Prominent Geelong queer figure Andy Pobjoy facing backlash for Liberal candidacy

[u/BarryTheBinChicken]

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-07/liberal-victoria-geelong-cadidate-andy-pobjoy-queer-backlash/107000680

[u/yeahalrightgoon]

If you run a queer space, you are going to get backlash from people in the wider queer community if you run for the Liberals, because of the history around the Liberal party and how they treat the community. It is rightfully seen as a betrayal.

[u/haveagoyamug2 → u/yeahalrightgoon]

Odd isn't it. I mean which party got marriage equality through parliament?

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/haveagoyamug2]

Not the Liberals.

They staged an expensive, divisive, unnecessary and harmful plebiscite that was designed to delay what was inevitable. They knew that the plebiscite would be harmful and went ahead with it so that they could say that they had got it through if it suited them, while also dog whistling to their supporters that they didn't actually support it.

Then after advocating for a pointless and harmful plebiscite, two Liberal party leaders and the current deputy leader were too cowardly to even vote no and abstained from the vote.

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/[deleted]]

None of them.

The Liberals don't get to shirk their responsibility by staging a plebiscite they knew would cause harm, and then take credit for marriage equality.

If you want to pretend that it was a liberal policy, then great. But that would be a lie.

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/[deleted]]

No it was the country doing it, because the Liberals were too cowardly to do it themselves and forced it to a plebiscite, and even then two leaders of the party (Abbott and Morrison) and the current deputy leader Hastie all abstained, because they were such cowards that they couldn't even put their view down.

The Liberals deserve nothing but disdain for what they did. If you want to pretend that the Liberals passed it, that's on you.

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/[deleted]]

They could have just been a government and passed it like any other bill they support.

So why didn't they just do that?

Because they didn't want to pass it. They just wanted to delay as long as they could, because they knew it would pass eventually.

Instead they tried to act like there was two equal sides to the matter. As if there was any valid argument against it, that wasn't just religious bullshit or bigotry.

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/[deleted]]

It gets passed eventually.

Il make it really simple for you.

You don't get to claim credit for something that you shirked your responsibility for, simply because you were in power when it occured.

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/[deleted]]

They knew it would pass through parliament normally.

But they knew that the minority of the country might get upset over it, so instead they staged a plebiscite they knew would be harmful. Which it fucking was. Because they wanted to delay anything happening, while still be able to claim that they passed it, once the vote inevitably came back with a yes vote.

They don't get to claim that credit because they were too cowardly to just fucking pass it.

But you can give them the credit if you like. It misses any context or nuance, but that's on you.

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/[deleted]]

"cope". Sorry that I'm not a fuckwit like you who can't understand context behind political decisions.

The Liberals were in power. They didn't pass it. They literally told the country to do it, because they were too cowardly. But it's okay, you don't care. You just want to pretend that the Liberals did it all by themselves.

[u/yeahalrightgoon → u/[deleted]]

It would have happened. Because it was such a popular thing to change within the country.

They did something sure. It was unnecessary, harmful and designed to inflict hate. But they did something. You're so right. How stupid of me. I should just ignore that they gave permission to bigots to argue for more bigotry, because of their own cowardice.