Tasmanian gay rights advocates have urged people who receive a copy of a gay-hate election flyer to lodge complaints with the state’s Anti-Discrimination Commission.

38,000 copies of a flyer which promotes the Senate candidacy of “True Green” party representative, Andrew Roberts, were awaiting distribution by Australia Post until senior staff were alerted to the flyer’s contents.

The flyer associates gay people with disease, child abuse and drug abuse, and calls for the re-criminalisation of homosexuality in Tasmania.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome, said,

“I call on Tasmanians who receive this offensive material to show their support for a more inclusive Tasmania by lodging a formal complaint with the Anti-Discrimination Commission.”

“I also call on Australia Post to ensure it never distributes this material or anything like it, not just because it is potentially illegal, but because it is divisive and destructive.”

“The flyer may look like foolish nonsense but it could have a devastating impact on young Tasmanians coming to terms with their sexuality.”

“Freedom of speech is important, particularly at election time, but every right comes a corresponding responsibility, in this case not to do harm to others by inciting hatred.”

A similar gay-hate flyer was distributed in the lead up to the Tasmanian Upper House election in May. Amongst other things it claimed that lesbians are 466 times more likely to die in traffic accidents. That flyer was referred to the police by the Tasmanian Electoral Commissioner.

The current flyer:

– associates homosexuality with child abuse, drug abuse, promiscuity, bizarre sexual practices and compulsive lying
– labels Kevin Rudd “Judas” for supporting marriage equality
– calls for the re-criminalisation of homosexuality in Tasmania
– says Tasmania was one of the last Anglo-Saxon societies to resist a New World Agenda involving the UN, Hollywood and the Rockefeller family.

Download a copy of the flyer below.

A news report on the flyer can be found here:

www.themercury.com.au/article/2013/08/20/385955_todays-news.html

Download Flyer:

TrueGreengayhateflyerAug2013.pdf
Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson, Rodney Croome