ABC responded to a “deeply offensive” suggestion that the broadcaster was “treating children” by deciding to air a TV show in which a drag queen reads a children’s story about disguises.
The claim came from South Australian Liberal Senator Alex Antic said the reading of Kat Patrick’s The Spectacular Suit, by Courtney Act, was “adult content” and not appropriate for children.
He asked, “The show has been rated G and has been widely promoted on TV and on the app. Why is ABC treating kids with this kind of adult content?”
His comments drew the immediate ire of fellow Senator Sarah Hanson-Young who called her question “deeply, deeply offensive.”
Senator Antic said if Senator Hanson-Young was so offended by his question, he could have left the room.
“Grooming is a very serious matter,” he said.
“It’s not to be mocked by Conservative senators to make the news.
“Survivors of sexual assaults throughout this country will be deeply offended, deeply offended that you are involved in politics.”
ABC CEO David Anderson, whom Senator Antic had asked the question, said the station “was not treating Australian children.”
“What we’re doing is dressing up,” he said.
Senator Antic further insisted, asking if ABC agreed that “transgender or cross dressing are adult concepts.”
Mr. Anderson replied: “When it comes to transgender, yes, you can see that there are people who wish to identify themselves as a sex other than the one they were born for, and I don’t accept what you are saying about someone who is stroking trans children. Australians “.
“The whole thing was … about dressing up,” he said.
“I think children dress up … and a story about disguise is acceptable.”
Senator Antic then asked Mr. Anderson if he thought “this kind of content” was contributing to the “gender dysphoria problem” in the country.
“I think (that) complex problems that exist within Australian society… I don’t think we are generating anything. If anything, the ABC reflects what is happening in the Australian community, ”Anderson said.
Originally published as a senator he accuses ABC of “curing children” for the time of the drag queen stories
