Victoria Police Sacks Catholic Officer Over Anti-LGBT Comments
Image: Victoria Police at the Midsumma Pride march in 2021.
A senior Victorian police officer who justified his anti-LGBTQI comments by citing his Catholic “Christian beliefs” has been sacked.
Sergeant Bruno Staffieri, 63, a veteran police officer with 36 years of experience behind him, had received the backing of groups like the Australian Christian Lobby, anti- trans group Binary Australia and the conservative lobbying group Advance Australia.
He was investigated by Victoria Police’s internal watchdog Professional Standards Command over homophobic social media posts and was found guilty of misconduct charges, reported The Age.
A History Of Homophobic Comments
Staffieri had over the past few years made a number of homophobic and transphobic comments publicly. In a social media post on May 17, 2021, Staffieri criticised the Victorian government for reportedly cancelling Australia Day and Anzac Day celebrations (due to COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time) but allowing the Midsumma Pride march in St Kilda (the restrictions had been eased by then).
“So the next time Australians are sent out to fight a war, maybe we can send out the 8000 that marched today….and try to stop the enemy by waving feathers and brightly coloured boas at them.”
In 2021, he took on Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson on the police’s internal communication platform Yammer over the force participating in the Australian LGBTQ+ inclusion awards.
He also asked his colleagues not to wear purple clothing to show support for an inclusive workplace. “I don’t think you speak for all of Victoria Police. I, for one, certainly don’t support this nor the groups that keep pushing their personal agendas. I can’t see why we continue to throw taxpayer money at this sort of un-Christian activity,”
I Stand By My Christian Beliefs
In March 2022, Staffieri shared on Facebook an ABC report about a teacher who had founded an LGBTQI support group for students at a Sydney school.
“What a disgrace. Bad enough having gay, non-binary teachers, but to have them push their filth on students is a disgraceful crime. Why can’t we sack these teachers?” Staffieri said.
A few months later in November 2022, he took potshots at a colleague, Bonnie Loft, who works with Gender Equality and Inclusion Command. “So you are doing tertiary education studying genders. I’ll make it easy for you to pass….there are 2.”
In a statement to The Age, Staffieri said he was “disappointed that I was dismissed after years of impeccable service,” but added “I stand by my Christian beliefs.”
More broadly this case demonstrates how religion works as a sea anchor against social progress.
Just another Unchristian christian! He and his like will be judged in time!
So long as he is happy about someone being vocal about their sincerely held belief that the Catholic Church is toxic.
See the problem is that these so called Christian’s think that Australia is like America and freedom of religion is in the constitution. Not in Australia’s one sorry folks. Hate speech is just hate speech.
See the problem is that these so called Christian’s think that Australia is like America and freedom of religion is in the constitution. Not in Australia’s one sorry folks. Hate speech is just hate speech.
What a very un-christian police officer. Clearly with a bias against a section of the community. Best to remove him.