Victorian Liberal MP Joe McCracken used his inaugural speech to parliament this week to share that he is gay and in a same-sex relationship.
The Liberal MP for Western Victoria said only his parents and a handful of close friends were aware of his sexuality and relationship before he made his announcement in parliament. McCracken also questioned if there was any need for LGBTIQA+ organisations, flags, or dedicated radio stations.
Speaking in parliament McCracken shared that his previous career had been as a teacher in the Catholic education system, where he said he was focused on preparing young people for the real world, not training activists.
“I led the creation of programs which were factual, evidence-based and, most importantly, non-biased. Curriculum should focus on giving students life experiences in preparation for a future in the real world, not training activists.” he said.
After discussing his time as local government councilor, and motivations for joining the Liberal party, the members then moved on his personal news.
“Most people would not know this about me, and it may come as a shock to some. I actually do have a partner in my life, but my partner is a he, not a she. Jack, I want to thank you for all your support and care over the last period of time. It has been so appreciated. I do not know what I would have done without you.
McCracken said for a lot of his life he has been ashamed of his sexuality.
“It has taken me a long time to come to terms with this. I have experienced doubt, shame, anxiety and many other things. I have never really talked about it much or made an issue of it, because I never wanted to be defined by it.
“I hate identity politics, and I will fight against it whenever I can. I have always struggled with the concept of defining a person by one aspect of who they are. A person is made up of a large set of diverse characteristics – age, gender, sexuality, race, religion, occupation. Why do we need to take one of those characteristics, amplify it and define a person in that way?
“The simple answer is: we do not, we should not. I think LGBT activists in Victoria need to carefully consider their public perception. Many, including me, have difficulty being associated with the movement. Most people in the LGBT community just want to get on with living their lives. Gay people do not need to be treated any differently to anyone else – no separate doctors, no separate radio stations, no festivals, and no separate flags.
“And I question the need for a separate flag to identify the LGBT community, the rainbow flag. Flags represent nations and countries, and the only flags I will be saluting are the Australian flag and the Victorian flag. They are the only flags that do not discriminate on the people they represent.” McCracken said.
Austin Fabry-Jenkins, the co-convener of the Victorian Pride Lobby welcomed McCracken’s decision to come out during his speech but disagreed with his assessment on queer organisations and symbols.
“Joe may not think he agrees with the Pride Lobby on anything, but he also is a gay man with lived experience in western Victoria and as a rural man. There are plenty of things that LGBTQ members of that community need to thrive.” Fabry-Jenkins told Melbourne newspaper The Age.
McCracken told the newspaper that he became annoyed when he was a university student when he discovered there was a scholarship that was only available to LGBTIUQA+ students.
“We have got a system where equality is enshrined with everything we do, we have anti-discrimination laws which make it a crime to discriminate someone based on their sexuality. If we really want to treat people equally, we should have that as our standard. I don’t think we need to go above and beyond that.” McCracken said.
McCracken posted a clip of his speech to his Facebook account, saying “The most important speech I have ever made. This is who I am.”
OIP Staff
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