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A candidate for #Bendigo2020 council elections created & ran the grossly homophobic 'Vote No Australia' page, shutdown by Facebook, during the marriage equality survey. Here begins my thread about why you shouldn't trust Lewis Freeman-Harrison... https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/6880806/bendigo-council-hopeful-says-he-has-changed/
Around this time 3yrs ago LewisFH set up a page that attracted 1000s of homophobes from around the world all intent on one aim: spewing forth vile hate against Australia's #LGBTQIA community. The page was unmoderated & daily threats of violence were posted & shared.
It was well known that the originator of the page and his co-founders were part of an extreme right wing Christian organisation & were based in Bendigo. They drove homophobic billboards around Bendigo and posted videos of themselves doing so.
As the Co-Chair of the Bendigo Says Yes campaign I lead a small but enthusiastic core team of mostly young LGBTQI activists who were able to maintain a fiercely positive approach to their campaigning. Even in the face of daily abuse and threats that originated with this group.
Some of those young people were deeply distraught by the hateful abuse & threats levelled against them by people within their hometown. It was distressing to witness & I know many of those affected carry that hurt with them still.
LewisFH now claims that he's learned from his mistakes. That he's grown & matured, is committed to community & has educated himself. How convenient for him.
I'm sure the young trans girl who had the crap kicked into her on the eve of the survey closing will be overjoyed to learn that her trauma has provided LewisFH with such a valuable growth oppurtunity.
No doubt the young lesbian woman who had to drive to work stuck behind his billboard proclaiming she wasn't worthy of equality appreciates providing LewisFH with a learning moment.
LewisFH claims he cares about youth and mental health issues, yet appears to not recognise his complicity in the real harm done to the mental health of Bendigo youth during his campaign of hate against them.
If at anytime in the 3yrs since the survey & *prior* to his candidacy, LewisFH admitted inciting hateful abuse against the Bendigo #LGBTQIA community AND apologised AND shown genuine regret, I might be convinced to believe his spin.
But so far all anyone has to judge his character is what's on public record, & all we have to see are his efforts to spread hate. No evidence of work to build bridges with a hurt & damaged community. No apology. Nothing. And frankly anything now wld be too little too late.
Yes LewisFH people can make & learn from mistakes. But the learning comes from the consequences suffered. One consequences of YOUR mistakes is the irreparable damage to other peoples' mental health. And thus another consequence is that you will never, ever, be trusted.
The health & well being of the LGBTQI community is not your growth oppurtunity. You cannot be trusted. You will not be elected in this campaign and if I can do anything to help it, any public role campaign, ever.
Finally Lewis, that you think you deserve community regard so soon after having caused such hurt is evidence of an arrogance that is ignorant of the harm done. Go to your room. Have a good long hard think about what you've done. And don't come out again for a very long time.
That time LewisFH had his hatepage shut down https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/5007131/facebook-shuts-down-homegrown-no-campaign/
Mental health affects of the survey with added homophobic attacks https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/4985449/trans-woman-target-of-psych-ward-attack/?cs=2452
Let's not forget this guy literally announced his candidacy in the same week as #wearitpurpleday2020 - here's what some young people had to say about the impact of social media attacks during the survey, on purple day 2017... https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/4877486/teens-talk-diversity-postal-vote/
