Media Release
NZ Young Labour

Thursday 9 March, 2000

Two recent media releases by the Christian Heritage Party leader Graham Capill have outraged Young Labour members around the country, said Young Labour President Moana Mackey today.

“Releases with titles like “Queer As Folk should be banned” and “Wrong to open door to lesbian fostering” simply show how bigoted and out of touch Graham Capill really is. Why he thinks that people should be discriminated against for this reason, or why views showing an entirely different lifestyle to his own should be banned, is quite beyond my understanding.

“Capill’s implication appears to be that gays and lesbians are somehow evil or immoral. Young Labour entirely rejects that view. The idea of a so-called Christian party perpetuating such homophobic and bigoted views makes us sick. Protecting the innocent is quite different to trying to enforce your own fundamentalist morality,” Moana Mackey said.

A recent spate of news releases from the Christian Heritage Party has shown a worrying rise in their apparent desire to condemn people based on their sexual orientation. Young Labour, like the rest of the Labour Party, believes that people should not be discriminated against based on their sexuality. The fundamental human rights of individuals should not be broken simply to feed the bloated egos of so-called Christian politicians, especially when some of the points raised are simply false. It is well known, for example, that the vast majority of child abuse cases are perpetuated by heterosexual men.

“Capill makes a fair point with the underage nature of “Queer as folk” this week, but undermines any validity he might have had with his generally bigoted tone. The fight for decent treatment for everyone, and the end to discrimination against those with different sexual orientations, is something that Christians should support. Bigotry and hatred aren’t part of the Christian creed, as far as I was aware.” Moana Mackey said.

ENDS

Moana Mackey President, NZ Young Labour mlmackey@ihug.co.nz

http://www.younglabour.org.nz

Jordan Carter Vice President, New Zealand Young Labour. http://www.younglabour.org.nz

"For the many, not the few." - Tony Blair

© Scoop Media