Australian Marriage Forum anti-equality ad — where do you stand?
AN Australian Marriage Forum television commercial that criticises marriage equality has sparked controversy after channels Seven and Nine aired the ad on the night of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, while SBS refused to broadcast it during its highlights coverage of the Parade on Sunday.
The ad asks viewers to “think of the children” by claiming that children from same-sex families are forced to “miss out” on having a mother or a father.
It quotes Dr David van Gend, a “family doctor” and the President of the Australian Marriage Forum (AMF).
“So-called marriage equality forces a child to miss out on a mother or a father,” he says in the ad.
“That’s not equality for the kids who miss out. That’s not marriage.”
SBS has come under fire for its decision to not air the ad on Sunday night, with some media commentators highlighting questions of freedom of speech and opinion.
Australian Marriage Equality (AME) national director Rodney Croome said in a press statement that the ad was “actually harming the many Australian children being raised by same-sex couples because it defends discrimination against their families”.
However, a Facebook post by AME this afternoon indicated a slight change of opinion by the organisation: it agreed with openly-gay WA Liberal Senator Dean Smith, who told Fairfax media that “obnoxious ads should be aired because they undermine the cause of their sponsors — the obnoxious views will be seen for what they are”.
“Fortunately Australia has come so far in this campaign that, at this point, he’s right,” AME’s Facebook post read in response to Smith’s comments.
“The overwhelming reaction has seen thousands speak up for equality and the dignity of all families.”
Meanwhile, the YouTube link for the AMF ad has received more that 10 times more “thumbs down” than it has for “thumbs up”.
In addition, at the time of print over 9200 people have signed a Change.org petition asking for the advertisement to be removed altogether.
Where do you stand on the controversial ad? Scroll down after the video to vote in our poll.
Watch the ad:
[socialpoll id=”2257264″]
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this just does not make sence. shows how uninformed they are. thank you SBS for not airing.
I am not homosexual and I find this narrow minded and offensive. It is important for children to be raised in a loving home with good role models, that doesn’t have to be gender based. Given Australia’s statistics on domestic violence, you can hardly assume a heterosexual relationship is going to provide a safe and loving home for a child. Let’s focus on the real dangers for children …
Well said Stace!
Why are some people allowed to shut down the city and parade to the world but another group are not allowed to even talk??
Yes I support their decision NOT to show this disgusting add….whoever made this add should be ashamed.. Can’t stand homophobic people…
All of the evidence (see case against 8) suggests that there is no impact on children of having parents of a single gender. This is just scaremongering and emotional blackmail.
I really hope they somehow keep a record of this ad, so in 20 years we can run it again and remember those who had anything to do with it. I hope they have difficulty in ever finding work again. It’s people like this that kept black people oppressed for generations, that thought aboriginal children should live with white parents, that believe women should be allowed to work only before they have their first child. These same people exist today, creating this ad and have no place in a developed educated and peaceful world. I’d sooner support 2 people that took years of work, preparation and thought to obtain a child who are more likely to provide a loving environment over someone who got married because of family and religious pressure in their early 20’s, from the same kind of people that made this ad. PS. Getting a man to use his credentials as a “Family doctor” is pretty desperate call for “I know what I’m talking about on moral issues” seeing they probably couldn’t get an accredited child psychologist/psychiatrist to back up their message. Keep the ad, it will serve as the best karma punishment for these bigots in the future!
I have to say, nobody could have put it better. Brilliant reply.
Thanks Laverne
My partner and I have a precious 3 year old girl who has no problem telling everyone she has two mummies. I feel her seeing this ad would do more damage then having two devoted loving mothers. Thank god the UK would not stand for this sort of hate speech.
Actually, I must say that we lost a real opportunity to demonstrate just how irrelevant this idiotic argument actually is and that it has given more air-time than they paid for.
Let them Waste their money. The truth will out.
My partner and I now have a precious 3 year old girl who has no problem telling everyone she has two mummies. I feel her seeing this ad would do more damage then having two devoted loving mothers.
Playing calming music behind a hate speech doesn’t make it anything but a HATE SPEECH!!!!
How dare this be allowed on TV!
SBS you have just gained the respect and FULL SUPPORT of a person’ who supports marriage equality 100% x
I recently escaped from Australia and now live in London, where this outrageous piece of hate-speech would never be allowed to air on television.
This party is a deluded out of date self righteous bunch of morons and these stupid conservative politicians who play the high moral ground pretending to support equal rights are just as bad ! God Australia is so far behind the rest of world ! I can’t believe we are still debating this BS in 2015!
While I am disappointed that this ad ever made it to air…. I am genuinely inspired by the number of people who have taken the time to contribute, either through comments, likes, shares and ‘thumbs down’, to voice their disapproval of its message. It shows that while our laws may not provide for absolute equality…. yet…. we’re definitely heading in the right direction!!!
This add was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen. If you’re so determined to push for a child’s right to a mum and dad, then punish parents that split up… Ban divorce among the straights!!!
Wow really so they are losing there fight on the grounds that marriage is between a man n a woman so they r now gonna drag the children into it ! Just like hetrosexual couple not all same sex couples want or plan to have children so what they dnt have the right to spend the rest of there life wif the person they love? A child needs love and attention and guidance and that shouldn’t matter ️weather it comes from a man n a woman or 2 men or 2 women love is love and all that this kind of thing teaches the next generations is how to hate!!!
This is what i have sent to the networks involved as well as the project … Only the project has responded
One of the bigger stories this week will be about the ad played on nine and seven over the weekend portraying the “normal nuclear” family and how anything other then that is hurting the children involved. I hope that you will do a piece on it but not glamorise that the ad is homophobic as its more then just that. It effects all of our family units from single parents to families whos grand parents are the main carers.
I hope that maybe this writing piece will help you in the way you debate the ad.
The piece i have written is more based on homosexuality but i hope maybe its just one side of the story you show
Maybe it isn’t a fight for equality. More a fight for normality.
When a married couple leaves Australia their marriage still exists. Yet if i were in a civil union my commitment wouldn’t.
When a normal couple enters a room with their kids no one really notices but when my single mother friend enters a gathering with no partner all eyes are on her.
When the 12 year old boy walks into a sex education class and has to push the only question he wants to ask down inside himself again because people will treat him differently.
Why the professional athlete can’t bring her girlfriend to a sponsors event because its not the way the company wants to be represented.
Why the two loving dads cant take in that beautiful child who’s longing for a home because its not traditional.
Its not equality that i want.
I know i am different because society is showing me that i am.
What i want is to normalise my life. Take out the pressure of living up to what society is parading myself to be.
Because when i am at home. I am just me. I sing in the shower. I leave dirty clothes on the floor. I drink out of the milk carton.
We are creatures that grow from the environment we surround ourselves with. We develop our own path and thoughts because of how our parent/parents grew up and have decided to instil on our growing minds. I don’t want special treatment. I just want to be treated normally.
Thank you for your time in reading and i hope you will have a fair and true conversation about this.
The saddest thing is that the networks aired it on the weekend where we celebrate diversity. I know that it is not in any way in your power of knowing what is aired for commercials. I just hope that you will discuss this topic with respect to all of the parties that it attacks. Not just the one side of homophobia.
Should’ve heard Justin Smith on 2UE Drive go for the good Doctor’s jugular during an on air interview this arvo it was epic!.He asked repeatedly “How are same sex couples lacking or deficient in parenting?” and the good MD replied “A child needs a mother and a father”..and variations of the same answer when asked again..The ONLY thing they agreed on is the pulling of the ad,perhaps they should have kept it running,just to show the sort of homo-scaredycat axe-wounds this Australian Marriage Forum mob are.
I was brought up in a single parent home from age 7 upwards.My darling mama did the best she could handling four boys in a strange country on her own.We only learned later the depth of her sacrifice to care for us.So their little ad is a slap in the face for SS couples and single parents.My mama did a magnificent job raising me and my brothers being both mother and father to us all..So whatever DiDi wants..DiDi gets!.And the AMF can get stuffed.
Well done SBS, this ad is nothing more than blatant bigotry .
If this was about interracial marriage we wouldn’t even be discussing this awful ad! You can’t promote homophobia and think it’s acceptable because of some book, we wouldn’t allow it if the ad said “every child deserves a white mother and father” which I’m sure the church had at one point….
Congratulations to SBS, we need more openness for this country to grow. I personaly think that every adult should be allowed to marry who ever they wish. The commercial should be removed
I’m gay and we’re parents of the most well adjusted, bright, and socially aware 10 year old daughter imaginable. This ad is wrong on so many levels and the networks that aired it are a disgrace. But
I’m happy for the ad to air. The message is so ridiculous that it’s likely effect is to cause more people to support gay marriage.
I’m with David Leyonhjelm – Liberal Democrats Senator NSW on this one.
This ad is Rubbish
Thank you SBS at least someone is showing a skerrick of integrity in this debate without using children – a group which is least able to protect itself from people like you!!!
To the homophobic morons like James Mifsud, this commercial is offensive to same sex parents and by extension, is homophobic and bigoted hatred.
Just checking with all you right wing crazies – this only applies to the children of white heterosexuals not children in detention right!!!
It’s not just that it attacks equal marriage. The ACL with this ad have also attacked every single parent family in this country.
This is a disgrace, I am appalled. Do children also have a say in abusive relationships & broken families. How does a mum and a dad determine a child’s happiness? It’s love, kindness & support that shapes their lives in a safe positive environment 2 mums or 2 dads who cares as long as they are loved.
Instead of looking out for the gay ‘pedophile’ maybe look at your straight football coach or your teacher, or your next door neighbor. Most of these sick people live in ‘normal’ lives and relationships. Makes me sick.
Both my mums are amazing and I did not feel disadvantaged at all growing up. I am offended and hurt that people would support this.
Children from same sex families are only going to be bullied because other children are going to believe it’s wrong to have same sex parents. Is that what AMF want?