New Zealand lobbying group leader claims gay marriage will increase crime
The head of a New Zealand lobbying group for victims of crime has claimed that legalising same sex marriage would lead to an increase in crime.
Garth McVicar, head of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, claimed in a submission to parliament that a gay marriage bill currently being considered by MPs would represent a further erosion in social morals, adding:
“The marriage amendment bill will not benefit society at all and will ultimately have detremetal (sic) effect on crime at all levels.”
The comments have been widely condemned on social media and the Sensible Sentencing Trust also distanced itself from McVicar’s comments:
“The Sensible Sentencing Trust wishes to clarify that the recent submission regarding the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill was made by Garth McVicar in a personal capacity and does not represent the view of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, or the wide range of views our members will no doubt have on the issue.”
New Zealand MP Kevin Hague, of the country’s Green Party, described the submission as “manifestly nonsensical”:
“Although [the comment] echoes a number of submissions that say marriage has been the same way for a long time and that if you tamper with it there will be lots of unforeseen circumstances, I suspect that underlying this submission is a prejudice against gay people.”
The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill is expected to be before the New Zealand parliament at the end of February.
Photo of New Zealand parliament by Midnighttonight via Wikipedia under a Creative Commons licence
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3 Comments
DT on January 21, 2013 at 7:52 pm
Not sensible at all Mr McVicar!
DT
Ky Selket on January 22, 2013 at 11:56 pm
As a dyke of 35 years and a co-victim of homicide I wonder if Garth ever considered that imaking his comments he was effectively re-victimising those of us (homosexuals) who live with the aftermath of homicide or other serious crimes. He states he is there for those of us who experience horrendous crime – apparently not. Some in SSt are saying he is a ‘good man’ but is not a good man, people who are openly homophobic and racist (let us not forget his support of Bruce Emery in stabbing Pihema Cameron) are not good people and do not make good policy as these policies are based on their ignorance and bigotry.
stanJames on January 26, 2013 at 2:13 am
aLL THIS HORRIBLE PERSON IS DOING IS TWO THINGS
1. Calling gays criminals – in effect demonizing them
2. creating fear of gays – The progeny of fear is hatred. This person should have his mouth taped shut.
demonizing is hte middle step between discriniantion and de-humanization. Which is what hitler did to the Jews and the gays
When people are not seen as people , it justifies the worst of crimes against humanity. The holocaust of 6 million Jews, 100,000 gays etc
There is a pix in Mein kampf of an enormous scary spider taking over the world. It has a large jewish star on top of its head
The holocaust waS carried out in plain sight in germany. Few if any objected. They were already conditioned that jews were not human. As hitler siad of people he didnt like – “man is just meat and bones”