A Devine win for GLORIAs

This year’s most offensive and ridiculous comment made about the LGBTI community has gone to Australian columnist Miranda Devine for her attack on marriage equality and same-sex parenting, linking “a fatherless society” to the 2011 London riots.

In its third year, the GLORIAs (Gay and Lesbian Outrageous, Ridiculous and Ignorant Awards) highlighted the most controversial comments made about same-sex attracted and gender diverse people last night at NSW Parliament.

ACT election candidate Philip Pocock may not have won a seat in the territory’s legislature recently but he did win the poll’s politics/law category for his comments that sodomy should be illegal.

Pastor Peter Walker took out the religious category for his address to the National Marriage Day rally outside the federal Parliament House, where he said he was convinced homosexuals reproduced themselves by molesting children.

Former tennis legend Margaret Court claimed first place in the poll’s sport category for her comments regarding sexuality as a choice.

“I believe that a person’s sexuality is a choice,” she said, “…It is not something you are born with. My concern is that we are advocating to young people that it is OK to have these feelings.”

The worst international comment went to Pastor Charles L. Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church in North Carolina.

He told his congregation they should build a large fence, 100-150 miles long, put all the gays and lesbians inside it.

“And have that fence electrified ‘til they can’t get out,” he said, “Feed ‘em. And you know what, in a few years, they’ll die out. Do you know why? They can’t reproduce.”

For this year’s silliest comment from the LGBTI community, openly gay WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith got the nod for his vote against marriage equality and comment that marriage equality had just been a slogan.

As well as the Golden Gloria award, Devine took out the media category.

Australian Christian Lobby director Jim Wallace won the Golden Gloria award last year for an ANZAC Day tweet saying, “Just hope that as we remember Servicemen and women today we remember the Australia they fought for – wasn’t gay marriage and Islamic!”

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott won the inaugural Golden Gloria in 2012 for comments made on 60 minutes that he felt threatened by gays.

NSW MLC Penny Sharpe organised the event, which was hosted by former Fairfax journalist David Marr.