Mayor defends Townsville homophobia
BY BRIDGET RIGGS
TOWNSVILLE — Responding to televised accusations of rampant homophobia in his city, Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney has dug himself in further by blaming the messenger, claiming to be "outraged" by the story and "very disappointed in the lack of balance" in the claims.
ABC-TV's Four Corners on July 17 featured a program on anti-gay and anti-lesbian prejudice and violence in regional Australia. Townsville was featured heavily, including interviews with victims of such violence, including an AIDS Council worker injured in a bomb blast at the council's offices, and with groups of drunken men in the city's main street, the majority of whom said that violence against gay men was acceptable.
Mooney, business leaders and the Townsville Bulletin leapt to the city's defence, an editorial in the Bulletin attempting to pass off the program as anti-regional prejudice and stereotyping.