Daughter of anti-gay leader Tony Abbott appears in equal marriage ad
The daughter of anti-gay marriage politician Tony Abbott has appeared in an ad for the campaign supporting equal marriage.
As Australia holds a public vote on same-sex marriage, right-wing former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has become a prominent voice against equality.
Mr Abbott has aggressively fought an aggressive campaign against same-sex marriage despite the fact that his own sister Christine Forster is gay, and waiting for the right to marry her same-sex partner.
Abbott stunned the country last month when he appeared to suggest it would be “best” for Ms Forster’s children to be raised by a straight couple.
But the ex-PM’s daughter Frances Abbott has defied her dad by speaking out for equality – and this week took it even further by appearing in a ‘Yes’ ad.
In the ad, she pays an emotional tribute to her aunt, saying: “You can’t help who you fall in love with.
“Love just happens sometimes and it’s unexpected and that’s kind of what’s the awesome thing about it.”
“I look at Aunty Chris and I don’t think she planned to fall in love with Virginia, it just happened!
“It never really changed anything. She was still Aunty Chris.
“She’s still going to be at Christmas. She’s still going to be at the family barbecues. Her children are still my cousins.
This is why it really just doesn’t make sense to me that it’s not allowed [for her to marry].”
Ms Abbott added: “To see Aunty Chris marry Virginia, to do it here in front of friends and family, it would be so special and I’m so, so hoping that that’s what I get to be a part of.
“I think marriage equality would make society a much better place.”
Alluding to her father’s views, she added: “It’s well known that within my family we have people that sit on the other side of the fence.
“My mother and my father raised me to stand up for what I believe in. I posted that picture [supporting equal marriage] on Instagram to show this is what I think is right.
“In my post I said I’m not interested in politics, but this is more than politics. What this comes down to, is love.
“It really just doesn’t make sense to me that it is not allowed.”
Mr Abbott recently stirred controversy when he visited US-based extremist lobbying group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) – despite the group allegedly pressuring countries around the world to keep sodomy laws banning gay sex.
The ex-PM pushed ahead with his plans to speak to the group, which has also opposed LGBT people in the military, same-sex adoption and equal marriage.
Last week a Cafe was threatened with arson for supporting the Yes campaign while a 14 year old girl received a death threat for supporting marriage equality on social media.
