disparaging the spank is a spankable offense

Wow that was awesome.

We're winning, but the losers are getting desperate, as the bordering-on-tears look on that fundie pastor's face shows.

Unfortunately, there will be pockets of shaming, repression, brutality, and mass murder—some of unprecedented depravity, no doubt—before most of humanity comes around, and we may need underground railroads in Asia, Africa, the Arab world, etc. along with efficient asylum mechanisms among the enlightened nations.

@3 --- at 2:47 I really hoped he was going to cry.

From the look on the pastor's face, I don't think this changed his mind one little bit. Haters gonna hate.

Re: 3 and the need for underground railroads/asylum, this from a new commenter on Dan's post earlier this morning:

This is damn serious. As a gay man with a kid living in Russia, I'm scared shittless. I wasn't really worried about that propaganda law - hell, I can pay that fine, not a big deal. But now it is much much worse. I can't lose my daughter. I'll be forced into emigration, which I don't want, or back into the closet, which I don't want either - it took me too much pain and effort to come out.

I weep in frustration and envy that even people who so clearly disagree can have a real conversation in a political arena.

Just wanted to leave a link here to the original essay that the PM mentions on his change in stance.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/fea…

His mind was changed, as so many are, by simply meeting a gay person.

"Very few things surprise me in life and politics any more. But I must confess the Pentecostal staffer guy threw me a bit."

That was beautiful...I remain convinced that what we see, increasingly, is that now the tipping point is passed, a lot of what people were afraid to say in public just because it was impolitic - ala the Emperor's new clothes - is suddenly being said quite publicly.

Did the pastor call the PM by his first name?

Fuck I wish conversations about issues could be anything like that in this country. Reasonable discourse? Unheard of!

Logic is a powerful thing. It can silence even the professional bigot.

@5

Um. Thanks, O voice of tolerance.

er, checkmate!

That is a lovely smackdown. I could watch that over and over.

It's nice (?) to see that religion gets as much airtime in Australian politics as it does here. While I believe that the Prime Minster's position on marriage equality is correct (it's a matter of simple fairness and justice), all the Jesus stuff and the dueling Bible verses are silly.

What's with the big dialated puplils on that preacher? He looks a bit drugged or medicated...

Did you see the red shining eyes of that minister? Clearly the man is possessed by demons and is consumed with hate.

the big story afterwards here in Oz is that the pastors poor feelings were hurt. You see the PM was rude to him and embarrassed him on TV. Thankyou Murdoch newspapers.

This was on As It Happens on CBC Radio here in Canada the other day - it's getting a lot of mainstream attention.

Exact, exact same point Dan brought up (among others) at that high school journalism conference last year that got him into so much hot water, and here in Australia, it's ... cheered? During a ... political debate? Impossible.

The pastor is full of shit. There is no such speech from Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus actually discourages people from getting married.

As someone who lives in Australia....

It's unfortunate that Kevin probably won't be Prime Minister after tomorrow night, and someone who is really quite homophobic (Tony Abbott) will replace him. @24, unfortunately, Abbott saw that the American right-wing political tactic of shouting and encouraging hatred works really well, so that's what he's gone with, and it's worked for him.

@18 - Religion doesn't get that much airtime here: this was a specific question asked of the PM by a fundie. Our previous PM was an atheist.

@11 - Yes. People call each other by their first name here a lot, even when they're talking to Prime Ministers. I've met Kevin (and two of his predecessors), and all conversations were on a first-name basis. Which is why I'm comfortable with calling you @11.

@6 - I followed your link and left a post there. Moscow_Fag and his daughter would qualify for asylum in a lot of countries, including Australia.

@24 - Sorry - one more thing. Yes, he was cheered for it, but that's not surprising here. Support for gay marriage is, as far as I can recall, pushing 80% here.