‘It’s part of who I am’: the gay Liberal MPs for whom the polil is more than personal | Coaln | The Guardian

gay mps australia

Gays and lbians are everywhere. But feral parliament they are cidly muted." name="scriptn

Contents:

‘IT’S PART OF WHO I AM’: THE GAY LIBERAL MPS FOR WHOM THE POLIL IS MORE THAN PERSONAL

When Trent Zimmerman won the North Sydney byelectn December, was the first time an openly gay man or woman had won a Hoe of Reprentativ the July electn, there are now three gay Liberal lower-hoe MPs: the former “eedom missner” Tim Wilson, a former head of the Natnal Retail Associatn, Trevor Evans, and speakg wh all three, is clear they are proud of this achievement. ”Wilson c the crimalisatn of homosexual acts as an example of the evils of “public llective moraly” speaks wh equal passn when he says his grandmother would not be able to make sandwich her home kchen for Country Fire Authory volunteers bee of food safety laws – the nanny state terferg wh is a ls faiar face, g om the retailers’ peak body.

He ced Atralia’s law nyg gay people accs to marriage and higher rat of prsn and suici among LGBTI his speech, some people had advised him that his sexualy was not an issue he need to reflect upon, he why his lleagu might have told him that, Zimmerman repli: “their msage was that I shouldn’t allow myself to be fed by my sexualy”. I am not parliament as a gay activist but is part of who I am. I thought the fact I got there as an openly gay person was worth celebratg.

WHERE ARE ALL THE GAY MPS CANBERRA?

”Zimmerman says sexualy “don’t fe me terms of my approach to polics – but you have a heightened sense of equaly and fairns, particularly growg up at a time that change is happeng but is still hard to e out and intify as gay” says that to avoid beg stereotyped, gay policians have to show they are “there for a whole broad range of polici, cludg enomic ernance and other social issu” did this tr arrive polics general and the Liberal party particular? Wilson was attracted to the Liberal party at the age of 18 bee of the Kent ernment’s efforts to “liberalise the state away om the power of burecratic ntrol and the unn movement” Zimmerman is seen durg the 38th annual Gay and Lbian Mardi Gras para Sydney March. A fg issue for all members of the Turnbull ernment – gay or straight – will be the marriage equaly plebisce, expected late 2016 or early says the plebisce was “not my first preference but ’s the only way to get done and alt wh this parliament”.

I ask whether the tr’s new nstuents are aware of their small part sendg a rerd number of gay MPs to says he n unt on one hand the number of tim sexualy has been raised on the mpaign trail. That is spe his opponent, Labor’s Pat O’Neill, also beg gay, a fact noted profil of the ntt for says some voters unted his sexualy as a posive, some as a negative. “Before my electn, there was a perceptn would be difficult for a gay MP to stand for a lower-hoe seat, bee there uld be backlash, ” he says.

Terms of personal attacks or appropriate language” says he is willg to pch as well, but he’ll first take unsel om the y mpaign about whether that will be is proud of havg advoted gay marriage for some time, before Bill Shorten was favour of and while Penny Wong was bound to Labor’s, gog forward, he is eager not to be pigeonholed as a gay MP. “I am terted the whole of society, cludg issu that affect gay and lbian people. “I’m not keen on fosterg that image of exclive tert gay issu, bee then journalists only ever want to talk to me about those issu, and after a while the public thks that’s the only thg you’re terted .

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY MPS AUSTRALIA

Same-sex marriage: This is everyone who didn't vote to support the bill - ABC News</tle><meta name="tle" ntent="Same-sex marriage: This is everyone who didn't vote to support the bill - ABC News"/><meta name="scriptn" ntent="In addn to three members of the Coaln and a crossbencher who voted no, at least 10 Government MPs chose to absta om Thursday's fal nscience vote on same-sex marriage the Hoe of Reprentativ."/><meta name="keywords" ntent="same-sex marriage, marriage, gay marriage, feral parliament, polics, feral polics, mallm turnbull, bill shorten"/><lk rel="nonil" href="><lk rel="in" type="image/png" href="/news-web/assets/"/><lk rel="in" type="image/svg+xml" href="/news-web/assets/"/><lk rel="mask-in" lor="black" href="/news-web/assets/"/><lk rel="apple-touch-in" href="/news-web/assets/"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorig="anonymo"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorig="anonymo"/><lk rel="preload" href=" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorig="anonymo"/><meta property="ABC.ContentType" ntent="Article"/><meta property="ABC.ContentSource" ntent="remedia"/><meta name="generator" ntent="PL NEWS WEB"/><meta property="ABC.Generator" ntent="PL NEWS WEB"/><meta name="ContentId" ntent="9240584"/><meta property="ABC.ContentId" ntent="9240584"/><meta name="ABC.VersnNumber" ntent="35"/><meta property="article:thor" ntent="><meta property="article:tag" ntent="same-sex marriage"/><meta property="article:tag" ntent="marriage"/><meta property="article:tag" ntent="gay marriage"/><meta property="article:tag" ntent="feral parliament"/><meta property="article:tag" ntent="polics"/><meta property="article:tag" ntent="feral polics"/><meta property="article:tag" ntent="mallm turnbull"/><meta property="article:tag" ntent="bill shorten"/><meta property="article:published_time" ntent="2017-12-08T04:42:22+00:00"/><script type="applitn/ld+json">{"@ntext":","@type":"NewsArticle","thor":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Anna Henrson"}],"dateModified":"2017-12-08T13:38:27+00:00","datePublished":"2017-12-08T04:42:22+00:00","scriptn":"In addn to three members of the Coaln and a crossbencher who voted no, at least 10 Government MPs chose to absta om Thursday's fal nscience vote on same-sex marriage the Hoe of Reprentativ.","headle":"Same-sex marriage: This is everyone who didn't vote to support the bill","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":485,"url":","width":862},"keywords":"same-sex marriage,marriage,gay marriage,feral parliament,polics,feral polics,mallm turnbull,bill shorten","maEntyOfPage":","publisher":{"@type":"Organizatn","name":"ABC News","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":60,"url":","width":240}}}</script><meta property="article:modified_time" ntent="2017-12-08T13:38:27+00:00"/><meta property="og:url" ntent="><meta property="og:scriptn" ntent="In addn to three members of the Coaln and a crossbencher who voted no, at least 10 Government MPs chose to absta om Thursday's fal nscience vote on same-sex marriage the Hoe of Reprentativ."/><meta property="og:tle" ntent="This is how everyone voted — and didn't vote — on same-sex marriage"/><meta property="og:type" ntent="article"/><meta name="twter:rd" ntent="summary_large_image"/><meta name="twter:se" ntent="@abews"/><meta name="twter:image" ntent="><meta name="twter:image:alt" ntent="Rsell Broadbent and Bob Katter votg no"/><meta property="og:image" ntent="><meta property="og:updated_time" ntent="2017-12-08T13:38:27+00:00"/><lk data-chunk="page.ForOdysseyArticle"/><meta name="next-head-unt" ntent="49"/><script id="google-tag-manager" type="text/javascript" data-nscript="beforeInteractive">dataLayer=[{"applitn":{"ctomPageview":te,"environment":"productn","generatorName":"PL NEWS WEB","generatorVersn":"5.3.0","platform":"web","product":"PL NEWS WEB"},"bug":{"schemaVersn":"20180625"}}];(functn(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l]({'':new Date().getTime(),event:''});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';;''+i+dl;sertBefore(j,f);})(wdow,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-PB2GX');</script><script id="overri-lazy-load" data-nscript="beforeInteractive">!functn(a){"loadg"!==document.readyState?a():document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoad",a)}(functn(){for(var e=document.querySelectorAll("img"),d=[],a=0;a<;a++){var b=e[a],(document.documentElement.clientHeight,nerHeight),(document.documentElement.clientWidth,nerWidth);if(b.parentElement){var c=b.parentElement.getBoundgClientRect();>0&&>0&&>0&&<0&&>0&&<0&&(b)}}for(var a=0;a<;a++){var b=d[a];b.hasAttribute("data-lazy")&&b.removeAttribute("data-lazy")}for(var a=0;a<;a++){var b=d[a];"lazy"===b.loadg&&(b.loadg="eager")}})</script><lk rel="preload" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" data-n-g=""/><lk rel="preload" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" data-n-p=""/><lk rel="preload" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" data-n-p=""/><lk rel="preload" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" data-n-p=""/><lk rel="preload" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" data-n-p=""/><lk rel="preload" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" data-n-p=""/><lk rel="preload" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" as="style"/><lk rel="stylheet" href="/news-web/_next/static/css/" data-n-p=""/><noscript data-n-css=""></noscript><script fer="" nomodule="" src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/"></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/pag/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/chunks/pag/news/document/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/z32ZrECd1wj0XMu2XHefJ/" fer=""></script><script src="/news-web/_next/static/z32ZrECd1wj0XMu2XHefJ/" fer=""></script></head><body><script> </script><div id="__next"><div data-ponent="NotifitnsProvir" style="width:360px" class="NotifitnsProvir_ntaer__2sehb NotifitnsProvir_bottom__MHZPb AppContaer_notifitnWrapper__lgzgy"></div><noscript><iame src=" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibily:hidn"></iame></noscript><div id="app-ntaer" class="GlobalStyl_dls___J5Yr" data-ponent="GlobalStyl"><div><div data-ponent="Lotn"><div><hear class="Masthead_mastheadBox__qe8iR" data-ponent="Masthead"><a class="ScreenRearSkipToContent_skipLk__ZXOqn ScreenRearOnly_srOnly__aJfWv ScreenRearOnly_focable__xp3DW" data-ponent="ScreenRearSkipToContent" href="#ntent">Skip to ma ntent</a><div class="Masthead_row__76rdH"><a href="/news" class="MastheadLogoLk_lk__wLQU0 Masthead_logoLk__aFBdU" data-ponent="MastheadLogoLk"><span class="MastheadLogoLk_logo__XY0lt"><svg aria-hidn="te" class="BrandLogo_svg__W378d" data-ponent="ABCNewsLogo" height="44" prerveAspectRat="xMYMid meet" viewBox="0 0 123 44" width="123" xmlns="><path d="M113.367 10c4.455 0 7.635 2 7.635 2l-1.586 3.241s-2.911-1.662-5.984-1.662c-2.361 0-3.913.706-3.913 2.63 0 4.524 12.624 2.465 12.624 10.466-.034 4.86-3.747 7.325-8.675 7.325-5.74 0-9.081-2.906-9.081-2.906l2.091-3.171s2.939 2.499 6.787 2.499c2.869 0 4.59-1.251 4.59-3.274 0-4.694-12.559-3.004-12.559-10.735 0-4.321 3.343-6.413 8.07-6.413zM9.283 11.648c.407.413 1.213 2.345 1.286 2.52l.005.012 4.95 13.215c.285.753.883 1.167 1.486 1.22a1.588 1.588 0 001.518-.96l.059-.15 1.565-4.156 2.63 6.904c-1.293 2.321-2.53 2.917-3.98 3.453a6.534 6.534 0 01-1.742.291c-.133.004-.35.003-.483 0-1.077-.038-2.138-.322-2.99-.827-.467-.314-1.674-1.118-2.528-3.037l-.109-.256-5.218-14.564V28.58l.079-.223 1.911-5.384 2.475 7.012c-.372 1.618-1.506 2.967-2.848 3.615-.43.199-.783.315-1.21.364l-.22.02-.133.004a4.969 4.969 0 01-3.016-.818c-1.28-.93-1.686-2.058-1.762-3.95L1 28.957V14.563c.163-2.377 1.667-3.67 3.015-4.264.64-.216.911-.269 1.611-.269 1.182-.054 2.634.43 3.657 1.618zM17.14 10c1.175-.014 2.347.253 3.278.84.465.307 1.667 1.065 2.522 2.98l.11.257 5.16 14.613V15.368l-.122.36-1.81 5.253-2.47-7.012c.32-1.566 1.505-2.914 2.849-3.563.322-.15.72-.26 1.092-.327l.272-.043c.033-.008.068-.01.101-.012l.014-.002.014-.002c1.075-.083 2.162.215 3.078.766 1.289.98 1.687 2.058 1.764 3.99l.008.27v14.346c-.159 2.425-1.717 3.72-3.065 4.314-.588.215-.861.269-1.557.269-1.182 0-2.688-.432-3.657-1.673-.414-.408-1.213-2.346-1.285-2.522l-.005-.012-4.95-13.16a2.036 2.036 0 00-1.608-1.222c-.572-.015-1.133.295-1.443.955l-.067.159-1.508 4.157L11.22 13.7c1.291-2.323 2.526-2.859 3.977-3.4.409-.129.95-.217 1.444-.264l.289-.024.052-.005h.051L17.14 10zm55.654.285l-.5 3.463H62.74v6.026h9.222v3.563H62.74v6.693h10.122v3.563h-14.25V10.285h14.183zm-30.004-.032l9.356 16.948V10.253h4.162v23.308h-5.095l-9.156-16.415V33.56h-4.162V10.253h4.895zm35.888 0l4.263 18.48h.133l4.328-18.48h3.996l4.494 18.48h.134l4.096-18.48h4.429l-5.928 23.308h-4.928l-4.262-16.249-4.228 16.249h-4.962l-5.96-23.308h4.395z" fill="currentColor"></path></svg><span class="ScreenRearOnly_srOnly__aJfWv" data-ponent="ScreenRearOnly">ABC News Homepage</span></span></a><div class="Masthead_actns__sbno_"><a href=" class="global-search-lk_lk__yZ7eR Masthead_searchLk__MBRYo" data-ponent="GlobalSearchLk"><svg xmlns=" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="1em" height="1em" data-ponent="Search" class="in_in__BezvR global-search-lk_in__YUQN7 in_size24__1oTgD" aria-hidn="te"><path stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" d="m21 21-6.904-6.904m0 0a6.5 6.5 0 1 0-9.192-9.192 6.5 6.5 0 0 0 9.192 9.192z"></path></svg><span class="ScreenRearOnly_srOnly__aJfWv" data-ponent="ScreenRearOnly">Search</span></a><div class="Masthead_globalLog__8lnS4" data-ponent="GlobalLogLoar" role="img" aria-label="Loadg ABC Acunt stat"><div class="global-log_skeletonLoar__OgKG2"><div class="global-log_skeletonAvatar___E12h global-log_shimmer__dSe2R"></div><div class="global-log_skeletonName__yxtee global-log_shimmer__dSe2R"></div><span class="ScreenRearOnly_srOnly__aJfWv" data-ponent="ScreenRearOnly">Loadg</span></div></div><button class="Masthead_globalNavButton__fHTfS global-navigatn-button_openButton__9xhrL" type="button" data-ponent="GlobalNavigatnButton"><svg xmlns=" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="1em" height="1em" data-ponent="Drawer" class="in_in__BezvR global-navigatn-button_in__ibfas in_size20__uN3m_" aria-hidn="te"><path stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" d="M21 12H3"></path><path stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" d="M21 6H3"></path><path stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" d="M21 18H3"></path></svg><span class="ScreenRearOnly_srOnly__aJfWv" data-ponent="ScreenRearOnly">More om ABC</span></button><div class="global-navigatn-ntent_drawer__XIsPy Drawer_drawerPanel__cwo96 Drawer_drawerPanel__cwo96" data-ponent="GlobalNavigatn" id="global-navigatn-drawer"><nav aria-label="More om ABC" class="global-navigatn-ntent_drawerContent__dfhpC" data-uri="app://module/globalnavigatnntent"><h2 class="ScreenRearOnly_srOnly__aJfWv" data-ponent="ScreenRearOnly" id="dls-global-navigatn__label" tabx="-1">More om ABC</h2><div class="global-navigatn-ntent_actnsWrapper__umHsB"><button class="global-navigatn-button_closeButton__Zfw2M" type="button" data-ponent="GlobalNavigatnButton"><svg xmlns=" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" width="1em" height="1em" data-ponent="Close" class="in_in__BezvR global-navigatn-button_in__ibfas in_size20__uN3m_" aria-hidn="te"><path stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" d="M19 19 5 5"></path><path stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" d="M5 19 19 5"></path></svg><span class="ScreenRearOnly_srOnly__aJfWv" data-ponent="ScreenRearOnly">Close menu</span></button><a href=" class="global-navigatn-ntent_logoLk__a__oi lk_foc__WeZws lk_unrleNone__PmrQv" tabx="0"><svg aria-hidn="te" class="global-navigatn-ntent_logo__VtKA0 BrandLogo_svg__W378d" data-ponent="ABCLogo" height="44" prerveAspectRat="xMYMid meet" viewBox="0 0 101 44" width="101" xmlns="><path d="M5.625 10.044h.188c1.151 0 2.501.5 3.475 1.619.412.412 1.217 2.34 1.29 2.515l.004.012 4.957 13.214c.288.743.886 1.175 1.494 1.22a1.616 1.616 0 001.513-.97l.058-.15 1.56-4.157 2.634 6.906c-1.295 2.328-2.534 2.927-3.983 3.459a7.026 7.026 0 01-1.385.265l-.353.023h-.486c-1.074-.033-2.136-.321-2.988-.82-.467-.319-1.675-1.116-2.534-3.036l-.11-.257-5.223-14.555V28.59l.077-.221 1.915-5.388 2.478 7.006c-.376 1.619-1.505 2.971-2.855 3.614-.436.2-.783.318-1.207.368l-.22.02H5.79a5.028 5.028 0 01-3.02-.81c-1.281-.932-1.691-2.058-1.763-3.95L1 28.968V14.578c.155-2.372 1.66-3.67 3.01-4.257.57-.197.852-.262 1.397-.275l.218-.002h.188zM90.341 10c4.467 0 8.127 2.36 9.49 6.108l.092.264.143.406-.385.22c-.143.088-.967.472-2.538 1.208-.416.208-.76.362-.872.415l-.03.014-.593.297-.164-.638c-.517-1.834-2.121-3.823-5.088-3.823-3.704 0-5.825 2.692-5.825 7.383 0 3.67 1.506 7.58 5.715 7.58 2.291 0 4.163-1.25 5.051-3.353l.092-.228.208-.539 4.495 2.022-.22.494c-1.681 3.834-5.374 6.163-9.692 6.163-.143 0-.286 0-.429-.01-6.395-.187-10.362-4.78-10.362-11.964 0-8.668 5.472-11.887 10.582-12.008.11-.011.22-.011.33-.011zm-59.09.787c1.303.976 1.693 2.052 1.744 3.997l.005.27V29.4c-.155 2.416-1.715 3.713-3.065 4.312-.586.221-.863.277-1.56.277-1.184 0-2.689-.444-3.663-1.674-.401-.413-1.206-2.35-1.278-2.526l-.005-.013-4.957-13.147a1.989 1.989 0 00-1.605-1.22c-.565-.01-1.13.295-1.438.96l-.067.16-1.504 4.157-2.634-6.961c1.284-2.328 2.523-2.86 3.972-3.404.415-.138.96-.223 1.451-.266l.287-.022v-.01h.11l.056-.006.055-.006v.011c1.173-.011 2.346.255 3.275.843.467.308 1.665 1.064 2.524 2.98l.11.257 5.167 14.6V15.386l-.122.355-1.814 5.255-2.468-7.017c.321-1.563 1.505-2.916 2.844-3.559.327-.16.726-.27 1.099-.335l.273-.042v-.01h.1c.01-.012.022-.012.022-.012 1.084-.089 2.18.21 3.087.765zM51.012 10l8.462 23.763h-5.495L52.11 28.28h-8.044l-1.868 5.482h-5.462L45.186 10h5.825zm18.571 0c3.583 0 7.847 1.066 7.847 6.141 0 2.153-.902 4.01-2.374 5.032 1.901 1 3 2.977 2.978 5.504 0 4.407-2.928 6.985-8.058 7.083l-.305.003H60V10h9.582zm-.186 13.71H65.22v5.504h4.505c2.055 0 3.077-.89 3.132-2.724.022-.802-.198-1.45-.637-1.9-.572-.572-1.539-.88-2.824-.88zm-21.297-6.734l-2.495 6.767h4.934l-2.44-6.767zm21.428-2.516H65.22v4.68h4.154c1.9 0 2.857-.835 2.857-2.504 0-1.011-.308-2.176-2.704-2.176z" fill="currentColor" fill-le="nonzero"></path></svg><span class="ScreenRearOnly_srOnly__aJfWv" data-ponent="ScreenRearOnly">ABC</span></a></div><div data-uri="app://module/globalnavigatnems"><svg xmlns=" style="display:none"><symbol viewBox="0 0 233 76" id="iview-global-navigatn-logo"><tle>iview.

TOP