Religious leader Margaret Court has put out a video claiming that Australian children are going to school as cats and dogs.
Warning: This story has comments which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
In a video that looks more like a political broadcast than a religious address, the 81 year old tennis champion turned preacher calls on Australian governments to take action against transgender youth.
In the video Reverend Court shares the regularly debunked urban myth that children are going to school identifying as cats and dogs.
“What are you as a government doing to our children?” Court says in the clip. “You are brainwashing their minds, and we wonder why we have over 40% of our young people with mental problems, not knowing whether they are a boy or a girl.
“They can now come dressed as a cat or a dog to school. What chance have they in life to have a healthy mind?”
The founder of the evangelical Victory Life Church calls on Australia’s political leaders to shut down gender treatment services for young people.
It’s not the first time Court has claimed that Australia’s youth are being brainwashed into being gay, lesbian or transgender.
Back in 2015 she claimed the Safe Schools anti-bullying program was akin to communism. The religious leader indicated that she believed that if people allowed thoughts of homosexuality into their ‘thought realm’ it may affect their thinking.
In 2023 Court described transgender people, and those choosing to be in same-sex relationships, as having their minds taken by the devil.
Media Watch questions Adelaide newspaper and Sky News for their most recent cat stories
The ABC’s Media Watch program this week questioned a story published in an Adelaide Newspaper that claimed that a serving South Australian police officer identified as a cat.
The story in the Adelaide Advertiser was then picked up by Sky News presenter Rita Panahi, who discussed it with regular commentator Prue McSween.
On Monday night’s episode host Paul Barry questioned the original report that does not identify the name of the police officer, their rank, the station they serve at, or contain any direct sources.
Media Watch also noted that News Corp publications, and Rita Panahi have made claims about people identify as cats several times and all the reports have been “debunked, dismissed or written off a school yard antics.”
Barry said the report was “nonsense” noting that the paper had declined to comment on it’s accuracy.
Do you need some support?
If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, support and counselling are available from:
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DISCHARGED: info@discharged.asn.au / discharged.asn.au
Discharged is a trans-led support service with peer support groups for trans and gender diverse folks.
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