Jason Virgo tears up in first South Australian parliament speech

Jason Virgo, the One Nation MP for MacKillop’s South East seat, told the South Australian parliament in his first speech that he has been openly gay throughout his entire adult life. He became tearful as he spoke, putting his personal history on the record at the start of his term.

Jason Virgo’s first speech

Virgo said, “been openly gay throughout my entire adult life,” and told the chamber, “Some 17 years ago, when I was a teenager, I began organising rallies for marriage equality.” He also said, “I do not wave the flag in the air as I walk down the street.”

He added, “I would rather my community hear it from me than from a potential political opponent or whispers and if someone does seek to weaponise who I am, that says more about them than it does about me.” The speech made his sexuality and earlier campaign work part of the parliamentary record at the outset of his time in the chamber.

MacKillop and the South East

Virgo said he was voted in for the South East seat of MacKillop, which he described as “bigger than Belgium.” He said he would be the “loudest voice” in the chamber defending regional industries, farmers, fishers and families in the South East.

He also thanked his partner, whom he called “the love of my life,” and said the partner was “born in Indonesia, a Muslim and is now a proud Australian.” Virgo said, “I love migrants,” and added that “two things can be true at once.”

Wilkins’ speech one day earlier

Virgo’s speech came one day after Labor MP David Wilkins delivered an emotional first speech. Wilkins, the member for Lee, addressed his sexuality and said he was a victim-survivor of child sexual abuse.

Wilkins said, “voice was not heard,” and added, “At the time I knew something was not right, but like many young people in that position, I did not speak up. The abuse only came to light as a result of mandatory reporting laws passed by this parliament.” He also said, “I was left feeling that neither my voice nor the impact of my experience was fully heard.”

Virgo’s own remarks also reached back to earlier campaign history: he said he began organising marriage-equality rallies about 17 years ago, and he said he had previously run for the Australian Sex Party at the 2010 and 2013 federal elections. His speech placed that history beside the personal details he chose to disclose first to parliament.