Bully Tactics By "Gay" Paper Against MPs In Civil Union Debate

The Express Magazine (30 June-12 July 04), the major organ for the homosexual, lesbian and transgender communities, resorted to desperate bully tactics in its efforts to denigrate MPs who voted against sending the Civil Union Bill to the Justice & Electoral Committee.

On its front page and smeared across the colour photos of MPs who opposed the Bill are the words “THE UGLY FACES OF HOMOPHOBIA”. These 50 men and women who in good conscience chose not to support the Bill are now denigrated and subjected to strictly ad hominem attack.

“The term ‘homophobia’ is clearly being used as a term of abuse to try and marginalise anyone who does not support the bill, which includes MPs from all parties with the exception of the Greens and the Alliance. It is ironic that those who assert they are so-marginalised and discriminated against by society should stoop to such gutter-level tactics in trying to marginalise those who hold views that differ from their own.

The Express has indulged in a puerile attempt to try and stigmatise MPs of the stature of the Hon. Winston Peters, Hon. Maurice Williamson and Hon. Peter Dunne, who wouldn’t for a moment accept the accusations levelled at them. Despite the Prime-Minister’s assertions to the contrary, these sorts of attacks from the “gay” community lend weight to the observation that ‘gay-rights’ activists have high-jacked this Bill for their own benefit and agenda. It is noteworthy too that the Prime-Minister has used Express to vent her own distaste for the views of the Maxim Institute which opposes the Civil Union Bill and tried to marginalise this conservative research organisation whose views on family values and marriage differ from her own. Peter Dunne, leader of the United Future Party was so incensed that Express had used his photo that he wrote a formal complaint to chief Human Rights Comissioner Rosslyn Noonan pointing out that it had slurred the reputation of the MPs pictured. The Sunday Star Times (November 28, 2004) reports that a spokeswoman for Noonan said the commission had determined that Dunne's complaint fell outside the ambit of the Human Rights Act. It would arrange to meet Dunne to discuss how the matter might otherwise be resolved. Dunne is "outraged" that the Commission has refused to act on his complaint.

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