Eric Abetz: liar and deceitful homophobe

In his address to the Australian Senate on the afternoon of November 28 2017 Senator Eric Abetz claimed that Dr Steve Chavura was hounded because of his position on marriage:

There is the academic Dr Stephen Chavura, in New South Wales, who has been confronted because of his views in relation to the issue of marriage.

Nothing could have been further from the truth.

Senator Eric Abetz has lied to and deceived the Senate by making this allegation lacking in substance, facts and truth.

The facts are here:

https://mikeybear.com.au/2017/09/21/david-marr-do-you-fact-check

If this homophobic and transphobic senator has any integrity, he will familiarise himself with the facts and retract his deceitful claims.

#YESASHY

Ashburton says Yes to marriage equality. #YESASHY

On the morning of Sunday September 24 2017 I approached the shopkeepers in High Street Ashburton, offering them the opportunity to display a “YES” placard in their shop, to indicate their support for marriage equality.

20170924 Bakers Delight Ashburton say yes
Bakers Delight says Yes to Marriage Equality (Sep 24 2017)

I have previously documented an incident that arose that morning while I was attending Bakers Delight.  As a side note, I’m overjoyed to say that to date, almost a week after the Yes vote was announced on Wednesday November 15, Bakers Delight still have their YES placard on prominent display in their shop window.

On the morning of Saturday November 18, as I was driving down High Street, I spotted a massive YES symbol carefully spray painted on the exterior wall of the barber shop.  This was in the same design of the placard I supplied to the shopkeepers in the street, presumably inspired by the several placards visible along the street.  Adorning the placard was the hashtag #YESASHY, by way of saying “Ashburton says Yes”.

As a resident in the adjoining suburb Ashwood, I am proud to associate myself with the #YESASHY campaign, and thank the artist for their time, money and initiative in furthering the cause of equality.

#YESASHY Nov 11 2017

#YESASHY.

A welcome apology from the ABC

On March 22 this year ABC’s Religion & Ethics Report ran a story The culture war of marriage equality in Australia that alleged my activism around Mark Allaby’s employment at IBM was linked to marriage equality.

On March 26 I documented various inaccuracies in this ABC story in my article Straightening out Professor Iain Benson and followed this up with a complaint to the ABC.

On May 18 the ABC responded to my complaint, which in part advised:

ABC Radio advises that although you were not referred to by name, your activism was one of the issues discussed in the program. In response to your complaint, Radio has acknowledged that listeners would likely have drawn the conclusion that your activism concerning Mark Allaby focussed on the issue of same-sex marriage rather than Pride in Diversity. Radio apologises for this oversight. The following clarification has been published on the program page:

Editor’s Note:
Michael Barnett, one of the key activists behind the campaign around IBM’s Mark Allaby, has contacted the ABC to explain that his activism on this issue was in support of broader issues of LGBT equity in companies, rather than focussing on the specific issue of same sex marriage. The ABC is happy to provide this clarification.
(http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/religionandethicsreport/the-culture-war-of-marriage-equality-in-australia/8376570)

20170518 ABC clarification - Religion & Ethics Report March 22 2017

Further details about my activism on this issue can be found in my September 21 article David Marr, do you fact check?.