Carl Robert Katter
| Carl Katter | |
|---|---|
| Convenor of the Australian Marriage Equality Group in Victoria | |
|
In office 18 December 2012 – 30 January 2013 |
|
| National Convenor | Rodney Croome |
| Preceded by | Branch established |
| Succeeded by | Tim Peppard |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Carl Robert Katter 12 January 1978 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Relations | 6 siblings; including Bob, Jr. Robbie Katter (half–nephew) Alex Douglas (half–nephew) |
| Parents |
Bob Katter Sr. Joycelyn Steel |
| Residence | Malvern East, Victoria, Australia |
| Education | St. Columba Catholic College |
| Alma mater |
Griffith University Queensland University of Technology |
| Occupation |
Representativedelegate (Department of Conservation, Environment and Planning) Executiveconvenor (AME Victoria) |
| Profession |
Activist Politician |
| Website | www |
Carl Robert Katter (born 12 January 1978) is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was that party's candidate for the seat of Higgins for the 2016 federal election. Carl Katter is also well known for being an LGBT rights advocate.
Carl Katter was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and he grew up in the northwest of the state. His parents were federal MP Bob Katter, Sr. and Joy Katter, and he is a member of a widely respected pioneering Queensland family. Carl came out as gay at the age of 18. He grew up gay in Far North Queensland and experienced many of the negative attitudes of those in his community towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, including once being beaten up in Charters Towers, the town where he grew up, because of his sexuality. This left an indelible mark on Carl's character, and contributed to him becoming an activist. In an interview, Carl once described his fear as a same-sex attracted young person in Northern Queensland:
Bob Katter Sr, Carl's father, who died when Carl was 12 years old, was a member of the Australian Parliament representing the federal electorate of Kennedy. The younger Katter was heavily influenced by his father's labour and trade unionist politics, and by his father's belief in equality for people of all races.
In August 2011, Bob Katter Jr, Katter's half-brother and member of Parliament representing the seat of Kennedy, like his father before him, appeared at a right wing Christian rally at the Great Hall in Parliament House and decried same-sex marriage. Carl reportedly watched on television as his half-brother mocked same-sex marriage and suggested that it "deserves to be laughed at and ridiculed."
Deciding publicly to come out regarding his own homosexuality, Carl Katter join the push for the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia. He approached GetUp!, an independent Australian grass-roots community advocacy organisation, and with their help produced an online video message to counter his brother's comments. In a television interview with George Negus, Katter said that he could not "just sit back" and allow Bob Katter Jr. to denigrate gay people and the campaign for same-sex marriage, saying: "it's hurtful, it's dangerous, and it's really inappropriate."
...
Wikipedia