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Greens introduce marriage equality in Australia

Discussion in 'Current Events, World News, & LGBT News' started by BitterEdge, Jul 9, 2009.

  1. BitterEdge

    BitterEdge Guest

  2. Fiender

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    Oh what lovely comments below the article. :eusa_doh:
     
  3. tomahto72

    tomahto72 Guest

    Ahhhhhh Sarah Hanson Young, she is an amazing senator!

    Hate to rain on the parade but its unlikely to pass. The Labour government (KRudd, in power atm) have majority in the senate/upper house. Which means to push it thru with majority they would not only need the coalitions (the opposition party at the mo) support but the dreaded Steve Fielding of the Family First Party or Nick Xenophon an independant senator.

    The Family First Party says it all, essentially high christian values and beliefs and all that jazz. The Coalition are likely to vote against it because it was THEM that put the ammendment in the marriage act in 2004 to stipulate marriage was between a man and a woman.

    But you never know with Malcolm Turnbull running the show, maybe they will go against some party values to defy the Labour Party??

    Its a step in the right direction though and its good that someone is putting it on the table
     
  4. Porphyrogenitus

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    Neither Labor or the Coalition are going to want to risk coming down solidly on either side of this at the moment; Turnbull especially is insecure (yet again). They'll all just sit on the fence and do nothing, I suspect.
     
  5. jony8472

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    Okkkay,
    This really gets a bee in my bonnet...
    I don't get how you can justify protesting for marriage...
    I get that it's time for equality, but why not settle for an equal rights union? Marriage, whether you like it or not, has religious foundings, and is very important to some people! To expect them to compromise their beliefs to suit OUR beliefs is just wrong!!
    I mean, (I realise how bad this example is but still...) you don't get women protesting for urinals in their bathrooms so their equal... they accept that there is differences and allowances have to be made for that.
    So, sorry for the rant, and yes, I believe there needs to be a marriage like ceremony for g/l people, but I cannot accept protesting to try and force people to compromise on their beliefs and values.

    Equality for one, equality for all!

    sorry for the rant... I still love you all, really!!
     
  6. Martin

    Board Member Admin Team Full Member

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    Marriage is not a religious concept in the slightest. Go back to before religion even played a part in society and you'll see marriage was a contract that allowed a father to sell his daughter, or to ensure that a son inherited land and wealth. Religion has adopted marriage as part of its foundation, but that doesn't mean they own it. It merely means they can attach their own norms and values to marriage and fit it inside their church. A definition of marriage is "An institution in which interpersonal relationships are legally recognised by the state". Nothing about gender, nothing about religion. All about the STATE. Marriage should be controlled by the state because they make the laws and they grant the legal rights to spouses. It's only because of religious influence that marriage regulations have adopted their values.

    Besides, it is absolutely impossible to leave religions to make their own marriage laws. Which religion do we choose? Do we let Catholics run the show? Muslims? Buddhists? Who?

    Marriage gives human rights. It is a universally accepted contract that cannot be disputed. You can argue about a seperate but equal policy as much as you like, but that institution is never going to be universally accepted. For example, here in the United Kingdom we have Civil Partnerships. Anybody outside the United Kingdom will be unfamiliar with what that institution actually offers, whereas if I was in a same-sex marriage we wouldn't be. There would be no question about what my relationship was to my spouse and how valid it is. You can't swap a universally accepted system for a seperate unknown system because it interferes with beliefs. Inter-racial marriage once upset the Ku Klux Klan because religious fundamentalists misinterpreted the bible and believed it to be morally wrong. We wouldn't let them regulate their own marriage laws, so why should any religion (regardless of how liberal or conservative they are) do the same?

    I'm all for religion keeping control of religious marriages, but they have no right to deny any couple a civil marriage. A civil marriage does not force any church to recognise or perform a same-sex marriage, so their arguments are redundant. Their beliefs should only affect their religious institution, not wider society.
     
  7. dude99

    dude99 Guest

    Well I know the Greens want to push gay marriage, however its going to go through for at over 8 years now. Amon is right and the major parties have not taken a stance on it, and yes they are just fence sitters on the subject. To get it through it has to have backing from at least one of the major parties.
     
  8. Just Adam

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    freedom is the right of all sentient beeings ~ optimus prime XD

    and freedom to fprm a bonding contract with the person we love is a right we deserve as the marriage contract should between 2 people and the state to recognise it.... martins right and as ive said before you can have your religious marriage but you dont own it.
     
  9. dictionary

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    Despite the fact I don't like the Greens Imparticulary Sarah Hanson Young (for the child in parliament thing)

    It would have to be a mirical for it to pass (come on Marry Mac Killiop) For it to pass it would need the support of Labor+Greens+Nick Xenaphon+"Family"First's Steve Feilding or as i like to call him Mr 2% in the Senate

    Rudd certinly isn't pro gay marrige however unlike John W Howard he hasent overulled the ACT's civil partnership bill.. and "as of 2009, same-sex couples receive the same level of recognition as opposite-sex couples in federal legislation including tax, health, superannuation, and aged care."

    I don't think this is yet a popular enough issue for the government to act on.... there inst widespread outrage that gays can't marry like there was in reltation to indiginious rights/ sorry/ climate change/ workchoices like for instance i have seen some pols that have said that 70% of australians support gay marrige but of recent times i have seen statistics of as low as 50-55% of australian's who support it...

    I doubt that Malcom in the aftermath of the Aus Car Scandal and his lowest popularity poll yet will tempt his Conservitive Voters by voting for it

    Nor can i see labor who will lead australia into its largest peace time debt with net debt that will total close to 300 billion will risk doing something that will harm its election fortunes... well i don't think so

    Idealy they would pass it in my oppinion, but realisticly it wont be... don't worry when i am PM i will force them to vote for it...
     
  10. George1

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    I cried when I read that. As much as I want it to pass, it's like dangling a lollypop in front of a child and not giving it to them. This probably won't pass thanks to Kevin's stance on gay rights and the Coalition's view on it as well, mixed in with Family First.. Still, stranger things have happened in politics.
     
  11. BitterEdge

    BitterEdge Guest

    I know it is unlikely to pass, but it's nice to see that some politicians get it.