Australian Christian Lobby slams Canberra for flying rainbow flags

THE Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has slammed the ACT government for flying rainbow flags last week to mark Valentine’s Day and champion marriage equality.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr had previously posted on social media saying the flags would go up for a week from Valentine’s Day to support same-sex marriage.

“Canberra is Australia’s most LGBTI-inclusive city,” he said in the post.

“We want to celebrate that this week and show our support for marriage equality in Australia.”

However, in a report by the Canberra Times, ACL managing director Lyle Shelton derided the move as ‘political’.

“If the ACT government is going to make it open for political causes to have their flags flown at public expense on public land, there has to be equal preference for all political causes,” he said.

“This is a flag that represents a political cause that’s very prominent in the political discourse at the moment.

“That political agenda is not something that all Australians have signed on to.

“Things like Safe Schools and teaching children their gender is fluid, I think many Australians believe that if marriage is going to be redefined there should be a public vote before the flag of a political movement is displayed on public land.”

In response, Barr promised despite Shelton’s ‘conservative views’ the flags would definitely fly again during the city’s LGBTI festival later this year.

“The vast majority of Canberrans support marriage equality and want the federal parliament to do its job and legislate as such,” he said.

“The ACT government will continue to advocate on this issue and on the rights of LGBTIQ people more generally because it is the right thing to do.”

The ACT assembly recently passed legislation to automatically recognise same-sex unions from overseas.