Bob Katter’s bizarre same-sex marriage rant: ‘Bloody hell, get on with it’
BOB Katter’s “pathetic attempts at humour” and “grossly misleading comments” in a bizarre speech on same-sex marriage have been condemned in Parliament.
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BOB Katter’s “pathetic attempts at humour” and “grossly misleading comments” in his bizarre speech on same-sex marriage have been condemned in Parliament.
Liberal MP and long-time same-sex marriage campaigner Warren Entsch blasted Mr Katter today after he brought up everything from slavery, AIDS, “boys in dresses”, Christianity, morality and Gianni Versace in his speech last night.
Mr Katter also made wild accusations that gay people were “murderers” and “responsible for giving AIDS” to society through donating blood.
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“His pathetic attempts at humour, insensitivity and grossly misleading comments were devoid of any facts and were highly offensive, embarrassing and cringe-worthy,” Mr Entsch told Parliament.
“They need to be called out for what they are. His speech exemplifies what the LGBTI community have had to endure for so long.”
Asked about the criticism this morning, Mr Katter told Sky News: “I made my point.”
Mr Katter also defended his comments on AIDS, saying that old newspaper reports showed Australian children contracted AIDS from blood donors who were gay or drug users.
He added: “When a religion has a sanction on something, there’s a good reason for it.”
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Last night, Mr Katted had said: “You want to talk about equality? Well they wanted equality in the giving of blood. They said we have a right as homosexuals to give blood, so they did.” “And I think it was 72 children were injected with AIDS from the blood that was given. It was hushed up. It was amazing to me that it never got any publicity at all.”
Mr Katter said he wouldn’t support marriage equality, accusing people who were homosexual of being more likely to commit crimes.
“There’s no doubt there is a DNA thing and some people can handle it, but a lot of people don’t, and there is a very ugly side to this,” he said.
Mr Katter also said that people are “genetically programmed” to be heterosexual and that the LGBTQ movement had only appeared in the past 40 years.
He said he talked to some of his fellow Queenslanders, who had told him they were “going bush before they make [SSM] compulsory”.
Bob Katter has set the bar high for unhinged speeches in his career but he's doing himself proud in this marriage debate, having veered into criticisms of socialism, AIDS being spread by blood donations, and the "vanishing race" of Australians 🙄🙄🙄
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) December 6, 2017
Did Bob Katter just imply gay people are more likely to be murderers? It was hard to tell but maybe he did?
— David Donaldson (@davidadonaldson) December 6, 2017
I was wrong. Bob Katter (Jr.) really is the most idiotic buffoon south of the equator. Mention crocs, go on, mention crocs. #AusPol You don't live in the real world Bob, you live in Never-Never Land. Tic-Toc.
— YaHoo, Seriously! (@AusGroucho) December 6, 2017
I just watched Bob Katter speak on #marriageequality in the House. I’ve never been more disgusted with a rep. He’s a disgrace & I’m ashamed for my country.
— 🌈Longworth72🌈 (@Longworth72) December 6, 2017
Mr Katter ranted about marriage equality “messing with heads” of young boys if you let them “go to school, wearing a dress”.
He also said he “was not advocating that homosexual people should be put in jail”, but blamed intolerance “on the opposition party”.
Social media blasted the politician, saying Mr Katter was “a disgrace”.
Twitter user Josh Butler said, “Bob Katter has set the bar high for unhinged speeches in his career but he’s doing himself proud in this marriage debate, having veered into criticisms of socialism, AIDS being spread by blood donations, and the ‘vanishing race’ of Australians.”
Bob Katter making the most foul speech I’ve ever heard. So bad.
— Jesse Matheson (@Jesse_Matheson) December 6, 2017
Sydney Mardi Gras director Jesse Matheson said Mr Katter had made “the most foul speech I’ve ever heard. So bad”.
Barnaby Joyce said Mr Katter needed to be “careful”.
In a Sky News interview with Laura Jayes, Mr Joyce initially passed off the comments as “that’s just Bob”, before pressed further.
“He has to be careful, you can’t insult people and that works both ways,” Nationals leader Joyce said.
“Everybody should have respect for other people’s views and that works on both sides of the debate.”
Greens leader Richard Di Natale also condemned the remarks as “awful” and “unhinged”.
.@RichardDiNatale says @RealBobKatter's comments in regards to marriage equality was 'unhinged and awful.' #auspol MORE: https://t.co/vjEDsxBklU pic.twitter.com/IKaGCXj4J6
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) December 7, 2017
Originally published as Bob Katter’s bizarre same-sex marriage rant: ‘Bloody hell, get on with it’