'No to Homophobia' campaign launched in Victoria

28 Aug 2012, 2:41 pm   -   Source: AAP
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An ad campaign has been launched to combat prejudice against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the workplace and sports. 

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Gus Johnston was an elite Victorian hockey player but for half his life harboured the secret of being gay.

"In that time, not once did I stand up for what I believed in, for who I am, when the people around me behaved in a homophobic way," the 32-year-old told an audience at Victoria's parliament house on Tuesday.

"I dipped my head, I said nothing, I fell silent."

Mr Johnston was speaking at the launch of the No to Homophobia campaign, which aims to clamp down on discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

Mr Johnston said he was ashamed to have been complicit in homophobic behaviour but decided a year ago to come out publicly via YouTube.

"I wasn't going to stand by and let these words go unchallenged," he said. "Whenever homophobia is accepted and defended, it reinforces a great wall of discrimination ... a lonely place where I spent nearly half my life, where I struggled with my own self-worth and battled with demons no one least of all a young person should have to face.

"But they do because we let them." Launching the campaign, Victorian Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge said it is everyone's responsibility to take action. "This is a call to action in relation to saying no to homophobia," she said.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay said laws are in place to protect Victorians from all forms of violence, bullying, harassment or intimidation.

Ian Bell, chairman of the Pink Magpies, an official Collingwood Football Club support group, said its involvement in AFL culture might spur others to realise it's acceptable to be footy-mad and gay.

"Somewhere out there in a country town or maybe in an outer suburb or inner, some boy or girl might go, `It's OK to be who I am, it's OK to be gay and a footy supporter'."

 Watch a homophobia TV ad on YouTube:

Homophobia , Discrimination , Lesbian

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Offensive advertising

Graham - from Hobart Tasmania , 8 days ago

These "anti homophobia" adverts are misleading and offensive. The homosexual lobby are the ones who are the bullies, they abuse anyone who doesn't agree with them and crush any opinion that contradicts their own. A large portion of the population of the world are Christian. Christianity allows for sexual relations only between man and wife. There are good reasons for this, God's laws lead to health and happiness. Those laws have formed the foundation of our society, God's laws are absolute and will not go away. Claiming that people who disagree are homophobic (afraid of homosexuals) is both wrong and deceptive. These adverts should be stopped just as any other scam.

pointless campaign

brigitte - from newborough, 8 months ago

A silly campaign,as there's negligible homophobia. Homosexuals at ease with their sexuality, neither over or understating this fact are accepted as individuals everywhere.

Support gay marriage.

Stacey - from Brisbane, 8 months ago

Members of the federal government should pay attention to this ad. Why not treat gay people as equals.

Gay

Silly person - from Nowra, 8 months ago

Homophobia is so ..Gay

The main points

Justin - from Warrnambool, Victoria, 9 months ago

Gay people are often constrained in behaviour.Eg,if you're a gay couple you risk verbal or physical abuse if you held hands in public,or gave your partner a kiss as they left the train.How would you feel if you were verbally abused in public for holding hands with your wife or husband? People are BORN gay, if gay people CHOOSE to act on it (or not) IS A CHOICE, but who on earth with choose to gay in this society? Nobody. This campaign is about education on these types of issues and awareness.

Homophobia is NOT free speech, it's insulting and harmful

Lisa - from Surry Hills, Sydney, 9 months ago

Duncan - to draw arbitrary lines in deciding that normality some how depends on a less than a 2-3% existence is dramatically flawed, but not as flawed as you then justifying homophobic remarks/thoughts as freedom of expression - hiding blatant discrimination behind freedom of speech is an old, and transparent trick, used not only in debates surrounding homophobia but also by those who discriminate on racial, cultural and religious grounds. This 'buzzing campaign' is best ended with equal rights.

No to homophobia and no to judgmental arguments from that very same community

Berengere - from Coogee, 9 months ago

Arguments judging one another faith is of no help for young homosexual trying to find their way. Bullying religious people to get your way is against the very core of what you want: freedom and democracy. Now the issue here is the notion of democracy and the whole hype of a minority group, extraordinarily vocal in Australia. Democracy is the way of the majority, unfortunately the needs of every single minority cannot be automatically catered. While authorities are doing their best, sometimes with difficulties: handicapped, aboriginals, and yes gays, it takes time and put a strain on the very basis of a democratic society, where the needs of the majority come first. Change political system if you're not happy. While I totally agree, no one should ever endure discrimination because of its sexual orientation, the way of the minority should not become the way of the majority, for instance the mardi gras nonsense! How can the gay community says its reprimed from expression and having the biggest street party probably in the world on public space??!! Discrimination agains gays should be punished not because they're gays but because they're human beings!!!

A good step forward

Max - from Sydney CBD, 9 months ago

This is not an attack on freedom of speech - to say that is to completely misunderstand the issue. This is about bullying. Freedom of speech does not mean you can go around slandering people who are different to you. No one is promoting being gay as "the better way to be", but rather, acknowledging that its just the way some people are and it is their right to lead a happy life free from discrimination from this. It shocks me to see some of the insensitive comments here. A great campaign!

Believe what you want, but nobody is harming you with their sexual preference

Belinda - from Sydney, 9 months ago

Why are people so sheltered and ignorant that they have to hide behind a holy book or childish schoolyard arguments? Humans are not the only species to have male/male or female/female intercourse. If God didn't like it, humans & wild animals alike wouldn't do it. So many young ones are committing suicide at a rate of knots because they are so ashamed & afraid of outing themselves. Why should THEY suffer through YOUR ignorance and religious dogma?

You have the right to disagree

Setto - from WA, 9 months ago

but not to bully others, if you want to disagree that's fine, if you want to say it's unnatural go ahead, but that gives NOBODY the right to bully, and that is the point of the campaign, because it happens. Konstantin, they make campaigns about their rights, because they currently do not have them that should be obvious, we don't think we're better we think we're equal, I am proud, and it has nothing to do with what my parents want from me, but they are proud that I'm being myself. equal rights.

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