An anti-marriage equality ad by the Marriage Alliance has been denied air time by networks Seven and Ten, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“It’s time to step back, and consider all the issues around same sex marriage. Like, how it will affect children, or sex education in schools. Or even what rights you could lose. It’s not as simple as you think,” the ad says, as a hand renders “SAME SEX MARRIAGE” as the tip of a gargantuan iceberg.
Yeah, we get it.
But a few words on the issues raised by the marriage alliance on the legalisation of same sex marriage:
- “How it will affect children” – per ABC’s Fact Check: there is no evidence to suggest Australian children with two mothers or two fathers are any worse off than the nuclear family.
- How it will affect “sex education in schools”: sex education in schools could already be vastly improved. Allowing dudes and ladies to get married doesn’t worsen that by any stretch of the imagination.
- “What rights you could lose”: GTFO.
- “It’s not as simple as you think”: it literally is tho.
According to SMH, Marriage Alliance’s Sophie York took 7 and 10’s rejection of the ad as a compliment. “They obviously looked at it and thought, ‘It’s devastatingly effective. Beautiful graphics, it’s going to get everyone’s attention, and it’s a very powerful message.’ That’s my first reaction.”
In a media release, Marriage Alliance called out freedom of speech in the networks’ decision, saying, “It is quite shocking that two major TV networks are denying the basic right to freedom of speech and expression on an issue that supports the current law of the nation.”
Channel 9 and Foxtel will be airing the ad: “in very selective time slots” for the former, according to SMH, and as an adherence to freedom of speech by the latter.
If you can stomach it, the ad which won’t appear on Seven and Ten is below.
An uplifting reminder, though: When Parliament resumes this Tuesday, a cross-party marriage equality bill will be introduced once again.
