Home   >   News   >   Calls for resignation over MP’s ‘ex-gay’ comments

Calls for resignation over MP’s ‘ex-gay’ comments

By on October 28, 2011

There is growing controversy in Queensland surrounding the 2002 comments made by Liberal National Party MP Fiona Simpson that homosexuals can “grow into heterosexuality over time”.

Simpson, who is the state shadow minister responsible for communities and women, also encouraged people struggling with their sexuality to contact local Exodus ministries – part of Christian ‘ex-gay’ organisation Exodus International, which claims to be able to cure homosexuality.

Renewed scrutiny of Simpson’s speech to state Parliament during discussion of anti-discrimination law changes in November 2002 arose when she argued against Deputy Premier Andrew Fraser’s plans to introduce a bill legalising same-sex civil unions this week.

Queensland psychologist and ex-leader of Exodus, Paul Martin, today addressed the controversy, admitting there was no evidence to support so-called ‘reparative therapy’ and that all of the major psychological associations around the world have made clear it is potentially dangerous.

“This has the potential to psychologically damage innocent people and maybe contribute to suicidal behaviour,” Martin said.

A specialist in the area of same-sex attraction and mental health for over 25 years, Martin now works with the Centre for Human Potential and said he has seen the harm that is done by these groups first hand.

“They are some of the most psychologically damaged people I have ever worked with; many are survivors of suicide attempts,” he said.

“When a leader such as Fiona Simpson makes misguided comments like this, it has the capacity to confirm these negative beliefs about themselves which can lead to depression, anxiety, substance abuse and self harm.”

Simpson has refused to clarify whether she still supports ‘ex-gay’ therapy.

A campaign calling for her resignation on Twitter under the hashtag #sackfiona is now trending in Brisbane, while her official Facebook page was inundated with criticism from social media users angered by her comments this morning. The page has since been deleted.

Star Observer has requested comment from Simpson’s office.

Read the full transcript of Simpson’s 2002 comments on Hansard here on pages 53-54.

About Drew Sheldrick

20 Comments

  1. Ryan

    October 28, 2011 at 11:19 am


    Over the years, Fiona has said the following:
    1990′s: Calls Goss Govt “a toad to the radical homosexual lobby” for legalising homosexuality
    2002: Says being gay is a choice and a dangerous choice at that, encourages religious therapy
    2002: Argues for the right of schools to fire gay teachers
    2010: On same sex parenting says “The real purpose of Premier’s bill is not children’s rights but homosexual rights.”
    2010: Denied evidence that isolated LGBT youth commit suicide because of their sexual orientation

  2. Brenton

    October 28, 2011 at 11:31 am


    And that woman is a potential Minister of the Crown in 2012? What an ignorant conservative!

  3. Dave

    October 28, 2011 at 11:39 am


    The Liberal Party calls itself the “Broad Church”. I call them “The Highway To Hell.” The Catholic Right have polluted an otherwise good party and have made it toxic to the Australian Way of Life.

    To quote from a great man who understood discrimination:
    “To penalise someone because of their sexual orientation is like what used to happen to us; to be penalised for something which we could do nothing [about] — our ethnicity, our race. I would find it quite unacceptable to condemn, persecute a minority that has already been persecuted.” Nobel Peace Prize winner and Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

  4. David Skidmore

    October 28, 2011 at 1:03 pm


    There is hope for Ms Simpson. It is possible to become a sensible person over time.

  5. Dave

    October 28, 2011 at 3:30 pm


    Since the Labor Party was formed, all of the Prime Ministers have advocated against full equality.

    So what is the age of consent in Queensland, and the adoption laws? You will never hear a Labor Prime Minister saying anything about that.

  6. Peter U

    October 28, 2011 at 4:25 pm


    Im sure I spotted her at Tropical Fruits in the barn at the back! She looked a bit lost and had red knees. Just sayin.

  7. Brenton

    October 28, 2011 at 6:09 pm


    Oh yes, Peter! SO true! Those conservatives love to hide all of their ‘interests’ !!!!!

  8. Dave B

    October 29, 2011 at 9:22 am


    Why is it when comments supporting a politician inundate social media they thrive on it and when they are inundated by negative comments the page is removed.

    As the old saying goes. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the fire.

  9. Steve

    October 29, 2011 at 1:31 pm


    So . . . If Fiona Simpson had said that a heterosexual could grow into homosexuality over time, would there be an uproar? Hardly! We live in a free country where free speech is promoted. Just because someone might not agree with her does not mean she may not say it. If you don’t like her views, don’t vote for her.

  10. Lee

    October 29, 2011 at 5:02 pm


    Steve

    No problem with her expressing her views, however distasteful. However, the FACTS are that homosexual conversion therapies do not work. In FACT all they do is damage already vulnerable people. So if she wants to say something on the matter, she should ensure that she is FACTUALLY correct.

  11. eric seifried

    October 29, 2011 at 5:43 pm


    Fiona Simpson is typical of the fruit cakes in our society.

    She is the type of person who would have you burned at the stake hundreds of years ago for not following the christian line.

    Eric

  12. Hayden

    October 29, 2011 at 5:49 pm


    Steve you are completely missing the point. If someone prescribed therapy to a heterosexual to make them a homosexual then YES there would be a massive uproar!

    Besides the argument is against the notion the a persons sexual orientation can simply be changed. I for one will forever be heterosexual, just as the majority of the LGBT community will forever remain LGBT respectively. No cure required!

  13. rob

    October 29, 2011 at 10:02 pm


    at last a polli that speaks her true mind on an issue,i am sick of hearing about the gays.we need to stop them trying to transform morality….go fiona

  14. Dave

    October 30, 2011 at 7:13 am


    Cleary Simpson is a flame of hope for the nutjobs. Although we must remember Gillard and Rudd have also given massive support to the Christian Lobby, and both advocated against full equality in the name of the bible, even though Gillard says she does believe in it. No doubt Simpson is just a slightly different shade of the same colour.

  15. Dee

    October 30, 2011 at 12:41 pm


    rob im sick of hearing about the bigots like yourself. You lot are losing your arguments, keep it up LOL

  16. ben

    October 30, 2011 at 3:17 pm


    Fiona Simpson entered parliament proclaiming her virginity at age 27.

    Twenty years later and still unmarried, Miss Simpson should first concentrate on fixing her own dysfunctionality.

  17. rob

    October 31, 2011 at 2:11 pm


    dee laugh it up hard ,you will always be in the minority,and what are my arguments??who is the biggot.

  18. ann

    October 31, 2011 at 8:04 pm


    Along with ‘religious therapy’, does she also advocate ‘corrective rape’? It seems a logical progression. Perhaps, as an unmarried, possibly fertile female, she should consider the lessons in ” The Handmaid’s Tale”. Then perhaps she’ll consider that people have a right to be the people they are, as long as they aren’t harming others. Which brings us full circle to ‘religious therapy’, of no benefit, and often harmful!

  19. Michael

    November 1, 2011 at 7:14 am


    Get me the straight pill and get it to me NOW I want to be straight ….. then I can marry Fiona and we can have procreative sexual relations using the correct bodily channels … hang on, I’ve changed my mind …. is there a gay pill I can take to reverse the effects? Oh please … grow up people and face it, you’re gay, get over it and join in the fun!

  20. Chris Vogel

    November 5, 2011 at 5:28 am


    In fact, the actual success rate of “ex-gay” “therapies”, whether religious or medical, is none. Pretending to be heterosexual, on the other hand, was the strategy normally adopted in homophobic societies until recently, although it is destructive to the individual (commonly leading to suicide) and to their families, especially opposite-sexed “spouses”. And, pretending it still is. We (the Council on Homosexuality and Religion) studied “ex-gays” for more than a decade, with both personal interviews and literature search including both religious and medical “cures”. We collected the numerous tracts issued by, or on behalf of, those who claimed to be “cured”, although the majority of these could not then be contacted. We found that the average shelf-life of being “ex” was about six months; often the paper tracts were more durable and continued to be distributed long after the individual in question was ex-”ex”. This is why ex-ex gays vastly outnumber those who are claiming to be “ex”. A careful study of the tracts and other published accounts shows that, without exception, they continue, in their own words, to “struggle”. That is to say, they are not “ex” anything. Our conclusion was that sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual) was immutable; even “God” had no effect on it. It may be uncharitable to say of those who claim to be “ex-gay” and those who “cure” them, that they are frauds, but that will undoubtedly be the judgement of history.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login