An ACT party candidate who pretended to vomit when talking about gays at a public meeting and says he doesn't "morally support the act of sodomy" says society should be tolerant towards gays. Hamilton East ACT candidate Garry Mallett preceded a vomiting gesture with: "If guys want to get together with other guys..." at a public meeting on Tuesday night. Mallett acknowledged later that his language was a bit "earthy". He said gay people should not be discriminated against by law, however: "That's not to say society shouldn't take a moral stance against it." ACT leader Rodney Hide is standing by his candidate. “ACT wants a civil and tolerant society and Garry told me that's what he was expressing," Hide said, although adding that he would not personally have made the vomiting gesture. Mallett also offended some Maori in the crowd by saying: "All we want is for you to get off your bum and work."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Friday, 16th September 2005 - 12:00pm