Outrage over former Premier’s support for allegedly transphobic cartoon

Outrage over former Premier’s support for allegedly transphobic cartoon
Image: The Herald Sun cartoon by Mark Knight, as posted on social media by Denis Nathine.

FORMER Victorian premier Denis Napthine’s support for a cartoon published in the Herald Sun that has been condemned as transphobic has attracted wide criticism from political and community figures.

The cartoon, a response by cartoonist Mark Knight to comparisons between current Victorian Labor premier Daniel Andrews and former Labor premier Joan Kirner, depicts a woman on a park bench reading a newspaper about US celebrity Bruce Jenner.

The woman is saying, “Kim Kardashian’s step-father is transitioning from being a man to a woman… you don’t see that every day do you?” as Daniel Andrews walks past in the polka-dot dress Kirner was usually drawn wearing in political cartoons during her time as premier.

“Great article by experienced state political journalist John Ferguson in The Australian on 25 April followed by magnificent cartoon by Mark Knight in today’s Herald Sun,” said Napthine in a post of the cartoon on his Facebook page (pictured above).

The cartoon and Napthine’s comments were quickly condemned on social media, by community members and politicians.

https://twitter.com/tim_chr/status/592523393133510656

https://twitter.com/paulkidd/status/592531123126669313

Upper house Labor MP Harriet Shing, the first out woman in Victorian Parliament, also weighed in on Napthine’s comments on her Facebook page.

“This is, in my opinion, just one of the reasons that LGBTI people don’t trust the Libs to engage in any respectful dialogue about (the) sorts of discrimination and prejudice that cause enormous pain and upset,” she said.

“A disgrace on so many levels, surely (they) are better than this.”

Transgender Victoria Executive Director Sally Goldner told the Star Observer that using trans* people “for laughs” could have very serious consequences for their health and wellbeing.

“This is particularly important in light of all the research, including the recent report from Curtin University showing trans and gender diverse people are four times more likely to be depressed and 50 per cent more likely suffer anxiety than the population at large,” she said.

“For a senior politician, regardless of political persuasion, to endorse the cartoon as ‘magnificent’ is of concern, particularly in light of the recent launch of the state LGBTI Parliamentary friendship group which aims to ensure better outcomes legally and socially for all LGBTI people, including trans and gender diverse.

“Also, in line with relevant law, we would not accept any response of “no offence was intended.”

Equality Minister Martin Foley called on the opposition to distance themselves from Napthine’s comments.

“Either the equality spokesperson or their leader needs to distance themselves from those comments,” Foley told the Star Observer, arguing Napthine was hypocritical in making the comments after making a fuss of being the first Victorian premier to attend LGBTI festival Midsumma in 2014.

“Sadly, the actual cartoon reflected how far we’ve still got to go in making particularly trans issues and gender diverse issues a part of the LGBTI equality framework.”

Shadow Minister for Equality David Davis outlined the former Premier’s successes on LGBTI issues, and said the cartoon had been misinterpreted.

“Denis Napthine was the first Victorian Premier to open the Midsumma festival, he passed Australia’s first expungement legislation and this cartoon is clearly a political statement that Daniel Andrews is morphing into a hard left, ideological, Joan Kirner,” he told the Star Observer.

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15 responses to “Outrage over former Premier’s support for allegedly transphobic cartoon”

  1. What I’d like to see is the Star Observer taking a stand on whether the cartoon is transphobic or not. This headline, “Outrage over former Premier’s support for allegedly transphobic cartoon” is certainly not taking a stand, and is in fact remaining very much on the fence as to whether Star Observer thinks that it is transphobic or not.

  2. Typical Liberal party members! Tony Abbott back in 2010 did say he is “threatened by homosexuality” remember!

  3. No, I truly believe this was said (posted) in jest, a faux pas and in no way intended to offend the GLBTI community. Both Denis and many of his Coalition colleagues have earned their stripes in showing support for our community in their last term of government. They have done a lot for our community that quite frankly has gone unrecognized and without thanks.

    It’s disappointing that the GLBTI community are so quick to apprehend those in the spotlight. Somehow expecting our former premier, a 53 year old straight married man from country Victoria to read mind and expectations.

    I ask the community and the especially gay press this:
    Why do you continually call outrage, ridicule and apprehend people that say stupid things rather that takes the opportunity to work with and educating the wider community.

    Really, what is more important to you?
    •Receiving a one liner apology or;
    •Taking the opportunity to educate our leaders, the wider Australian media and general public about respecting the GLBTI community & in this case specifically about transphobia.

    • And I ask you Matt, how much education has to happen BEFORE we stop educating and start expecting those who would call themselves straight allies to actually act like allies?

  4. here i am starting work with some trans students in a rural town and shit like this pops up in the media endorsed by supposed leaders of our community how do they feel and think if they see this shit….
    god or who ever your imaginary friend is,how effing DUMB are you napthine

  5. Wait, is this guy on govt benefits for serving as a public servant? What are they? How much of tax payers money does he receive? WHERE IS MALCOM TURNBULL TO REPORT HIM???

  6. I am not in the target audience, people following Victorian politics, or I may have observed (as Napthine did) “…this cartoon is clearly a political statement that Daniel Andrews is morphing into a hard left, ideological, Joan Kirner,” There are real issues more deserving of attention, but not this furphy.

    • I agree that, in the scheme of things, sharing this unfunny cartoon isn’t a big deal, but this is no furphy. This goes to the trustworthiness of politicians who claim to support us when it suits them, then turn on us when it doesn’t. I know politicians have a well-deserved reputation for being loose with the truth, but this is a man who led a party that campaigned on its support for queers. It show he’s a liar and it calls into question the motives of others in his party.

  7. The fact is that Napthine is no friend of the queer community. Never was. He voted against giving lesbians access to IVF, he voted against the relationship register, he spoke out against marriage reform, he criticised Christine Nixon’s participation in Pride March. So this is just Napthine being Napthine. What he should apologise for is lying through his teeth at Midsumma last year when he said he supported us. That was just a charade to try and save Clem Newton-Brown’s seat. It failed, like pretty much all of this premiership.

  8. Surprise, surprise – he is a member of the bigoted Australian Liberal Party, headed by that scumbag cunt Tony Abbott!

  9. It would hardly be heartfelt or genuine…. Let us see these idiots for who they really are and let them sleep in their ignorant and insensitive beds…

  10. What’s just as irritating is that this guy rocked up to Midsumma last year, said a lot of pretty things about inclusiveness (because he needed gay votes in Prahran), but now he doesn’t need us he’s jumped right off the bandwagon.