Gay protests as Australia affirms gay marriage ban

[Feral Abacus]

It's pretty scandalous that even though civil unions are supported by the overwhelming majority of Australians, gay marriage is supported by 60% of us, yet neither major party is willing to support either proposal. Rudd knows that he wont lose votes on this issue- but he will lose votes from the Australian Christian Lobby/Hillsong types who voted for him in 2007 if he backflips.

Tony Abbot has always been a gigantic tool. A hypocrite as well. But other the Murdoch Press (who seem to give him shitlaods of newspaper space every time he wants to spew his verbal diarrhoea), most people in Australia don't give a shit about him. He isn't called the 'Mad Monk' for nothing.

In addition to his wacky religious views, he's also a closet racist, and doesn't think Cambodians or Vietnamese immigrants are 'real Australians'. Paul Keating had him right- "He's the one most like Howard ideologically - he's what I call a young fogey. Howard was the old fogey. He's the young fogey. " That's probably why News Ltd gave him so much space this week.

[tim31]

I suppose that with the droughts, biker gangs, and "local flavor" (bogans), certain Australians just figured they'd start flying the Confederate flag. Now they'll start reenacting the battle of Antietam and celebrating Lincoln's assassination!

You jest, but both the Confederate flag and our nearest(tenuous) equivalent, the Eureka Flag can be seen flying in more remote areas... And sometime urban zones as well.

[Simon_Jester]

I saw this as well. It was everyones favourite politician, the amazing Tony Abbott! Here is an article from the Australian about it.

In a nutshell, Abbott wants to change the divorce laws away from our current 'no-fault' system, and return to the pre-1975 system of having to show grounds for divorce.

So... he actually does want to strengthen marriage, in addition to any and all gay-bashing he does? Wow. Weird.

[JointStrikeFighter]

I suppose that with the droughts, biker gangs, and "local flavor" (bogans), certain Australians just figured they'd start flying the Confederate flag. Now they'll start reenacting the battle of Antietam and celebrating Lincoln's assassination!

You jest, but both the Confederate flag and our nearest(tenuous) equivalent, the Eureka Flag can be seen flying in more remote areas... And sometime urban zones as well.

IIRC one of the more major unions features the Eureka flag as their logo.

[thejester]

It's the logo of the CFMEU and the unofficial logo of the Melbourne Victory.

[bobalot]

I suppose that with the droughts, biker gangs, and "local flavor" (bogans), certain Australians just figured they'd start flying the Confederate flag. Now they'll start reenacting the battle of Antietam and celebrating Lincoln's assassination!

You jest, but both the Confederate flag and our nearest(tenuous) equivalent, the Eureka Flag can be seen flying in more remote areas... And sometime urban zones as well.

Funny thing about the far right groups who now display the Eureka flag at every opportunity (in a strange way way to claim 'ownership' of it) don't realise is that most of the miners at the Eureka stockade were immigrants. It's hilarous watching these guys in their diatribes about immigrants while draping themselves in the Eureka flag.