News

Published: 29 July 2020

I don’t always agree with Senator Stirling Griff (or any other politician for that matter). But last February this Centre Alliance MP gave a very good speech – against “legal” child pornography.

He told the Senate about graphic, sexualised animated videos and comic books featuring children. They are produced in Japan and sold in many shops in Australia. They are classified only as “M” for mature audiences. Anyone can buy or view them.

Sadly, most media did not report Senator Griff’s speech on 25 February – nor that his motion passed unanimously by the Senate the next day, asking the government to take action.

And unless you follow Senator Griff on Facebook, you wouldn’t know how the Classification Board outrageously defended its permissive ruling on this material – by saying that sexualised animations of children are considered acceptable in Japan!

I only heard about it last week, but here is part of what Stirling Griff told the Senate on 25 February:

“As legislators, we have a critical role to play in stamping out child exploitation. There is much more to be done, such as the child abuse material that comes into Australia via Japanese anime and manga.

Anime is a style of Japanese animation and manga are the graphic novels which serve as the basis for anime. They both share a unique visual style and they are popular the world over, especially amongst teenagers.

“But there is, unfortunately, a dark side and a disgusting side to anime and manga, with a significant proportion of the two media featuring child abuse material. They contain depictions of wide-eyed children, usually in school uniforms, engaged in explicit sexual activities and poses, and often being sexually abused.

“Experts say that explicit anime and manga can be used by paedophiles as tools to groom children. It makes me sick to the stomach to even speak about this.

“Incredibly, sexualised images of children are legal in Japan, provided they don't involve full nudity.

“The law in Australia is very clear. The Commonwealth Criminal Code prohibits the sale, production, possession and distribution of offensive and abusive material that depicts a person, or is a representation of a person, who is or appears to be under 18.”

One anime series called No Game No Life “features incest themes between the two main characters: a brother and sister. The Classification Board's decision report states: ‘Throughout the material the female characters are frequently depicted in sequences that feature panning visuals of or close focus on their crotches, breasts, legs and/or buttocks.’ They are describing images of children.

“These images are in contravention of the law, plain and simple.”

Senator Griff has written to the federal government seeking immediate bans on this type of material.

I too have now written to the federal Minister for Communications, Paul Fletcher. I asked him:

• Why has child-abuse material imported from Japan been declared legal by the Australian Classification Board? 
• Is the Board failing in its duty to protect Australian children by allowing material that could be used by paedophiles to groom victims? 
• Are the classification guidelines inadequate to protect Australian children from this child-abuse material?

If you too are concerned about this issue, you can send a short email to Minister Paul Fletcher (Paul.Fletcher.MP@aph.gov.au including your name and street address, or use his contact form: https://www.communications.gov.au/who-we-are/contact-us).

You could ask him my questions, or put your concerns in your own words. Your email could make a real difference.  And a copy sent to us at office@familyvoice.org.au would be great!

Peter Downie - National Director

Published: 29 July 2020

Christian advocacy group FamilyVoice Australia has applauded concerns about safety raised by Liberal Senator Claire Chandler and World Rugby (the governing body of Rugby Union).

Senator Chandler is concerned about biological males competing in women’s sport, while World Rugby is considering a ban on transgender players to prevent injuries and unfairness.

According to a report in The Australian (25/7/20), World Rugby experts have evidence of a 20-30 per cent higher risk of injury for women tackled by biological males who identify as female, and new research showing biologically male players lose little of their physical advantage after taking drugs to lower their testosterone in line with 2015 International Olympic Committee rules.

“These findings are consistent with concerns raised by many athletes, participants and administrators about biological males competing in women’s sport,” said Senator Chandler.

The concerns of Senator Chandler and World Rugby are commended by FamilyVoice Australia National Director Peter Downie:

“A key reason society has developed gender-specific sporting competitions is to safeguard players in the rougher games such as rugby,” he said.

“Additionally, it is patently unfair when men and women compete in such events as running, boxing, wrestling or gymnastics.

“Women are more flexible while men are physically stronger,” he said.

“We reject the ideologically-driven ambition for gender fluidity that makes a mockery of biology, fairness and sporting safety.

“It is time to restore common sense to gender in sport.”

Published: 28 July 2020

The General Register Office for Northern Ireland has apologised after threatening to no longer recognise marriages conducted by Northern Irish churches that decline to indicate whether they will or will not perform same-sex weddings.

Officials recently wrote to Northern Irish churches, demanding to learn if they would hold same-sex marriages, and threatening to no longer recognise wedding rites if those churches did not answer to the state’s satisfaction.

However, the General Register Office has apologetically withdrawn its threat, after the Christian Institute reminded officials that churches have the legal freedom to conduct male-female weddings (or opt into a scheme recognising same-sex weddings).

Same-sex “marriage” was legalised in Northern Ireland earlier this year.

“The problem of statist overreach can eventually be expected here in Australia,” said FamilyVoice spokesman David d’Lima.

“As the culture and the law increasingly accept same-sex behaviour, churches holding to the created order and biblical teaching will become marginalised and targeted,” he said.

“Governments historically served the community by recognising wedding ceremonies conducted by faith institutions, without interference.

“Increasingly governments want to control the meaning of marriage and the conduct of faith institutions, which is a trend in the wrong direction.”

Published: 28 July 2020

A Christian Ministry which helps individuals overcome unwanted same-sex attraction has been advised that it will lose its bank account.

Core Issues Trust, a non-profit Christian ministry, supports men and women who voluntarily want to deal with unwanted same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria.

In July, Twitter users began pressuring Barclays Bank to stop providing financial services to CIT. Barclay’s Bank, one of the UK’s biggest banks, subsequently notified CIT that its bank account would be terminated in September.

The International Federation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice, an initiative supported by CIT, has also been informed that its account will be closed.

CEO of CIT Mike Davidson said he rejected the accusatory term “conversion therapy”:

“This is a pejorative, imposed term, coined by an American gay activist, Dr Douglas Haldeman in 1991, that names some extremes such as electro-shock and aversion techniques only ever conducted by medics, long since abandoned from the 60s, or extreme behaviours already outlawed such as ‘corrective’ rape for which there are no prosecutions in the UK.

“Because the term speaks of talking therapies and counselling as ‘pseudo-science’ in association with these extremes, to be heard defending talking therapy and counselling for unwanted same-sex attractions is then taken to be a defence of the indefensible ‘Conversion Therapy’ label.”

UK-based advocacy group Christian Concern reported that CIT has been subjected to an abusive harassment campaign:

On social media there has been a campaign of aggressive trolling and dehumanising of Mike Davidson, Trustee Matthew Grech and staff worker Kylie Delia – extending also to personal accounts. One text message hoped that staff family members are raped and killed. A text message with a satanic image was sent to the CIT mobile phone. Multiple complaints to social media sites were made about CIT. Videos and live broadcasts, previously reviewed and agreed as valid adverts with the platform were taken down by Facebook as was the CIT banner on more than one occasion. CIT Instagram content was also removed, despite being acceptable for more than two years. CIT staff were blocked from posting on Facebook and were unable to block trolls.

“If it is CIT first, it will be churches next,” said Andrea Williams CEO of Christian Concern.

“If banks and other service providers start to placate social media campaigns by unilaterally terminating their accounts then the UK will be a very difficult place for Biblically faithful Christian ministries."

In 2016, prominent financial institution PayPal announced it would boycott the city of Charlotte in US state North Carolina, after the city restricted men who think they are women from using female restrooms.

In retaliation for the move to protect women and girls, PayPal announced it would axe a plan that would have seen 400 jobs and a $3.6 million investment in the city.