My middle class South Asian 'aunties' have certain things in common. They all cook real Indian food (not that Anglicised 'vindaloo' or 'butter chicken' rubbish served by the tonne at metropolitan food courts). They all want their kids to become doctors. And they all believe that God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. They would happily support any push to stop gay marriage.
Years ago, Rev. Fred Nile could boast of having support from many socially conservative ethnic and ethno-religious groups for his morals crusade. When the film Hail Mary came to town, Nile was accompanied by a crowd of Muslims offended by the film's portrayal of an historical figure the Koran describes as being chosen by God above all women of creation.
Nile's 2001 autobiography boasts of his opposition in the New South Wales Legislative Council to 'homosexual bills, including several bills to decriminalise sodomy'. In 1993, he successfully argued for a clause exempting religious teachers from homosexual anti-vilification legislation, including for 'teachers from other religions such as Judaism and Islam'.
As a devout Christian, Nile naturally was not attracted to the faith of his Muslim supporters. But he was prepared to build bridges with them for a common cause. The common enemy was the 'homosexual lobby'. In war, my enemy's enemy is my friend.
In more recent times, and in search for other friends, Nile has turned on his Muslim friends and declared them enemies. His positions on moral issues are even more on the fringe. Social attitudes have come a long way since Mr Nile first protested at the Mardi Gras in Oxford Street. Gay marriage is becoming a mainstream issue across the Western world.
To fight gay marriage, Nile needs all the friends he can get. But after making calls to ban Muslim immigration for a decade, does he have much chance of securing Muslim allies? Is the Mufti Catholic?
More influential in the campaign against gay marriage is the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL). Yet even they cannot help but marginalise their potential allies. The whole basis for ACL's opposition to gay marriage (their slogan is man+wife4life!) is that ... wait for it ... it will open the doors to polygamy. So claiming that God created Adam and Steve may well lead to God also creating Adam and Eve and Fatima and Shakira and Yasmin and who-knows-who-else.
Or to put it another way, gay marriage might usher in sharia law.
So