a stirring year 4: from plebiscite to news corp with a side of trump (English Edition)

As the plebiscite was finally removed from the stage, and Donald Trump was elected US President, many in the community urged the adoption of a much wider political agenda that just fighting for marriage. High on the list was the protection of LGBTI kids from schoolyard bullying. When a 14 yr old gay man committed suicide because of ceaseless harassment, shock and anger ripped through the community. The Melbourne Midsumma Festival was caught in the backwash when it came to light that one of this years 'gold' sponsors was dominant Australian media organisation and bastion of anti-LGBTI propaganda, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. News had spent much of the year campaigning - with considerable success - against anti-LGBTI bullying programs in schools. The marriage debate didn't go away altogether, although it did largely disappear from public view. Behind the scenes efforts to craft a possible compromise to insert special rights for religious people and other conscientious objectors into marriage equality legislation stalled, pending the return of Parliament in 2017. Through it all the stirrer kept up a stream of comment, analysis, revelation and, well, kept on stirring. Agitate, agitate, agitate!