Story perspectives

One Nation deletes candidate profile after gay “mental illness” apology

8/16/2026

Summary

Singh Apologizes

Former One Nation WA Legislative Council candidate Parminder Singh apologized after calling gay people a mental illness.
Singh, on One Nation’s 2025 ticket, said he was repeating rhetoric and respects all Australians.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said remarks are not her views.
Barnaby Joyce called One Nation “one of the gayest parties in Australia” while WA Labor minister John Carey said Singh’s comments show hateful views in party.

Summary

One Nation Blames

One Nation blamed growth for vetting ‘growing pains,’ which let Jasky Singh’s remarks pass.
After ABC queries, the party deleted Singh’s profile from its website but said it could not formally disendorse him.
Living Proud CEO Meaghan Holden and Equality Australia chief Anna Brown called the statements deeply concerning and baseless, respectively.
Homosexuality was removed from the American Psychiatric Association’s list in 1973 and the World Health Organization’s in 1990.

History

Historical Context

After the 1969 Stonewall riots, gay activists disrupted APA conventions in 1970-72, notably Frank Kameny’s 1971 microphone protest and John E. Fryer’s 1972 masked speech. In December 1973 the American Psychiatric Association voted to delete homosexuality from DSM-II, a change ratified by a 58% member vote in 1974. That de-stigmatization frames today’s backlash to One Nation WA candidate Parminder Singh’s anti-LGBT remarks.

1 of 3

Singh Apologizes

Former One Nation WA Legislative Council candidate Parminder Singh apologized after calling gay people a mental illness.
Singh, on One Nation’s 2025 ticket, said he was repeating rhetoric and respects all Australians.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said remarks are not her views.
Barnaby Joyce called One Nation “one of the gayest parties in Australia” while WA Labor minister John Carey said Singh’s comments show hateful views in party.

1 / 3