Aug 9: The Anti-Equality Debate
They've been thrashing around with numerous reasons for opposing this much needed reform. Any old argument will do.
I've had several letters and comments published in the local papers recently, including the folowing two:
I like collecting the weird arguments opponents of Equal Rights come up with. I summarised them on 22nd April as follows:
- The "It's Always Been So" argument.
- The "End of Marriage/Family As We Know It" argument.
- The "You Cannot Redefine Marrriage" argument.
- The "Catchy Slogan" argument.
- The "Gays Are Disgusting" argument.
- The "We're In The Majority" argument.
- The "Thin End of the Wedge" argument.
- The "Denigration" argument.
- The "Non-equality" argument.
- The "What About The Children" argument.
- The "Gays Are A Noisy Minority" argument.
- The "Preferential Treatment" argument.
- The "Attacking Our Religion" argument.
- The "It Offends My Religion" argument.
- The "Stop Publishing Letters Favouring Equal Marriage" argument.
- The "Australia was Built on Christian Principles" argument.
I've never seen this debate as a religious one - especially as opinion polls consistently show a majority of Christians actually support equality.
It seems the main proponents of the anti-equality argument are a mix of militant Christian groups like the ACL and the Catholic Church Hierarchy, along with extreme right Liberal supporters. They now are the "Noisy Minority".
The Catholic Church has set up a new anti-equality front with a logo implying that Marriage Equality is the "tip of the iceberg" - clearly a rerun of the discredited "Thin End of the Wedge" argument. It looks like they are happy to spread fear and lies about the issue leading to other things like polygamy and bestiality. Lying for Jesus is nothing new.
It looks like they are picking this as their centrepiece strategy, along with the "What About The Children" argument and the "Australia was Built on Christian Principles" argument.
Good luck to them, none of their arguments make any sense.
