|
Family First candidate being investigated |
PDF |
| Print | |
E-mail |
|
Written by AAP | NEWS
|
|
Wednesday, 11 August 2010 09:16 |
TWITTER comments by a Queensland Family First Senate candidate alleging children of same-sex couples face "emotional abuse" are being investigated by anti-discrimination bodies in three states.
Wendy Francis, who is running for the Senate in Queensland, says someone in her office used Twitter to share her view that "children in homosexual relationships are subject to emotional abuse".
"Legitimising gay marriage is like legalising child abuse," the message, which has since been deleted, said.
Kelly Pilgrim-Byrne, who has a three-year-old with her same-sex partner, has lodged complaints against the comments in Queensland, NSW and Tasmania. She called on Family First to take Ms Francis off the Senate ticket.
"The real danger to my child, and other children raised by same-sex couples, is from the bigotry and hatred stirred up by people like Wendy Francis," she said.
"If they are genuine about protecting families and doing what's best for Australian families ... they should disendorse Wendy Francis for her extreme views.
"It's not OK to equate same-sex parenting with child abuse, which is essentially what she has done.'" Ms Pilgrim-Byrne, who is based in Perth, could not make a complaint in her home state of WA because the alleged discrimination originated in Queensland.
She wants Ms Francis to apologise for her Twitter comments. Ms Pilgrim-Byrne also extended an invitation for Ms Francis to have dinner with her family.
"I would be delighted for Wendy Francis to come and have dinner with us," she said.
"She needs to educate herself ... credible research shows children raised by same-sex couples have the same levels of emotional, intellectual, social and sexual adjustment as their peers."
Read more at Source: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news
|