Jacinda Ardern “cautious” about categorising Folau’s anti-gay comments as hate speech
Image: Image: Facebook / Jacinda Ardern.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has defended footballer Israel Folau’s controversial anti-gay comments — or at least his right to make them.
Folau has been the centre of controversy since posting on social media that God’s plan for gay people was “hell” unless they repent, along with Bible verses supporting his beliefs.
Last year he also came under fire for tweeting during the marriage equality debate that he would not support same-sex marriage.
Asked by Newshub if she considered Folau’s comments hate speech, Ardern was cautious about applying that term.
“I disagree with [the comments] but I’m very careful around how I categorise someone’s speech,” she said.
“I’m very cautious of when you escalate someone’s language into those kinds of categories.”
New Zealand does not have a hate speech law as such; race, colour, and ethnicity are protected by the Human Rights Act, though it does not cover sexual orientation or religion.
Ardern said she “certainly hasn’t seen momentum” in New Zealand towards the need for more specific laws against hate speech.
She said that an important issue was balancing protection from discrimination with the importance of freedom of speech and religion.
“You know the old saying, ‘I may not like what you’re saying but I’ll defend your right to say it’,” she said.
Ardern, who abandoned the Mormon faith over her support for LGBTI rights, last year became New Zealand’s third female prime minister.
In February she became the first prime minister to march in the Auckland Pride parade.
“The fact we live in a country where we shut down the streets to celebrate diversity, and that we can tell a generation of young people that they live in a place that is inclusive and supportive of who they are, is something I hope we keep doing. I know I will,” said Ardern at the time.
Both Israel Folau and our PM Jacinda Ardern were both former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Both left the Mormon Church. In leaving Israel Folau converted to evangelical Christianity and Jacinda Adern became an agnostic. In fact Jacinda Adern resigned from Mormonism because she supported the GLBTQ community. Whereas Israel Folau as a Christian sees homosexuals as sinful and without repentance will go to hell. Yes but lucky for Israel Folau he will get into heaven because he is a heterosexual and not a homosexual. Personally I don’t think its possible to repent for being a homosexual no matter how much reparative therapy you do.
Typical cop-out by a politician. They are so greedy for, or to keep, power they will do and say anything just so long as they don’t lose any votes. They run scared of any subject which might see them being accused of Racism hence they refusal to condemn Folau. The fact that his Mormon Religion is homophobic and racist seems to have escaped both Jacinda and Folau.and Jacinda is scared shitless of offending him and any of his race.
This footballer has maintained a strick interpretation of his religious views consistently for many years, so whats the problem?