Gay Big Brother star faces political opposition
Openly gay Big Brother contestant David Graham is the target of Australian National Party MPs who have vowed to stop his efforts at breaking into politics.
Graham, a farmer and former model, famously “outed” himself on the reality show last year.
He is a long-time member of the National Party, but his homosexuality has proved too much for some in the party.
According to the Sunday Herald Sun, newspaper, party members say his decision to declare his sexuality provoked a sharp backlash.
At least one senior federal MP has demanded the party stop Graham’s progress.
Nationals’ sources say the campaign against Graham is being spearheaded by a mostly Catholic grouping in Queensland.
Senior Nationals aware of the backlash against Graham said in a statement to the Sunday Herald Sun: “The party platform is based on equal opportunity. We don’t ask people their cultural heritage or their race.
“The same applies to their sexuality. There have always been gay members of the party and there always will be.
“Equally, there will always be some people opposed to that lifestyle and they’ll be opposed to him (Graham).”
According to The Advertiser, the same figures said Graham was currently the federal membership officer for the Young Nationals.
In October last year he nominated for state secretary of the Queensland Young Nationals but was defeated.
Graham is a supporter of the legalisation of gay civil unions – a stance which puts him at odds with Queensland’s Young Nationals.
“That’s just one thing I stand for,” he said at the time, reports The Advertiser. “I’ve got very strong views on ethanol and bio-diesel and more police and more hospitals.”
Graham’s agent said that while he still had political ambitions, those ambitions were on hold until he had completed his season on another reality show, Dancing With The Stars.
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