Why would you bother?

One activity Salt Shakers has engaged in over many years is the monitoring of various statistics used to promote homosexuality. We have all seen the false claim that 10% are homosexual, but few people really realise the extent of their fraudulent use of statistics.

Many years ago we noticed another area where statistics are exaggerated when we saw the Sydney mardi gras crowd numbers increasing by 200,000 per year, 3 years in a row - in 1996 they said 300,000 people, in 1997 they said 500,000 and in 1998 they claimed 700,000 watched the parade!

In that year they contracted a company to do a 'Financial Impact Study' based on their grossly exaggerated figures which was released late 1998. That study was then used to promote the 'value' of mardi gras to the NSW government, big business for sponsorship, and the Australian tourism Industry to be included in promotional material.

We started to actively challenge the figures in 1997 and have been to mardi gras twice since then to monitor the event. 

We challenged the police who endorsed the organiser's figures and since 2002 they have refused to endorse them. The NSW Police have since admitted they knew the figures were exaggerated. 

In recent years the organisers have claimed 300,000 - 350,000 and yet there has never been a reason given for the 50% drop.
The truth is, they are still grossly exaggerated because our calculations show that less than 100,000 actually attend mardi gras each year.

Mardi gras is not alone - Melbourne's 'midsumma' festival and homosexual 'pride' march organisers consistently do the same. Just this year they claimed 4,000 participated in the parade; when we counted them all there were just 1,700. They also consistently exaggerate the size of the crowd that watched the spectacle.

Then in August this year a 'National Day of Action' was held to protest the passing of the Marriage Amendment Act in 2004 which placed man & woman in the Act to prevent an assumption that same-sex marriage could be included.

Out came the wild exaggerations that 10,000 people rallied across Australia, 5,000 of them in Melbourne. A friend at Federation Sq suggested a few hundred were there.

That is why we bother, because the promotion of immorality encourages immorality. Our children deserve better, they deserve to know the truth.

'National Year of Action' launch 28 November 2009

While we were not overwhelmed by volunteers to give up their Saturday to witness a homosexual rally, and we don't blame them, we had people in most places.

The result from our people on the ground, giving a conservatively generous estimate, was... (see also the photos below)

Melbourne around 1,500
Adelaide 100
Brisbane 150
Perth 100
We have not heard from Sydney or Canberra but the media said "hundreds in Sydney" so 200-300 would be a reasonable assumption and Canberra is always small - possibly 100 - probably why the media did not even bother to mention a figure.

What did the media say?

AAP reports states, "Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Alex Greenwich said more than 2,000 people turned out at ralliesin Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide and Lismore."

It would appear Alex can count - but others can't.

What are other activist organisers' saying?

 'Equal Love' stated

"More than 4000 Australians took to the streets on Saturday to demand equal marriage rights. When will the Government take note, and act?"

CAAH (Community Action Against Homophobia) Rachel Evans stated in an email yesterday:

"In Sydney, [CAAH} gathered 1500 to yell, scream, rally for same-sex marriage. In Adelaide, 200 braved terrible weather, 2500 in Melbourne, Canberra 200, Lismore was a 100 and Brisbane was 500."

'SameSame' said  the same figures but added Perth,

"Up to 1,500 people attended in Sydney, 2,500 in Melbourne, 200 braved the rain in Adelaide, 200 in Canberra, 100 in Lismore, 150 in Perth and 500 in Brisbane."