We’re past the halfway mark in our look back over the news of 2015.
In Israel teenager Shira Banki died after being stabbed at a Jerusalem Pride Parade. Banki and five others were stabbed by ultra-Orthodox Jewish man Yishai Schlissel. Schlissel had been released from prison just weeks earlier after serving a 10-year-sentence for attacking the same event in 2005. Schlissel was charged with Banki’s murder.
WA’s fashion industry showed it’s support for people living with HIV with it’s annual STYLEAID fundraiser.We headed back stage to get in on the action.
A new group championing traditional marriage arrived on the scene, the Marriage Alliance had strong links with the Liberal party and kicked things off with an advertisement comparing same sex marriage to the ill fated voyage of the Titanic.
Queensland’s Courier Mail newspaper received the results of an investigation by the Press Council that ruled their 2014 coverage of the death of transgender woman Mayang Prasetyo was gratuitous.
Catch the Fire Ministries, a evangelical group with strong ties to the Rise Up Australia political party launched a campaign calling on supporters of traditional marriage to send flowers and wedding invitations to the Prime Minister to encourage him to continue denying marriage equality.
Perth radio station Mix94.5 faced a listener backlash when it began airing advertisements from the newly formed Marriage Alliance. TV provider Foxtel and Channel Nine were also under fire, while conservative groups criticised Channel Seven and Channel Ten for refusing to run the advertisements.
Mix94.5 defended the advertisements saying they supported free speech, while also being supporters of marriage equality.
For the second time in less than a month Perth saw a major political rally for marriage equality. The Equal Love rally drew large crowds and passionate speakers. Large rallies continued to be held around the country including one in Hobart.
The battle of marriage TV ads was well underway when Australian Marriage Equality launched their campaign to counteract the Marriage Alliance’s Iceberg ads.
The Australian Marriage Forum took out full page advertisements in national newspapers defending traditional marriage. The ‘Find. Another. Name.‘ campaign featured quotes from from former PM Julia Gillard and Fashion Designers Dolce and Gabana (both who change their mind before the end of the year).
In a statement announcing the launch of the campaign the head of the Marriage Forum, Dr van Gend, said that equal love for two men was only possible if you endorsed destroying the primal love between mothers and babies.
Liberal MP Warren Enstch put forward his cross party bill for marriage equality to the Liberal party room. While PM Tony Abbott didn’t want to discuss the issue he ended up calling a joint meeting of both the Liberals and Nationals to discuss the issue of marriage equality. After six hours of debate the news was released that Liberal members would not be permitted a free vote on the issue.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who had ruled out a plebiscite on marriage equality just weeks earlier, announced the possibility of a plebiscite on marriage equality, but not until sometime in the next term of government. The Greens said the PM lacked leadership and was holding back a country that was trying to move forward.
Australian Marriage Equality argued that if marriage equality was going to be decided by a plebiscite it should be held in conjunction with the next federal election in 2016, not at an undetermined date in the future.
WA MP Ken Wyatt, who had long been listed as undecided on the issue of marriage equality told OUTinPerth that he was definitely against any change to the marriage laws. A spokesperson for Mr Wyatt has told OUTinPerth that he sees marriage as a Christian institution that underpins society.
Three coalition members announced their intention to cross the floor and vote for marriage equality should a bill successfully make it to a vote. Wyatt Roy, Jason Wood and Dean Smith all publicly announced their intention to defy the party’s policy. Later Liberal Teresa Gambaro also added her voice to the opposition.
Timothy Conigrave’s popular autobiography ‘Holding the Man‘ was successful transferred to the silver screen. Prime Minister Tony Abbott was encouraged to see the film. Leading man Ryan Corr said the Prime Ministers views on marriage were archaic.
Queensland Liberal Ewen Jones added his name to the growing list of government MP’s willing to cross the floor for marriage equality.
A new film about the Stonewall riots was criticised for ‘white washing’ history.
Perth Theatre Company announced it was cancelling all future shows and the future of the company was uncertain.
We celebrated the 40th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a previously unpublished section of our interview with the actress who played Magenta – the delightful Patricia Quinn.
TV provider Foxtel announced that they were no longer running the controversial ‘iceberg’ ads from the Marriage Alliance.
Liberal MP Warren Enstch introduced his cross-party supported bill for marriage equality into the federal parliament. While the government benches were almost empty, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Education Minister Christopher Pyne attended. Labor’s Wayne Swan showed his support bu crossing the chamber to sit near Mr Entsch when the bill was introduced.
Tony Abbott defended his decision to put the issue of marriage equality to a people’s vote. The Prime Minister said he felt that people were looking to politicians and asking them to trust the people with the decision.
Fashion designers Dolce and Gabana apologised for comments they’d made about gay couples raising children. Speaking to Vogue, Domenico Dolce said the pair had done some soul searching and regretted the comments they made earlier this year.
Columnist Miranda Devine appeared on ‘The Bolt Report’ and said journalists who used the phrase ‘marriage equality’ were guilty of promoting propaganda. We’d like to once again apologise to Miranda Devine for all the times we used the phrase during these end of year updates, which have largely been dominated by stories about marriage equality… (damn we did it again).
British rugby player Keegan Hirst announced he is gay.
The offices of Liberal MP Craig Laundy were shut down when his staff received a suspicious package in the mail. Six police cars, six fire engines and a hazmat unit were called out to check out a glitter filled letter from political liobby group Get Up!
Media Watch host Paul Barry said calls to ban the advertisement were over the top and highlighted that the ABC interviewed pro-Marriage equality advocates more often than it gave air time to traditional marriage supporters.
Six men in Western Australia were found guilty of having sex with an underage boy who used the social networking site Grindr to make contact with some of them. The judge in the case said the men should have been more vigilant about assessing the boy’s age.
Lyle Shelton head of the Australian Christian Lobby complained that panelists on the ABC program ‘Q&A’ had vicously attacked visiting American commentator Katy Faust. Faust was raised by her mother, and her mother’s same sex partner, after her mother and father divorced. After becoming a Christian, Faust began campaigning against same sex couples being allowed to marry arguing that children are disadvantaged when raised by same sex couples.
Government MP Scott Morrison, who previously said everyone should have a breather about marriage equality, went on radio and described it as ‘last week’s issue’.
A US retailer was criticised for creating a Caitlyn Jenner Halloween costume.
Environment Minister Greg Hunt announced he would support marriage equality, as did Education Minister Christopher Pyne.
The gender neutral title Mx got more legitimate when the Oxford Dictionary officially added the word.
Port Hedland became the first regional town in WA to officially recognise LGBT couples.
Former PM Julia Gillard announced she changed her mind and now supported marriage equality.
The documentary ‘Gayby Baby‘ made news headlines when the NSW Education Minister banned it from being seen in schools. In response to the ban on NSW cinema began offering cheap tickets to screenings.
Some people were so offended by NSW paper The Daily Telegraph‘s coverage of the ban they created rainbow crosswalks in front of the newspaper office.
Family Voice Australia welcomed the banning of the film, Ros Phillips from FVA called for the government to pull funding from the Safe Schools Coalition anti-bullying program. Ms Phillips argued, “It aims to make schools safe, but only for those who have transgender or same-sex feelings. It ignores the vast majority of students who are bullied. These include the ‘fatties’, ‘skinnies’, ‘rangas’, ‘dummies’, ‘nerds’, ‘ethnics’ and many other groups.”
Prime Minister Tony Abbott assured people that if a plebiscite on marriage equality was successful he would honour the result.
The ABC’s ‘Q&A‘ program was in hot water again when it accidentally broadcat an offensive Twitter handle that made fun of the PM.
The Warwick Rowers launched their annual calendar, continuing their tradition of being quite naked. While over in Italy the Mayor of Venice banned Pride Parades.
