Tim Minchin says anti-marriage equality advocates don’t know any gay people
Image: Photo: Facebook / Tim Minchin.
Musician Tim Minchin has taken to social media to encourage his Australian fans to vote yes on marriage equality.
“I believe the only reason you could possibly think LGBTQI people don’t deserve everything straight folk deserve is that you don’t know any,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“In fact, whenever I hear an argument against marriage equality, I picture the person arguing their point in front of one of my gay friends.
“I just don’t think they would do it. They wouldn’t.”
Minchin argued that anyone with gay friends would support marriage equality, and therefore everyone should vote yes.
“I beg you to accept the facts,” he wrote.
“There are probably a couple of million LGBTQI Aussies. There are hundreds of thousands of gay couples. And thousands of families with same-sex parents!
“They exist whether you are ready for it or not. So please ask yourself only one question: Do I want to play a part in making those people feel more accepted? Or do I want to hurt them more?
“The survey has already done terrible damage by unleashing the more bigoted anti-gay voices. Let’s end it now.”
The post has gone viral, with over 10,000 shares already.
Minchin has stood up for LGBTI rights before, notably earlier this year when he released the cheeky song ‘I Still Call Australia Homophobic’, condemning the postal vote and calling for marriage equality.
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Alot of religious people are total hypocrites when it comes to loving everyone…and having the world an all inclusive place like the sign on their churches says.
“ALL Welcome” yeah really what a false statement…
I am a atheist these days (although I support the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster aka Pastafarianism being accepted by the government as a legit church as has happened in New Zealand, they support marriage equality and their religious freedom must be recognised) but I attended an Anglican church in the early 90’s in my late teens/early 20’s. They had quite a few in the congregation who certainly appeared to be gay folks. The sermons were never judgemental, they rejected the idea of hell, it was run by celibate Anglican monks (even though Anglican priests can marry).
I wandered away from religion but my experiences of actually attending a church were far from terrible and I know there are some fantastic religious people out there. Even in the current debate, a couple of prominent Catholic schools have seen the writing on the wall, recognised that their own student population is overwhelmingly supportive of marriage equality and who have urged a Yes vote.
But yes, there are many terrible and hateful churches and mosques out there too.