Liberal leader Zak Kirkup has stepped in and shut down questions about a candidates history of supporting anti-LGBTI views for the second time during the election campaign.
It’s been revealed by Nine News that the Liberal candidate for Jandakot, Mihael McCoy, is a senior figure in the Kings Chapel Church. The church was founded by McCoy’s father, Gerry McCoy, who has claimed that the Black lives Matter movement was the work of the devil and that former US President Donald Trump was anointed by God.
On Saturday a reporter from Channel Nine attempted to ask McCoy over his online endorsement of posts on the website of Christian author Bill Muehlenberg. On his Culture Watch website Muehlenberg describes the LGBTIQ+ community as the “Gaystapo”. The Liberal candidate had commented on several posts on the website that were critical of allowing same-sex marriage.
When the candidate was asked about his views on same-sex marriage he said it was no longer an issue for debate, and was an issue for federal politics. McCoy said when commenting on the online posts an endorsement did mean that he agreed with all of the views put forward in the articles.
While reporters pressed McCoy for his views, Liberal leader Zak Kirkup stepped in and shut down the questioning.
It’s not the first time Kirkup has blocked a candidate from sharing their religious views about LGBTIQ people. Earlier in the campaign he stopped the media from questioning Victoria Park candidate Amanda-Sue Markham about her views on gay, lesbian and transgender people. Markham’s husband is a pastor who has previous self-published a book that was critical of homosexuality.
Nor is the first time that comments on the Culture Watch website have been an issue during the campaign. Last week a party official described the site as “an obscure online blog”, after it was highlighted that historical negative comments about the LGBTIQ community were attributed to a reader named Phil Twist. Phil Twist is also the name of one of the party’s candidates for the upper house.
While the party spokesperson described the Culture Watch website as an obscure blog, people actively engaged in LGBTI political debate are very familiar with the site and it’s author. Muehlenberg often shares his negative views about the queer community and transgender rights. He has previously been a guest speaker at the Victory Life Centre in Perth, the church run by former Tennis player Margaret Court.
Prior to taking a run at politics Mihael McCoy worked as a lawyer, alongside being a pastor in the church.
OIP Staff
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