One Nation’s spokesperson James Ashby, who serves as Pauline Hanson’s Chief of Staff, says the Pride flag represents more than gay rights, labeling it the symbol of promiscuous sex, drug use, HIV and monkeypox.
Ashby made the statement while appearing on a panel of the Sky News program Paul Murray Live. The guests were debating the emerges of Pride rounds in national sporting codes, when Ashby said that he personally did not identify with the Pride flag.
“To me, and I’m the only gay bloke on the panel here, but I’m sorry I won’t wave the rainbow flag at all.
“To me the rainbow flag represents something that I don’t necessarily agree with, people have to recognise under that rainbow flag – promiscuous sex, high HIV levels, high drug use, if you want to have a look at the latest – monkeypox.
Ashby said people who want to fly the rainbow flag needed to be willing have conversations about the “more pressing issues that the gay community need to own up to.”
Ashby said he believed there was no place for the pride in sport or entertainment.
“Teams shouldn’t be political about the gay flag, they shouldn’t be political about the gay flag, they shouldn’t be political in any nature, but for some reason over the last decade more and more football teams, musicians or sports in general – they’ve followed down that American path and we’re bringing politics into a lot of these sports.”
The discussion about Pride in Sport was triggered by an announcement from the Essendon Football Club earlier in the week who announced that their new CEO was resigning from his leadership position after just one day in the role.
Fans of the club had questioned how former NAB boss Andrew Thorton could uphold the vales espoused by the football club, while also holding a leadership position at the City on a Hill Church. The church has spoken out against homosexuality and abortion, comparing the latter to Nazi Concentration Camps.
OIP Staff
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