news

This is what a politician looks like when they stand up for their beliefs.

“If any young person is hurt by all these, please know that I stand with you. I’m on your side. So is the Victorian Government.”

Daniel Andrews is having none of this homophobic bullsh*t.

The Victorian Premier says he is “getting really sick” of state-sanctioned actions which tell same-sex attracted young people that they are abnormal.

“We won’t put up with this kind of cruel rubbish in our state,” he said of the New South Wales Liberal Government’s decision to ban the screening of the film Gayby Baby during school hours.

In a moving statement posted to his Facebook page he described the film as an “award-winning Australian documentary about same-sex parents who are raising beautiful families”.

Not, as The Daily Telegraph claimed, “homophobic propaganda.”

He said that he and his wife Cath had taken their children to a recent screening of the film at Melbourne International Film Festival and their whole family loved it.

He said that his NSW counterparts were wrong to assume it was a “confusing and distressing subject for high school students,” and had this powerful message for young people in his own state about the film:

All kids need to know there are lots of different kinds of families, and all kids need to know that the most important thing in any family is love.

And this isn’t just about what young people might think of the movie.

I’m also worried about what they might think of themselves.

Young people who are same-sex attracted often lead a quietly difficult life and they deserve our full support.

If you want to talk about things that confuse and distress young people, let’s talk about telling thousands upon thousands of them that they aren’t ‘normal’.

No one deserves that – and it’s just not true.

We won’t put up with this kind of cruel rubbish in our state.

If any young person is hurt by all these, please know that I stand with you. I’m on your side. So is the Victorian Government.

Well said, Daniel.

You can read the full post here.

For more on this story, try these:

The NSW Government has just sent a shameful message to the children of same-sex parents.

Coming out as a ‘gayby’. This story is beautiful.

Julia Gillard has FINALLY come out in support of marriage equality.

Tags:

Related Stories

Recommended

Top Comments

A spade's still a spade 9 years ago

Ok I am no Abbott fan (have quite a strong dislike for him actually) but this seems to me to be a really hypocritical article you've just printed. To title it 'this is what a politician looks like when he stands up for his beliefs' in a way suggesting this guy should be applauded for it but then pillory Abbott in the next article when he is only doing exactly the same thing...? Well I guess it just reinforces Mamamias obvious belief that it's only ok to 'stand up for your beliefs' if they are the views you seem acceptable.

Feast 9 years ago

Came to type almost the same thing but you beat me to it.

Anon 9 years ago

Put me down for an up vote √

guest 9 years ago

So agree Spade - it appears that "free speech" and your "own beliefs" are only allowed if you toe the line.