Hate sign shocks locals
An anti-gay sign left on the streets of Ballarat has left a lesbian couple feeling distressed.
The sign (right) was discovered along Doveton St in the city’s centre last Friday. A 39-year old local female, who asked not to be named, said her partner of 16 years came across the sign and forwarded a picture on her phone.
“She was just minding her own business and came across it in the course of her day,” the Ballarat woman told the Star Observer.
“Outward homophobia like that can be damaging. It’s okay for us, we’re older and been together a long time and have probably experienced a lot of different things over the years, but the younger kids who are probably struggling with their sexuality, it could be confronting and disturbing.”
The woman said she felt that she couldn’t let the incident go unnoticed.
“I guess it was terminology and sentiment behind the sign,” she said. “You can put up with a lot through your life, but why should we? Lets make it an issue people need to discuss and bring out in the open.”
The couple have lived in the area for five years and had not experienced any difficulties.
“I think there’s an element of the community that has narrow minded views, but overall people are fairly progressive and open minded.”
The office of federal Labor MP Catherine King confirmed they had been contacted by a constituent and asked to notify police, which they did.
“While I respect that we live in a country of free speech, the sign is offensive and in the interests of community harmony would be better removed,” King said in a statement.
Recent polls showed Ballarat one of Australia’s more tolerant regional areas. The Roy Morgan poll showed only 21.4 percent of people int he area thought homosexuality immoral and almost half agreed gay couples should be allowed to adopt children.
The woman said she believed the amount of media coverage on gay marriage had prompted the sign.
Ballarat Police could not comment on any action taken before print time.
Thanks Ben. We have emailed numerous media outlets without response, including the Ballarat Courier. We will hold our heads high but wish we could do more to raise this issue as a topic for discussion among the general community. Thanks again for your encouragement.
Karen:- A letter to your local newspaper (“what next – anti asian posters? signs attacking croatians?). But apart from that…walk on by, head held high, hand in hand with your partner.
This sign is in the front yard of a private residence. We have contacted numerous media outlets and, apart from the Star Observer, no coverage of this has been taken up. Also, despite MP Catherine King’s lip service, the sign remains in place. As much as I would like to remove it, I do not wish to be considered to be doing the wrong thing myself by tresspassing. What do we do?
This is obviously – just from the appearance – the work of someone with serious mental health issues. Not really a Christian nutter so much as a person suffering from schizophrenia, probably, who has internalised Christian teachings and thinks “God has told me to do this”. We should feel sorry for the poor person who did this, they must be living in hell already.
Boris is not the person to be lecturing on the word hypocrite.
He is in fact an Evangelical Christian who attempts in his posts to cover up the many hate crimes committed in the name of Christianity. Not just on this post but others.
Such hypocrites as Boris add to such foul crimes. In Australia people are murdered and tortured to death by some Christians simply due to their sexuality.
If we are to talk of the mass crimes of some Christians Boris would no doubt try and cover them up. He was on the forum about “Gays want to destroy marriage” showing his only concern that people might dare to take legal action against a church that is well known to me for hate crimes, child sex, and more. He is a defender of Evil Crime.
https://starobserver.com.au/news/australia-news/new-south-wales-news/2010/12/07/claims-%E2%80%98gays-want-to-destroy-marriage%E2%80%99/38691
Yes the word hypocrite is an interesting word Boris does in fact struggle with.
Just watch how much more shrill and pathetic the breeders will get as gay marriage moves even closer. We have some REALLY backward people in this country yet LOVE to lecture other countries, cultures and faiths about “tolerance” and human rights LOL its so hypocritical its laughable.
Hey Paul
“in the words of Nero regarding christians ” nail em up”!”
That there sounds like hate speech. Isn’t this article a condemnation of hate speech. I think I smell a hypocrite of the worst kind!!!
Pissing in the wind again Ben?
Hate signs left around streets are serious.
Another god fearing, people loving, true Christian showing the true christian colours, in fact all religious colours, the sign should have been stop religion now, its fucking up & poisoning the world (nothing new) in the words of Nero regarding christians ” nail em up”!
Contrary to the comment in this article as to acceptability, as a local regional resident sadly I find Ballarat highly homophobic!
Being from Ballarat, I’ve tried to say nice things, but you could point the finger at anybody in Ballarat; it could be just a bit of shit-stirring as well. If I took that image to the Ballarat Police they would say, there’s no evidence of homophobia there… bizarre!
if you notice at the bottom in brackets, they have said repent and therefore taken a christian stance, but using the word “faggot” they have shown their complete ignorance both for bible scripture, and indeed life itself.
also, the fact that they have left it anonomously, shows weakness of character. Personally if i had seen this sign, I would have pissed on it and got someone to take a picture of me doing it. that would be a far more newsworthy reality.
Stay classy, heterosexuals.
ALWAYS stay classy!