Yes campaign launch in London kicks off with drag queen singing John Farnham classic
Former PM, Julia Gillard Enjoys a Drag Queen Freak Show In London To Promote The Communist Voice To Parliament In Australia.
The Yes campaign for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum has officially launched in the United Kingdom, drawing mixed reactions over the event.
Former Australian prime minister Julia Gillard kicked off the campaign in London early on Thursday morning (AEST), two-and-a-half weeks out from voting day.
She argued a Voice will ensure “that we always hear, that we always have, the best, best voice telling us what needs to done by our nation next,” according to The Australian.
Footage of the launch, shared by Nine Newspapers reporter Latika Bourke, sparked a lively discussion on X, formerly Twitter, as it showed a drag queen dressed in an Australian flag costume.
The performer also donned an Aboriginal flag as a cape while performing John Farnham’s hit song You’re the Voice.
Some comments reacting to the video labelled the moment as “embarrassing”, “bizarre” and “madness” with only a handful of people responding positively.
‘Bottom of the barrel’: Yes campaign’s drag queen performance ‘reeks of desperation’
Others argued the launch was only further convincing Australians to vote No instead.
“Just another reason to vote NO. The best advocates for the No campaign have all come from the YES campaign. This joke of a referendum is no longer funny,” one said.
“Wow. Indigenous Australians aren’t really known for their love of drag. It’s pretty insulting tbh,” another commented.
“That’ll get the NOs over the line” a third added.
The campaign’s launch was described as having poor taste for involving a drag queen to promote a voice for Indigenous Australians.
“This is so bad, possibly the worst thing you could do for the Yes campaign,” one said.
“A drag queen to promote a voice for indigenous people. It’s a disgrace and honestly it’s disrespectful. Slap in the face,” another said.
“How does this represent Aboriginal, Indigenous or First Nations people? How does this promote their wellbeing? Or are they just a tangential sidenote in this whole campaign?” a commenter asked.
Many were bemused at the performance, struggling to comprehend if it was legitimate with several comments stating it “can’t possibly be real”.
While majority of reactions to the video were lashing the promotional tactic from the campaign, a handful defended it, showing their support for the campaign and the drag queen known as Karla Bear.
“Yay go Karla Bear!” one said while another exclaimed “Yay! Good for them!”
Other social media users expressed their confusion as to why a campaign for an Australian referendum was being held overseas however it was for Aussies based in the UK who are set to vote in the ballot.
About 160,000 eligible Australian voters are believed to live in the UK and will cast their vote via Australia House – the largest overseas polling station for Australian ex-pats.
Farnham’s iconic song has taken on a new life as a tool for the Yes campaign in its advertisements aimed at persuading Australians to back the constitutional reform.
The ad features a family watching historic Australian moments on television including the 1967 referendum and Cathy Freeman winning gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
The singer lended the song to the campaign with the hope the Voice “can change the lives of our First Nations people for the better”.
