Australian prime minister Scott Morrison really doesn’t like trans-inclusive bathrooms
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the gender-inclusive toilet sign at his offices would be “sorted out” (Nearmy/Getty/Twitter)
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has lashed out at a “ridiculous” trans-inclusive bathroom sign at his Canberra office, saying that he expects his department to have it removed.
The sign on the door of the toilets at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) reads: “PM&C is committed to staff inclusion and diversity. Please use the bathroom that best fits your gender identity.”
It appears Morrison wasn’t happy to have the sign pointed out by journalist Chis Uhlmann on Twitter.
Meanwhile at the Barton offices of Prime Minister and Cabinet… pic.twitter.com/oVL9f0xrXe
— Chris Uhlmann (@CUhlmann) August 29, 2019
Less than two hours later, Morrison said in a radio interview with 2GB that he’d already spoken with his department and ordered the sign to be “sorted out”.
He called it “political correctness over the top,” adding: “It’s ridiculous. I don’t think this is necessary – I think people can work out which room to use.
“Honestly, this is why we call it the Canberra bubble.
“I have a very clear view about this and I am sure this will be sorted.”
Scott Morrison on LGBT+ issues.
The PM&C’s website says that “promoting diversity and inclusion is critical” in order “to achieve our goal of best supporting government and improving outcomes for all Australians”.
But Morrison has previously been outspoken against gender diversity policies, most recently criticising Cricket Australia’s new transgender-inclusive rules.
He said Cricket Australia was taking a “heavy-handed” approach to the matter, and questioned: “Why there is that necessity to get the sledgehammer out on this is mystifying me.”
Scott Morrison during question time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House on July 04, 2019. (Nearmy/Getty)
The socially conservative Australian leader became prime minister last year, having previously campaigned against marriage equality and spoken out about the need to protect religious liberty.
He is a member of a Sydney Pentecostal evangelical church and believes people of strong religious views “have been subject to quite dreadful hate speech and bigotry”.
Last year he came under fire for defending disgraced rugby player Israel Folau, who said that gay people would go “to hell unless they repent their sins”.
Morrison praised Folau’s “strength of character in just standing up for what he believes in”.
