Senator Eric Abetz has labeled the rainbow flag as “the flag of a hostile nation” during a Senate Estimates Committee hearing.
This morning the Tasmanian senator, who is a leading campaigner in the fight to stop marriage equality in Australia, quizzed officials from the Department of Finance about the protocols for flying a rainbow flag within a government building.
The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that Senator Abetz said he had heard reports of the rainbow flag, which is a symbol of the gay and lesbian community, being displayed within the foyer of the Department of Finance.
Seantor Abetz said because some employees of the Department of Finance may be opposed to marriage equality it was only proper that an equal opportunity be given to a group arguing for the marriage laws to remain in their current state.
“To cut to the chase, there was the rainbow flag on display in the lobby which, believe it or not, some people see as an activist flag for a particular cause in relation to an issue of whether or not we should change the legislation on marriage and some people of course support that cause, others don’t.
“If that is allowed, then one imagines that the Marriage Alliance banner should be flown equally,” Senator Abetz said.
PM Turnbull – are you with the two-thirds of Australians who want marriage equality? Or Senator Abetz and his flag obsessions? #estimates pic.twitter.com/gt1iZeS3kR
— Janet Rice (@janet_rice) February 28, 2017
The Marriage Alliance is a group campaign for marriage to be limited to heterosexual relationships. They also campaign against the Safe Schools anti-bulling program and transgender rights.
The group caused controversy when they released a campaign featuring a woman with a rainbow noose around her neck, and launched a Father’s Day campaign filled with dubious claims.
Senator Abetz demanded to know who had permitted the rainbow flag to be flown within the Finance department.
“If you allow one side of the debate, then you need to allow the other side and that is why I sought to determine upfront who is responsible for making these determinations.”
The Rainbow flag is a flag of a “hostile nation”
The Senator then went on to describe the flag as the symbol of a “hostile nation”.
“This particular flag, you will realise, is the flag of the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands, that declared war on Australia and you Senator Cormann would understand they did the same as Prince Leonard of Hutt River Province and now this is their official flag,” Senator Abetz said.
“Of course, it is the flag of a hostile nation if we are to believe them, having declared war on Australia. I dare say that wasn’t the reason it was flown…”
It appears back in 2004 a protest against the nation’s ban on same sex marriage was launched. A tiny uninhabited island in the coral sea was proclaimed The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea. Activist Dale Parker Anderson was proclaimed the Emperor of the protest nation.
The protesters then declared war on Australia. They also chose Handel’s Zadok the Priest as their national anthem and released some colorful postage stamps.
The nation claims to be 100% homosexual and their main camp is named Heaven after the famous queer nightclub in London.
Find out more about the queer nation we’re at war with on their website.
Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Flags should be flown in Govt Departments – not activist flags.
— Eric Abetz (@SenatorAbetz) February 28, 2017
I object to Eric Abetz in Government House. But then democracy always has drawbacks. https://t.co/RebqzlQ5W3
— Michael Marshall (@harrypotter6116) February 28, 2017
I object to Eric Abetz being displayed in government buildings
🏳️🌈 https://t.co/FadDr36ZXV— Jesse Fultone (@JesseFultone) February 28, 2017
Australian Christian Lobby campaigns against rainbow flags
Senator Abetz’ comments follow the launch of a new campaign by the Australian Christian Lobby to banish the rainbow flag from public buildings.
Last week the group criticised the ACT government for flying the rainbow flag in Canberra.
The group’s Managing Director Lyle Shelton said it was no longer appropriate for the rainbow flag to be flown as it had become a symbol closely linked to a political movement.
“The rainbow flag has become the standard of a political movement that believes children should be taught their gender is fluid at a ‘safe school’, something many parents would take issue with,” Shelton said.
“It is the flag of the movement to redefine marriage – a movement that is pushing for children to be denied their biological parents through unethical assisted reproductive practices such as commercial surrogacy and anonymous sperm donation.
“It is the flag of a movement that wants to use so-called hate speech laws to fine Australians who refuse to bow to its political agenda,” Shelton said.
OIP Staff
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