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A Liberal Senator has accused the ABC of 'grooming' Aussie kids after Courtney Act appeared on Play School to read a story about girls wearing trousers.
The iconic Australian drag queen sat down with Big Ted, Little Ted, Jemima, and Humpty on the legendary programme last week to read Kat Patrick's The Spectacular Suit.
The 'Story Time' segment has certainly ruffled feathers, with Senator Alex Antic taking to this week's Senate estimates to roast the national broadcaster for including the drag performer on the kid's TV show.
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Speaking to ABC managing director David Anderson, the South Australian Senator asked why Act was welcomed on the show to read to children.
"The program was rated G and has been heavily promoted on TV and on the app. Why is the ABC 'grooming' children with this sort of adult content?" Antic asked.
Anderson hit back at the question, telling the Liberal Senator that the book is about clothing choices and has nothing to do with sex or gender.
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"I don't see that as grooming children with our content. That particular program is reading from a book that is about dressing up," he responded.
Antic's question prompted outrage in Canberra, with Greens Senator Sarah Hanson Young telling her Liberal colleague that it was an inappropriate use of term usually reserved for pedophiles and sex offenders.
"You mean young girls wearing pants? Seriously," Hanson Young chipped in.
"[Your comment is] offensive. It is deeply, deeply offensive ... Heavens above – girls wearing pants. That is the level of rubbish you are putting forward."
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Senator Antic replied: "It is amazing what triggers a response. The truth. The truth that the ABC is grooming our children."
Later, Antic added: "Cross dressing. Let me ask you this, does ABC agree that transgender or cross dressing are adult concepts?"
The ABC Managing Director did not accept that a drag queen reading a book was 'adult content'.
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"I don't accept what you are saying about somebody who is trans [or a drag queen, like Courtney Act] grooming Australian children. That's not – that whole story time was not about that, it was about dressing up," he said.
"I think children do dress up, Senator, and a story about dressing up is acceptable."
The Spectacular Suit is described as 'a buoyant and heartwarming celebration of individuality, identity, and dressing to suit yourself' and follows the story of Frankie, a little girl who would rather wear pants.
The ABC and Courtney Act have been approached for further comment.
Rachel Lang