How No campaign reacted to Australia’s overwhelming Yes to same-sex marriage

IF YOU thought the Yes decision was the end of the same-sex marriage fight, think again. The No camp say they will fight it for years to come.

NO campaign spokesman Lyle Shelton says he’ll continue to try and persuade Australians to support traditional marriage.

The Coalition for Marriage spokesman said he expected parliament to approve same-sex marriage and give expression to the will of Australians but this didn’t mean he would stop trying to get people to change their minds.

Mr Shelton said he and his supporters would keep trying to “win this back over time”, according to Fairfax.

“That could take years or decades but I think there are millions of Australians who still believe that marriage is between one man and one woman and that is a public good, and there may be a time in the future when we can persuade our fellow Australians to that position once again,” he said.

Yesterday Coalition for Marriage vowed to “continue defending parents’ rights, and fighting for freedom of speech and freedom of belief” in the wake of today’s overwhelming 61.6 per cent Yes vote for same-sex marriage.

“I think it’s important to realise and to recognise that the Yes campaign said all along there were no consequences in redefining marriage — this won’t affect anyone else’s freedoms — so I expect the legislative process to reflect that,” Mr Shelton told reporters at a No event in Sydney on Wednesday.

Mr Shelton said the organisation was disappointed in the survey result but accepted and respected the decision of the Australian people.

He also pointed out the legalisation of same-sex marriage was a “two-step process”.

“People give a Yes or a No, which is what they’ve done today and it has always been said by the government, it’s up to the parliament then to legislate an appropriate bill,” he said.

Mr Shelton said he wanted to see protections for people’s freedoms.

“I don’t think anyone who voted in this postal survey wants to see their fellow Australians put up on hate speech charges,” he said.

“So I think we need to protect freedom of speech, we need to protect freedom of conscience and also freedom of religion and of course that goes way behind a wedding ceremony.”

Mr Shelton described freedom of religion as an international human right to express their beliefs in public.

When asked about a controversial same-sex marriage bill, spruiked on Monday by Liberal Senator James Paterson, Mr Shelton described it as “very good”.

The bill seeks to create the category of a person who holds “relevant marriage beliefs” which would allow business owners to discriminate.

“I think anything less than that will see basic freedoms eroded,” he said.

Dr Pansy Lai, a doctor who appeared in an ad for the No campaign, was also at the No event in Sydney and said she hoped people’s parental rights would be protected.

“Now that the result of the marriage survey has come out, people will see the consequences that we have warned about (that will hopefully) not come about in a way detrimental to people that have a personal view about traditional marriage,” she told news.com.au.

Dr Lai said she accepted the result but it was important that people’s livelihoods were not taken away if they believed in traditional marriage.

The paediatrician from Sydney’s North Shore has paid a price for making her views public, with some calling for her to be deregistered.

Pansy Lai at the No event.

“I think it’s really sad that some people feel that because I expressed publicly a view towards traditional marriage, they feel I need to be deregistered as a doctor.

“That belief has nothing to do with the way I care about my patients. I think it’s really important that there would be something to protect the beliefs of people, that their livelihoods are not taken away.”

When asked whether the personal price was worth it, she said: “I think it’s really important to see that there are people who want to take away parental rights — radical gender theory and sexuality teaching in schools — and I think these messages need to be heard.”

The mood was sober within the No camp, with volunteers seen dropping their heads in disappointment as news of the result sunk in at a private function at a Sydney CBD hotel.

Many of them left the function shortly after the announcement of the Yes win.

Media were asked to wait outside while the result was announced with Mr Shelton holding a press conference shortly afterwards.

Applause rang out as he entered the room.

Huge applause as Lyle Shelton walks in the room for No camp press conference #SSM pic.twitter.com/2f0NHsMoRV

— Charis Chang (@CharisChang2) November 14, 2017

“I congratulate the Yes campaign on their victory, it’s been decisive and I congratulate them,” Mr Shelton said.

“For us here in the No camp it’s obviously a disappointment — despite the valiant efforts of so many of the people in this room here today and thousands of volunteers right around the country.

“Democracy hasn’t gone our way today but I thank God that we live in a free and open, democratic society.”

When asked why the Yes campaign had been successful, Mr Shelton said supporters had been campaigning for at least a decade.

“They have been relentless in this ... they have seen the fruit of their relentlessness and being involved in the political process.”

Conservatives leader Cory Bernardi also voiced his disappointment, but said he was proud of the No campaign team and “together we can find a better way”.

In a statement Mr Shelton said the No campaign would continue to fight for people’s rights.

“We will now do what we can to guard against restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of religion, to defend parents’ rights, and to protect Australian kids from being exposed to radical LGBTIQ sex and gender education in the classrooms,” Mr Shelton said.

The No camp shared their disappointment behind closed doors at a private function in Sydney. Picture: Supplied

“In their push for same-sex marriage, the ‘Yes’ campaign assured Australians that a change in the law would have no consequences for them; it is now time for them to make good on that promise and ensure that proper protections for parental rights, freedom of speech and belief are in place.

“We will work with our coalition partners, with state and federal parliaments and others of good will to minimise the impact on all Australians.

“We promised our supporters that no matter the result, we would continue to work to defend Australian families, and we intend to keep that promise.

Although disappointed in marriage vote, am very proud of the NO campaign team. Well done to all. Together we can find a better way. @AuConservatives

— Cory Bernardi (@corybernardi) November 14, 2017

One of our volunteers had this happen to them this morning in Sydney. This type of behaviour by either side is unacceptable & unAustralian. pic.twitter.com/ko2rbAJ96l

— Lyle Shelton (@LyleShelton) November 14, 2017

Mr Shelton said he was very grateful for the contribution of the millions of Australians who supported the No campaign.

“In the short space of three months, we had thousands of volunteers join us, many of them first time campaigners; we had tens of thousands of Australians donate to our campaign because they believed in what we were doing; and we had many, many more sign up to support us in other ways,” he said in the statement.

No campaigners efforts ‘weren’t wasted’, Lyle Shelton said. Picture: Getty Images

“Their efforts have not been wasted. Thanks to them, millions of Australians spoke up to defend freedoms and will not allow them to be taken away.

“Those who seek to deceive parents or deny them information about what their kids learn in school will find themselves called to account by millions of Australian mums and dads who now know what is at stake.

“Those who seek to place restrictions on freedom of speech or freedom of belief will face tough opposition from millions of Australians who understand how a change in law is used to silence those who disagree. Those who seek to push these ideologies through our schools and institutions will not get away with it so easily.

“This new level of awareness could not have been achieved without our supporters, our staff and our volunteers. They have achieved much in this campaign, even in the face of intimidation, threats and abuse, and we are grateful to them.”

Ahead of the vote, Mr Shelton uploaded a picture to Twitter of the car of a No supporter with its window smashed.

“One of our volunteers had this happen to them this morning in Sydney. This type of behaviour by either side is unacceptable and unAustralian,” he wrote.