A vandalised office and a jar of shit outside the door labelled “civil union” is the thanks Associate Justice Minister David Benson-Pope has got for shepherding the Civil Union Bill. Matthew Flannagan, one of the people responsible for covering the windows of Benson-Pope's Dunedin South electorate office in mock Tui Beer posters bearing the slogan 'Civil Unions Isn't Gay Marriage – yeah right', claims his group had nothing to do with the jar of shit, though. "All we did was put up posters, we were completely unaware of the excrement's existence until I was asked about it by a reporter that afternoon," he says. "I am opposed to tactics like this and unequivocally condemn them." Benson-Pope found the actions of the vandals offensive, in particular the poo jar. "I think it shows that these people are extremists and it doesn't do much for their cause," he says. Flannagan says he used water-soluable glue for the posters. "My actions were intended as a humourous way of getting a point across without causing anyone any harm and without leaving any lasting damage to property." Ranked 19th on the Christian Heritage Party's candidate list at the 2002 general election, and a PhD Candidate in theology at the University of Otago, Flannagan believes homosexual acts are illegal, despite the passage of homosexual law reform in 1985. "If government tommorow decided to decriminalise rape, I would still consider rape a crime, it's just that the Government has failed to recognise it as a crime and treat it as one," he told GayNZ.com. On campus, he is part of a group called Student Choice, who earlier this year successfully orchestrated opposition to a move by the Otago University Students Association to support the right of gay and lesbian students to have their relationships recognized equally under law. Student Choice stacked the student general meeting with conservative religious students to ensure a negative result.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 6th December 2004 - 12:00pm