Joe McCracken - Gay Flag v Vic Aus FlagJoe McCracken - Gay Flag v Vic Aus Flag

“The only flags I’ll be saluting are the Australian flag and the Victorian flag”, says Joe McCracken, new Liberal party Upper House MP for Western Victoria.

Making his first (maiden) speech to the parliament on Thursday, the former Colac Otway Mayor also came out as gay saying “It’s taken me a long time to come to terms with this. I’ve experienced shame, anxiety and many other things.”

“I’ve never really talked about it much or made an issue of it, because I never wanted to be defined by it.

“I hate identity politics, and I will fight against that whenever I can.”

Joe McCracken he could not comprehend the concept of defining a person by just one aspect of who they were.

Jeo McCracken - Gay Flag-v Aus flag-inset
Joe McCracken – will only slaute Australian and Victorian flags

“A person is made up of many large and diverse sets of characteristics: age, gender, sexuality, race, religion, occupation,” he added.

“Why do we need to take one of those characteristics, amplify it and define a person in that way?

“The simple answer is we don’t. We shouldn’t.

Calling on the LGBT activists in Victoria, Mr McCracken said they needed to consider their public perception and had was finding it difficult associating with the movement.

“I think LGBT activists in Victoria need to carefully consider their public perception.

“Many, including myself, have difficulty being associated with the movement.

“Most people in the LGBT community just want to get on with living their lives.

“Gay people do not need to be treated any differently to anyone else: no separate doctors, no separate radio stations, no festivals, and no separate flags.”

Perhaps to the shock and dismay of many in the LGBT community, Mr McCracken even questioned the need for a separate flag to identify the LGBT community.

“The only flags I’ll be saluting are the Australian flag and the Victorian flag,” he said.

“They are the only flags that do not discriminate on the people they represent.”

Joe McCracken has said he cares about achieving “real equality”, not the “virtue signalling of the last 20 years”, providing his assessment of what has been going on.

In addition to Joe McCracken there are three more gay MPs in the Victorian Parliament – Harriet Shing, Aiv Puglielli and Steve Dimopoulos.