Tim Wilson Isn’t Happy Coopers Backed Away From That Marriage Equality Vid

After Coopers decided to run the hell away from the heavily-derided Keep It Light video – in which two serving Liberal MPs debated their opposing stances on marriage equality, over a coupla frosty Bible Society-endorsed Coopers brews – a fair few people have had their say on the brewery’s complicity. 

Drinkers publicly stated their opposition to the vid, and more recently, some pubs have announced a boycott of Coopers products. Now, one of the pollies featured in the vid has had his say on Coopers response – but he’s kinda miffed the company has dropped its support for the video. 

MP Tim Wilson has told news.com.au that he’s “disappointed Coopers appears to have distanced themselves from a sensible conversation that they should be proud to align themselves with.”

For what it’s worth, Wilson is openly gay, and has advocated for laws regarding same-sex marriage in Australia to be amended. He also carried that viewpoint in the video, opposite MP Andrew Hastie, who is fully behind the “traditional” definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.

However, despite the sentiment that the push for marriage equality is an all-or-nothing affair with no room for meaningful compromise, Wilson said response to the video was “over-the-top” and had “only proven the need for more civil disagreement”.

Wilson emphasised the video was created “to show how a constructive discussion can be had,” and that the anger it has stoked within the broader community “has only demonstrated how much people in positions of influence need to set an example of civility and respect.”

Of course, “civility and respect” are apparently objective measures, seeing as Wilson’s own political party has dragged its heels on giving queer Australians the same legal rights as their straight counterparts. 

The whole ordeal makes you wonder: if people get this angry at a beer company for hosting a debate on the issue, just imagine how pissed they are at the government which has the power to enact change, but refuses to do so.