Green MP Benjamin Doyle has
broken their silence for the first time since coming under
intense scrutiny for their social media history.
They
admitted to being “politically naive” in Parliament’s
Rainbow Room Wednesday afternoon, though did not resile from
going against party advice to delete their social media post
history when they became a political candidate.
It was
Doyle’s first public appearance since NZ First leader Winston
Peters last week drew attention to “language and
innuendo” on Doyle’s private Instagram account titled
“Biblebeltbussy”.
The word “bussy” is a slang word
used by some members of the rainbow community, commonly
understood to mean a male anus.
Screenshots
circulating online showed Doyle also used the phrase “bussy
galore” to caption a slideshow of photos, one of which
included their child.
The post was dated October 2023,
about a year before Doyle entered Parliament, replacing
former MP Darleen Tana.
The Greens last week said
Doyle had been subject to an “immense” wave of death
threats after an online campaign being pushed by
“far-right conspiratorial actors”.
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Parliamentary
Services has been working with the MP and party around the
received threats, escalating them to police where
necessary.
‘I
refuse to be disappeared by hate’
Doyle began their
comments by saying they knew they would face prejudice and
homophobia at Parliament.
“I knew that people would
not like the way I dress, or speak, or the causes that I
advocate for. I knew that I would be under scrutiny, as is
appropriate for every single person that has the privilege
of this position.
“But I could never imagine or
prepare myself to be attacked in such a baseless, personal,
and violent way. That my life and that of my child would be
threatened.”
Doyle said “poisonous transphobic hate
and imported culture wars” had been levelled at them and
their community by both extremists online and political
leaders.
They confirmed they were advised by the Green
Party to delete their private page and chose not
too.
“I am here to bring my full self into Parliament
and to represent my communities in the most authentic way
possible. This is why when I was advised by the party to
delete the page before coming to Parliament, I chose not
to.
“I can admit that I was politically naive, and we
have paid a huge price for this naivety.”
They said
this decision didn’t mean they deserved the “barrage of
abuse and vitriol” they had experienced.
“I have been
fielding a significant number of threats to my life and the
safety of my child and family, some of which have been so
graphic and disturbing that I had been advised not to leave
my house, or appear in public, due to real concerns for my
security.
“These attacks I’ve faced have been baseless
and cruel. Queer people are not a danger to children. This
is an outdated and homophobic lie. I have been targeted due
to both my identity as a queer and non-binary parent and my
public platform as an outspoken member of
Parliament.”
Doyle said images of their child, posted
on their private Instagram account, had been taken without
permission, removed from their original context, and shared
online in “misleading and manipulative ways”.
“Context
is key and something that has been deliberately ignored and
twisted by some incredibly bad faith actors looking for an
excuse to punch down on someone who represents something
they don’t agree with.
“The post at the centre of
these baseless attacks includes ten images from a range of
activities and moments in my life, with a pop culture pun in
the caption. ‘Bussy galore’ is an in-joke and a nickname.
The translation here is “me at large living my best
life”.”
Doyle said referring to themselves this way
was an expression of their queer identity, acting as “a
persona”, much like a drag performer or comedian might
use.
“The caption – which references me – is an
example of the way marginalised communities often reclaim or
subvert language in order to exist
unapologetically.
“I recognise that Bussy is not a
term all rainbow people use or like, but it is one that is
commonly understood and appreciated by my friends and
community.
“For me, this term is wordplay, and
represents the combination of my masculine and feminine
qualities as a non-binary person – someone whose gender
doesn’t fit into a strict category.
“It’s also a
satirical in-joke with referencing pop music, drag culture,
Bond novels and 1960s cinema, made about myself with people
who know me in mind.
“The vast majority of New
Zealanders will not tolerate violent and malicious rhetoric
in our country. They will not accept toxic conspiracies
which attempt to bully and threaten queer people out of
public life.
“I refuse to be disappeared by hate. We
have a choice, as members of Parliament, to reject this
imported culture war of hate and division. We can and must
do better than this, because that is what the people of
Aotearoa deserve.”
Peters responded to Doyle’s
comments on social media website X, labelling it as a
“flimsy excuse of victim hood”.
Why did
the Green Party tell Doyle to take down his posts when he
was a candidate, but they didn’t say that to media last
week, and then proceeded to defend those very posts they now
claim to have originally told him to remove?The posts
were “problematic” for their content -…—
Winston Peters (@winstonpeters) April
9, 2025
Peters asked why the Greens
told Doyle to take down their post when they were a
candidate, but then defended the posts last week.
He
said there was a lack of accountability and accused the
party of hiding behind the “rainbow community” as an
excuse.
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