Chinese-Australian campaigners against gay marriage claim people will lose their jobs and businesses sued if the ‘yes’ case for redefining matrimony succeeds.
Sydney doctor Pansy Lai is behind a pamphlet from the Australian Chinese for Families Association arguing in favour of keeping marriage between a man and a woman.
So far, more than 10,000 flyers have circulated throughout Australia’s Chinese-speaking community.
Dr Pansy Lai, a ‘no’ case campaigner’ is behind a Chinese language flyer against gay marriage
They were posted out before the High Court on Thursday unanimously dismissed two legal challenges against the Turnbull Government’s $122 million postal vote on same-sex marriage.
The six-page Chinese-language pamphlet warns of ‘real consequences’ if gay marriage is legalised.
‘Redefining marriage will leave our society bearing severe consequences,’ it says.
It also warns of people losing their jobs in the public service or a major company if marriage if redefined.
The Australian Chinese for Families Association has distributed 10,000 flyers against change
‘In countries where same sex marriage is legalised, employees could be fired by the government and big corporations after they expressed their personal belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman,’ it said.
The pamphlet also warns of businesses being sued, following legal suits in the United States against shops that refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding.
‘Small businesses will be hit with lawsuits and struggle if they choose not to cater to same-sex weddings because of their personal religion,’ it said.
The flyer also makes an emotive appeal to Chinese families to think about ‘future generations’.
‘It will change the foundation of human society for thousands of years,’ it reads.
Australian Marriage Equality convener Alex Greenwich regrets GetUp! campaign against Dr Lai
Left-wing activist group GetUp! this week launched a petition to have Dr Lai struck off the medical register for appearing in a ‘No’ case ad on behalf of the Coalition for Marriage.
However, it withdrawn that petition following a public outcry.
Australian Marriage Equality convener Alex Greenwich said Dr Lai should not have been targeted for appearing in a television campaign ad.
‘Well let me make this very clear: Dr Lai should certainly not be struck off the register for appearing in an ad,’ he told the ABC’s 7.30 program.
Mr Greenwich, who is also an independent MP in New South Wales, had launched a failed legal challenge to the Turnbull Government’s million postal vote.
With ballots to be posted out to Australian voters from September 12, Dr Lai accused ‘yes’ case campaigners of trying to silence people like her opposed to gay marriage.
Chinese ‘no’ case campaigners fear people being sacked for opposing gay marriages
‘It seems to me that some of the same-sex activists tried very hard to stop people from having a say on marriage,’ she told SBS.
‘Many in the Chinese community have told me that they are very alarmed by what happened to me,’ says Dr Lai. ‘And they are fearful of what it means if the law changes.’
‘They can see that there are indeed people determined to silence those who hold traditional family values.’
The Chinese community’s ‘no’ case against gay marriage points out how the Rudd Labor government in 2008 changed 85 laws to give same-sex couples equal rights in areas like superannuation, death benefits and aged care.
‘Supporters of same-sex marriage choose to term it as ‘marriage equality’ to make same-sex couple looks like victims, but in fact they are not,’ their pamphlet said.
A result on the gay marriage postal vote is expected to be announced by November 15.