Rudd’s sister ‘must apologise’
Marriage equality advocates and Holocaust survivors have demanded an apology from Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd’s sister following her statement that marriage equality is being pushed by “a global gay Gestapo”.
In an interview with The Australian newspaper, Loree Rudd accused ALP members of being brainwashed after four state Labor conferences endorsed changes to the Marriage Act to allow same-sex marriage under federal law.
Australian Marriage Equality national convener Alex Greenwich said Ms Rudd’s statement had no place in mature public debate and will incite hatred against supporters of equality.
“We call on those who oppose equality to condemn Ms Rudd’s outburst, and for Ms Rudd herself to withdraw her comments and apologise for them”, Greenwich said.
“Ms Rudd has set back her cause by comparing supporters of civil rights to an organisation that was responsible for mass murder, including the mass murder of homosexuals.”
In the interview Ms Rudd admitted she was lobbying Labor MPs to reject marriage equality, threatening to quit the party if the party platform is changed at ALP National Conference in December.
A divorced nurse and devout Christian, she has written to every MP in federal parliament, fellow Labor members in Queensland and newspapers, stating her opposition to marriage equality.
She told The Australian that the former prime minister was aware of her views but that she had embarked on her campaign without his knowledge.
“I have been delighted with Kevin and then with Julia in her support of the traditional view of marriage,” she told the newspaper.
Rudd said there was a worldwide gay movement that “fed propaganda” to lobby for marriage equality.
“I call them the global gay Gestapo: it is the lobbying movement that is brainwashing people, particularly the young in the community that this (homosexuality) is an optional extra in life,” she said.
Her comments were also criticised by gay Australians affected by the Holocaust.
Holocaust survivor Frederick Weisinger, who lives in Sydney and wrote a submission supporting marriage equality to a 2009 Senate inquiry into the issue, said: “I spent three years in a concentration camp as a child, and I am horrified by this comparison between the Gestapo and ordinary citizens like me who just want to be treated equally.
“Before she makes such offensive comments, Ms Rudd should read about the horrors perpetrated by the Gestapo, particularly how it hounded, persecuted and killed homosexuals in large numbers.”
Marriage equality advocate Jackie Stricker-Phelps, who is the wife of former AMA President, Kerryn Phelps, also added her voice to the outrage.
“During the Second World War, members of my family had their human rights taken away and were murdered at the hands of the Gestapo,” she said
“To compare the work of today’s human right’s advocates to the atrocities of those monsters is a shocking indictment on anyone making these claims.”
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said that Rudd’s comments were “deeply offensive” and urged her to immediately withdraw her remarks, claiming they were homophobic and inflammatory.
“While all members of the Australian community are entitled to their personal views, it is extremely concerning that in the 21st century certain individuals think that it is acceptable to discriminate against others based on their sexual orientation,” she said.
“Everyone in Australia, regardless of their sexual orientation, has the right to be treated with respect and dignity, and to live their lives free of discrimination, harassment and bullying.”
Heterosexism and homophobia is a form of discrimination. It causes violence. We must reject it.
Loree, Come join us in the 21st Century ;-)
Rudd’s sister ‘must apologise’ | Star Online…
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dave, now I know why you have so much time in your hands after reading your first line.
@Sam, or is that Oliver?
Darlinghurst? Mate I live in a country town in Gippsland Victoria, far far away from Darlinghurst. And good luck to those that work or live in Darlinghurst, I have no problem with them. It is interesting how in another post Oliver said the Gay Community is not tolerant as he was not served in a Gay bar.
“Gay Ghetto”. What is that?
@Ian Fundamentalist abusers like you always like to blame the victim of their abuse. I can understand how you would never want people to use facts. And telling people what order to live? As usual!
Dave, your perpetual victim mentality is getting really tired. Oliver is right, you have no idea about history. It is one thing to be able to look up facts and dates from wikipedia, however it is quite a different thing to understand what they actually mean. You are obviously trawling for information that supports your victim mentality with little to no insight into the nuances of this data. You are a contributing member of Australian society first and homosexual second. Remember that and you’ll go a long way, just like Oliver.
Dave, what would you call yourself? one who forces their beleifs on others and is so demanding it comes across as arrogance. I take it your a non beleiver? Quote, “I will be forever watchful of people wanting to imprint their religion on others”, what do you think your doing Dave? um, exactly the same thing, post upon post. Some people have been so arrogantly parked inside the Darlinghurst ghetto that they havent a clue of any life outside it and thats so sad.
Ouch! Does one dare to disagree with Dave? like entering turbulant waters!
Oliver there you go again. Give me evidence for “most gay people do not support gay marriage”. Blasphemy? Stop replacing the rational with the irrational.
Poll after poll shows the majority of Australians support Same-Sex Marriage. Poll after poll on this website shows the majority of the GLBTI community support Same-Sex Marriage. Sure not everyone supports Marriage, gay or straight, but a majority do according to the polls, and the many articles and comments here. You are basing your arguments on the irrational.
Tell me what is the official Catholic Church line on homosexuality? “Homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved”. So are you a practicing homosexual?
People are seeking to deny others rights based on their readings of the Bible. But slurring people with the holocaust is a just not acceptable, and neither is defending these people who do that.
To deny the relationship between the NAZI Party and the Catholic Church in Germany is to slur Catholics who seek for this torment never to happen again, and it is to dishonour all those victims of the NAZI Party, including some Catholic Priest who went against the Church official line in doing so. If we are to learn anything of this time, we are to learn there has to be a separation of Church and State.
Archbishop Konrad Gröber of Freiburg was known as the “Brown Bishop” because he was such an enthusiastic supporter of the Nazis. In 1933, he became a “sponsoring member” of the SS. In 1943, Grober expressed the opinion that bishops should remain loyal to the “beloved folk and Fatherland”, despite abuses of the Reichskonkordat. After the war, however, he claimed to have been such an opponent of the Nazis that they had planned to crucify him on the door for the Freiburg Cathedral.
Bishop Wilhlem Berning of Osnabrück sat with the Deutsche Christen Reichsbishop in the Prussian State Council from 1933 to 1945, a clear signal of support for the Nazi regime.
Cardinal Adolf Bertram ex officio head of the German episcopate also had some affinity for the Nazis. In 1933, for example, he refused to intervene on behalf of Jewish merchants who were the targets of Nazi boycotts, saying that they were a group “which has no very close bond with the church.”
Bertram sent Hitler birthday greetings in 1939 in the name of all German Catholic bishops.
Bishop Buchberger of Regensburg called Nazi racism directed at Jews “justified self-defense” in the face of “overly powerful Jewish capital.”
Bishop Hilfrich of Limburg said that the true Christian religion “made its way not from the Jews but in spite of them.”
The NAZI Party rose to power on a promise of “Real Christian Values”. I will be forever watchful of people wanting to imprint their religion on others, to deny them freedoms, and those that seek to deny history.
Dave, I dont acknowledge the history that you harp on, post after post. Your continual references to the Nazis, Hitler, concentration camps and blasphemy against the catholic church comes across as offensive to some. Nobody advocates my fight to free of discrimination as issues like that and Gay Marriage dont matter to a lot of Gays. Dont come on here being presumptuous and short sighted.
Oliver you say you are gay, you say you are Catholic.
So what type of gay person would try and stop himself having any rights. What sort of gay person would not find the “Gestapo” comments disgusting, giving thousands of gay people were killed by them. What sort of gay person would attack people advocating for their rights to freedom. What sort of Catholic person would seek to attack other Catholics, and Christian Churches who do well for the community? Who run anti-homophobic programs? What sort of gay person would side with those that hate them? What sort of gay person would take offense at gay people, rather then straight people calling them not natural?
You wrote in a post supporting the repealing of the Equal Opportunity Act, to strip the rights and protections gay people have at work. What sort of gay person would do that. What sort of gay person would constantly attack other gay people in their posts?
You need help Oliver. You are the only person ever to attack my rainbow heart in another post you did. What sort of person would hate the rainbow flag? Even Iain has never done that, nor Harry.
You attack people who are open, who advocate for rights as it is confronting. Your arguments make no sense, they are irrational and driven by fear. You are constantly in a fight. You seem to hate part of yourself, the gay part, and so you constantly attack gay people. There are people who do not want your very existence as a gay man, but you find comfort in these people.
Perhaps the Catholic Group Acceptance might be able to help you.
Oliver
You have said in other Post you are Liberal Voter, and you appose “Gay Marriage Advocates”. You have attacked Catholics, you have attacked other Christians with your disgust, and you do not acknowledge any history and make it up as you go along. I find you difficult to take seriously.Out of all that is written here, you can only attack other gay people, not those many nasty people who call you not natural. You feel more comfortable with the haters then other people who are Same-Sex attracted, and advocate for your fight to free of discrimination.
I feel sorry for you.
Dave, did you know that Fred Nile has and still holds influence over the Uniting Church? There is a Gestapo behind the Uniting Church too! Also Dave, have you noticed that its the Catholic countries of the world that have given Gays Full marriage equality, e.g Spain, Brazil.. makes you wonder.
Lousy “Christians” pretending that they are now being persecuted because their ignoraant views are being condemned is too funny! They have been persecuting gays for centuries from the cradle to the grave! You are not going to ged rid of us bigots. We arent going anywhere :)
The lousy minority of hateful “Christians” that oppose the basic human rights that gay people deserve are losing. We must prepare ourselves for more of their ignorant displays as they become increasingly desperate. Vaginaphobic?? LOL that sums up their idiocy in a nutshell.
I find anal sex and its teaching as normal highly offensive will someone please apologise????
Ed: Sorry Harry, next time we suggest you use lube.
The Anti Defamation Commission has joined calls for former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s sister to apologise over an anti-gay marriage remark.
The ADC, Australia’s peak Jewish human rights body, said she should apologise.
“It is completely unacceptable for anyone to co-opt and trivialise the name of one of the most active and feared arms of the Nazi machinery for their own political purposes,” ADC chairman Anton Block said in a statement.
“The Gestapo was directly responsible for the murders of Jewish, Romani, homosexual and disabled people.
“To use its name in this context shows a level of ignorance and insensitivity that has no place in contemporary political discourse.
“It is highly offensive, and we call upon Ms Rudd to apologise immediately and unreservedly.”
Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/rudds-sister-should-apologise-for-gay-gestapo-remark-20110715-1hhz3.html#ixzz1SDsUJkPw
I am a Christian. I was taught Christ is Love. And in saying that, I believe that two people in love should be allowed to marry, regardless of race, gender, etc.
There are a lot of ‘Christians’ out there with only hate in their hearts. It goes back to the fundamental ‘do unto others as you would they do unto you’. If I was gay, in a loving relationship and wanted get married to commit myself completely to that person, I would want the right to be able to do so.
People can preach the bible to me about say this and that, but I know my bible as well and there is also a lot of parts to the bible that Christians blur over to suit their own needs. Not all Christians should be tarred with the same brush…
As a matter of interest.
The comment made by “Heir” Rudd…she is obviously beyond miss guided as a spiritual leader of her community. The comment she made is utterly disgraceful.
She should maybe educate more about the reality of the world she is in, and keep her comments to those who ask to hear that crap, on the quite and alone together.
To be offensive to a community “type” is one thing. But to label it to a human historical event of such disturbing and with such sickening content, is beyond giving a apology.
Where I don’t understand is why the converted to Christianity make that choice, after hearing such remarks from a very unremarkable person.
I hope not all Christians will accept this tripe?
Yet with her current position and Kevin’s status in our modern political structure, the picture she has painted of herself, looks very poor, and does not reflect well at all. Apology or not, no one will ever forget her comments. It’s now carved in stone!
What next, we are all aliens from a distant galaxy call “Transsexual Transylvania”?
And for those who comment here, do yourself a favor…keep it real! Get off the happy juice, or use the email app “mail goggles”.
Thank goodness someone has stood up to oppose the miniscule minority trying to force there views onto the majority. As for asking where is the gestapo? think on that for a moment. if we have minority’s trying to force sodomy as a normal act they will keep pushing their agenda till the rest of us are sued or persecuted out of existence for not being politically correct. That’s basically another form of holocaust. We should also look at the constant use of the misnomer “Homophobia” to brand and demonise anyone that doesn’t agree with them. It’s just a blind to hide their own phobia’s. That outlook and the attempts at demonisation carries the same mark as Jew Hatred. In the case of the heteriophobics and the male vaginaphobics with their preference for anal sex I would say get over your own phobias first.
It always amazes me how some street corner fundamentalist Christians write into here cursing other Christians, and people who are not Christian at all. They will say only they understand the Bible. At the time and place Jesus is said to of lived there were Same-Sex couples. There is no record of Jesus ever saying a word against Same-Sex attracted people.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu said.
“To penalize someone because of their sexual orientation is like what used to happen to us; to be penalized for something which we could do nothing (about) — our ethnicity, our race. I would find it quite unacceptable to condemn, persecute a minority that has already been persecuted.”
Millions of Christians support Same-Sex Marriage, as we are told by poll after poll. Equality is happening. Even my local Anglican Bishop travels around Australia advocating for GLBTI Rights. Those using hate and fear lack reality.
Dave. No need to get abusive with your language… It it is you who keeps making references to Nazi Germany so don’t complain when someone takes the time to educate you regarding this period of history. Your scaremongering is mildly amusing however I am finding it increasingly disturbing that you actually believe this nonsense. You appear to be someone who is intensely uncomfortable with your choice of a homosexual lifestyle and who is vainly trying to transpose this desperation upon everyone except yourself.
@Pat,
What next, the communist are comming the communist are comming, hide under the bed! The KGB? The left Wing ABC? What a laugh. Get some help or call Lifeline before you get a gun and shoot people on the street.
Iain so the Uniting Church, the third largest church in Australia is acting like the Catholic Church in Nazi Germany? Amazing…..
What next, I know, you dickheads will be telling us the world is flat.
@Pay if you do not like people complaining you are homophobic do not say something homophobic. Not to hard is it?
Owen, as a Gay Australian I find your comments stupid and highly Offensive. In your previous post you have defended a gay basher who killed a gay man. Yes Hitler was as bad as I say and worse.
Dave, as a Jewish Australian, I find your comments to be both naive and offensive. Even Im trying to figure out exactly where your getting your information from? What is a Geatapo exactly? Its typical out there where people dictate the Jewish history to me, yet its the same ole wash cycle where they havent a clue. Dave, anyone reading your rants would truly beleive that Hitler was as bad as you say. Theres a big difference between the real truth and what hollywood re makes of it, mate!