 Women kiss at Paris Gay Pride 2005.
A simular event will be held at the same
time in Queens Park Brisbane and Taylor
Square Sydney as
part of NoToPope Coalition actions across Australia protesting Pope Benedict
XVI’s first visit down under for World Youth Day.
There is considerable community opposition to the Vatican’s
political stances on such controversial subjects as gay rights and
contraception. There is also strong opposition to the new laws announced by the
NSW Government giving police extra powers during the visit, as well as
opposition to the taxpayer funding of World Youth Day.
“Pope Benedict XVI should be paying for his own party. The
Catholic Church can certainly afford it. The event is costing Australian tax
payers $129 Million” said Georgia Heath of Gay & Lesbian Celebrations.
Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) Convenor Rachel
Evans described Pope Benedict XVI as “homophobic” and said he has labelled gays
as having an “objective disorder”.
“The Vatican
has called for a repeal of same sex marriages and civil unions laws and has
called for a ban on gays in the military and a ban on gay priests,” she said.
“And the Pope is opposed to the use of condoms and
contraceptive measures because he thinks they lead to an immoral lifestyle. We
have a crisis in the third world, particularly Africa,
over HIV infection and we are going to say loud and clear that the Pope should
withdraw his objection to condoms which are lifesavers.”
Evans said up to 1000 adults and children die daily in South Africa alone from AIDS and some estimates
predict that by 2050 about 10 million people will be infected in Africa.
“Sections of the Catholic Church argue that condoms have
holes in them and don’t stop the spread of HIV. It’s an uninformed view that is
killing thousands of people,” Evans said.
“And of course there is also the Vatican’s opposition to abortion
and women’s right to choose.”
Her Divine Holiness Pope Alice, the ‘Pink Pope’ and a
founder of NoToPope Coalition says, “This is a new era for humanity. All the
old medieval religions and medieval thinking are out of step with the rest of
the world and the progress of Love. Homosexuality is natural and genetic.
Kissing is natural, peaceful and loving. Kiss a Queer for Christ’s Sake.”
“The KISS-IN is to inspire and bring more Love into the
world and also lift the spirits of the many sexually oppressed Christian
pilgrims, trudging the streets of Sydney
to spend another night of abstinence under the stars at Randwick Racecourse.”
Celebrate our Freedoms and our Condoms. Wear your best party
outfit, bring a flower and join in the KISS-IN at Queen Street, Bowden Saturday
July 19th at 3pm. Gathering begins at 2.30pm.
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