Gay marriage activists are pushing many like me to ‘No’ column

IF GAY marriage advocates and their media allies want to see the “No” vote triumph, they’re going about it the right way, writes Caroline Marcus.

Lateline’s Emma Alberici pushed her views on same-sex marriage while interviewing Finance Minister Mathias Cormann. (Pic: ABC)

IF GAY marriage advocates and their media allies want to see the “No” vote triumph in the plebiscite, they’re going about it in exactly the right way.

Have they really learned nothing from Brexit and Hillary “Basket of Deplorables” Clinton?

Now, I say this as someone who is sympathetic to the same-sex marriage cause, someone already mentally planning the outfits that’ll be best to tear up the dance floor at the fabulous future weddings of her gay friends.

But if the dirty tricks we’ve seen since the plebiscite was first tabled at the end of last year continue, activists are almost sure to push many like me into the negative column.

They certainly aren’t doing anything but strengthen the resolve of the one-in-four already against gay marriage, nor are they likely to tip the 13 per cent on the fence to their side.

Let’s start with the many attempts to prevent the public from having a vote, despite those same polls that show majority support for same-sex marriage also reveal most people want to have their say on it first.

The gay lobby has convinced the Opposition and crossbench to block two attempts to get the plebiscite through Parliament, despite even Labor leader Bill Shorten’s support for the idea as late as 2013.

Now it’s trying to challenge the postal plebiscite in the High Court, while some are urging an own-goal boycott of the survey altogether.

Former High Court chief justice Michael Kirby, who’s already backflipped on his pledge not to participate, actually compared asking gays to vote to Jews co-operating with the Nazis.

But hysterical hyperbole has become the fallback of the “Yes” brigade.

Lateline host Emma Alberici has been one of the worst offenders, breathlessly accosting Finance Minister Mathias Cormann for his party’s “bickering” with a story about her daughter’s 15-year-old friend who had been kicked out of home after coming out to his family.

While terribly sad, Alberici doesn’t explain how legalising same-sex marriage will soften the hardened attitudes of those already so homophobic they can’t accept their own gay children.

When one viewer took to Twitter to reprimand Alberici for exploiting a child to score a political point — the same critique made so often by the other side — she responded: “You’re [sic] while male privilege is deplorable.”

What his race had to do with the issue is anyone’s guess.

The presenter was still at it on the weekend: “I understand the arguments in favour of same sex marriage. Please tweet me your reasons to deny marriage to a loving same sex couple. Thks”.

um. If we kept the status quo 100 years ago women & indigenous Australians wouldn't have the vote

— Emma Alberici (@albericie) August 12, 2017

On Sunday, ABC’s Insiders aired “comedian” Tim Minchin’s expletive-ridden song I Still Call Australia Homophobic, in which he goes on to call those planning to vote No “bigoted c***s” and, just for good measure, maligns the entire country as “a little bit racist”.

Yep, that’ll work.

Over at The Guardian, editor Lenore Taylor was explaining why she wouldn’t be giving equal time to “spurious” arguments against same-sex marriage because, as far as she’s concerned, there isn’t a single reasonable one.

Many of the almost 40 per cent of Australians who don’t support change would disagree, citing: their religious faith and concerns about protections under an amended law, respect for a tradition that is millennia-old and the idea fundamental to many cultures that the function of marriage is to establish the optimal foundation to raise children.

It’s this last point that gives me pause for thought, even as an atheist and someone who has supported the gay community to the point of once dancing on a float at Mardi Gras.

I personally know wonderful same-sex couples who are lovingly raising children and the last thing I would wish to do is hurt them.

As a journalist, I have also come across cases involving opposite-sex couples who, frankly, don’t deserve the privilege.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale. (Pic: AAP)

But none of that changes the fact decades of scientific research confirm, on average, children have the best outcomes when raised by their married biological mother and father, a point made by 374 members including six past state presidents of peak medical body, the Australian Medical Association (AMA).

They were scathing of the organisation’s decision in May to issue a position statement in support of same-sex marriage without first consulting its membership base and, they claim, the AMA had misled the public on the impact on children.

But scientific evidence has become almost too taboo to mention, lest you provoke the ire of the rainbow lynch mob.

Instead, some like Greens leader Richard Di Natale attempt emotional blackmail, saying young gay people will suicide if the decision was left to the public and that debate is too harmful for the children of same-sex parents.

When that failed to dent the government or public support for the plebiscite, the lobby turned on the same young people, suggesting they are too thick to work out how to stick a letter in the mailbox.

So here’s a free tip for the iGeneration: your mouse won’t work on the ballot slip and you need to turn the envelope to landscape mode before posting.

Caroline Marcus is a journalist with Sky News

@carolinemarcus