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Gay people can have straight relationships, Abetz says

Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz has been accused of declaring that homosexual people are capable of becoming heterosexual.

Liberal Tasmanian senator and former cabinet minister Eric Abetz during Question Time in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra, Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas) NO ARCHIVING
Former Liberal minister Eric Abetz during Question Time in the Senate at Parliament House in Canberra Source: AAP

In an interview with Sky News’ Samantha Maiden, the Liberal Senator said he was “bemused” that the media appeared to shy away from reporting that it was possible for gay people to have heterosexual relationships as well.

“I think we all know people that have been in - if we can call it that - a straight relationship, that have gone into a gay relationship and people then doing the opposite and the fact that both occur within society, I think is [an] established fact,” he said.

“Why we can't report on the two-way traffic is something that has bemused me somewhat and is indicative of a certain bias in the media, that they only want one side of the equation spoken about."

A spokesman from Mr Abetz’s office denied that the comments implied that the Senator suggested homosexuality was a choice, reiterating that sexual fluidity is frequently overlooked in media reports on the matter.

“People do go from being straight to gay and similarly gay people go from being gay to straight,” he said.

In an interview with Sky News’ Samantha Maiden, the Liberal Senator said he was “bemused” that the media appeared to shy away from reporting that it was possible for gay people to have heterosexual relationships as well.

“I think we all know people that have been in - if we can call it that - a straight relationship, that have gone into a gay relationship and people then doing the opposite and the fact that both occur within society, I think is [an] established fact,” he said.

“Why we can't report on the two-way traffic is something that has bemused me somewhat and is indicative of a certain bias in the media, that they only want one side of the equation spoken about."

A spokesman from Mr Abetz’s office denied that the comments implied that the Senator suggested homosexuality was a choice, reiterating that sexual fluidity is frequently overlooked in media reports on the matter.

“People do go from being straight to gay and similarly gay people go from being gay to straight,” he said.


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