Cher apologises after being slammed for picture with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull
(Photo by TurnbullMalcolm/Twitter)
Cher has apologised to critics who accused her of being insensitive for posing for a picture with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
The star was in Sydney over the weekend to perform at the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras event.
The PM also appeared at Mardi Gras and spoke about the success of legalising same-sex marriage.
“It was like the nation gave same-sex couples an enormous hug,” he told crowds. “It was a vote for equality, a vote for respect and what a huge vote it was.”
Later on in the celebrations, Turnbull captured a picture with icon Cher and posted it on Twitter.
(Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)
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“Welcome to Sydney, Cher! @GladysB Lucy and I and all your fans thrilled to be with you at the 40th Mardi Gras & first since Australia achieved marriage equality,” he wrote alongside the picture.
Turnbull was quickly slammed for sharing the picture.
“Given the damage you’ve done to the LGBTQIA community, I’m amazed you and your spouse have the gall to appear so blatantly at this event,” one person wrote.
Another added: “I am about to marry my lover of 29 years. The fight has been long and hard. 2 friends have waited 70 years of life together… (yes Seventy years!) You have not made it easy. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE CREDIT….”
Related: Australia’s new deputy PM says he’ll host gay wedding in homophobia apology
Others took aim at Cher for posing with Turnbull.
Someone wrote: “Do you have any shame….at all.
“The ‘postal survey’ was awful. Perhaps you can tell Cher all about it.”
“@cher this photo sets your advocacy backwards. That spineless politician stood in the way of marriage equality and as soon as it passed he started victory lapping with the community as if he’d been an advocate the whole time. Girl, you need to harness feisty on that fool,” a second said.
Cher hit back at one commenter who asked if the PM had told her that he was being reviewed for “enshrining discrimination against the LGBTIQ community”.
“I’m not sure what you mean. The Man I Talked To Seemed PROUD OF EVERYONE AT THE PARADE. Am I Missing. Something?! The Man I TALKED Could Be Reasoned With,The Man I Talked TO Believes In Equal Rights for ALL OF HIS PPL.THE MAN I TAKED TO WILL LISTEN & HEAR”& BE COMPASSIONATE,” she wrote.
However, as more people began explaining to her why the LGBTQ community had a distaste for the PM she started to realise why the picture was disliked.
She wrote: “Am so sorry. Guess that’s why I have FEW Friends Who Are Politicians.He Seemed Very Open & excited about MARDI
GRAS,AND LGBT COMMUNITY.
“School me….. I have a little fight Left. I told him how I detest trump….trump values NOTHING & NO ONE!!
Can your prime minister LEARN Your Value!? Can He Minister To you!? If He Cant,you owe him No Allegiance,If He Can Be turned around,TRY.”
