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Kevin Rudd defends gay marriage position. “It is how people are built.”

A Q & A question on gay marriage fires up Kevin Rudd in the final week of the campaign.

2013-09-02_2351Kevin Rudd’s response to a question on same sex marriage last night on Q & A has attracted widespread praise on social media.

Rudd was asked about changing his position on gay marriage by a Christian Pastor, who referenced the bible as stating homosexuality was wrong in the eyes of God.

But the Prime Minister was having none of it.

“I do not believe people when they are born choose their sexuality,” Rudd said.

“You don’t decide at some later stage in life to be one thing or the other. It is how people are built. Therefore, the idea this is somehow an abnormal condition is just wrong. I don’t get that. I think that is just a complete ill-founded view.

“If you accept it to be natural and normal to be gay then it follows that I don’t think it is right that these two folk here who are in love with each other and are of the same gender, should be denied the opportunity for legal recognition of the duration of their relationship by having marriage equality.”

When the Pastor told Rudd that he followed the bible’s teaching and questioned why Rudd did not, the PM’s answer was frank and to the point.

“Mate if I was going to have that view, the Bible also says that slavery is a natural condition,” Rudd replied.

“For goodness sake, human condition and social conditions change. What is the fundamental principle of the New Testament? It is one of universal love.

“If you think homosexuality is an unnatural condition, then frankly I cannot agree with you based on any element of the science. If a person’s sexuality is as they are made, you have to ask the second question – should, therefore, their loving relationships be legally recognised and the conclusion I have reached is they should.”

On Twitter last night he attracted plenty of support for his position:

My favourite moment of tonight’s #QandA: @KRuddMP passionately responded to the bigoted Pastor’s question.

That, Grasshopper, is called a profoundly special moment in Australian politics. #qanda

That Pastor has just been boiled to al denté #qanda jx

#qanda Rudd slamming bigoted pastor. Great to see.

Now that was a prime ministerial moment. Finally. #qanda

Fantastic to see @KRuddMP get so passionate in his belief of gay marriage on #qanda

Good performance by @KRuddMP on #qanda tonight. Religious fundamentalism has no place in Australia. #auspol

With youth suicide highest amongst LGBTI @KRuddMP ‘s BRILLIANT speech on #QandA means so much!

Kevin Rudd defending marriage equality. So proud to be in the room to witness it #qanda

My dad and I just watched @KRuddMP’s response on gay marriage on #qanda and we were both mightily impressed.

Rudd also reiterated the importance of having an independent ABC in the Australian media.

Q & A has an open invitation to Tony Abbott to appear any night this week he so chooses.

34 Responses

  1. @MJL – “THE Greens push to legalise same-sex marriage is doomed, with Tony Abbott confirming he will deny Liberal Party MPs a conscience vote on the issue, even if Labor grants its MPs a free vote.
    The Opposition Leader’s position, confirmed yesterday, means there is no chance that the present parliament could amend the Marriage Act, even if most Labor MPs support the change.”
    From “The Australian”, so it must be true (lol).

  2. @Jason

    Tony Abbott has said numerous times Coalition members can cross the floor and vote yes.

    The ALP does not allow this or you’ll be kicked out of the party.

    Sue Boyce did it in the Senate watoday.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/marriage-equality-bill-fails-but-lib-crosses-floor-20130620-2ok20.html

  3. @tricks.. usually I agree, healthy debate is good for politics. But on this issue, our country is light years behind the western world, and the government continues to treat gays as second class citizens because the Bible tells them so. Further, a win for Tony Abbott on Saturday isn’t saying Aus rejects Gay Marriage, there’s obviously a lot of other issues at play.. Remember we’ve also got to stop the very small amount of boats full of desperate refugees coming to our shore! One of the commandments, Love They Neighbour seems to be forgotten by these politicians with a Christian conscience… But yet they worry about one of the crazy verses from Leviticus
    Sadly if Abbott wins, I think the gay marriage issue will be buried for years to come.

  4. Wyatt Roy reported today – “”I support the right of same-sex couples to have their loving and committed relationships recognised in state-sanctioned marriage,” Mr Roy is quoted as saying”. – but he can’t support that opinion in parliament, since Tony Abbott won’t let him vote ‘Yes’. Have to vote ‘No’ because Tony says so.

  5. We are a few days away from an election. Pollies will say whatever it takes whether they believe it or not. KRudd is in hyper election mode and there is no way of ascertaining what his real stance is on this or any other subject until after the election. Then they will blame the other side for not being able to implement their policies or maybe a hostile senate.

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