Australian rugby star Israel Folau sparked a fierce backlash after he entered the country’s debate on same-sex marriage and said he would not support a proposal to make it legal.
Folau, a devout Christian, went public with his view late on Wednesday afternoon when he tweeted his position ahead of the country’s approaching postal ballot on the matter:
I love and respect all people for who they are and their opinions. but personally, I will not support gay marriage.✌❤
— Israel Folau (@IzzyFolau) September 13, 2017
There was no shortage of responses to his personal viewpoint. Here is a sample of those that can be published:
Bad call dude, you’re a great athlete but that’s all.
— Mick Sheehy (@indomick) September 13, 2017
M8 if you want a group of people to have less rights than you, you neither love nor respect them. At least be honest about your belief.
— John Nicolay (@johnnicolay) September 13, 2017
I respect the belief but why would you feel the need to actively state it? Could just keep it to yourself.
— Bill (@billyography) September 13, 2017
that is literally the opposite of loving and respecting people for who they are but ok
— Glock Lesnar (@Kevinfinite) September 13, 2017
“I love and respect all people, but not enough for them to have the same rights as me”
— Name cannot be blank (@wckiwi) September 13, 2017
Nobody is asking you to marry a man. A yes vote shows respect for others who want the right to have their relationship treated equally.
— Prof Kerryn Phelps (@drkerrynphelps) September 13, 2017
As Breitbart News reported, the same-sex marriage debate in Australia is proving to be fiercely divisive. Last weekend, thousands of Australians rallied in support of gay unions as polls showed the “yes” campaign’s lead is shrinking despite backing from the nation’s top political leaders.
The postal ballot was called after the conservative government of Malcolm Turnbull preferred option of a national referendum was twice rejected by the upper house.
Opponents argue that changing existing Australian marriage laws would infringe on religious freedom and children’s rights.
As for Folau, he can point to plenty of support in the wider community. His tweet currently has 6,700 likes and has drawn more than 3,000 comments overall.
Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: Follow @SunSimonKent or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com
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