Lyle Shelton Targets Courtney Act Over ABC Show
Lyle Shelton has found a new target – and this time it is LGBTQI+ icon and Australia’s most famous drag performer Courtney Act.
Courtney Act recently steered her career to a new direction as the host of ABC’s One Plus One. Act also featured on ABC’s Little Kids, Big Talk. The RuPaul’s Drag Race star answered questions from children about gender. The video was posted on ABC Kid’s Community’s Facebook page, where it has racked up over 1.6 million views.
Shelton Launches Petition
While viewers praised the video, one person was not happy. Shelton, who has been tapped by Christian Democratic Party founder Fred Nile, as his replacement in the NSW Parliament, used his social media platforms to attack the ABC for having Act on the show.
Shelton has been consistent in his attacks on the LGBTQI community – he led the campaign for the ‘No’ side in the national vote on marriage equality, has targetted Drag Queen story time, Safe Schools program, the Rainbow path in a Sydney park and has even prayed for rain during the annual Mardi Gras parade.
Shelton launched a petition on his website to ask “the ABC to stop sexualising children and indoctrinating them into gender fluid ideology.” He added: “LGBTIQA+ drag queens are not for kids but the ABC is using them to indoctrinate little children.” The online petition has received around 730 signatures.
Shelton’s post invited ridicule from many social media users.
https://twitter.com/KBox78/status/1408601247247073281
One Plus One
Shelton’s attacks aside, the overwhelming response to Act’s new show has been positive. One Plus One presents a series of in-depth conversations between Act and young Australians, who have impacted the world they live in, by striving for their own successful lives. It started off with a conversation with Lisa Origliasso, one half of The Australian pop duo The Veronicas.
“Songwriting is a big part of the Veronicas which I think, 16 yeas ago, people who were pop artists writing their own music wasn’t as common and I remember. One of the defining feature of the Veronicas was you wrote your own music… songwriting technique and device is important for communication,” said Courtney, in response to Origliasso’s use of music for communication.
If you missed #OnePlusOne tonight you can watch it on iView! @ABCTV https://t.co/tM7iqWO1X3
— Courtney Act (@courtneyact) June 28, 2021
The show was enjoyable and Courtney did well as a host, despite her initial jitters about being part of ABC’s One Plus One. In an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald, Act said that she was “very aware of the legacy (of the show” and that to was a “big and exciting responsibility”.
Later this mont, Act is set to reprise her role as 80s pop sensation Shazza in the West End production of Death Drop.
If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.
For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14
For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
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Lyle Shelton is a trouble maker and he won’t leave LGBTI. Community alone no matter what he just don’t stop. i say to everyone just keep up the fight and don’t let him and the Australian Christian Lobby Group win. LGBTI Community is accepted across Australia and Lyle Shelton and the Australian Christian Lobby Group needs to do the same!!!! and Same Sex Married is here to stay Lyle and A.C.L get over it and move on !!!!!!!!
While I think Courtney Act seems a great person and the interviews are fine. I do have a problem as a lesbian feminist with the female stereotypes that Courtney Act promotes through the clothing, such as low cut, all legs exposed, hanging off the shoulders, heavy makeup, stilletoes etc.
We fought for years to free women from the narrow stereotypes which were to sexualise us for the view of men. Now we have those from our community promoting this on TV. TV is not a drag show. I am not sure if Courtney is trans or gay male drag but it doesn’t matter the same problem occurs. As for talking to kids. Honesty from adults is important and one of the reasons why children born in my era 1940s were vulnerable to sexual predators.
Shelton could do with some personal care himself which would have to include several years of psychotherapy to put him straight.
I think it is time all of our media took a long hard look at how the public perception has changed, we didn’t go through all this hard work to change the laws to simply allow them to be ignored so l support this action completely.
United Nations Ambassador/ Envoy/ professor Tony Waugh.