Adoption review’s public submissions could attract homophobic abuse: advocacy group
Image: Parliament House of Victoria. (Source: Wikipedia Creative Commons)
INCLUDING public submissions in the Victorian Government’s review into adoption equality opens rainbow families up to potentially homophobic abuse, according to an advocacy group.
The government announced on Saturday a review of Victoria’s adoption laws, open to public submissions, to “consider the legal changes required” to permit adoption equality.
Community advocacy organisation Rainbow Families Council said that while they welcomed the government’s steps towards legislative change, they were concerned the review could attract negative contributions.
“Unfortunately, making it a public review also provides an opportunity for people to submit negative, homophobic or offensive submissions,” co-convenor Brian Barry said.
“We understand the government has already received some posts of this nature on social media.
“We are hopeful that rainbow families will be shielded from offensive submissions to the review and that the processes of making submissions respects the privacy and vulnerability of some families potentially affected by this legislative change.”
Rainbow Families Council had expressed concern prior to last year’s state election a review into adoption could further delay legislative change on the issue.
Adoption equality was a key election commitment from the Labor Government, which has promised the review will determine the best way to legislate on the issue, not whether to allow adoption equality at all.
Despite some concerns, community organisations have welcomed the announcement.
“There are hundreds of children living in rainbow families across Victoria who will positively benefit from this important reform,” Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby co-convenor Corey Irlam said.
“Children on permanent care orders who may become eligible for adoption by their carers; children with step-parents; children who may need to be adopted by family members — Victoria needs to provide these children the legal certainty of two parents.”
Law reform would bring Victoria into line with Tasmania, Western Australia, ACT and NSW, all of which allow same-sex couples to adopt.
Of course it would be hypocritical to complain about “negative, homophobic or offensive submissions” whilst also complaining about political correctness (aka good manners) and curbs on freedom of speech.
my apologies if this appears as spam to some; https://www.change.org/p/hon-jay-weatherill-end-discrimination-legalise-adoption-for-same-sex-couples-in-south-australia
Let them all come out with their pitchforks and burning torches. Get it off their chests and then we can all move on.
We must allow concerns to be raised in order that those concerns can be exploded.
Sadly, there will be ‘cranks’ as Chris points out and as has been seen in other jurisdictions, this will be played out if not in the submissions, elsewhere.
The thing is the crankier the cranks get the more they highlight the weakness of their objections and those in the middle get to see the the reality of the injustice.
One of the biggest problems with inequality, bias, prejudice and bigotry is its insidiousness. The quiet acceptance of an apparently reasonable argument which allows and supports inequality is the reason it persists and we all become complicit as a result. Brining issues into the open and giving them a full airing is to be applauded.
In a democracy, engaging in the political process has to allow for the other view to be heard. That said, enquiries usually set guidelines for submissions to screen out the cranks, and I am sure this one will too.
All the Government of Victoria has to do is repeal the words “de facto spouse” within the VIC Adoption Act 1984 – and replace those words with “domestic partner” – SIMPLE!
This is just a “procrastination or delay tactic” within government to appease the bigots and homophobic preachers like Tony Abbott!
It was an election PROMISE by Labor to have adoption equality. Now it seems that now they are in government – they are having second thoughts on this “tricky issue” area of adoption equality!
And by the way, I fully 100% support adoption and marriage equality and adoption equality is already legal in WA, ACT, TAS and right here in NSW!