Telstra has apparently 'retreated' from a campaign supporting safe-sex marriage after coming under pressure from the Catholic Church, according to The Australian.
Telstra was one of 663 Australian businesses which gave their names to a series of ads run by Australian Marriage Equality lobbying for a change in the law last winter.
The Australian revealed this morning that Archdiocese of Sydney business manager Michael Digges wrote to the firms whose logos were featured in the ads implying it would “withdraw its custom”.
Telstra has contracts in place for all the Catholic schools across the country.
The Australian spoke with someone familiar with the Telstra situation who claimed that the telco “did not want to risk its commercial relationship with the church”.
“The government has committed to putting same-sex marriage before the Australian people in a plebiscite and, ultimately, it will be parliament who determines any changes to the institution of marriage,” a spokesman for Telstra said.
Optus, on the other hand has been very open about the support it lends to the LBGTI community and this year was one of the key sponsors of the Sydney Mardi Gras, where it also ran a float carrying 60 Optus staff.
Email Nicola at nicolariches@yaffa.com.au.