http://www.smh.com.au/sport/anthony-mundine-slammed-over-redfern-now-gay-rant-20131102-2wsy4.html
Anthony Mundine slammed over Redfern Now gay rant
Date
November 2, 2013 - 11:33AM
Alex Rowe
Controversial boxer Anthony Mundine has again landed in hot water over comments he made about the ABC series Redfern Now where he claimed Aboriginal culture and homosexuality are mutually exclusive.
Mundine made the comments via Facebook after watching an episode which aired on Friday night, criticising the show for including a homosexual character in a program that was representing Aboriginal culture.
The first episode of the second series centred around a gay man's attempts to win custody of his daughter following the death of his partner in a fatal accident.
''Watching redfern now & they promoting homosexuality! (Like it's ok in our culture) that ain't in our culture & our ancestors would have there [sic] head for it! Like my dad told me GOD made ADAM & EVE not Adam & Steve," he said.
The comments drew a response via Facebook from indigenous actor Luke Carroll, who played Lenny in Redfern Now's first series, engaging Mundine in a public discussion.
"God or Christianity isn't apart of our Culture either... our Ancestors had dreamtime beliefs!" he wrote, to which Mundine replied: "Luke Carroll yu serious bra? Yu know that shit wouldn't fly back in the day...your off ya head!"
"I got nothing against it cause I got friends family that are but promoting it to the youth & masses isn't right... but each to there own."
The remarks sent Mundine's Facebook page alight with comments both supporting and criticising the celebrity boxer's views including former NRL star and cousin Blake Ferguson, who ''liked'' the thread.
Representatives from Blackfella Films, the film company behind Redfern Now expressed their own concerns over Mundine's comments with producer Rachel Perkins describing the comments as ''insulting'' and ''inappropriate'' on the ABC website.
"I've known Aboriginal activists throughout the '60s and '70s and '80s and '90s who fought for the cause of Aboriginal people and they are gay. [Mundine] saying gay people and Aboriginality don't go together denies all of the identity of those people. It's insulting to them - it's inappropriate that he says that," Perkins said.
"He should have more intelligence to see it what it is. It's a story about people."
