Anna Wintour criticises Australia PM Scott Morrison for ‘backwards’ LGBT+ rights record

‘A government should protect its people, not make it unclear whether they will be accepted’

(Getty Images)

American Vogue editor Anna Wintour has criticised Australian prime minister Scott Morrison for his “backwards” stance on LGBT+ rights.

Morrison sparked controversy in 2018 for implying his support for amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act that would allow religious schools to expel LGBT+ students. He retracted his comments hours later.

Wintour, who is currently on her first visit to Australia, was a keynote speaker at a brunch event in Melbourne hosted by organisers of the Australian Open and used her speech to address Morrison’s ambiguity towards the now-abandoned proposals.

“I have been alarmed by your prime minister’s record on LGBTQ rights, which seems backward in all senses,” the 69-year-old told an audience that, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, included MP Julie Bishop and director Baz Luhrmann.

“That no one can be expelled from school for their orientation, should not require clarification,” Wintour added.

“A government should protect its people, not make it unclear whether they will be accepted.”

The long-standing editor, who has been at the helm of Vogue since 1988, also voiced her support to rename the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne Park in light of the tennis champion’s opposition to same-sex marriage, something Billie Jean King has also called for.

“I find that it is inconsistent with the sport for Margaret Court’s name to be on a stadium that does so much to bring all people together across their differences,” she said.

“This much I think is clear to anyone who understands the spirit and the joy of the game. Intolerance has no place in tennis”