Australian Politico Condones Antigay Tweets

Fallout from a homophobic tweet by the account of Queensland senate hopeful Wendy Francis continues in Australia. John Groves, president of the One Nation party in Victoria, tweeted that he backed her opposition to marriage equality because he was sexually abused as a child.

Over the weekend, Francis, a candidate of the Family First party, provoked outrage when her Twitter account sent a tweet that compared marriage equality to child abuse. Francis has attempted to distance herself by saying that someone else was responsible for the account.

Now, according to The Age, "One Nation's Victorian president has used his Twitter account to promote gay-bashing. John Groves, in a tweet defending Family First's Wendy Francis, who made controversial comments about gay marriage on the social media site, wrote: 'U have a backer in me, love to do some Poofter Bashing from time too [sic] time,' rationalising it by saying he was sexually abused as a child."

Groves defended his remarks as personal when confronted and downplayed the term "poofter bashing," The Age reported.

"As a kid I was abused and so I have an axe to grind," said Groves.

He also replied online to a blogger who called to confirm the tweet.

"To the Phoofter [sic] Lover that Rang me 'Up yours,'" tweeted Groves, according to The Age.