Play School exposes a nation's latent homophobic tendencies

Here's what Muehlenberg said, according to The Age: "Three and four-year-olds don't need to be the object of a political football game, particularly as we're debating same-sex marriage and adoption rights at this very moment." He said Play School, and other shows featuring homosexuals, could "influence children's sexuality".

Implicit in Muehlenberg's comments is that there is something not quite right about being gay. His statement that by being exposed to gay people young children risked having their "sexual orientation" influenced, implies that this is somehow a problem.

This is nothing more than prejudice. To argue that by being gay, one is an inferior parent or member of society is as irrational as saying that a person's skin colour affects their humanness.

Daryl Williams is upset with the ABC because he thinks parents should be able to choose when to explain same-sex couples to their children. Why? Will seeing same-sex couples on television give children nightmares?

What the innocuous Play School segment has done is to expose the prejudices and fears of some leaders in our democracy.

Once again Australia is demonstrating it has some way to go before we can rightly be termed a true democracy, where fears and prejudice are replaced with tolerance and respect for each and every one of us.