The legalisation of same-sex marriage (or just the push for it) has had the following consequences:
* Tennis great Margaret Court came under attack when she expressed opposition to same-sex marriage early in 2012. Court was accused of spreading “hateful comments” and “inciting the bigots out there” by same-sex marriage activist Kerryn Phelps.5 Court said she felt stunned, victimised, and the target of a “relentless hate campaign” for simply stating her views.6
* Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett was subjected to similarly vicious attacks after writing that man-woman marriage was the best environment in which to raise children.7 Kennett spoke from his experience as leader of Beyond Blue, having observed a rise in anxiety among very young children that is often “a direct result” of their family situations. Following outrage from homosexual activists, Kennett backtracked on his statements “in an apparent bid to mollify the gay and lesbian community”.8
* Toowoomba GP David van Gend was forced to attend mediation before the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland after expressing similar views which “offended” a homosexual man.9
* Also in 2011, a respected Canadian sports anchor was fired after expressing support for the traditional definition of marriage. Damian Goddard used Twitter to express his opinion on marriage, a decision which led to his dismissal from the television station, Sportsnet.14
* In 2011, Peter Vidmar was chosen to be chef de mission for the United States at the 2012 London Olympics. Dual gold-medallist Vidmar had been involved with the Olympic movement in the USA for more than 20 years but was pressured to resign because he had supported Proposition 8, the measure which defined marriage as between a man and a woman in California.15
You have been warned!
