Prominent “no” campaigner and former Prime Minister Tony Abbott is reportedly set to address a US organisation that has been condemned for its extreme, anti-LGBTI views.
Abbott will speak to the conservative Christian group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) about his opposition to marriage equality later this month, Fairfax Media reported.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, the ADF is “one of the nation’s most dangerous organizations working to prevent equality for LGBT people,” strongly opposing same-sex marriage and laws protecting LGBTI people from discrimination in the US.
The group has also advocated for harmful “gay conversion” therapy and one of its directors applauded India’s top court for “protecting society” by re-criminalising homosexuality with a 10 year jail term in 2013.
A spokesperson for Mr Abbott told Fairfax Media he “is honoured to have been invited by the ADF to reiterate his well-known position that advocates for same sex marriage must demonstrate how – in their brave new world – freedom of speech, freedom of religion and parental choice will be protected.”
Abbott personally responded on Thursday afternoon, tweeting: “This isn’t over. There are five million Australians yet to vote and the NO campaign is appealing to every one of them!”
It’s the second time Abbott has addressed the Alliance Defending Freedom.
In January last year he travelled to the US and told the group “policymakers shouldn’t be judgmental about people’s personal choices” but allowing same-sex couples to wed would contribute to “the erosion of family”.
