Boycott Of World Congress Of Families Heads For Senate Vote

Australian Senator to introduce motion demanding politicians stay clear of WCF.

Federal Senator Larissa Waters will bring the issue of the World Congress of Families to the Australian Senate after drafting a motion to boycott the pro-life, anti-gay marriage group's Melbourne conference.

Dan Peled / AAP

"The World Congress of Families is full of homophobic, sexist and anti-choice prejudices and it's unacceptable for members of parliament to be attending," Queensland Greens Senator Waters told BuzzFeed.

It comes as prospects for the WCF's regional conference were placed in serious doubt following reports at least four Melbourne venues have already pulled out, with one of the organisers telling the Guardian Australia, "it's a mess... we don't have a venue at the moment."

The Senate motion is expected to be introduced on Thursday morning and will call for all Australian politicians, especially the Coalition's high-profile supporters, such as Eric Abetz, Corey Bernardi and Kevin Andrew, to boycott the event if it goes ahead.

"This is 'old-white-men think' trying to trample over women's rights and choices and take us back to the 1950s," Senator Waters said.

The WCF announced in May that it was coming to Australia to honour Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews, for what has now been revealed as an international award called, "Natural Family Man of the Year."

The Weekend Australian Magazine

Since then, several progressive groups have been lining up to oppose the conference, with 'The Vocal Majority' creating a photo album of diverse Australian families to present to Mr Andrews.

"The WCF may be crazy extremists, but they're powerful. In Texas, they lobbied for laws that made maternal deaths quadruple. In Uganda and Russia, they pushed laws that criminalised LGBTQ people, and fueled violence and murder. This hate group destroys families," the Director of Vocal Majority, Melanie Poole told BuzzFeed.

Senator Waters is expected to be joined by Labor MP Andrew Leigh to present a photo album on behalf of the group.

"f Kevin Andrews believes, as the WCF does, that only some Australian families count, then he needs to resign as Minister for Social Services," said Ms Poole.

The office of Kevin Andrews has been approached for comment.