Source: ABC News (Australia), The Age, news.com.au
Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon has dumped one of the federal government's newly-appointed men's health ambassadors for his views on homosexuality, Australia's ABC News reports, but allowed another to stay on.
Two of the ambassadors, Barry Williams and Warwick Marsh, are listed as authors of a publication that says homosexuality is a mental disorder.
Roxon sacked Marsh, from the Fatherhood Foundation, after he refused to repudiate the paper.
Marsh released a statement after he was fired, saying he has been vilified because he believes every child has the right to a mother and a father, ABC News reports.
"If I am attacked it is because I believe that our children matter," he said in the statement.
"If I am attacked it is because I believe every child has the right to a mother and a father. Children need a mother and a father, not two mummies or two daddies."
Marsh said certain journalists had claimed he was "homophobic" and he was baffled by "this sort of heterophobia", according to ABC News.
Williams from Lone Fathers Association, won a reprieve after he disassociated himself from the "offensive" views in the publication, The Age reports.
"I don't even know the words and I had nothing to do with it," Williams told ABC Radio's AM program.
"Because I contributed to that organization, doesn't mean that I put the words in that magazine or had anything to do with it. I don't even know the words and I had nothing to do with it," he said.
Roxon accepted full responsibility for the failure to check Marsh's background, saying it was a mistake, The Age reports.
"Certainly I will improve my processes in the future."
She said the incident was unlikely to damage the government's standing with the gay community.
"These are not my views and are not the government's views," she told reporters.
"I am very proud of the record that the government has and ... I hope that the gay community will see this for the mistake it was."
She received support from Labor colleague Penny Wong, another openly gay senator.
"(She) has acted decisively and swiftly and I support her response," Senator Wong said.
But Independent South Australian senator Nick Xenophon said both Mr Marsh and Mr Williams should have been sacked, according to news.com.au.
"Anyone that authored a document like that, I don't think should be a men's health ambassador," he said.
Roxon says Marsh's position become untenable when he refused repeated the document and repeated several assertions in the article.
The publication, titled 21 Reasons Why Gender Matters, refers to homosexuality as "gender disorientation pathology", and says it will lead to increased levels of drug abuse and partner violence, will increase the risk of communicable disease and the likelihood of suffering bad health, and is often a "symptom of family dysfunction, personality disorder, father absence, health malfunction or sexual abuse", according to ABC News.
It also says gay people are more likely than straight people to abuse children, saying that homosexuality "encourages the sexual and psychological exploitation of children."
Roxon said at a press conference, "I think these comments particularly about homosexuality are quite abhorrent."
"I don't share those views, but it is very clear that he has not repudiated these comments, they are very offensive and it's not appropriate for him to continue in this role."
Source: Roxon sacks health ambassador over gay slur | ABC News (Australia)
Roxon admits mistakes over homophobia | The Age
Minister accepts anti-gay appointee blame | news.com.au