Former state politician Peter Abetz argues that the media is not giving enough coverage that focuses on the flow-on effects of allowing same sex couples to marry.
“I think the difficulty we generally have is the media, generally speaking, do not want the community to actually hear about the consequences.” Abetz told local community news program Undercurrent.
Abetz cited an interview his brother, Tasmanian senator Eric Abetz, did with the ABC program 7:30, where his brother appeared alongside Alex Greenwich from Australian Marriage Equality.
In the interview Greenwich dismissed concerns about flow-on effects stating that the only change would be that happy couples who are in love would be able to get married.
“Because the mainstream media are so pro-same-sex marriage they actually silence that.” Abetz said.
Abetz said he was frustrated that while media had attended the Coalition for Marriage’s Western Australian launch they had not provided in-depth coverage of what the speakers at the event had to say.
“Keith Mills, an Irish homosexual man, who was very involved in the ‘no’ campaign in Ireland, he actually spoke about what the consequences of what’s happened in Ireland since they’ve introduced same sex marriage.
‘Well guess what, the media were there to cover the event, but none of the comments that any of the speakers made, including Keith Mills, none of those were reported.” Abetz said.
The former MP said that it was disappointing that The West Australian newspaper had declined to run an advertisement that featured a 2012 quote from lesbian writer Marsha Gessen.
“She was on a writer’s panel where she specifically says the same-sex community is lying about the fact that same sex marriage would not change the institution of marriage.” Abetz said. “She goes on to say that ‘we lie about the consequences’ and she goes to say that ‘we believe that marriage shouldn’t really exist.'”
Abetz said The West Australian wouldn’t publish the advertisement because it would be considered vilification under the federal laws.
Radical sex education, loss of freedom of speech and loss of religious freedom, are the areas Abetz listed as his concerns regarding potential changes to society if the marriage laws are altered.
Alongside his role as the WA Campaign Director for the Coalition for Marriage, Abetz is planning a return to politics.
After two terms in the state parliament he lost his seat at the 2017 election, but he’s launched a bid to get a seat on the Gosnells City Council.
OIP Staff
Support OUTinPerth
Thanks for reading OUTinPerth. We can only create LGBTIQA+ focused media with your help.
If you can help support our work, please consider assisting us through a one-off contribution to our GoFundMe campaign, or a regular contribution through our Patreon appeal.
Â
