KATTER
Finally, reason and leadership prevail.
I was greatly disappointed when, earlier this year, the Prime Minister confirmed she would be making the keynote speech at the Australian Christian Lobby’s (ACL) national conference.
There are a few reasons why the news left me so very disappointed.
The ACL are fundamentally an extreme fringe organisation whose sole purpose is to facilitate and perpetuate hate against a small minority group: the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community; a community that has had a long struggle throughout modern history to gain the basic rights that others in our society take for granted.
Carl Katter
To the majority of moderate and progressive Christians, the ACL are irrelevant but this does not stop them from facilitating the misconception that they represent all Australian Christians.
Let’s be clear, this is a group that is exclusively motivated by hate. They have no other agenda than that of denigrating, stigmatising and perpetuating a broad range of lies and hate fuelled dogma directed at the LGBTI community.
Now, back to the Prime Minister and her speech.
Yesterday, the ACL’s Managing Director Mr Jim Wallace made the startling – and nonsensical – claim that homosexuality was as dangerous to your health as smoking.
The Australian reports:
Mr Wallace said smokers were owed “a big apology” as the lifespan of a gay male was reduced by up to 20 years, half that of a smoker.
“The life of smokers is reduced by something like seven to 10 years and yet we tell all our kids at school they shouldn’t smoke,” he said.
“We need to be aware that the homosexual lifestyle carries these problems.”
Not surprisingly for reasonable people everywhere, this is another damaging, wrong and unfounded statement from a right wing fringe group.
There has been a history now of the ACL quoting irrelevant and biased studies to stigmatise gay Australians. This is indicative of their desperation.
Almost immediately, in response to Jim Wallace’s outrageous claims, the Prime Minister withdrew her attendance at the ACL’s conference.
Prime Minister Gillard said in a statement that:
Julia Gillard
”To compare the health effects of smoking cigarettes with the many struggles gay and lesbian Australians endure in contemporary society is heartless and wrong.
Although everyone is entitled to their own view, these statements reiterated again today on behalf of ACL are totally unacceptable.
In light of this, I believe my attendance at the conference would be inappropriate.
There are a range of deeply held views in the community on the issue of same-sex marriage but it is the responsibility of all parties in this debate to be respectful and responsible in any public comments they make.”
At the end of the day any objection to marriage equality is blatant discrimination; that is, the presumption that one group of people are more entitled to rights than another group of people
Now I know that the Prime Minister still does not support marriage equality but this is a positive move. Maybe our Prime Minister’s views are evolving? And I am a strong believer in supporting those who support equality for all, or who are making the steps to get there.
So today I thank all reasonable Australians who have started the educational path to understanding and accepting our LGBTI brothers and sisters.
The aspiration to live in a harmonious, progressive and equal society is an admirable one. When one opens their heart to all, they are the ones who truly reap the rewards.
Such a comment may sound a little similar to those preached by a dude named Jesus over 2,000 years ago, maybe our friends at the ACL need a reminder of the teachings of this guy as well.
Carl Robert Katter is a board member of Australian Marriage Equality and lobbyist for equal rights for LGBTI Australians. Carl grew up in North Queensland and is the son of the late MP Bob Katter Snr. You can follow him on twitter at: @carlkatter
Do you think the Prime Minister made the right decision to pull out of the ACL Conference? If you are Christian, do the ACL and Jim Wallace speak for you?
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Comments
53 Comments so far
Personally, I think she should have still gone, stood up in front of them, and told them just what she thought of them and their bigoted 19th-century ideology.
But that’s just me :p
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I honestly don’t believe that by deciding not to attend this gathering, Julia Gillard’s view on same sex marriage is evolving.
If anything, whether it has been pointed out by another party or she herself has suddenly realised it, speaking at the event could end up being politically harmful. Ultimately her decision is a simple common sense move.
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At least Wallace has a rational (if deeply loony) reason for opposing gay marriage. After all, if homosexuality is dangerous to your health then it makes sense to oppose gay marriage (I suspect I alas need to make it clear that I don’t agree with the premise of this argument, I’m just stating it’s a logical one). What I don’t understand is why the PM, who presumably believes none of this nonsense is opposed to gay marriage. Anyone got an ideas? Tony Abbott is a conservative catholic so it makes sense why he would be opposed. Julia Gillard is, in Rudd’s charming language, a single, childless ex communist, this makes no sense at all.
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I rather doubt that health risks are the reason that Wallace opposes gay marriage. He may just be clinging to dodgy stats try and justify his own prejudice.
I would imagine that the PM was just an average citizen she would not be opposed to gay marriage but she’s not an average citizen.
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The reason that gay people’s life expectancy is lower is because the absue, vilification and discrimination they have to live with.
Gay life expectancy is brought down hugely by the suicide rate. Suicides are a product of bullying, villification, and people realizing they have not choice about being gay in a society that hates them.
It is also because some gay people cope with the stressors of that vilification by smoking, or doing other lifestyle things that harm their health.
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Thank you for putting that more eloquently than I could.
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Did anyone else here once hold homophobic views as a young teen?
I did- I remember a lesbian teacher we had( I didn’t know at the time) initiated a debate about in class when I was 14. I was brought up Jehovahs’s Witness so at the time I held very stong homophobic views.
But I grew up and moved away, and many class mates and friends came out over the years and I realised people are just people. No better or worse because of this.
And then my parents evolved as well- My dad even made breakfast and has a gay couple who are family friends stay at his house when they were travelling through his town. He even made them up a double bed.
It is amazing how reasonable people can be when they know gay people and realise they are just like evryone else.
I wish I could go back and appologise to that teacher- I really liked her and it wasn’t until a few years later I realised she was gay and how hurtful it must have been to hear what she heard in that class room.
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Yep, I came from a rather strictly conservative Christian background and was raised with views including homophobia, discrimination in various forms (against other religions, against women…and I AM one!!)and even racism to a certain extent (my parents were against the idea of anyone in the family marrying someone from another race).
Almost as soon as I hit my 20′s I changed my views. I opened my eyes and realised some of my very best friends were of other faiths, other races and other sexual orientations. I realised that the suppression of women from within the church I was raised in was not necessarily done from a perspective of protection (as I had always been told) but from one of control.
Like your family, mine have travelled a similar road to me. My brother married an Asian and she was warmly welcomed into the family. My parents have gay friends. My parents, too, have left the church we attended as a young family and now attend one with welcomes LGBTI and with equal roles for men and women. Given my mother was such a feminist outside of church it always surprised me she was willing to put up with the claptrap they spouted within it.
My faith is still Christian-based. In his time Christ sought out prostitutes and tax collectors and I have no doubt who he’d be seen with today. And it’s not the ACL.
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Fantastic article – very well put. Carl Katter is the best Katter!
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Agree with most of this. However I disagree that anyone who is against marriages definition changing (from man and woman to man and man or woman and woman) is suddenly discriminatory. People have all definitions of what marriage should be, many people belief that gay people should have a seperate institution which is legally equal but just a different institution. Those people aren’t discriminating against anyone as it is equal rights, just a different way it is demonstrated.
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Funny that – this is the same aguement used by the apartheid government in South Africa
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Isn’t that like having different drinking fountains for whites and ‘coloureds’?
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It’s equal, just different? Like how negros had different water fountains than the whites? They are EQUAL, just DIFFERENT.
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My mum thinks Jim Wallace is cookcoo, this from a conservite who needed therapy after I told her I was homo. I have been watching there web page for some time along with several extremist groups, I copy all I read because I know that they delete things. When I heard PM Julia was attending the ACL con I quickly sent off an email to her with copies of the comments posted on the site (all were removed on the announcement of her attendance) some very colourful words were used to depict my status. I received a reply from Ms Gillards office last week stating she serves all Australians and will be attending. I’m delighted she withdrew but the smoking line is nothing compared to what on the site.
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Yes I imagine somebody in her office will get a good talking to over that! I’m pretty sure Julia’s fairly moderate stance on gay marriage, ( she doesn’t really seem to be pro or con), is not represented by this group so who thought it was a good idea?
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In my view, if a culture, religion or political party holds beliefs that HARM others then those beliefs are wrong and should be questioned and changed.
Is it ethical to perform surgical practices on children in the name of religion ?……No it isn’t.
Is it ethical to suppress, harm, beat, torture, murder women in the name of religion ?…..No it isn’t.
Is it ethical to harm animals in any way in the name of religion ?….No it isn’t.
Is it ethical to discriminate, vilify, hurt, harm, disadvantage in the name of religion a group of adults who’ve chosen someone of the same sex to love and share their lives ?…No it isn’t.
Is it ethical to harm others who’ve chosen a belief to follow (without harming people) in the name of religion ?…No, of course it isn’t.
I think that ethics are what’s important here
I find it hard to believe that Julia Gillard personally disapproves of gay marriage, but sometimes Prime Ministers must go with the status quo in these matters until their personal approval rating improves enough to risk a backlash – that’s what politicians do sadly.
……
But full marks for not attending this ACL Hate-Fest……I mean who on earth would want to share a stage with these desperate, childish fundamentalists ?…..although watching them unravel might be fun…..lol.
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we need more of this Katter in the media!
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Pingback: Katter: Why the ACL are dangerous
Something silly for a giggle. Yesterday on the way home, the kids wanted an icecream. I said yes since it was nice and hot. 7YO chose a Golden Gaytime, he says “Look it’s a Golden Jaytime”. I said “Gaytime”. He says “what does that mean?” I said “Well, it used to mean happy, and now the meaning has changed to mean when a man wants to marry a man, or a lady wants to marry a lady”. He said “OK”. And 6YO (boy) says “I am gay. I am going to marry a boy, because girls are yuck!” And through the giggles, I said “Darling, you can marry whoever you want to”
(and yes, I know he can’t technically marry yet, but it’s the easiest way to describe it. Plus I’m assuming that it’ll all be sorted out by the time he’s old enough.)
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Note to Julia:
Dear Julia,
So you disagree with the ACL about smoking. That’s great. But I understand you still agree with them strongly about denying all Australians the right to equality before the law in marriage. That’s not so great.
Surely someone in your office googled the ACL before you agreed to pander to this extremist hate group, and alerted you to the fact that they have been making hateful, bigotted and homophobic remarks about LGBTI people for many years now? Surely someone tapped you on the shoulder about this?
You don’t get a gold star from me Julia… the fact is, you should never have agreed to share a platform with extremists like this in the first place. And as for my vote – I will take another look at you only when you declare your support for marriage equality and repudiate groups like the ACL for denying the human rights of their fellow Australians.
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At the end of the day beliefs are beliefs and most of our intersectional beliefs are in harmony, but then everyone harbours a core principle that isn’t so popular. I am not a Christian, don’t believe in their stance, but I wont call them bigoted or evil because they have a fundamental belief.
It’s rude to call people bigots with whom you don’t agree, sure when they start burning crosses and being abusive, call a spade a spade, why do progressives seem to think their own beliefs are beyond reproach?
The best arguments are with facts and logic, not name calling, but people still have the right to their beliefs – I just think their should be a universal law that protects us from everybody else’s.
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@FHB:
The ACL have been making false, defammatory and vilifying statements about LGBTI people for many years now… completely devoid of facts and logic.
They are bigots. There is no getting around this fact.
If they were campaigning against equal marriage rights for couples of mixed race, differing religions or differing political viewpoints – would you still be so quick to leap to their defence against the charge of bigotry?
Progressives call the ACL bigots because they condemn themselves out of their own words and behaviour.
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Andrew I can see the passion in your reply.
Firstly, let me just say I am pro gay marriage or any marriage of two adults willing to enter of their own volition regardless of race, gender or biological relativity.
Secondly, I am an Athiest (you see where this is going) and just because I don’t agree with religion doesn’t mean I don’t respect their right to believe whatever they want.
My point comes to a crux when I say that everybody thinks their belief system is THE one and all should live by it and that’s where the ACL falls down in my eyes, but so does everybody else, whether you’re a corporatist, a socialist or a environmental revolutionist – I could call every single belief system that purports to tell me what to do, because they think they are wiser or more ethical or are just power structured, that they are bigots because our ethics cross paths on the negative.
I believe the state shouldn’t really have a say in my individual rights or yours and that marriage should have nothing to do with government. Who the hell is anyone (no matter what their beliefs) to tell another what to do.
The size of the mob does not correlate to the morality of it.
I don’t think the ACL hate homosexuality, I think they are naive and myopic. I won’t defend what they say, just their right to their beliefs.
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@FHB: I agree with your post up until your last paragraph.
The ACL consistently lobby against any kind of ethical treatment of queer individuals. This included campaigning against any official recognition (eg relationship registers) at state level. This includes encouraging comparison between poorer health outcomes for GLBTI individuals and the health risks of smoking. This includes encouraging actions in Queensland to prevent “same-sex couples from acquiring babies” (which currently appears to include jail time for even suggesting, as a woman, that you would be willing to be a surrogate for a gay couple)
I think that the ACL *do* hate homosexuality. It certainly *feels* as if they do. They seem to focus on it almost to the exclusion of any other issue these days.
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I guess Dylan, I’m drawing a distinction between fundamentally opposing something and hating it.
I wouldn’t call them the Westboro Baptist Church just yet.
The whole world is paralyzed by opposing views, my solution is to take all power away from the views by giving them no say in personal matters rendering perceived or real hate moot.
The poorer health line was either willfully stupid or stupidly idiotic, but I wont defend their capacity for intellective reasoning.
The system gives real bigots the power to enforce their views so long as they are the majority. The answer is in systemic change to remove power and course correct.
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Bigot — n
a person who is intolerant of any ideas other than his or her own, esp on religion, politics, or race.
Wallace is indeed a bigot.
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There is a new Christian Lobby group out called A Progressive Christian Voice. The president is the Dean of the Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane Rev Dr Peter Catt. We are pro gay marriage, pro choice, pro Gonski and pro treating refugees and all people with the love and respect they deserve as God’s people. Most recently they/we have spoken out against Sydney Anglicans use of ‘submission’ in the marriage vows. For more info check us out on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AProgressiveChristianVoiceAustralia
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JosieY
I loved hearing about this!!
Thanks so much for telling us!
xxxx
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Thanks for the info Josie – I might be comfortable identifying as a Christian again – for too long it has been shown only as a political ideology, and a hateful, mean-spirited one too, belittling gays and other minorities. Great link!
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Please retrieve my comment, I promise it wasn’t spam even though it had a link!
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Well done Julia for not attending, I couldn’t imagine Tony Abbott having the boobs to do this. Clearly she will lose lots of votes however integrity to your values are so much more important. It’s good to see this alive and well.
I’m not sure most of their members are motivated by hate (well as they see it anyway) i think it has to do with ignorance and fear. Most religions apart from Buddhism are built around fear and I suspect most people are fearful that if they let Gay people into their religion then hells bells what could happened then they might all go to hell?
We should be teaching difference as the only thing we have in common.
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Having the boobs. Love it.
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HAHA! hope that phrase catches on – that’s awesome
You have the boobs!
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HA! “The boobs”! I’m going to use that!
Love it! xx
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“Such a comment may sound a little similar to those preached by a dude named Jesus over 2,000 years ago, maybe our friends at the ACL need a reminder of the teachings of this guy as well.”
Exactly right! All the stories of Jesus in the Bible talk about him hanging out with the most marginalised members of society, shocking the religious leaders of the day – if he came back today I reckon a few of his 12 disciples would be gay (and maybe they were, who knows!)
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This sentence:
‘ but this does not stop them from facilitating the misconception that they represent all Australian Christians’.
TRUE!
I am a Christian. The ACL do not represent my views WHATSOEVER. I believe in loving, not judging. As an imperfect human being I have no right to tell anyone their life choices are wrong. I am 100% pro marriage equality. It makes perfect, harmonious, non-discriminatory sense to allow everyone to marry, regardless of who they love!
I very much dislike that I am misrepresented by the ACL. Just because we both call ourselves Christian does not mean we have the same beliefs, thank God.
Ms Gillard, good on you for backing out. Saved by the bell, or the cigarette, as it were.
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I think the PM absolutely made the right decision to pull out. But here’s my question. The ACL are well-known for being extremist and hateful … WHAT WAS SHE DOING agreeing to speak to them in the first place?
I don’t think she deserves applause for pulling out of something she should never have agreed to in the first place.
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Exactly becsparrow! It was a mistake & I reckon she was relieved they provided a reason to withdraw from the conference. But I’m glad she did agree in the first instance as it’s provided a lot more publicity that if she hadn’t.
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Exactly! Her commitment has incensed anyone campaigning for marriage equality ever since it was announced. I’ve lost count of the number of petitions formally requesting she cancel that I’ve signed. Thank *God* this dill Wallace said what he did when he did.
Divine intervention!
.
p.s. Please remove the apostrophe on the plural Australians – 3rd last sentence
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Fixed. Thanks xxx
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Hi Carl, what a great article. Thanks for writing this. As a young Christian woman it is so disappointing and disheartening to hear the rubbish that people like Jim Wallace are saying…supposedly on behalf of Christians. Agreed, this is nothing like what Jesus would have said, and comments like Jim’s are just so transparent…not motivated by love at all, but so misinformed and judgemental.
“To the majority of moderate and progressive Christians, the ACL are irrelevant but this does not stop them from facilitating the misconception that they represent all Australian Christians.”..Could not agree more.
Sorry that you’ve been on the receiving end of much hate and blatant ignorance. So undeserved.
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I find it hard to believe that organisations like this are allowed to exist anymore. Thank goodness our PM has the basic common sense these people of the ACL are clearly lacking.
Don’t let the heading below fool you … read on!
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I stopped at point 5 – surely this must be some kind of silly joke? Please say yes….
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Read it again in a really sarcastic voice.
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Yes, Daffyrocks.
It’s humour but with a little bit of sarcasm
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Oh thank goodness – I was about to go and find some really tall people to hang out with!!
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I love it! “Real Americans always reject unnatural things like….polyester” Gosh, the 70s must have been a let-down.
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Love it!
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I think they’re idiots but what’s with “allowed to exist anymore”? They are entitled to their views in a free country and we are entitled to disagree with them. Interested to know exactly what you propose to do to deal with people who choose to belong to an organisation that’s not allowed to exist – prison, fines, re-education camps or perhap even “disappearing” them? Fortunately history provides plenty of precedents. OK, that’s a little sarky, I don’t think you want to kill or imprison anyone for having the wrong opinion but what do you do with members of a disallowed organisation? Serious question.
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Of course people can have their own opinion. But when they start fabricting facts, like in the example above, it is no longer harmless. I can hate bananas, but if I invent research that states they cause cancer and everyone stops eating them, I have caused harm (and a potassium deficiency might be on the rise.
)
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I love this!!!!! It really points out the stupididty of a lot of the nonsensical arguments against gy marriage that are out there.
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Nicely put Katter and Gillard!
It’s a small step, but most definitely one in the right direction.
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Wallace is claiming he was taken out of context, but whatever way he put it, comparing homosexual health with smoking is beyond ridiculous.
I support Gillard’s decision to pull out. I particularly like her last paragraph in her statement above.
My question is: why does the ACL get such a voice in the media?
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They get a voice in the media coz they’re likely to provide further fodder for the media.
Wallace is a bully. And, b/c he won’t own what he says, he’s a coward. His repeated conduct makes one reflect on the roles he had with his former employer.
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