Former Liberal party candidate Katherine Deves has labeled the gay rights movement a Godless Neo-religion.
Deves, who is also the head of Save Women’s Sport Australasia – a body that campaigns against transgender people participating in sport against cis-gender people – made the comment while appearing on The World According to Rowan Dean on Sky News.
Deves was appearing on a panel who were discussing the announcement that Greater Western Sydney forward Haneen Zreika will sip next week’s Pride round on religious grounds.
“Looking at the issue of Pride, that is effectively a Neo-religion, and it’s a religion without a God. It’s a religion based on identity and obviously this young player – she doesn’t want to adhere to that.” Deves said.
Deves said while Zreika would be permitted to sit out the round for a second year in a row, it showed there was still a need for federal religious discrimination laws.
“We don’t have don’t have legislation at a federal level to protect religion, to protect religion and belief, and also freedom from religion and belief. I think we need to have a really grown up conversation in Australia about how people are allowed to believe in religion and how they’re allowed to have beliefs, or not hold those beliefs or not follow that religion, and that should not impact how you do your job.
Discussion on long promised religious focused anti-discrimination laws has reignited this week after business leader Andrew Thorburn announced he would be setting down from his new role as the CEO of Essendon Football Club.
Thorburn had only been in the role for a single day when he announced his departure. Fans of the football club had questioned his ability to uphold the club’s values of inclusion and battling homophobia, while he also held a leadership role at the City on a Hill church.
A series of video sermons and web pages from the church that argued against homosexuality and compared abortion to Nazi Concentration Camps had been highlighted in the media.
Prior to announcing his departure from the club, Thorburn argued that he would be able to hold both roles, and noted that his personal beliefs did not always align with those of the church where he served as chairman. He did not however expand upon what his personal views on abortion or homosexuality were.
OIP Staff
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