MEDIA RELEASE
13 August 2026
Family First National Director and NSW Legislative Council candidate Lyle Shelton says Barnaby Joyce's description of One Nation as "one of the gayest parties in Australia" has highlighted an important distinction between One Nation and Family First.
"Family First respects and values every person, regardless of how they identify. Every person is made in the image of God and deserves dignity, courtesy and protection under the law," Mr Shelton said.
"But Family First could never describe itself as a 'gay party' because our first allegiance is not to any adult identity group or political movement. Our first concern is the rights and wellbeing of children.
"We believe every child, wherever possible, deserves the love of both their mother and their father and that this is best protected by marriage. We believe children should never be told they were born in the wrong body or encouraged to reject the reality of their biological sex.
"Those truths are more important than political labels about being ‘the gayest’, and they are why Family First occupies a different position to other conservative parties."
Mr Shelton said the distinction was not about rejecting people, but rejecting an ideology that increasingly demanded acceptance of ideas contrary to the wellbeing of children and fundamental freedoms.
"There is a profound difference between respecting people and embracing the political agenda of the LGBTQA+ movement.
"Family First respects every individual, but we reject the rainbow movement's campaign to redefine marriage, erase the importance of mothers and fathers, confuse children about their sex and punish Australians who disagree.
"Marriage should be restored in law as the union of one man and one woman because society has a responsibility to uphold the rights of children to know and be raised, wherever possible, by both their mother and father.
"We also reject the promotion of gender ideology in schools, the medicalisation of children with puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, and irreversible surgeries performed on young people who are too young to give informed consent."
Mr Shelton said Family First was equally committed to defending the freedoms increasingly threatened by LGBTQA+ political activism.
"Freedom of speech and freedom of religion belong to every Australian. No one should lose their job, face legal action or be publicly vilified simply for believing marriage is between a man and a woman or that biological sex is real.
"A genuinely tolerant society protects both the dignity of every person and the freedom to peacefully disagree.
"Australians are compassionate people. They can treat every neighbour with kindness while also believing that children need mothers and fathers, that sex cannot be changed and that marriage has a unique purpose centred on family formation.
"Barnaby Joyce's comments have reminded Australians that not every conservative party stands for the same things.
"Family First exists to put children before ideology, families before activism, and freedom before political correctness."
ENDS
Lyle Shelton is Family First’s National Director, NSW Legislative Council lead candidate.
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