Liberal Senator Alex Antic Uses Offensive ‘Grooming’ Slur Against Courtney Act’s ABC Show

A South Australian Liberal Senator on Tuesday used a deeply offensive anti-LGBTQI slur while opposing an ABC show hosted by drag performer Courtney Act.

Trigger Warning: This story discusses anti-LGBTQI comments by a politician, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

Senator Alex Antic, in a bizarre attack, accused the ABC of “grooming Australian children” over a show that featured Act reading from a children’s book on Play School, about a girl who is not comfortable wearing dresses and finds out she loves to wear trousers. 

LGBTQI advocates said the Senator’s slur was a “sickening attack” on the community. 

‘Girls Wearing Pants’

Antic questioned ABC managing director David Anderson during Senate estimates about the show Play School that featured Act reading from The Spectacular Suit by Kat Patrick.

“The program was rated G and has been heavily promoted on TV and on the app. Why is the ABC grooming children with this sort of adult content,” asked Senator Antic.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young took on Antic over his offensive claims. “Heavens above – girls wearing pants. That is the level of rubbish you are putting forward,” said Senator Hanson-Young. 

The Greens Senator said that Antic’s use of the term “grooming” was deeply offensive to many, including sexual assault survivors. 

“Grooming is a really serious matter. It’s not for being played with by conservative senators to make headlines. Sexual assault survivors right around this country will be deeply offended, deeply offended by you playing politics.”

‘Sickening Attack On The LGBTQI Community’

Senator Antic went on with his line of questioning. “Let me ask you this, does ABC agree that transgender or cross dressing are adult concepts?,” he said, and questioned whether the programs were contributing to what the Liberal Senator called was Australia’s “gender dysphoria problem”. 

The Senator then asked, “What percentage of Australian children are getting read to by people dressed like this, men dressed like this?’, before questioning ABC on its “so-called diverse workforce”.

LGBTQI advocates and social media users slammed Senator Antic and demanded that he apologise to the community. 

“Senator Antic’s slur about “grooming” is a sickening attack on the entire LGBTIQA+ community. The slur is a revival of the old, hateful myth that LGBTIQA+ people are somehow a threat to children,” Rodney Croome, spokesperson, Just.Equal Australia told Star Observer. 

“That myth belongs in history’s dustbin as does anyone who perpetuates it. The slur is also an attempt to diminish our community by tearing down one of our most talented and respected representatives, Courtney Act.”

‘Community Stands By Courtney Act’

Croome sought action against the Senator for targeting the LGBTQI community.

“As a community our response to this outrage should be to stand by Courtney Act and the ABC, and to demand Senator Antic apologise immediately or be sacked from whatever positions of authority he holds,” added Croome. 

One social media user helpfully pointed to the statistics of the number of drag performers accused of assaulting children – none. 

“There have been ZERO proven cases of Drag Queens or Transgender people sexually abusing/grooming children. There are MILLIONS of documented cases of Christian Clergy sexually abusing children, grooming them & mass graves of children were found on many churches’ ground,” said one Twitter user.

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.