03/25/2002 "MUD WILL STICK, WARN GAY GROUPS"

MUD WILL STICK, WARN GAY GROUPS
- By Vanessa Walker and Benjamin Haslem (The Australian)

MUD sticks: that is the verdict of gay and lesbian groups and psychologists in the wake of the Heffernan-Kirby affair.

Gay men have suffered taunts about pedophiha since Bill Heffernan made his allegations, and his apology would do little to fix the damage, Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convenor Anthony Schembri said yesterday.

"We paid a high cost for the message that there is no connection between pedophilia and homosexuality to now be given a week later," he said.

"We had Heffernan's slur on homosexuals, and then the Prime Minister showed his true feelings towards gay Australians through his 'conservative tolerance' statement. What he was saying, in effect, was that gays and lesbians are less worthy of the attention of the Prime Minister, and that is an affront to the gay people of this nation."

Rather than exposing child abuse, the episode had obscured the fact that most child abuse was committed on young girls by heterosexual men.

Melbourne psychologist Janet Hall said many people would have heard the claims and gossip, and would associate them with Justice Kirby.

"The mud will stick to the homosexual community at large.

Most people will have heard the allegations but won't bother to think too deeply about the fact that Justice Kirby has been cleared," Dr Hall said.