The Informer

7 Sep 2016

Ed Santow and the Catholic Cure For Gays

Government & Organisations, National, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture

Tonight on The Informer we meet Australia’s newest Human Rights Commissioner.

Ed Santow has only been our Nation’s Human Rights Commissioner for five weeks and by his own admission, he is still struggling to come to terms with the “grandiose” title.  If first impressions are anything to go by, the contrast between Ed Santow and the previous Human Rights Commissioner, Tim Wilson, could not be more profound.

Tall. Straight. Mild Mannered. Diplomatic. At times docile. Ed Santow comes across as a man committed to ensuring the LGBTI struggle for equality is fought respectfully and ultimately won.

There were times during his 20-minute keynote at the VGLRL AGM last night, where his gentle demeanor could easily be interpreted as naive charm.  Again the contrast to his predecessor is stark.

Ed Santow invited LGBTI Communities to raise issues that concern them directly and asked those with lived experiences of their human rights being violated, to inform him accordingly.

During the Q&A that followed Mr Santow’s address, The Informer’s Dean Beck highlighted the forthcoming tour of Fr. Phillip Bochanski, associate director of Courage International, a Catholic apostolate that provides chastity as the only solution for gay men to be included in the Church.  The tour sponsored by the Melbourne Catholic Archdioceses, will see Fr Bochanski coach Melbourne’s Priests, so that they can provide his form of “pastoral care” to members of the congregation who are same-sex attracted.

Australia’s new Human Rights Commissioner Ed Santow dismissed Beck’s question when asked directly if the Commission would make a stand for Catholic gay men, reiterating his call for the community to inform him of their issues.

Commissioner Ed Santow – consider yourself informed!

 

 

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