Larry stands by slur
Calls Islam ‘horrible cult’
CONTROVERSIAL political cartoonist Larry Pickering says his comments in a speech in support of throwing “pillow-biting” homosexuals off buildings were in jest – but makes no apology for saying he “can’t stand Muslims”.
The Gold Coaster, who has terminal cancer and wasn’t expected to live to see 2017, isn’t going to the grave quietly but yesterday admitted regret for what he said about gay people at a recent fundraiser.
However, he was unapologetic about slurs against Muslims.
In his speech at a Q Society event in Sydney on Thursday, the 75-year-old noted “I can’t stand Muslims” and started “shaking” if they were in his vicinity.
“They are not all bad, they do chuck pillow-biters off buildings,” he said.
Asked yesterday about his comment it was OK to throw gay people off buildings, he said it was a “horrible thing to do and a stupid thing to say”.
“I was trying to get a laugh. I have homosexual friends. I’m not like that.
“But it was a private function among friends.
“Very few people heard me because a lot of people were talking at the time. People in the front row laughed. But it was a stupid thing to say.”
Pickering added anyone taking it seriously and “who believes that is a fool”.
Asked if he regretted saying he can’t stand Muslims, he said: “That’s probably pretty close to the truth. It’s more Islam that I’m against because it is a horrible cult. It supports sharia law and if you know anything about that it is horrific.”
The Q Society describes itself as a not-for-profit civil rights group focused on informing Australians about Islam. It held the fundraiser to raise money for one of its leaders, Kirralie Smith, who is being sued for defamation by a halal certifier.
Pickering said he wasn’t sure what the Q Society was but Ms Smith was a close friend who contributed columns to his blog site, The Pickering Post.
He donated a cartoon of a woman in a niqab being raped by her son-in-law for the auction and it fetched $600.
“I would say I regret (the gay comments) on behalf of Kirralie – she’s a lovely lady and if it caused her embarrassment I regret it.
“But Muslims are not doing anything good for Australia. This multicultural thing is all bulls---.”