Coalition MPs lash out at ‘vile’ tweet by same-sex marriage advocate

ANTI same-sex marriage MPs have hit out at a tweet by equality advocate Benjamin Law, claiming his joke amounted to “online bullying”.

Benjamin Law’s tweet has been slammed by Coalition MPs.

COALITION MPs have hit out at a “vile” tweet by gay rights advocate Benjamin Law, claiming his joke criticising anti same-sex marriage campaigners amounted to “online bullying”.

The comedian and TV star posted a tweet 11 days ago that read: “Sometimes find myself wondering if I’d hate-f*** all the anti-gay MPs in parliament if it meant they got the homophobia out of their system.”

It generated almost 300 likes and many replies, including one that reads, “Start with (Andrew) Hastie,” the Liberal and Christian MP for Canning in Western Australia.

Mr Law then tweeted: “[sighs heavily, unzips pants].”

Former army officer Mr Hastie yesterday told The Australian: “Noting my skills acquired in my previous ­career, I’d like to see him try.”

Benjamin Law's tweet has caused controversy.

[sighs heavily, unzips pants]

— Benjamin Law (@mrbenjaminlaw) August 31, 2017

The MP also claimed no one who was against same-sex marriage would get away with such a joke. “If anyone on the No campaign jokingly suggested using sex as a weapon against Yes campaigners, there’d be immediate calls for their resignation and marginalisation. Instead this guy gets a 20,000-word platform from Quarterly Essay.”

Mr Law told the newspaper: “Sure, the member for Canning has decent cheekbones, but he’s a little too clean-cut for my tastes.

“It’s cute Andrew Hastie would presume to think I’m talking about him. However, it’s also telling — and worrying — that the member for Canning sees the phrase ‘anti-gay MP’ and immediately ­assumes I’m referring to him. If Andrew Hastie has specific reservations about the contents of my Quarterly Essay on Safe Schools, I’d welcome his thoughts over email or beers.”

Federal MP Andrew Hastie said no one who was against same-sex marriage would get away with such a joke.

Mr Law’s essay, published today, calls for the Safe Schools program to be implemented in every school, and criticises the $122 million postal survey on same-sex marriage for accommodating “those who think same-sex romantic partnerships are inferior to heterosexual ones”.

Another reply to Mr Hastie’s tweet read: “Shotgun Bernardi *eyes off George Christiansen’s (sic) whip*.”

Mr Christensen also waded into the discussion, attacking Mr Law’s tweet as “vile filth”.

He added: “It’s ironic that most supporters of Safe Schools say they support it because it’s anti-bullying and yet they engage in some of the worst online bullying you’d ever ­encounter.”