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Gays and Marriage Equality: Gillard Slammed Over ‘Christian Heritage’ Claim
 Advocates demand Australian PM “explain or withdraw her comments”

SYDNEY, August 20, 2010  –  Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been savaged by marriage equality advocates who have labelled her claim in the run-up to this weekend’s Federal Election that she opposes same-sex marriage because of Australia’s “heritage as a Christian country”, as offensive, ridiculous and extreme.

Australian Marriage Equality National Secretary, Peter Furness, said Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Mexico and all other countries that allow same-sex marriages have a much longer “Christian heritage” than Australia.

“We demand Julia Gillard explain what Australia's ‘Christian heritage’ has to do with same-sex marriage – does she believe discrimination is acceptable because some people think homosexuality is a sin, or because a minority of couples still marry in churches even though marriage is a civil, secular institution in Australian society?

“We demand to know how far Gillard will go in the name of our ‘Christian heritage’ – will she outlaw divorce and interracial marriages, re-criminalise homosexuality and abortion, suppress atheism, and remove herself and all other women from leadership roles?

“We also want to know why she is only upholding the ‘Christian heritage’ of churches that discriminate, and not those that solemnise same-sex marriages,” Mr. Furness continued.

“Gillard’s words sound like something an anti-gay, ‘morals’ campaigner like Rev. Fred Nile would say and are far more extreme than anything John Howard, Tony Abbott or Kevin Rudd have ever said on the issue.

“Anyway you look at it, Gillard’s statement is offensive, ridiculous and extreme and must be explained or withdrawn.”

Mr Furness agreed with Ms Gillard’s further comment that “the Marriage Act has a special status in our culture”.

“That is precisely why it should not enshrine discrimination, exclusion and prejudice”, he said.

“On this issue, Australians want leaders who represent broad community support for equality, not leaders who pander to tiny minorities of fundamentalists wanting to impose their outdated beliefs on everyone else.”

Repeated polls have shown almost twice as many Australians support same-sex marriage than oppose it.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is leader of the governing, centre-left, Australian Labor Party.  She is also an unmarried, self-confessed atheist and Australia’s first female Prime Minister. 

Australians go to the polls tomorrow to choose a new national government.

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Australian Marriage Equality Website

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