Babette Francis, the Catholic activist who for decades campaigned against abortion rights, same-sex marriage and transgender rights has died aged 93.
The Indian born political activist was born in 1930 and met her husband Charles Francis on a sea voyage to London, the couple wed in 1953 and settled in Australia making Melbourne their home. The couple had eight children, and Charles became a local MP for the Liberal party in 1976.
In the late 1970’s she founded an organisation called Women Who Want to be Women, which later rebranded to become The Endevour Forum. Francis cited the work of US activist Phyllis Schlafly as an inspiration for her work in the political realm.
For decades Francis was prolific writer arguing conservative values and campaigning against abortion, fighting moves to legalise marriage between same-sex couples and promoting conversion therapy practices.
In the 1970s she fought against moves to bring about gender equality in the education system saying “that the aims of feminists are not merely to encourage girls to undertake non-traditional subjects such as mathematics and trades such as plumbing, the real objective is to create a unisex androgynous society.”
Francis also notably argued that there was a link between abortion and breast cancer. In 2014 then federal politician Eric Abetz was criticised for promoting the same theory with medical professionals stating the claim had been thoroughly debunked.
In her writing Francis argued that there should be a right for “therapists to treat unwanted homosexuality” saying that there was no comprehensive proof that homosexuality was based in biology. She also advocated that people who are transgender could be “cured” via psychiatric treatment.
In 2004 Francis criticised the ABC for airing a segment on children’s television show Play School that featured same sex parents, describing it as politically motivated.
In submissions to government inquiries into marriage equality Francis argued that there was no evidence that the majority of homosexual people were in favour of changing the laws, stating that marriage equality activists were not representative of the wider LGBTIQA+ communities.
The Catholic activist also praised Russian laws that made it illegal for information about the homosexuality to be seen by people under the age of 18, the laws were later expanded to included all representation of the LGBTIQA+ communities.
Francis was made a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday list. The citation read “For significant service to the community through a range of roles.”
She passed away with two of her eight children by her side, her husband Charles died in 2009.
