Anti-gay preacher arrested after loudspeaker stunt
Ben Townley, Gay.com UK


A man who drove through the city of Salisbury claiming through a megaphone that lesbians and gays were going against God's will, has been arrested after local people complained.

John Holme was using the loudspeaker to warn people in the Wiltshire city that "homosexuality is an abomination" and that they would be punished by God should they continue with their "perversion".


~

Australia mulls ban on gay marriage


SYDNEY - A ban on same-sex marriages could pass through Australia’s parliament by the end of the year, Prime Minister John Howard said on Wednesday.

The opposition Labor Party has endorsed the ban and would vote for it when it came before parliament. “I think it would be a great pity if this issue were left hanging in an election campaign,” Howard said.

Shadow attorney-general Nicola Roxon said Labor had not been swayed by calls from gay lobby groups not to legislate on the issue.
Khaleej Times Online

“Labor’s position about gay marriage is clear and unequivocal and from the Prime Minister’s statements today it sounds like the major parties will be voting for this bill sometime in the next fortnight,” Roxon said.


~

Third time lucky for Howard on gay wedge?
By Polly Bush


Webdiary columnist Polly Bush is our expert on Howard's gay marraige/gay adoption wedge play. Her previous pieces on the saga include Another Let's-Attack-A-Minority-Group-Wheel of Fortune, by John Howard and Keeping it queer.

When the Prime Minister today announced yet another attempt at amending the Marriage Act to exclude gay couples, it was fitting for the PM to it at a conference for the National Marriage Coalition, a group set up by the Australian Family Association, the Australian Christian Lobby and the Fatherhood Foundation.

Whenever there’s a contentious issue involving gay and lesbian Australians (or a not so contentious issue like Playschool’s two mums reference) the media love to run to the Australian Family Association’s Bill Muehlenberg for a good gay bashing quote. It’s extraordinarily predictable.

This new amendment, to be introduced in the next fortnight in parliament, will be a third time lucky attempt by the Government to ensure this issue gets a good run in time for the election. It will also again test the ALP’s position.