Over the weekend, there was widespread criticism of a TV commercial that spoke out against marriage equality in Australia, which was timed to appear simultaneously with the 37th annual Mardi Gras parade in Sydney.
Commercial networks 7 and 9 aired the Australian Marriage Forum‘s ad on Saturday night, while the parade was underway. SBS, however, made the decision to pull it from their Sunday night telecast of the event.
The ad, which was part of a campaign called Think Of The Child, opens with a mother at a playground table, saying “we hear a lot about marriage equality, but what about equality for kids?”
Per reports in Fairfax, SBS explained their decision in an email to the AMF’s president and troll-in-chief David van Gend on Friday.
“Our review board has instructed that SBS has the right to choose what ads we run, and I’ve unfortunately been instructed to advise you that we choose not to run this TVC for the Marriage Forum during the Mardi Gras telecast,” the email read.
Van Gend, who just wants to be left alone to discriminate in peace, and is likely telling someone to get off his damn lawn as we speak, is naturally not happy.
“It is outrageous for a taxpayer funded broadcaster like SBS to apply censorship to one side of the debate on same-sex marriage,” he said.
“SBS gives free airtime for them to make their political point on ‘marriage equality’, but refuses to show even one minute of a paid ad presenting an opposing view.”
The network have said that they will further clarify their decision to pull the ad later this week. Meanwhile, a Change.Org petition to remove the ad has received 5000 signatures since yesterday.
“I’m signing this because I’m a child of two absolutely loving lesbian parents and I’m really offended that this advertisement [is] blatantly slandering same sex parents’ ability to be parents simply based on their homosexuality,” wrote one respondent.
“My mums are amazing and I honestly need nothing more than them and their love in my life.
Sincerely, a healthy 17yo son of two incredible mums.”
