Malcolm Turnbull Again Claims Credit For Same-Sex Marriage, Gets Shut Down Immediately
Malc's witty quip didn't go as planned.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is currently copping flack for again daring to suggest he, and not the public who endured the nightmarish plebiscite, was responsible for Australia legalising same-sex marriage.
Turnbull has long attempted to frame same-sex marriage as part of his coalition government’s legacy, something which LGBTIQ+ people are quick to refute.
While it’s true that the Liberal party did draft the bill that legalised same-sex marriage in 2017, it came only after Turnbull elected to first create a non-legally binding postal plebiscite, opening a can of vitriolic worms as the public debated the rights and values of LGBTIQ+ people. It is not remembered fondly.
As activist and writer Nic Holas wrote for Junkee back in 2017, “For what you put us through during the postal survey, for what you put queer kids through when you gutted Safe Schools, the LGBTIQ+ community will remember the Turnbull Liberal Government. Probably not when we are walking down the aisle, but certainly when we walk into the voting booth.”
Enter Turnbull, who since being outed by Scott Morrison in 2018 has been vocally critical of Liberal policies he made little efforts to change while leading the party, ranging from climate change to media reform.
Fed up with Turnbull’s rebrand, rapper Briggs took to Twitter on Sunday night to ask the ex-PM “imagine you had half spine you pretend you have now when you had the job?”.
Turnbull responded, saying the plebiscite was a sign of his bravery and leadership in government.
Sure, with half a spine I could have legalised same sex marriage.
— Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) January 10, 2021
He was almost immediately torn apart, with many LGBTIQ+ Australians frustrated by his revisionism. The responses ranged from the concise — “fuck you” — to the more personal, with many detailing just how hurtful the postal plebiscite was for them and their community.
Find a few choice reactions below.
Bitch you didn’t. You put our community through unnecessary trauma. Remember getting booed loudly at Mardi Gras? You still haven’t even apologised for your gutless & transphobic “marriage survey” mess. No spine detected then or now
— stereogamous (@stereogamous) January 10, 2021
Your efforts polarised the country into two sides: YES (LGBTIQA and our supporters) and NO (homophobic and religious fundamentalists).
This was very unnecessary. You amplified hate and failed our community.
You show no remorse. So there is no forgiveness
Shame on you.
— Queerbourhood (@queerbourhood) January 10, 2021
Giving people human rights after asking everyone if they should have them is like asking the whole school if you should punch someone then when most people tell you no, making the decision based on that, then patting yourself on the back for not. You shouldn’t have asked, it hurt
— Alex the Astronaut (@AtheAstronaut) January 10, 2021
Yeah but you fucking didn’t, you coward. You forced us to do it. We clawed our own way to victory, the whole time harangued and tormented by those who hate us. You sanctioned that torment and then you took credit for our fight. We haven’t forgotten what you did and didn’t do.
— Christopheria Baldwin (@chrisopotamia) January 10, 2021
you didn’t bitch, shut up
— Laurence Barber (@bortlb) January 10, 2021
Yeah but you fucking didn’t, you coward. You forced us to do it. We clawed our own way to victory, the whole time harangued and tormented by those who hate us. You sanctioned that torment and then you took credit for our fight. We haven’t forgotten what you did and didn’t do.
— Christopheria Baldwin (@chrisopotamia) January 10, 2021
And it still ended up as a conscience vote.
— Paul Kidd (@paulkidd) January 10, 2021
Ahhhh yes, you showed lots of spine by *checks notes* caving to Abbott’s policy of a non-binding public vote & Dutton’s idea of doing it as a postal survey
— Joshua Badge (@joshuabadge) January 10, 2021
shut up! you actually caused me and a lot of other people pain because of your stupid plebiscite! I had random people messaging me telling me why they were voting no and I just had to take it? I was 16! So don’t go patting yourself on the back when you could’ve just legalised it. pic.twitter.com/QpyQwX0EPV
— Polly Tickle Powers (@PollyTPowers) January 10, 2021