Christine Forster ‘agrees to disagree’ with brother Tony on marriage
Image: Photo: Facebook / Christine Forster.
Liberal councillor and high-profile sister of Tony Abbott, Christine Forster appeared on ABC’s Q&A last night, where marriage equality was among the topics discussed.
An audience member asked, “My male partner and I have been living together for 27 years. We don’t live in this mythical thing called a gay community—we live in a community like everyone else. We are the go-to people in the rest of our family, friends and usually the rest of the neighbourhood as well.
“But yet we know there are people amongst our family and friends who will still vote ‘no’ in this upcoming postal survey.
“Christine, how do you cope with a family member who not only is likely to be voting ‘no’, but actively campaigns against your lifestyle?”
Forster replied, “I think he’s guaranteed to vote ‘no’, and he quite freely admits that.
“We are family, we’re siblings, and I don’t know a family that agrees on everything all the time.
“He and I have agreed to disagree on this, and we respect each other’s opinions and get on with our respective campaigns.”
Host Tony Jones asked, “Do you find it hurtful?”
“No,” replied Forster.
“We’re siblings, and family relationships I think transcend politics. I disagree with my parents about loads of things. I disagree with my sisters just as I disagree with my brothers. I don’t think that’s unusual in your average Australian family.
“But we’re in a discussion now, hopefully a respectful conversation, and the one thing that I think Tony and I do reflect is that degree of respect for each other.
“At the end of the day, we’ll still be family, we’ll still love each other.”
Forster went on to discuss the importance of the upcoming postal vote on marriage equality.
“This is a really, really important thing for many people within the community right now,” she said.
“It’s a really important thing for the next generation of Australians, many of whom are young men and women who are coming to terms with their sexuality, their futures.
“‘Will I have the same opportunity to enjoy the same lifestyle, the same status relationship as every other Australian?’, that’s the question we need to be thinking about right now, not about whether the Abbott family’s having a fight.”
Forster said marriage equality would be “a seminal moment in our national history which will be defining for all of us”.
“It will be the point in time where we say that we recognise that every single Australian is equal before the law and should be recognised as such,” she said.
Yes, families disagree and agree to disagree BUT Tony Abbott is a bigot and homophobe. He thinks we and ours are not as good as he and his. How Christine can even speak to him is beyond understanding.
I’m sorry but if this was my brother he would well and truly be out of my life. I wouldn’t want anyone in my life who disrespected who I was
Dear patient (and stronger/kinder-than-your-brother) Christine,
*Another* example of families being different: there are families who also respect each other *equally* to the extent of learning, growing and evolving *together* as one. Obviously, you’re used to Tony, and think he’s respecting you; if my sister or late parents were as vile, billious, bitter and vindictive about the sexuality that is a part of who I am and the man I love (while still saying that they love you), I would see that as hurtful hate; a self-centred one-sided mind-set that is closed-minded to truth. Thankfully my parents, sister and myself *did* share a real and *equal* respect. And that’s not just a ‘Brady Bunch’ fantasy.
Respecting his ‘views’ is the same as a partner telling you they love you while they otherwise psychologically abuse you. Is that respect?
The hateful blinkered unreasonable naysayers of marriage equality are in the same mind-set as those who brought about laws against marriage between different races. Yet, if someone today violently argued that a person couldn’t marry someone of a different race, how could anyone respect that view these days? …even from a family member?
That is a total cop out. I don’t understand why she takes such a passive stand concerning her brother when he is taking such an aggressive stand against her basic human rights. It is perplexing.
Tony Abbott has been known as “the Mad Monk” for decades, Christine’s obviously across his tendencies. Still, what a great contrast in this debate: the tolerant, loving and generous Christine turning the other cheek, and the hateful, negative bigoted Tony – certainly a metaphor for our times.
He thinks she, her partner and their kids are second class citizens and not equal to him, his wife and kids. And she respects him and his views?? Gob Smacked!!!