Australian Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull has said that debating gay and lesbian couples' right to
marry is “legitimate.”
Australia's governing Liberal Party
earlier this month pushed for a postal vote on same-sex marriage
after it blocked an effort to allow its members a conscience vote on
a bill that sought to extend marriage rights to gay couples. The
postal vote, however, is non-binding, which means it is only an
opportunity for the public to be included in the debate. While
voting is not compulsory, a recent survey showed that 67 percent of
Australians plan to participate in the vote.
Appearing on 2Day's The Em Rusciano
Radio Show, Turnbull told host Em Rusciano that opponents of
same-sex marriage had a right to express their views on the issue
because it is “a legitimate debate.”
“You cannot ask respect from the 'no'
case if you're not prepared to give respect to the 'no' case,”
Turnbull said.
“The vast majority of people who do
not agree with same-sex marriage … they are not homophobic, they
don't denigrate gay people. They have a view about marriage and they
believe it should remain between a man and a woman.”
Turnbull was asked about a campaign
poster that called on Australians to “stop the fags” and claimed
that “92 percent of children raised by gay parents are abused, 51
percent have depression, 72 percent are obese.”
He answered that he “deplored” such
language but added that “the only way to stop people [from] saying
things that you find hurtful is to shut down free speech.”
Turnbull reiterated his support for
marriage equality: “The threats to traditional marriage … are not
gay people getting married. The threats are desertion, cruelty,
neglect, abandonment, indifference. Those are the threats.”