Mayor: Madden not welcome

Mayor: Madden not welcome

Lismore Mayor Jenny Dowell has given unsuccessful Christian Democrats political candidate Peter Madden his marching orders, saying he and his anti-gay message are not welcome in the northern NSW town.

Mayor Dowell said she had spoken to Madden on the phone this morning following protests which forced local police to impound a truck featuring anti-gay signage which warns of the dangers of same-sex marriage to children and displays a grown man embracing a young male child.

“I told him he was not welcome with his message in Lismore,” Dowell told the Star Observer.

“I don’t condone the graffiti attack on the truck, but I do fully support the protest and understand the community does feel vilified by those messages.

Mayor Dowell said in the last few days she had received phone calls and Facebook messages from local residents expressing concern about the truck before it arrived in Lismore yesterday.

“There is no place for anti-gay sentiment here,” Dowell said.

“I understand there are a range of views on same-sex marriage and I support people expressing their views, but to suggest that if same-sex marriage is legalised children will not be safe, is just offensive.”

Lismore’s gay and lesbian community staged a protest throughout the night and this morning, blockading the truck by parking another vehicle in front it while a group of protesters sat behind it to demand the signage be taken down.

Overnight, slogans featuring the words ‘equal love’ and ‘love not hate’ were graffitied over the truck’s signage and the vehicle was covered with coloured streamers and glitter.

Two locals also chained themselves to the truck but were later removed. One of the truck’s tyres was also let down.

Madden, who clashed with protesters surrounding the truck this morning, has used his website to call for donations to assist the truck’s journey.

Lismore Police Sergeant Brett Lloyd told the Star Observer police will conduct further investigations into the graffiti

The truck was stationed in Lismore overnight on its way to target ALP electorates in Queensland with its anti-gay message, ahead of the March 24 state election.

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17 responses to “Mayor: Madden not welcome”

  1. thank you jenny for showing your support for the gay community and showing Australia that our town will not have discrimination of this sort you have done a wonderful thing thank you

  2. I am very proud to have been born and bred in Lismore. What a amazing mayor!!! We need more politicians like this!

  3. Lismore Mayor Jenny Dowell gives true meaning to a being mayor with humanity and a true sense of fairness.

  4. Well done to the mayor of Lismore,shows great courage.Where is this fool of a man now,is he still on his way up to Queensland.?

  5. Sorry Peter Madden for getting your name wrong but it’s not your name that matters it’s the hate messages that you are sending…We are people too!

  6. I apologise for getting your name wrong Peter Madden though it’s not your name that counts it’s your attitudes.

  7. A message to Peter Dunn: Dear Peter Dunn,
    Good job bringing the fire down on yourself in my hometown.You promote hate toward the glbt community whilst we promote love and equal rights.
    I am a 21 year old lesbian and might I add I have never experienced physical or sexual violence amongst the glbt community though i have sufferered these horrible experiences at the hands of straight men and women. I also have spent alot of time in the church community and attitudes like this are the sole reason I no longer attend.
    I am happy being gay though these attitudes prevented me from being happy within myself for a long time.
    The attitudes that you are presenting and promoting are exactly why suicide is so predominate within the glbt community especially amongst the youth.
    I I myself grew up in foster care a product of a broken home, my parents had me very young and as a result I did not have the love and care that I have so often seen amongst the glbt community and their families. I have many straight friends & I am in a band called subdufuze with not one but 3 straight males so any man hating/straight hating attitudes that you want to throw at me are completely biased and false.
    I get quite upset with the way I am so often put into a box and labelled as the exact opposite of who I am and what I represent.
    I come to you a gay young woman to tell you that your theories and labels are wrongfully portraying the glbt community. STOP THE HATE, SMELL THE ROSES & TAKE A wALK UNDER THE RAINBOW!!!

  8. Congratulations Mayor Dowell: A gutsy move in the face of shrill far-right, gay-hate opposition. Freedom of speech does not equal freedom to vilify.

  9. I know one of the prominant equal rights campaigners for Lismore, Benjamin Coomper, and I know how hard him and many others have worked to establish equality in that area. It is awesome to see the Mayor upholding equality, and a shame to see such a horrible message portrayed by someone seeking office, shame! While I disagree with the attack on his truck, I certainly understand the reasoning behind it.

  10. That truck should be kept in the impound yard till March 25th.
    Upon release, the owner & organiser should be named and shamed for what can only be described as blatantly offensive.

    This truck should never be allowed to return to the roads till such time as the banners have been removed.

    Christians need to work out that they are also a MINORITY in this country & that belief structures are dated.
    If they want to practice idiocy, please continue to do so without impairing the rights of others.

  11. Peter Madden = a born again “christian” hypocrite who used to bang prostitutes, amongst other sins. Who is he to dictate morality.

  12. So proud of Jenny Dowell in speaking up and out on this issue
    She is incredibly invested and energetic
    More to the point representative of all
    Thankyou