Safe sex advert ban overturned

Safe sex advertisements are being returned to the city's bus shelters after widespread protests forced a ban to be overturned.

Adshel, one of Australia's largest outdoor advertising companies, had taken down the ads on May 31 after a concerted campaign of complaints by the Australian Christian Lobby.

Adshel said it had been the target of “a co-ordinated Australian Christian Lobby campaign” to have the ads removed, the June 2 Courier-Mail reported.

The advertisements, sponsored by the Queensland Association of Healthy Communities, depict two fully clothed gay men holding a packet of condoms while embracing each other.

The ban provoked a huge wave of protests, with more than 45,000 people on June 1 joining an online “event” opposing the decision, culminating in a rally outside Adshel's offices in Fortitude Valley that day.

Healthy Communities executive director Paul Martin said: “The only reason that we can think of for people objecting to these adverts is that they don't like gays and lesbians... and they want to erase off representation of gays and lesbians,” the Courier Mail reported.

Video: Christian Lobby Slams AdShel Safe Sex Promotion With Homophobia YouHadToBeThereSyd.