Vandal of George Michael mural, Ben Gittany. | Photo: Pauline Pantsdown / Facebook
A Sydney court today (27 July) found the man who vandalized a popular George Michael mural guilty.
The mural depicted George Michael as a saint, holding a bottle of poppers, a joint and a crucifix earring.
The George Michael mural in Sydney. | Photo: Stereogamous / Facebook
In November last year, Ben Gittany vandalized the mural after seeing a post on the Facebook page Christian Lives Matter.
The Facebook post attracted a litany of comments and threats, with many expressing interest in vandalizing the mural.
Photo: Christian Lives Matter / Facebook
Gittany believed this was disrespectful to his religious beliefs and took to the Newtown mural in Sydney’s inner west with a can of black spray paint.
But onlookers caught him on camera vandalizing the beautiful mural and posted the video to Facebook.
In sentencing, Magistrate Carolyn Huntsman found Gittany guilty of malicious damage and said his religious beliefs were not justification for the vandalism.
She struck down his partial justification due to a perceived offence to his religious beliefs and told the Newtown Court: ‘We live in a pluralistic society.’
Artist Scott Marsh created the mural back in January last year.
‘The mural framed him as a saint because he is a saint for us’
A ‘huge crew of queers’ were present at the court today, dressed in t-shirts with the George Michael mural printed on the front.
Simon Hunt (also known as Pauline Pantsdown) was present today and believes the decision is a ‘wonderful outcome’.
We’re all about Saint #GeorgeMichael at Newtown Court today 😀 pic.twitter.com/0a4RkNxsRZ
— Pauline Pantsdown (@PPantsdown) July 27, 2018
He told Gay Star News: ‘Magistrate Carolyn Huntsman noted his actions as having been harmful to the LGBTIQ community; recognized our queer iconography as valuable; and declared art to be a tangible thing.’
Good friends of George Michael and residents of the property (who wish to remain anonymous after receiving ‘heavy death threats’) gave evidence in court today.
One of the residents told Gay Star News: ‘Court today was amazing.
‘We got to address the fact that the mural was our way of commemorating our friend,’ the resident said. ‘How the mural became a place for people to come and both grieve and celebrate George’s life.
‘We spoke to the pain we and our community have been through.
‘This mural was never about attacking religion – it was about honoring our friend and community icon.
‘We were allowed to talk about George’s generosity and his support for the community, that the mural framed him as a saint because he is a saint for us,’ the resident said.
Same-sex marriage in Australia causes division
The vandalism occurred in the midst of a divisive public debate around same-sex marriage in Australia at the end of last year.
Australia held an expensive taxpayer-funded public postal survey on marriage equality, which caused huge debate across the country.
Hunt said: ‘The attacks and murderous threats in relation to the St George mural from the repulsive extremist organisation Christian Lives Matter came at the dirty end of the postal survey.’
Photo: Stereogamous / Twitter
The queer resident of the mural also agreed: ‘The post-marriage survey attacks meant, as a community, our safe and sacred space was taken from us with force. LGBTIQA people don’t have our own churches, RSLs or spaces to reflect or grieve together.
‘The ruling today demonstrated that we as queer people are protected by law living in a pluralist society,’ the resident said.
Hunt concluded: ‘A wonderful outcome at Newton Court, with wonderful friends all in our St George T-shirts, with well-earned beers afterwards!’
— Pauline Pantsdown (@PPantsdown) July 27, 2018
The resident of the mural said on George Michael: ‘I know he’s watching and smiling today.
‘He’s living and burning brightly in so many of our hearts. That can never be painted over,’ the resident said.
Sentencing will come in September.
Gay Star News reached out to artist Scott Marsh for comment.
