Readers torn over our front page
TOOWOOMBA residents were completely torn as news spread of The Chronicle’s Saturday front page on same-sex marriage.
As well as a front page editorial from editor Steve Etwell encouraging people to “vote yes” in the upcoming postal survey, The Chronicle ran a spread across pages eight and nine with articles for and against the law change.
For every positive comment on Mr Etwell’s “vote yes” stance, there was a negative one.
A small handful threatened to cancel their Chronicle subscriptions over the editorial, while others had renewed faith in their local newspaper after the show of solidarity.
The articles online were read by almost 10,000 people with the articles reaching more than 110,000 on Facebook.
Collectively the stories had more than 1000 reactions and comments on Facebook, with many people butting heads while sharing their thoughts on the topic of same-sex marriage.
About 2150 people responded to a poll asking residents if they supported same-sex couples marrying, with the result split down the middle, 52% to 48% in favour of the yes vote.
Kabel Dawes said: “Well done. Great to see the support for the yes vote.”
Shireen Boone said: “The Chronicle I am sharing this fantastic front page. Thank you so much.”
Robyn Haines said: “Regardless of the outcome of the vote, no one has a right to shoot people down for having an opinion they don’t agree with.”
Kelli Kirstenfeldt said: “Vote yes. Who a person marries does not affect any other person.”
Shane Anderson said: “Obviously Queensland will be not a safe place to visit. The hatred and bigotry is obviously alive as always.”
On Sunday a picture of the front cover was viewed far and wide on Facebook and Twitter after being shared by Equal Marriage Rights Australia.
People were congratulating The Chronicle, proud of the Mr Etwell’s stance.
Roseley Bowden said: “Now, if all media outlets, regardless of reader numbers, put personal and journalistic bias, prejudices and unreasonable fear aside and did this on their front pages, what a wonderful nation we would be.”
While there were people
approved of the front page, there were many people who were very unhappy.
The Chronicle didn’t change Robert Cochrane’s mind and he said he would be voting no.
“I will be voting no. For the sake of my children and grandchildren and this great nation.”
Paul Rogers said: “Voting no, simply because I’m tired of being told to vote yes.”
Norma Voll said: “I wonder how many subscriptions will be cancelled over this front page?”
Andrew Knox said: “So can we expect the no side of the vote to have a front page story now or is The Chronicle only interested in pushing the gay agenda?”
I WAS very disappointed to see The Chronicle’s front page on Saturday, so strongly pushing the “yes” vote for same-sex “marriage”.
Dr van Gend, a good caring doctor and a brave man, explains in his book Stealing From a Child, that this proposition is untrue, unjust and unnecessary untrue to nature, which designed male and female as complementary; unjust to children who have a right to a mother and father; and unnecessary as civil equality for same-sex couples has already been achieved.
He writes also that he respects all people no matter what their gender and has never laughed at a homosexual joke, which should be true for everybody.
The saddest thing is that “marriage equality” will not increase anyone’s happiness in the long term, and will worsen the stability of our society. — PATRICIA BYRNES, Harristown