The Greens have called out the government’s ridiculous fawning over fossil fuels (and Labor’s complicity) in the most backwards way possible. The best way to take down the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader? Call ’em gay, apparently.
In a Facebook post on their official page, the party shared a pic of Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese holding hands under a rainbow.
The idea, presumably, was to make them look like two friends in cahoots. The result, however, made them look like a gay couple at the butt of some weird and misguided joke.
Change.org director and queer activist Sally Rugg called out the Greens’ post on Twitter, calling it homophobic.
“Plenty of ways to criticise Labor and Liberal energy policies without making same-sex marriage the punchline of a joke!” she added.
Hey @AusGreensParty this is homophobic. Plenty of ways to criticise Labor and Liberal energy policies without making same-sex marriage the punchline of a joke! pic.twitter.com/BxLhQOHyDw
— Sally Rugg (@sallyrugg) September 24, 2020
Maybe the rainbow could’ve been used to connote some kind of fantasy land that’s reflective of their energy policies which are indeed detached from reality.
Perhaps the holding of hands might in some situations be able to convey that two ostensibly opposing parties are actually in lockstep when it comes to promoting fossil fuels.
But the tuxedos is a weird touch that doesn’t make much sense other than to double down on the “ha ha, they’re gay” vibes.
The Greens quickly pulled the post from their Facebook, but not before garnering hundreds of likes and comments, and presumably plenty more views.
Good. Happy to explain further how and why this meme could’ve just gone with the “fantasy land” theme or “they’re the same” theme without making a joke about gay people, but hopefully the team get it now? Gay people aren’t secretly trying to wreck things and are not punchlines.
— Sally Rugg (@sallyrugg) September 24, 2020
The good news here is that this post isn’t reflective of the Greens’ actual policy. It was a simple social media fuckup.
One misguided Facebook post doesn’t reflect the fact that the party and its politicians aren’t homophobic, and that they’ve actually worked quite closely with Rugg in the past on some important campaigns.
I have to have a nap now bc I’m sick but let’s remember a bad Facebook post is not super important in the scheme of things. Ok good night https://t.co/1fg9LKBDAF
— Sally Rugg (@sallyrugg) September 24, 2020
Remember, the Greens have been pushing the hardest for queer rights out of any party in parliament for decades now.
In the meantime, other politicians are posting shit like this on Facebook and they actually mean it.
Remember One N*tion? *shudders*
