More than 100 people protest outside Daily Telegraph office
Image: Daily Telegraph protest. Image: Dejay Toborek.
A GROUP of around 100 protestors has demonstrated outside the Daily Telegraph office in Sydney over the paper’s controversial infographic that appeared to show LGBTI identity as a health problem.
The story, published earlier this week, included a number of statistics on young people’s health issues along with the tagline “Young Aussies only themselves to blame”. One of the “health” issues illustrated, alongside obesity, alcohol and drug use, was same-sex attraction.
The protestors outside the News Corp headquarters on Holt Street in Surry Hills wore rainbow flags and chalked a large rainbow on the ground, Pedestrian.tv has reported.
News Corp reportedly sent an email to its employees about the protest, saying, “As a company, we respect the right to freedom of speech and an individual’s right to express their views publicly. We will monitor the protest and ask that in the meantime, you continue to go about your business as usual.”
Daily Telegraph editor Christopher Dore made a statement about the infographic, arguing that it had been misinterpreted.
“It is a statistical picture of young people’s lives, from where they live to how they live,” he said.
“Unfortunately the presentation of the story has been misinterpreted.
“The story in no way suggests, or intends to suggest, that same-sex relationships are unhealthy.”
The piece has caused a backlash from the LGBTI community.
A petition calling for an apology from the newspaper has already gathered hundreds of signatures.
Social media users have voiced their outrage at the message.
“The most unhealthy thing is being a big ol’ queer I guess. Thx @dailytelegraph,” tweeted one person.
“This isn’t journalism, it’s hate speech,” wrote social change group GetUp.
is it just because @dailytelegraph has so normalized its bigotry and social contempt that this seems to have not made waves? pic.twitter.com/7sd895XkAy
— jonathan green (@GreenJ) July 12, 2017
Visitors at Holt St! (The Daily Tele's graphic yesterday was not a universal hit) pic.twitter.com/IwCjfaYgRZ
— James Jeffrey (@James_Jeffrey) July 13, 2017
daily tele: being gay is unhealthy
me: pic.twitter.com/RixoXYcJom— Jack Crane (@jackcrane) July 12, 2017
i live in NSW, drink booze and occasionally take le drug, but the most unhealthy thing is being a big ol' queer i guess. thx @dailytelegraph pic.twitter.com/ZwlisMKASK
— chloe sargeant (@chlosarge) July 12, 2017
Quick note to all staff at @dailytelegraph: this isn't journalism, it's hate speech pic.twitter.com/yCGld4NiXm
— GetUp! (@GetUp) July 12, 2017
You only have to look at the image of the article in question to see that the Tele’s editor’s excuse is a lie. If he didn’t want to be “misinterpreted” he literally couldn’t have done a worse job of avoiding this. Thus we conclude it’s exactly how he wanted it interpreted because not even a massive idiot could have done this accidently. The failure to apologise for blatant homophobia and then lying desperately and pathetically to pretend it didn’t happen shows how low the Tele’s editor can go.
That said, it’s also important to remember that very large organisations like News Corp or the Liberal or Labor Parties have huge numbers of staff and affiliated associates and many of these people share progressive views and are working to improve these situations. Don’t lash out at the entire organisation, call out the bad behaviour and maintain the moral high ground by keeping any protests peaceful and positive (as this protest appears to have been)