National Day of Action Against High Court block

National Day of Action Against High Court block

MarriageRallyNationwide protests have been planned for next month in response to the Federal Government’s attempts to have the High Court quash recently enacted same sex marriage laws.

The rallies, set to take place in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth on November 23, will call for marriage laws – such as those recently passed by the ACT Parliament and to soon be considered by NSW’s parliament – to be upheld while also highlighting the need for reforms at a federal level.

A High Court challenge launched by Attorney-General George Brandis against the constitutional validity of the ACT’s Marriage Equality Same-Sex Bill is set to be heard as soon as early December of this year, according to a spokesperson at the High Court, although this subject to a further directions hearing on 4 November.

Cat Rose, co-convener of Community Action Against Homophobia, said the success of the ACT legislation on October 22 was a “historic day”, but it was likely that state or territory-based same-sex marriage laws will not provide full marriage equality, particularly for transgender or intersex people.

“There are going to be big problems with two tiers of governmental recognition of marriage – people who transition from one sex to another will have to divorce from their current marriage and then remarry with a different government. We need marriage laws that don’t force people into rigid expectations of bodily sex,” Rose said.

“Successive ALP and Liberal governments have presided over a whole raft of laws and practices that are particularly oppressive and discriminatory to transgender and intersex people. The huge inadequacy of ‘same-sex’ marriage laws for them highlight why even people in the ACT can’t call it quits from here. Leaving trans and intersex people behind is not part of our marriage equality vision. We don’t leave anyone behind.”

The planned protests come as almost 25,000 people have signed a petition organised by LGBTI advocacy group All Out calling on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to stop his moves to block state or territory-based same-sex marriage laws through action in the High Court.

All Out’s lead Australian campaigner, Hayley Conway, said Abbott should not stand in the way of progress.

“If he continues to stand against loving Australian couples and their children, history will leave him behind,” Conway said. “Equality is in Australia’s future, whether Abbott is part of the future or part of the past is up to him.”

INFO: Protests commence at 1pm (local time) at all locations on November 23

Sydney, Town Hall

Melbourne, State Library

Brisbane, Queens Park

Perth, Sterling Gardens

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3 responses to “National Day of Action Against High Court block”

  1. Pity that many of our politicians are soaked in the constraint of their religion. It makes it difficult these day to serve the greater
    good and give equal civic rights to a small segment of the population LGBT. Abbot has a hard time to step into the 21st Century still lingering in a medieval religious reactionary time.

  2. Rallies play a role but the smartest thing every gay and lesbian can do to assist there reforms is to meet with their State and Federal MP and Senators and tell their personal story and why this reform is so important.

    Write letters to your local members and to Tony Abbott’s office.

    We have already won the hearts and minds of the average Australian and we now need to push Parliamentarians so they can catch up with the rest of us.

    This change will happen but it requires action and energy. Lets keep pushing so we will finally be equal in the eys of the law.

    Best wishes to all!

  3. I “Applaud” the Couples preparing to get married,as it’s turning the Wider Community’s perception that Gays & lesbians live a loose lifestyle of one shag after another and no morality.
    Congratulations to the couples involved,their a shining a beacon and a ray of hope to our community,showing the world that being Gay is not about living on gay apps like Grinder,Gaydar,Scruff,Hornet and numerous others and constantly surfing GAY Pornsites,searching for something other then COMMITMENT and MONOGAMY.
    It’s a new chapter in the Rainbow Community,a new beginning,at last,something the “Wider Community” can support us on,MARRIED LIFE !!!
    Thankyou