The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) has welcomed the news that the government will provide $7.5 million towards campaigns advocating both for and against marriage equality.

Appearing on ABC radio, ACL managing director Lyle Shelton said the amount being provided was “a bit low”, but it would allow the group to promote their message to a wider audience.

Shelton outlined that the funding would create a level playing field and allow those opposed to changing the laws to highlight their concerns about the flow-on effects of same sex couples being allowed to wed.

“It’s been a one dimensional debate about the love of two people but there’s been very little discussion about the consequences, how this might flow into schools through programs like the Safe Schools program when you take gender out of marriage. You end up with genderless sex education, which we’re seeing right around the country and we also see freedom impinged on.” Shelton said.

Earlier this week the ACL posted a statement on their website declaring that “elites” were trying to redefine marriage and one of the consequences was school would become unsafe for parents who were opposed to recognising transgender people.

The group also claimed that the marriage legislation introduced by the Labor party this week would force religious celebrants to perform same sex weddings, despite the legislation only applying to civil services.

The ACL has also been campaigning for people who hold religious beliefs to be able to deny service to same sex couples if they believe providing services would violate their own religious beliefs.

Concern  has also been raised that allowing same sex couples to wed would lead to an increase in children being born via IVF technology, and prompt changes to laws which outlaw anonymous sperm donation in clinics.

Labor Senator Penny Wong has expressed her disappointment that government funds will be supplied to a campaign that will attack LGBTI people and their families.

“Let’s remember the ACL have described children of same-sex couples as the stolen generation, these are not people who engage in respectful and civil debate. They attack us for who we are and they attack our children and that is what this taxpayers’ money is going to be used for.” Senator Wong said today.

OIP Staff