Supporters of a no vote in the same-sex marriage postal survey are peddling homophobic lies through unofficial leaflets and posters pushed through letterboxes, left on cars and and stuck to bus shelters, research by Guardian readers shows.

When the Guardian asked readers to send in dubious claims and misleading material about the survey, the response was large – and bleak. The leaflets often include outrageous predictions about the social policy consequences of a yes vote, the elision of homosexuality and child abuse, and religious judgments about sin. A common vein of propaganda is that yes supporters are the political and media establishment, seeking to silence the oppressed majority. Almost all the material is unsigned and anonymous.

A one-page note urging a no vote and sent to homes in Lewisham, Summer Hill, Ashfield and Hurstville in Sydney, in Chinese as well as English, said:



Homosexuality is a curse of death in terminating the family line and without decedents! [sic] … Homosexuality is a tragedy of family, a grave to the family bloodline, a curse of family sonlessness. If same sex marriage legislation is passed, it would be a threat to the safety of women, creating great fear and harm to them. For by then, there would be no separate public toilets, change rooms or shower rooms for the male and female, the transexual ‘counterfeit’ women will be protected under the law … this may give rise to the rapists who may masquerade as a ‘transexual woman’ sneaking into the public ‘forbidden land’ for men. The number of victims being raped in public female changing rooms and bathrooms in those countries that has [sic] passed the same sex marriage legislation is a stunning fact to all.

One reader pointed out that the reference to “sonlessness” as a sin appears designed to persuade older members of the Chinese-Australian community.

Anti-same sex marriage pamphlet, in Chinese and English, sent to homes in Sydney.

Another leaflet, also anonymous but with the same typeface and logo, claimed “‘Cutting off off genitals terrorists’ will legally go into all schools all over Australia” if same-sex marriage is allowed. And “our children and their children will be brainwashed by homosexual organisations”. This, the leaflet alleges, has already happened in Massachussetts, in the US, which has “witnessed serious and horrible chaos of the whole society”.

In St Kilda, Melbourne, a leaflet on “Redefining marriage” claims that “proponents of same sex marriage are not seeking to join the institution, they are seeking to change what the institution is. Which is serving the desires of adults not the needs or rights of children”.

It goes on to say that “a small minority of the population, whose sexual tendancies [sic] deviate from the vast majority (97%) are pushing to redefine marriage” and links same-sex marriage to the “real human costs” of abortion. “The best protector of unborn children is a strong marriage culture.”

Many leaflets seek to draw a line between marriage equality and freedom of speech. “Already we live in a climate of intimidation where civil debate is impossible,” said on leaflet handed out on the streets of Burwood in Sydney. It also claims – another common theme – that “parents won’t be able to oppose the radical sex education program Safe Schools.” The leaflet says a no vote would “send a strong message on family, faith and freedom” and “win the right to civil debate where political correctness has previously intimidated many into silence”.

In Shearwater, Tasmania, a reader photographed a poster urging voters to say no to “redefining marriage, political correctness and gender confusion in schools”.

Readers in Adelaide and Eden Hills, South Australia, received a leaflet from the “Freedom to Say ‘No’ Coalition” that claimed:

Those demanding the complete redefiniton – and thus the destruction – of marriage between a man and a woman do NOT want to debate the matter. They despise debate. They prefer censorship. And they blast their critics as being bigots and haters … Wherever gay marriage has been legalised, authoritarianism follows. In Canada, USA, New Zealand, Denmark, France, Ireland and Britain, many have lost their jobs, businesses, sporting and educational status, faced court, paid fines, and gone to prison for simply not agreeing with ‘gay’ marriage. Truth is, it is like a Trojan horse and once in, destroys both society and individuals alike.

A reader in Adelaide spotted a leaflet which showed rainbow flags alongside Nazi ones, over the headline “The death of reason”. This leaflet has also been distributed in Victoria.

Another leaflet claiming to have been produced by students from Wagga Wagga dismisses same-sex marriage thus: “Whatever they want to call themselves, these relationships are not and never can be marriage … Marriage between one man and one woman is a natural institution of divine origin.” Once again the leaflet is illustrated by a picture of a vulnerable looking boy.

The leaflet purports to address the view that same-sex marriage “doesn’t hurt anyone” by saying it “would undoubtedly affect and hurt people’. It argues that “Children raised by same-sex couples will grow up without knowing at least one of their biological parents” and that – again – “freedom of religion and speech would be threatened”.

It predicts that legalising same-sex marriage will lead to “possible increased demand for surroggate mothers” because male married couples will want children. But it is “inconceivable there would be enough female volunteers”.

“A child is being placed in a non-ideal situation, simply to satisfy the desires of two adults.”

A poster seen in several places in central Melbourne claims “gay couples are more than 30 times likely to molest children” and that “gay marriage enables pedophilia”. In West End in Brisbane a poster showing a family with heterosexual parents above a family with gay parents, said: “This is a family. This is not. A vote for gay marriage is a vote for child abuse.” One reader said the posters were removed or defaced, but others had been put up in their place.

Outside Scotty’s Motel in Adelaide, a poster showed a woman “gagged” and a call for “Freedom to say no to same sex marriage.”



Part of a poster condemning same-sex marriage in Seven Hills, Sydney.

In Seven Hills, Sydney, a long, unofficial poster at a bus stop was headlined: “[Labor senator] Penny Wong says ‘no’ is a hate vote, but could Penny be Wrong?”

Using less bombastic language than many other posters, it says: Same-sex marriage “affects children and the natural landscape of family”.

In an interesting convolution of some of the arguments used against marriage equality, it argues simultaneously that “nature has determined male and female to produce offspring” but also that “in today’s over sexualised society kids need to know you can still have close and loving relationships with the same sex without the addition of sexual intercourse or the label of marriage”.

“It’s more than OK to vote ‘no’, in fact it’s the loving thing to do.”

In Brisbane a leaflet from the Australian Marriage Forum argues “all relationships matter. But not all relationships are marriage.”

“Marriage gives every child a mum and a dad. ‘Gay marriage’ makes that impossible.”

In Newcastle, New South Wales, a leaflet urges “vote no to pedo parenting”. And a leaflet stuck to cars in Sutherland and other areas south of Sydney claims same-sex couples “are not discriminated against in any way. They simple [sic] wish to destroy the sacred institution of marriage as between a man and a woman as they don’t agree with it.”

“Your children will be taught radical LGBT sex indoctrination to accept the gay ideals – you won’t even be able to opt out of it. They claim that there is no gender and that’s it can change at any time.”

“Is it right that a tiny fraction of the community should be allowed to force their extreme opinions onto everyone else in the community? – you decide.”

Well quite.

We will focus on the hidden campaign on social media in a separate piece. Please continue to share material – either on social media, or in leaflets and pamphlets – by following the link here

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