Prime Minister Julia Gillard has declared that marriage rights for same-sex couples are incompatible with Australian culture and heritage one day after hundreds demanded their rights in Sydney and Brisbane.
“I do find myself on the conservative side in this question … because of the way our society is and how we got here,” Gillard told Sky News on Sunday.
“There are some important things from our past that need to continue to be part of our present and part of our future.”
When asked if she was expressing a personal view or what she thought Australians wanted to hear, Gillard said she would have said the same thing had she never entered politics, pitching herself as a social conservative.
“I had a pro-union pro-Labor upbringing in a quite conservative family in the sense of personal values,” Gillard said.
“If I was in a different walk of life, if I’d continued in the law and was a partner of a law firm now, I would express the same view.
“I think for our culture, for our heritage, the Marriage Act and marriage being between a man and a woman has a special status … I know that people might look at me and think that’s something that they wouldn’t necessarily expect me to say but that is what I believe.
“I’m on the record as saying things like I think it’s important that people understand their Bible stories. Not because I’m an advocate of religion — clearly I’m not — but once again, what comes from the Bible has formed such an important part of our culture.”
Only the day before crowds of around 400 gathered at the Sydney Town Hall before marching to Taylor Square and in Brisbane’s Queen Park.
In Sydney, speakers from New Mardi Gras, Australian Marriage Equality urged people to contact their MPs and lobby them directly, while Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann warned of the danger of a conservative-controlled Upper House after the NSW state election.
“The influence of people like Fred Nile and the Christian Democratic party may only get stronger after this election,” Faehrmann said.
“What we’re hearing is that not only will the Coalition probably win government but they may also win control of the Upper House with the support of the Christian Democratic Party and the Shooters and Fishers. The only way to stop that is to make sure that everyone you know votes progressive in the Upper House. That’s probably more important than what you do with your Lower House vote.”
Faehrmann and Sydney MP Clover Moore both pledged to introduce legislation to create marriage equality at a state level if the federal Government failed to act.
Hi everyone it’s me again, this time on the lighter side. I found a great overview on google why gay marriage is also “un-American”, I think our PM must have been getting some insights into the problem areas – happy reading:
(1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
(2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
(3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
(4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can’t marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
(5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
(6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn’t be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren’t full yet, and the world needs more children.
(7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
(8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.
(9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
(10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven’t adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.
what the hell is that woman thinking? i’m ashamed to share a hair colour with her. in my opinion who we as australians marry, same sex or not, is our own business. we need a new PM. I thought it was a landmark in history that a female was elected PM, but now i want a do-over. she doesnt deserve that honour. i didn’t vote in the last election taking a stand against this pathetic excuse of a democracy, but i definitely will in the next. that bitch is going DOWN!
Do not worry we will win. The stupid comments by Gillard mean so much oxygen is going to be taken away from her media time, talking about this over and over and over. For what other Bible stories does she want people to follow?
It will hurt Labor in the long run, it will damage them in the polls, it will show the cruelty of Labor to all.
The crazy comments by Gillard will cost her the leadership as others will be able to build a case against her within the party and outside of it.
Who can blame anyone for knocking on her office door at night and taking the leadership Gillard style!
If she want people understand the bibles, then she should’ve marry her boyfriend before live together with him, according to bible living with someone without married is a sin or should we say “un-Australian”. She is a hypocrite.
I can’t believe a PM in a developed country gave such a stupid comment…!
Whatever happened to the separation of state and religion?
Gillard chose to use the language of hate surrounding the hysteria of AIDS in the 80′s with the “Go look up the Bible for the lessons on that sort of thing” comments.
Same sex marriage is unAustralian, male to male sex is not very popular among straight males in this country, God Himself hates it and if this is passed in the Parliament, Satan, will have obtained a foothold over this nation, resulting in more natural disasters and an economic collapse, you might want this but I definately don’t, its fair to say that the ALP have handed, Tony Abbott, the 2013 Election victory on a gold plate, very stupid.
I think what you guys are saying is horrible, it is simply hypocritical all talking about respect for all humans while still maintaining Julia Gillard is a Bitch, it is disguting to see such rude language directed toward someone who trys to make Australia a better place & HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR OUR PM whether you agree with her ideas or not!