A controversial mural celebrating World Pride which was painted on a wall near Sydney’s Wynyard training station was vandalised on Wednesday night.
Thousands of tourists are flying into the city for the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrations which have been turbo-charged with the city hosting World Pride at the same time.
The mural was painted by artist Scott Marsh and showed a man lounging in leather gear while wearing a bear head, he is reclining on a Pride flag. The mural was commissioned by YCK Laneways, a consortium of local businesses around York, Clarence and Kent streets.
The mural has been criticised as being inappropriate as it may be viewed by passing children. On Wednesday night the mural was vandalised in two separate attacks which police are now investigating.
It’s not the first time a mural created by Scott Marsh has been defaced. A mural he painted in 2016 that portrayed singer George Michael as a saint was painted out by a protester the following year.
The vandal was sentenced to 300 hours of community service that may also include him having to clean graffiti. He was ordered to pay $14,000 in compensation for the damage to the mural.
Lyle Shelton, the former Australian Christian Lobby chief, who is now associated with the political party Family First, said World Pride and the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras should be forced to return all their funding because of the controversial mural – even though neither organisation had no involvement in its commission.
In a media release from Family First Shelton says the Bear mural and another work by the same artist are reason enough to ask the organsiations to return millions of dollars of public funds.
“Sydney World Pride is no friend of families,” Shelton said congratulating the vandals for defacing the work. ““Good on the vandals,” Shelton said.
“The festival’s obscene public murals have rightly drawn the ire of mums and dads who don’t want their children exposed to the creepy fetishes being celebrated under the banner of the rainbow flag.”
Shelton said a second mural by Scott Marsh that featured a set of angel wings made up of many penises should also be removed.
Shelton is currently running as an independent candidate in the New South Wales election as his current party is not registered in the state. He previously was a member of the now defunct Australian Conservatives, and also spent time with Fred Nile’s Christian Democrats.
Sky News presenter Chris Kenny also called for WorldPride to take responsibility for the mural.
“World Pride and the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras enjoy a lot of support and acceptance, and government funding, thanks to the broader public. That’s good, that’s tolerance and diversity in action, but shunting gimps and sexualised images involving kid’s playthings into public view for all un sundry – including kids – well that’s only going to create division and undermine all the good will of these events.” Kenny said.
