Telstra, Australia’s largest telco, just backtracked on its support for marriage equality under Catholic Church pressure.

After being an outspoken supporter for same-sex marriage and sponsoring an Australian Marriage Equality ad last May, Telstra says it now “has no further plans to figure prominently in the wider public debate.”  

The Australian reports that the Archdiocese of Sydney business manager Michael Digges threatened to cancel its contracts with Telstra due to its LGBTQIA advocacy. But if Telstra is truly committed to marriage equality, it shouldn’t throw its values under the bus just to keep raking in the Church’s subscription fees.

Sign the petition to tell Telstra not to give into the Church’s bullying and maintain its position on marriage equality.

Telstra has contracts for all Catholic schools across the country, which Digges allegedly implied would be canceled if Telstra continued to outwardly support marriage equality.

Meanwhile, Telstra and the Catholic Church are wildly out of step with the Australian people. A record high 68 percent of Australians and a majority of Christians in Australia support marriage equality. Telstra competitors Vodafone and Optus are also strong supporters of LGBTQ rights.   

A Telstra spokesman said in a statement that the company “places great importance on diversity and standing against discrimination, in all its forms.” If that’s true, then Telstra would stand up to the Catholic Church’s bullying and recommit its support for marriage equality.