The first television ad promoting a no vote in the gay marriage postal survey aired around the country last night, featuring three mothers highlighting their concerns about how the law changes will effect what is taught and promoted in schools.
The Coalition for Marriage ad has been criticised by Labor leader Bill Shorten for being “hurtful” and “total rubbish”.
The ad does not directly address the question of whether same-sex couples should be able to marry, but questions link same sex marriage and education.
The accompanying blurb on YouTube says: “Changing the marriage law will have consequences for what is taught in our kids’ classrooms. Changing the marriage law to allow same-sex couples to marry will mean taking gender our of our laws.
“Radical gay sex education programs will become more widespread and compulsory as it has overseas. More and more kids will be taught their gender is fluid and not based on biology.
"If same-sex marriage becomes law, parents will not have a leg to stand on if they don't want their kids taught radical sex education, and gender ideologies. Saying 'yes' to same-sex marriage means saying 'no' to parents rights.”
Cella White, one of the women featured on the commercial, tells viewers her son had been told he could wear a dress to school next year if he wanted to, while another said year seven students were being encouraged to role play being in a same sex relationship.
“Busy parents need to look at this ... it’s warping their children’s way of thinking,” she says in the video.
“I know my son the best ... he lacks the capacity to understand certain things ... the cross-dressing would be one of them.”
The ad finishes by stating: “We have a choice, you can say no."
The Marriage Coalition declined to reveal the agency behind the ad.
The spot has clocked up more than 68,000 views on YouTube so far
Channel Ten's caught doctoring images
Earlier this month, material surfaced in Melbourne featuring the slogan “Stop the Fags” and claiming that 92% of children raised by gay parents are abused.
However, according to Media Watch this week, reports of the Melbourne campaign were overblow – with news outlets such as Channel Ten admitting it played a role in this when it photoshopped the poster into a Melbourne laneway.
“The poster in question had been taken down when our film crew visited the laneway in question so we were forced to source a copy online,” Neil Shoebridge, director of corporate and public communications at Network Ten said.
“Unfortunately, an oversight in briefing our graphics department interstate may have created a false impression about its size and location. This was not a deliberate attempt to mislead our audience, but a creative error which we regret.”
No regulation
Due to the different regulations associated with plebiscite messaging, both sides of the debate are able to advertise freely with little restriction on content.
Shorten initially addressed the lack of regulation in plebiscite messaging in parliament following the news the government would spend $122 million on a non-binding same-sex marriage postal vote.
He said it would open the floodgates to “hurtful filth” being spewed by the parties and supporters of the ‘No’ campaign.
In response, The Royals started a campaign to get other creative agencies to reject working for parties that support the ‘no’ vote against marriage equality.
However, this has created its own controversy, with another agency boss launching a "Say No to the No" campaign, arguing The Royals' campaign attacks the freedom of ideas.
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