Newman: I’ll look at ‘Gay Panic’

Newman: I’ll look at ‘Gay Panic’

Queensland Opposition Leader Campbell Newman has promised to “look at” the so-called ‘Gay Panic Defense’ legal loophole if elected, but has accused the ALP of playing politics with the term.

Newman used his video response to questions from the OurSay website to address what he calls the ‘Unwanted Homosexual Advances Defense’.

“Unfortunately the ALP has played cynical politics by referring to this issue as the gay panic defense,” he said.

“It’s important to not that the defense of provocation is not based on one sexuality, it’s open to any Queenslander.”

The video was uploaded just a day before Newman seemingly reversed his position on the state’s civil unions scheme, telling the crowd at an Australian Christian Lobby event in Ashgrove that he’d repeal the Civil Partnerships Act “if legally possible” in the event that the Liberal National Party (LNP) wins government this month.

Newman had previously stated that he wouldn’t touch the legislation if a civil union had taken place before the state election.

At a press conference the following day, Newman got agitated when questioned whether his position was consistent with previous comments.

“I’ve spoken about this so many times now, at least three occasions on the public record,” he told reporters in Caboolture.

“If we can, if we get into government, we will repeal it. But that may not be possible, and we don’t wish to leave people in legal limbo.”

When pressed about what would happen to those who had already entered into a civil union if the LNP won government, he refused to be drawn.

“I can’t be clearer than that. We will see, if we become the government,” he said

Openly gay ALP candidate for Glass House Ryan Moore released a statement last night slamming Newman’s mixed messages on the Civil Partnerships Act, saying that the basic rights of gay and lesbian couples would potentially be “trashed” under an LNP Government.

“At the end of last year, the Bligh Labor Government took the bold step of introducing the Civil Partnership Bill to parliament, allowing all Queenslanders, regardless of their sexuality to enter into a legally recognised relationship” Moore said.

“[Newman’s] comments shows a huge violation of trust with the electorate.

“This is nothing to do with marriage or being one of the few openly gay candidates contesting this election. It’s about what my strong beliefs in the right of every Queenslander to be protected under the law. It’s about fairness.”

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5 responses to “Newman: I’ll look at ‘Gay Panic’”

  1. What a loose canon this guy is.

    Repeatedly the Liberals show us that they are not socially progressive at all.

    This is where they sadly fall down.

    Go Anna Bligh – best of louck

  2. Fascists in this country are usually Lib/Nat members. The disgusting treatment of gays and lesbians in this country over decades will not go unpunished, most hets are just too stupid to recognise the bad karma thats coming their way (if it hasnt already).

  3. It is time to say “No to homophobia, no to the Liberal/National party campaign of hate and terror”. Let everyone on Facebook pass this on.

    Tell them Campbell Newman is going to write to people who had Civil Unions and tell them their relationship is no longer valid as they are Same-Sex attracted.

    Campbell Newman has let the tiny hate cult, the Christian Lobby write the Liberal/National Party policy.

    I cannot imagine writing to his wife Lisa, and his two daughters, and telling the mum and dad lied to you, and they are not married. That all the wedding photos are a lie, that they are breaking the law if they still say they are married. But this is what he wants to do to same-sex attracted couples in QLD to make the Christian Lobby happy.

    He could have said he will remove the gay panic defense as other many other states have, but was careful not to committ.