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Man Who Bombed Australian Christian Group Accused Of Being "Gay Activist"

A report allegedly noted that Jaden Duong was "‘not a huge fan’ of the Australian Christian Lobby... due to their beliefs and position on sexuality.”

An Australian man standing trial for setting fire to his car outside a Christian group's headquarters reportedly had a problem with the organization's position on homosexuality.

In December 2016, Jaden Duong blew up gas canisters inside a van parked outside the Canberra offices of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL). Duong, 36, was badly burned during the incident and is currently standing trial for arson and property damages.

Police maintain the incident was an elaborate suicide attempt, not a politically motivated act of terrorism. But right-wing outlets like Breitbart.com and The Australian contend Duong was a "gay activist" intent on cowing opponents of LGBT rights.

SEAN DAVEY/AFP/Getty Images

A general view shows damage to the Australian Christian Lobby after a burning van hit the group's headquarters in Canberra on December 22, 2016.A burning van has hit the headquarters of an Australian Christian lobby group, with its defiant head on December 22 saying the organisation received death threats over its stance on same-sex marriage. / AFP / Sean Davey (Photo credit should read SEAN DAVEY/AFP/Getty Images)

The Australian, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, reports Duong once volunteered for the campaign of San Francisco "gay ­activist politician" David Chiu. (Chiu is actually straight.) It also noted he was a member of StartOut, a group offering “education, networking and mentorship" for LGBT business leaders, and he entered the Mr. Gay Asian Pacific Alliance contest in 2014.

Notes from Concord Hospital, where Duong was treated, allegedly indicate “he is ‘not a huge fan’ of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), or religion in general, due to their beliefs and position on sexuality.”

The records also indicate Duong had attempted suicide previously and ­chose to park outside the ACL ­spontaneously.

According to Breitbart, though, Duong researched online how to make plastic explosives and pressure-cooker bombs, and looked up countries that had marriage equality.

A month before the December 21 attack, he reportedly also searched for “Australian Christian Lobby.”

But after interviewing Duong, a former IT manager, police in the Australian Capital Territory claimed his intention was only "to commit suicide by blowing himself up." In a statement, authorities reported "The actions of the individual were not politically, religiously or ideologically motivated."

SEAN DAVEY/AFP/Getty Images

Lyle Shelton, managing director at the Australian Christian Lobby inspects the damage after a burning van hit the group's headquarters in Canberra on December 22, 2016.A burning van has hit the headquarters of an Australian Christian lobby group, with its defiant head on December 22 saying the organisation received death threats over its stance on same-sex marriage. / AFP / Sean Davey (Photo credit should read SEAN DAVEY/AFP/Getty Images)

But ACL director Lyle Shelton (above) has criticized that assertian. “I am... concerned that the police continue to refer to the incident, which blew out thick glass windows on the ground floor and first floor of our office, as a ‘car fire.'”

Earlier this week, The Australian also reported several envelopes containing white powder were addressed to ACL's offices, but were intercepted at the post office.

Shelton claims it was the latest in an ongoing campaign of terror against the group for its opposition to marriage equality, which the public is slated to vote on next month.

“It feels like there are people trying to intimidate us into silence,” he said. “Our staff have had to endure death threats, we’ve had a car bombing, we’ve had eggs thrown at the office, as well as packages of glitter that keep arriving which our staff don’t open."

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