Julia Gillard seeking legal advice after being quoted in anti-gay marriage advert
Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard is seeking legal advice after she was quoted in a controversial full-page anti-gay marriage advert which ran earlier this week.
She believes her words, originally spoken in the National Apology for Forced Adoption in March 2013, have been “taken out of context and misused”.
In a statement, the former Labor leader branded the “It’s. Not. Marriage.” campaign by the Australian Marriage Forum, which featured in The Australian on Monday, as “hurtful” and “offensive”.
“Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard was unaware of and had no notice regarding the publication of this advertisement,” a spokesman said.
“Ms Gillard believes it is wrong for her words of apology to victims of forced adoption to be taken out of context and misused.
“As well as being hurtful to those who are the subject of the apology, who have already suffered so much, Ms Gillard believes the advertisement is offensive to gay couples, who are parents.
“Ms Gillard has sought legal advice about this matter.”
The action comes after the Government yesterday looked to have successfully deflected the issue of same sex marriage from a Parliamentary issue to a public vote.
Ms Gillard is one of several leading figures who were quoted in the advert, which focuses on the perceived impact gay marriage could have on children.
Her comments were placed in a section headed “Is it ‘loving’ to destroy the primal love between mother and baby?”
Dr David van Gend, president of the Australian Marriage Forum, said Ms Gillard’s comments were made in the public forum of Parliament, and were “owned by the nation”.
He said: “Her words were not taken out of context. For her to threaten a community group, it is disgraceful given she is a public figure of her stature.
“Every quote we ran was from the public domain and was part of the necessary discussion of this momentous question. All of it is correct and in good faith.
“We will not be bullied into silence by public figures like Ms Gillard.”
The stoush between the two parties was ignited in April when Gillard issued a legal letter to the Forum after the same quotes were used as part of a television commercial.
Kevin Bradford
The disgraceful act of van Gend to take Ms Gillards well meaning comments out of complete context demonstrates what a pathetic and sad group the AMF are.
It is ironic that van Gend is claiming the high moral ground when he clearly has none…
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I’m not sure on the legal peculiars, but Gillard has obviously been taken completely out of context and I hope she bankrupts the bible-bashing idiots.
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Good example of where the media industry is headed. People nowadays have no conscience towards how they are communicating. Fair play Julia, I hope your empty their pockets.
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Absolutely disgraceful, but she probably has no legal recourse as the comments were public domain.
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Imagine an ad that takes quotes from supporters of the Marriage Forum out of context and presents the quotes as if they are in support of marriage equality.
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If this mob want to quote Julia Gillard, they should do it in the context it was made-the cruel forced separation and adoption of children from their mothers.
It had absolutely nothing to do with marriage or gay parenting.
These people have also deliberately ignored the evidence that children with gay parents flourish.
In short, the campaign is deliberately dishonest.
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It’s not so much that Julia Gillard was or wasn’t taken out of context; the very fact of including her quote in an advert is a monumental strategic blunder, given the fact that many (most?) of the population don’t believe a word she ever said anyway.
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I expect the AMF to move on to making divorce illegal shortly as well, given their high concern for the discrimnination of children.
Perhaps the lack of understanding of context is to hide the lack of any real argument against allowing same sex marriage.
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Whatever the context, the quote rings true… “the most primal and sacred bond there is: the between a mother and her baby”. No mother, no bond. As one, who had one but lost one, I can say, mothers are irreplaceable.
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So surely two mothers must be even better, in this AMF logic.
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Move on Rrrosco, she’s no longer PM. Focus on the topic at hand.
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So many self-serving comments!
Is it or is it not true that, as former Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in her Apology, the bond between a mother and her baby is the most primal and sacred bond there is? If it is not true then both Ms Gillard and Dr van Gend were unwise to accord to it the force of truth. If it is true, and it does not appear that Ms Gillard was suggesting that it was only partially or contextually true when she said it, then it is true in whatever context it is said, and both Ms Gillard and Dr van Gend are without fault in saying it.
In the light of the context in which the comments here are being made, I note that Ms Gillard voiced her opposition to a change in the definition of marriage when she was Prime Minister.
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Julia Gillard’s comments may well have been taken out of context, this is true. However, the fact remains, that while in office, Julia Gillard took a weak and self-serving stand on gay marriage – bowing to the Christian lobby so she could stay in power. While Prime Minister, she could have moved this country into the 21st century – but she chose not to. From this perspective, it’s understandable why The Australian Marriage Forum felt they could use her comments. Really, this may simply be a case of Ms Gillard having reaped, what she has sewn.
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So If I’m a conservative Liberal voter but these crackpots are quoting JG what do I do? Oh the confusion!
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The quote is not taken out of context at all if you read the ad. There is a clear heading “Is it loving to destroy the primal love between mother and baby” followed by Gillard’s quote, it does not in any way imply that she is for or against gay marriage, it simply draws your attention to the fact that some gay couples (men I suspect!) with kids mess with the “primal love” concept and that this is something that Gillard has spoken about in the past.
I’ve got no idea if the primal love thing is real or not? Although I have a mother and a wife and 3 children, and it seems like a reasonable idea.
What does really resonate with me however is Katie Faust’s comments (also in the ad) that children should not exist for the satisfaction of adult desires.
There is plenty of people advocating for the rights of homosexuals to choose how they live their lives, however the rights of children without choice are also important, perhaps even a far nobler cause.
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