LGBTQIA Nation reports that Jason Virgo has secured his first state-level election victory, winning a seat in the South Australian House of Assembly for a rural constituency as a member of the right-populist One Nation party. His maiden speech in parliament, however, took many by surprise.
"The reality is I have been openly gay throughout my entire adult life," he said, becoming visibly emotional as he spoke about his partner of 11 years, a man who was "born in Indonesia, a Muslim, and is now a proud Australian."
Virgo has been involved in politics for several years. He has served on Mount Gambier City Council since 2023, and previously belonged to the Australian Sex Party in 2013 and the centre-left Labor Party. In 2011, he helped organise a rally for the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, which faced opposition from Christian conservative groups.
Now, however, he represents One Nation—a party founded in 2015 on a platform opposing multiculturalism, immigration (particularly from Asia), climate action, reproductive rights, "critical race theory," and economic liberalism. The party has no formal position on same-sex marriage, though many of its members oppose it.
Virgo won his state seat in the March 2026 elections and promptly resigned from his council position.
During his first speech in the state house, he addressed rumours that had circulated during his campaign. "People were going around the electorate telling people I was gay," he recounted, describing a phone call from a "lovely woman" who alerted him to the gossip. "I guess I'll never know if it was intended maliciously, but that was the impression I got from that conversation."
He explained that he did not raise the issue during his campaign because he does not "wave the flag in the air as I walk down the street" and prefers "people to find out these things naturally." His campaign website makes no mention of his partner and includes no photographs of the two together, despite containing several paragraphs about his personal history.
Virgo then spoke directly about his partner, describing how they have "built a life together." This revelation sits at odds with One Nation's stance against Asian immigration and its history of Islamophobic rhetoric.
"You are the love of my life, by my side," he said, addressing his partner with emotion. "Our closest friendship circle was made largely of immigrants from China, India, and the Philippines. I am deeply thankful for their support."
He went on to say, "I love migrants. The overwhelming majority are simply searching for a better life." However, he added, "But two things can be true at once. And I do believe migration levels in recent years have been too high."
Virgo argued that the country should prioritise "housing and opportunity" for Australian citizens "first" and that immigrants should "respect our way of life." He claimed that support for One Nation among immigrant communities is growing.
Party Leader's Past Comments on Same-Sex Marriage
One Nation was founded by Australian Senator Pauline Hanson, who has previously claimed that legalising same-sex marriage would harm children and "open up a can of worms," potentially leading to the legalisation of polygamy and paedophilia. She also argued that it would harm businesses with religious objections.
"I have no problems with people being in love and doing what they want to, but why do you have to put this push on the majority of the population?" she said in the past. She also expressed concern about children in schools being asked to draw their family and not having a "mum and dad."
Marriage equality was legalised in Australia in 2017. Nearly a decade later, polygamy and child sex abuse remain illegal in the country.
The leader of the South Australian One Nation Party, Cory Bernardi, also opposes same-sex marriage and helped organise rallies against it during the 2010s, according to the Star Observer.
