Caryn Ross
Karen Morris
English 1102-HHH
23 February 2011
Ferocious Attack of the Gay Haters
Most warm-hearted human beings are caring about others and equality amongst us all. There’s no set way that everyone is supposed to treat one another, yet all humans choose their own route when it comes to analyzing others. If someone asked two gay men who were attacked at a special event what they thought about most people who aren’t like them, they’d say that the world is cruel and hateful.
While attending the National Marriage Day Breakfast at the Parliament House, two gay men by the names of John Davey and John Kloprogge were viciously attacked by a man attending the breakfast as well. The breakfast was planned and organized by Christian-based organizations who wanted to celebrate gay ban (Gay clash at marriage breakfast). Mr. Davey and Mr. Kloprogge were mauled and badly disfigured by the attack in an attempt to spread the word of equality and inclusion regarding all laws and privileges, including marriage. These two men were inoffensive and meant neither harm nor negativity to the audience of Senator Ursula Stephens’ speech, though they interrupted anyway.
Senator Ursula Stephens was giving a speech about marriage in honor of the occasion of the event. Even though she most likely noticed the attack happening, she didn’t care at all about the wellbeing of Mr. Davey and Mr. Kloprogg. She only cared about her own safety, but because of the fact that she wasn’t the person in danger, she felt that her speech was most important. Mr. Kloprogge stated that “they never wanted to interrupt Senator Stephens’ speech (Bachl).” Yet, that was the only opportunity they had to get everyone’s attention. After the incident, Senator Stephens’ office published an edited version of her speech on the internet that was somewhat altered compared to the one she actually spoke at the breakfast. It mainly explained how she and other people in positions like hers were anti-gay supporters who weren’t for much equality among all people (Gay clash at marriage breakfast). When Ninemsn tried to contact Senator Stephens for comments on what happened at the breakfast, she never responded before the time of publication of the story (Bachl). She was most likely embarrassed about how her fellow supporters treated Mr. Davey and Mr. Kloprogge, which is why she didn’t want any more information published from or about her.
A man, who was also like Senator Stephens and supported anti-gay principles as well, was Senator Bill Heffernan. Senator Heffernan is notoriously known for his bigotry and condemning of gay sex. He can also be recognized by his always relating gay men to pedophilia. He was reported and photographed debating with Mr. Kloprogge. While debating with Mr. Kloprogge, it was overheard that Senator Heffernan stated “I just want you to stop f***ing the kids (Gay clash at marriage breakfast).” Senator Heffernan was the main man attacking Mr. Davey and Mr. Kloprogge. The two men filed assault charges on Senator Heffernan, because he obviously handled them and the situation inappropriately (Gay clash at marriage breakfast).
Both Senator Bill Heffernan and Senator Ursula Stephens do not belong in the Senator’s office any longer. They both represent negativity. Plus, they are funding and supporting an association that bans gay marriage. If Mr. Kloprogge and Mr. Davey want a voice to spread Equal Love, then they deserve it. It’s just a matter of how for they’re willing to go and how much they’re willing to endure in order to achieve that goal.
John Davey is a part of a gay rights group called Equal Love (Bachl). He has been protesting for equality for a while and doesn’t mind expressing his thoughts on various subjects. Also a member of Equal Love, John Kloprogge is a good friend of Mr. Davey and a protester as well. Both men secretly carried in pieces of a “makeshift cardboard banner” within their coats. They didn’t want to be noticed as protesters until they felt the time was right (Bachl). They felt that this unholy event was the perfect forum to protest in (Joal). The banner read “Inclusion = equality” (Bachl). It’s self-explanatory, but many Christians at the breakfast disagreed. Mr. Davey and Mr. Kloprogge are greatly opinionated; therefore, they couldn’t resist expressing their opposition about the purpose of the breakfast. The act of them jumping up on stage resulted in some members of the audience becoming very irate with the two men.
Although Mr. Davey and Mr. Kloprogge tried their hardest to hold their ground, they were still a bit shaken up after both of them were outside. The monstrous attackers grew to a crowd of hateful Christian-based marriage supporters who despised the company of the two protesters. The two victims were called filthy names like faggots, homos, and fruity, but no one seemed to want to come to their aid. Men repeatedly grabbed them by their necks and also by their arms. Neither of them expected a reaction like what the protest resulted in. They only wanted to get their point across without any harm done to anyone. Mr. Davey and Mr. Kloprogge were highly surprised at how intimidating the environment was at the event as well. It was as if every supporter there expected the next person to be like them with the same beliefs, or that person just wouldn’t belong. Mr. Davey stated, “We don’t want special treatment-we just want equal rights and a voice (Bachl).” He knows that he and his equal rights group could upset some people. He just didn’t know that protesting about a relatable subject such as equality would cause so much turmoil at a so-called equality event.
The attack on the two men was heard about internationally. Mr. Davey and Mr. Kloprogge never wanted to be recognized the way they were portrayed over the internet and on television. They definitely didn’t want to represent their equal rights group Equal Love in any kind of negative notation, because they represent peace and equality that they want to spread internationally.
Mr. Davey’s and Mr. Kloprogge’s attack was similar to an attack done to a gay civil servant in London. An eighteen-year-old former schoolgirl by the name of Ruby Thomas attacked a sixty-two-year-old man by the name of Ian Baynham (Public schoolgirl jailed for deadly attack on gay civil servant). Thomas was drunk and decided to attack Baynham for basically no reason. These types of attacks just show how bad the whole world is about prejudices against people who are different.
Works Cited
Bachl, Matt. “Gay activists attacked at parliament breakfast.” 9news. MSN, 13 Aug. 2009. Web
23 Feb. 2011
“Gay clash at marriage breakfast.” Star Observer. Star Online. 18 Aug. 2009. Web. 4 Mar.
2011.
Joal. “Marriage Breakfast “Faggot Free”.” Same Same. N.p., 13 Aug. 2009. Web. 4 Mar. 2011.
“Public schoolgirl jailed for deadly attack on gay civil servant.” The Telegraph. N.p., 05 Mar.
2011. Web. 4 Mar. 2011.
