Sen. Anning’s Egg in the Head Reminds Us of Anita Bryant’s Pie in the Face

Right-wing Australian Senator Fraser Anning has gained global attention for taking an egg to the face reminiscent of the pie chucking that singer-turned-infamous homophobe Anita Bryant experienced 40 years ago.

Sen. Anning, who represents Queensland, Australia, was in the midst of an interview about the devastating Christchurch mosque shootings, in which it was reported that 49 people were murdered and more than 48 were injured, on Saturday morning. Then, a 17-year-old boy smacked him in the back of the head with the egg on camera. Video of the incident has circulated widely on social media.

It is believed the young man committed the action in response to Sen. Anning's Islamophobic, anti-immigrant statements made in the aftermath of the shootings, in which he blamed the praying victims over the white supremacist terrorists who carried out the attacks.

On March 15, he released an official statement on the attacks with lines saying: "As always, left-wing politicians and the media will rush to claim that the causes of today's shootings lie with gun laws or those who hold nationalist views but this is all cliched nonsense.

"The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place."

The young man who hurled the egg is being widely celebrated online as "eggboy," and his actions draw a deep connection to Tom Higgins, the gay rights activist who, during a televised press conference, threw a pie at Bryant in October 1977.

As the leader of Save Our Children, Inc. (a coalition formed to repeal a gay rights ordinance enacted by Miami-Dade County), Bryant was staunchly outspoken against legal protections for people on the basis of sexual orientation.

Bryant's career and personal life took major hits after her public work against the LGBTQ+ community. Today, she still runs Anita Bryant Ministries International, but is remembered largely as a testament to bigotry. Only time will tell us how Sen. Anning will fare in his own xenophobic crusade.

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