Magda Szubanski Showed Us How Hurtful Anti-SSM Rhetoric Can Be On ‘Q&A’

For the second week in a row, Q&A has demonstrated just how strongly the LGBTQIA+ community opposes the marriage equality plebiscite. For the second week in a row, it has also demonstrated how adamant its supporters can be – even when confronted with genuine concerns from their own family members.

While Magda Szubanski is definitely not the daughter of deputy Nationals leader Fiona Nash, the comedian and writer’s hypothetical question imagined the pro-plebiscite politician as her mother: in that scenario, would Nash want the right to marry extended to Szubanski, who is gay herself?

In short, Nash’s answer was no. Her reply spoke volumes about how some supporters of “the traditional definition of marriage” simply don’t view LGBTQIA+ Australians as deserving of the allowances granted to straight Australians, but we already knew that.

It was Szubanski’s wordless expression afterwards that told the rest of the story – a response to just a glimpse of the rhetoric that’ll be used to undermine queer Australians if the plebiscite comes to pass, and rhetoric that’s made in what the speaker believes to be good faith.

Even then, Nash’s take was positively rosy compared to some of the bile marriage equality opponents can, and have, cooked up. The exchange in question happens in the tail end of the clip below. It’s not an easy watch:

Families asked us not to debate their value, says @Tony_Burke. @SenatorNash & @JimmyBarnes discuss rights #QandA https://t.co/oV1fUvae87

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) September 19, 2016

Source and photo: Q&A / Twitter.