The recent controversy involving Benjamin Doyle’s
online content has raised deeper questions about the state
of public discourse in New Zealand.
Across the
country, many citizens — including parents, educators, and
professionals — have expressed discomfort at some of the
tones and innuendo found in MPs Benjamin Doyle’s social
media posts and a now-removed article from the Burnett
Foundation. Descriptions range from “distasteful” to
“creepy.” Yet these concerns have been swiftly reframed
as acts of hate against the rainbow community.
This
deflection risks stifling legitimate criticism under the
weight of identity politics. The term “hostility
network” has surfaced in media commentary — but who
coined it? Was it journalist David Fisher, the Gender
Recognition Certificate lobby, or Dr. Sanjana
Hattotuwa?
More crucially, should concern
about public messaging be treated as moral
heresy?
A free and democratic society must
allow citizens to question — especially when it involves
influential figures with platforms that reach into education
and public life. Dismissing every objection as bigotry is
not progress; it’s intimidation.
We call on media,
policymakers, and community leaders to protect open dialogue
and respect the right to
disagree.
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