Lyle Shelton says the No campaign won’t take ‘yes’ for an answer
Image: Lyle Shelton. (Picture: David Alexander; Star Observer)
The Australian Christian Lobby’s Lyle Shelton has warned that ‘no’ campaigners won’t stop fighting against marriage equality in the event of a ‘yes’ win.
Shelton said that anyone “who thinks that these fights are over if the ‘yes’ side wins are kidding themselves”, in an interview with The New Daily.
“The government has brought themselves a lot more pain,” he said.
He said “politicians who thought we could have a plebiscite and get this off the agenda” were “naïve”.
Despite reports of anti-LGBTI violence of vandalism during the campaign, Shelton maintained that the postal survey has shown “we can conduct this debate in a way that’s fair, respectful, that ventilates the necessary issues”.
He called concerns about LGBTI people’s mental health during the debate “emotional blackmail”.
“I think public debate should be allowed to happen,” he said.
“No one on our side wants harm to come to anyone, but the idea that we shouldn’t be allowed to speak or that we shouldn’t be allowed to have a plebiscite because someone might take their life, I think that’s emotional blackmail in the extreme.”
Mental health groups last month suggested that marriage equality could prevent up to 3,000 suicide attempts annually, a statement that Senator Matt Canavan called “blackmail”.
Equality Campaign spokeswoman Shirleene Robinson said, “It is not emotional blackmail to draw attention to the real harm that can come from abuse and negativity.”
The marriage equality survey closes on November 7, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics recommending voters post their ballots by October 27.
Just who does Shelton think he is?
Both the Federal Government and Opposition have said that if the “Yes” vote gets up then Legislation will be introduced to the Federal Parliament before Parliament rises for the Christmas-New year Break.
Just who does Shelton think he is that he can stop that legislation.
Shelton is not an elected Member of either House of the Federal, or any other, Parliament.
He has but one vote and that is unlikely to unseat any current or future MP, Senator or Government.
We were told that there were Legal provisions in place to stop Vilification, Hate Speech, Dishonesty during this campaign.
Why has it not been instigated against Shelton and the not-so-Christian “Australian Christian “Australian Christian Lobby” which has been unrelenting in it’s dishonesty and hatred of anyone and anything which does not agree with or obey it’.
How interesting..the person who masterminded the fear mongering of the no campaign telling parents their kids will get taught radical gay sex in schools and all christians would lose their religious freedoms etc is saying We are using emotional blackmail!!
Mmmm.. Human Rights are never to be determined by an opinion poll or popularity debate that count for nothing! To Mr Shelton et al: What part of presuming you’re entitled to persecute a minority group by voting to deny them marriage equality, don’t you understand? It’s a hate crime, punishable by law (except in this pathetic ‘respectful’ debate/everyone’s opinion about us queers. Oh sorry, just slipped out, ya fags…)
I would have thought the church would want to be pretty quiet at the moment, given that the Catholic Church alone can’t even find a way to apologise after it’s paid servants have raped 25,000+ Oz kids. Grrrrr
More often than not, people who protest *too* much on an issue, and keep at it like a dog with a slipper, have *something* to hide (no offence meant here to dogs).
Hello Lyle!
Potential suicides are emotional blackmail? No, emotional blackmail is teaching kids that they have to believe in your mythical religion or they will go to HELL. THAT is emotional blackmail. Right wingers are such ore losers.
Dear Lyle … read the Gospel of St Matthew lately, or maybe that of Mark or Luke … they suggest knowing when you have lost and moving on. Sooner or later John Howard’s adjustments to the Marriage Act WILL be repealed. I hope it occurs before Christmas but if it doesn’t this angst will just continue as Christian Conservatives continue to dig themselves an increasingly deep hope. Australia is a secular country mate, and marriage is a state regulated institution, get over it.
Can we discuss what Lyle Shelton, as the head of the Australian Christian Lobby, is personally doing to prevent future child sex abuse by Christian organisations? What has he done in the past to prevent child sex abuse? As a head figure he’d be aware that it was occurring and so must have been silent on it and at least complacent in its cover up.
I’ve yet to hear him condemn the revolting perpetrators of child rape and sexual assaults. In fact, I haven’t heard Senator Canavan or Bernardi or Abetz or Kevin Andrews or Barnaby Joyce come out with angry condemnation.
Speaks volumes to me, and no doubt to those victims who bravely struggle each day with their grief and pain, and sadly for the rest of us and the perpetrators, they’ve been made to feel shame.
I know of 4 people who were sexually molested (at least) by priests and clergy. Lest we never let them forget!
As it is now accepted that a plebiscite is a legal way of commenting on others lives and changing the law.
We now need to have a plebiscite about making religious organisations pay tax.
This multi billion dollar industry wants to control secular life without contributing to society’s costs. They rape children’s minds and bodies, steal money from the gullible to fund an extravagant lifestyle, live in palaces, swan around dispensing moral justice, etc.
They even get our tax money to pay for the indoctrination of children at their schools.
They have no moral, spiritual or social authority.
Absolutely agree. Now is the time to start the push to get religious institutions to pay tax. For too long this multi billion dollar industry has had a far too invasive influence on our lives…not just the LGBTI community but all of secular Australia! They have the temerity to “donate” one million dollars of their own Charity’s money to the “No” campaign in the same sex marriage debate. Appalling! No they must start paying tax…no excuses. Remember, even the Queen of England was forced into a situation whereby she had to pay tax! Why not religious institutions? She after all is the Head of The Church of England!
Lyle Shelton discusses debate
“Shelton maintained that the postal survey has shown “we can conduct this debate in a way that’s fair, respectful, that ventilates the necessary issues”.”
The debate has been anything but fair, I refer to the TV commercial for the Coalition for No, most of their commercials are about what is happening in schools……Mr Canada referred to an incident in Canada (NOT AUSTRALIA) an another woman refers to a book discussing transgender.
Since when does the Gay community in this country or any other for that matter decide what happens in schools… Seriously you people need to get a grip!
All the points raised in these commercials are school related, get your act together and Lobby the EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, this has NOTHING TO DO WITH MARRIAGE EQUALITY and is a snow screen.
You say fair but in fact you LIE!
After Trumps victory I trust nothing, and this postal vote is a huge waste of money is non binding and politicians will be backpedalling even if YES wins. The fight is yet to start, now is not the time for complacency but get ready for the hate of the religious groups to really attack.
Why don’t we have a vote about whether religion should be banned in Australia? I am sure we could also do the discussions for that nicely, politely and fairly and anyone who says they will have emotional issues about that will be exaggerating their feelings too. And if we lose that discussion, we can continue the fight afterwards anyway because we won’t listen to the majority view.
Dave, you and the NO voters are about 30%.. YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE IN A MAJOR WAY.. The YES vote is going to be well over 65%..
Its DONE.. SSM will be legal, either by this Plebiscite (which is a stupid piece of garbage invented by the right wint to try to fix the result, which they couldnt).
Or, when the ALP win the next election, it will be legal within 100 days, no matter what YOU, and this religious nutjob say.
Get over it, the rest of Australia wants everyone to have the same rights as YOU.
Sincere apologies for the appalling wording of my post Matt, beer was probably a big factor. So many negatives it’s incomprehensible, that’s my fault.
I’m a Yes voter, I’m a mad Yes supporter, but I’m worried that the polls are overcooking it and the No campaign could still pull off a win by a slight margin.
I meant I haven’t got the champagne on ice for a Yes win, again, apologies for some terribly sloppy and fairly pissed wording. Have a top day.
I’m not convinced that No won’t scrape in with a narrow win. I certainly haven’t got the champagne on ice yet. But it’s good to know that I’ve got Lyle Shelton’s full support if I need to reject the outcome of this stupid survey.