Greens condemn Howard's homophobia

"[Prime Minister] John Howard's intention to follow George Bush in using federal powers to defend discriminatory practices against homosexuals is despicable," Greens Senator Kerry Nettle said in a March 8 press release.

Nettle condemned Howard's announcement that he intends to overturn new ACT legislation allowing homosexuals to adopt children.

On the March 8 John Laws program on radio 2UE, Howard said that "Children ideally should be brought up by a mother and a father who are married". According to Nettle, these comments "confirm his willingness to vilify homosexuals for electoral purposes".

"This kind of homophobic nonsense has no logical basis and has no place in the national debate", she added.

"The Prime Minister's homophobic comments labelling all lesbians and gays as unfit to raise children follow on from earlier remarks that homosexuality threatened the survival of the species."

In addition to supporting the ACT bill of rights, the Greens "currently have a similar document drafted for introduction into federal parliament", said Nettle, which would "extend the rights of homosexuals to marry and adopt children".

Kerryn Williams

From Green Left Weekly, March 17, 2004.

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From GLW issue 575