Penny Wong ‘a disgrace’
Openly gay federal climate change minister Penny Wong is facing a barrage of community criticism tonight following her public declaration of support for the Gillard Government’s stand against gay marriage today.
On Channel Ten this morning Senator Wong said she respected Labor’s view of marriage as an institution between a man and a woman.
‘‘On the issue of marriage I think the reality is there is a cultural, religious, historical view around that which we have to respect”, she said.
Australian Marriage Equality spokesperson, Alex Greenwich, said Senator Wong’s rationale for opposing marriage equality is deeply hypocritical.
“It was once the ‘cultural, religious and historical view’ that women should not be members of parliament, Asians should not be allowed into Australia, and lesbians shouldn’t even exist, yet thankfully all that changed allowing people like Penny Wong to contribute to Australian society at the highest level.”
“By opposing marriage equality, Penny Wong has betrayed gay and lesbian Australians, and by using culture, religion and history to justify this opposition she has betrayed the principles of tolerance and inclusion that have given her immense opportunities as a lesbian woman of Chinese descent.”
“If culture, religion and history were sound reasons for upholding discrimination there would be no Senator Penny Wong.”
David Polson was more direct. “Penny Wong is a disgrace. Yet another reason to vote for The Greens in the Senate,” he wrote to the Sydney Star Observer after Wong’s comments.
Scott Hill from Paddington also wrote to the paper immediately after Wong’s comments.
“Your rationale that there are ‘cultural, religious, historical view(s) around that which we have to respect’ is simply not good enough.
“We ask you therefore whether you would have opposed enfranchisement for women, which was in opposition to ‘existing cultural, religious, historical views’.
“Naturally you would also have opposed the end to slavery, as there were also ‘cultural, religious (and) historical views’ that wanted it kept.
“We live in the 21st century. It is time Labor, followed the example of Britain and so many other countries and dragged itself out of the 18th. “
Penny Wong says she is a practicing Christian and attends the Pilgrim Uniting Church in Adelaide. She asked us to respect her Church views, and the cultural and traditional views of Australians. She has also asked us to accept the Labor Party position of such discrimination.
The Church has never ever owned Marriage. I am not going to let them try and start now. Even Imperial China had Same-Sex Marriage. It is simple. You hire a Celebrant, have your celebration and sign the certificate. No brainier really. No fuss, no need for the Church. Millions of Australians have been married this way. No need for discrimination either. The bigots can fuck off.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Wong
http://www.pilgrim.org.au/symposium/
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/married-to-the-mob-20100726-10r77.html?comments=46
I am angry at Penny Wong as she spoke about her personal views, not just that of her Party. She has spoken out against us to the Australian people and the Labor Party arguing we should not have the right Marry.
What traditional Australia is Penny talking about? The one that did not accept people who were not white? The Australia that did not allow women to vote? I am just not sure what tradition she is talking about. Marriage in Australia has always been changing to meet to the needs of our society. Buddhist can now get hitched with no fuss at all.
Penny Wong has given a voice to the Christian Right that seeks intolerance and injustice to Australians. Mal who wrote into this forum would not of done so had Penny not given him a voice. They have lit up forums across newspaper websites supporting Penny and talking of hate. She has given a voice to every nutter in the country, to every voice of Christian hate. She has sided with The Australian Christian Lobby against us.
If she is looking for empathy, I do not have it. I am all out of love for her. She has crossed a line with our community that should never be crossed. You do not use your sexuality against the community. It is a bit like an ex gay saying we can all change if we try hard enough rather then saying I was bisexual and did not understand my sexuality. I have no doubt hate crimes will now rise with voice Penny Wong has given the Christian Right.
I am voting Green. I am sending a message. If I have Democrats on my ballot paper I will put them next, then a lot of candidates and Labor and Liberal Last. This is because intolerance is the last thing Australia needs in the battle for Same-Sex Marriage. Penny has given a great voice to intolerance.
Penny Wong says she is a practicing Christian and attends the Pilgrim Uniting Church in Adelaide. She asked us to respect her Church views, and the cultural and traditional views of Australians. She has also asked us to accept the Labor Party position of such discrimination.
The Church has never ever owned Marriage. I am not going to let them try and start now. Even Imperial China had Same-Sex Marriage. It is simple. You hire a Celebrant, have your celebration and sign the certificate. No brainier really. No fuss, no need for the Church. Millions of Australians have been married this way. No need for discrimination either. The bigots can fuck off.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_Wong
http://www.pilgrim.org.au/symposium/
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/married-to-the-mob-20100726-10r77.html?comments=46
I am angry at Penny Wong as she spoke about her personal views, not just that of her Party. She has spoken out against us to the Australian people and the Labor Party arguing we should not have the right Marry.
What traditional Australia is Penny talking about? The one that did not accept people who were not white? The Australia that did not allow women to vote? I am just not sure what tradition she is talking about. Marriage in Australia has always been changing to meet to the needs of our society. Buddhist can now get hitched with no fuss at all.
Penny Wong has given a voice to the Christian Right that seeks intolerance and injustice to Australians. Mal who wrote into this forum would not of done so had Penny not given him a voice. They have lit up forums across newspaper websites supporting Penny and talking of hate. She has given a voice to every nutter in the country, to every voice of Christian hate. She has sided with The Australian Christian Lobby against us.
If she is looking for empathy, I do not have it. I am all out of love for her. She has crossed a line with our community that should never be crossed. You do not use your sexuality against the community. It is a bit like an ex gay saying we can all change if we try hard enough rather then saying I was bisexual and did not understand my sexuality. I have no doubt hate crimes will now rise with voice Penny Wong has given the Christian Right.
I am voting Green. I am sending a message. If I have Decomocrates on my ballot paper I will put them next, then a lot of candidates and Labor and Liberal Last. This is because intolerance is the last thing Australia needs in the battle for Same-Sex Marriage. Penny has given a great voice to intolerance.
http://www.gaychristian.net/justins_view.php
penny can be both gay and christian
Greg Adkins, Pte Dillon and I will be discussing the Wong issue tonight on Grumpy Old Poufs, on Joy 94.9 8-9pm tonight,streaming live http://www.joy.org.au/listenlive.
RALLY FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
1PM, SATURDAY AUGUST 14
STATE LIBRARY, MELBOURNE
One week before the election.
Let’s keep the pressure on!
Let us all support the party that celebrates all the majestic colours of the rainbow. Not those that are colourblind.
It is an appreciation of our differences that make us strong. It is our diversity we should celebrate. We have come so far down the Yellow Brick Road road we cannot go back into the closet. We must rise up and let the Labor Party know we will not lower ourselves to their level, and support policies that seek to deny us our basic rights. We will not support a Party that seeks to discriminate.
Let us soar above the clouds and give support to the Greens. Email Labor and let them know, ring the radio stations, tell them of the Civil Marriages that people have without Churches all the time. Our love is valid, our relationships should be celebrated.
Never give up. Never feel down about this. For all this exposes the hate of the some Churches. It has exposed the hate of some political parties to the community. It will be their downfall and not ours.
It has become their problem now. Do not despair and sit back and enjoy the ride to equality. Have a laugh. Be yourself. Be proud of our great march forward. I want you all not to feel to down about this. Remember we are all in this together. You have friends.
I believe that we are mostly tossing the baby out with the bathwater, here. Not EVERY GLBTQII person WANTS same-sex marriage rights. Maybe Penny is right. Maybe to argue for something so outdated, perverse and destructive as being allowed to pledge our love for our partners, playing dress up, in front of an invisible friend IS wong… (oops, sorry) WRONG! It’s like arguing to try to bring back child labour… We ALL know it’s wrong! If we argue (and we do) that religion should NOT be allowed a voice in the political arena (no matter how much we know this is a joke and happens anyway), how can we THEN be so hypocritical as to expect the religious zealots (who we already know have heads full of nonsense) to accept politics influencing religion? Let them keep their dying, dysfunctional beliefs (43% failure rate is HIGH) – and let’s ask (no DEMAND) the politicians fight for something that has REAL meaning. Civil Unions for everybody.
Shame . . . what a hypocrite . . .
Obviously someone forgot their lesson on fallacies.
Sorry Penny, now I know I am voting for the Greens.
As I live in the seat of Melbourne, my vote means something.
Dear Penny,
For a long time you gave me hope that Labor might soon see the light. However instead they have pulled you in to the darkness, making me further disillusioned with the party.
I shake my head at you
Ms Penny Wong,
Argentina in May 2010 has become the first Latin American country to legalise gay marriage after the Senate approved the bill.
In the debate leading up to the subsequent vote in parliament, the church ‘religious’ views were reported;
“Argentina’s highest-ranking Catholic prelate has warned that the country’s gay marriage bill is a “machination” of the devil. We are not talking about a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God.”
I really hope the above paragraph resonates with you, as this is the religious point of view, that you have so willing subscribed to.
Good Luck and i really hope your voted out of parliament, you seem to be another muppet.
I find this an absolutely disgusting hypocritical display of self serving arse kissing with the sole intention of being “kissing up to the boss”.
It’s absolutely revolting and SPITS in the faces of every GLBTI that has fought and bled for recognition and equal rights!
Penny Wong, you DO NOT speak for us! You don’t deserve your position as a representative of the people. There’s a word for someone who’s done what you’ve done… TRAITOR.
Treason is a serious offence and I certainly hope your political career PLUMMETS and that we can find someone who won’t tuck their tail between their legs and change tunes JUST because their Boss expresses a certain point if view.
Come to think of it… Hmm Julia… With a hairdresser?? Athiest??? Semi butch?? Is it possible that SHE could be a bit so-so???
Maybe you should both support gay marriage and get hitched!!! Seems like you’d make a good couple….
The Greens are the only Party that is advocating in Parliament and in the community for our rights.
Labor is offering four years of doing nothing. They have only offered to deny our rights for years.
The Liberal Leader worships a Nazi Pope that has upset a majority of Catholics in Australia.
I will be placing my vote with a Party that supports equality. I will not accept any second rate system such as Civil Unions. Civil Marriages happen all the time in Australia without the intrusion of the Church. Marriage has never ever belong to the Christian Church.
Our love for our partners is not second rate, it is the same as the next couple. Wong is trying to say our love is not as valid as a heterosexual couple. She is using lies about the history of Same-Sex Marriage to justify her deep loathing of herself.
Well I am gay and proud of it.
Penny Wong you disgust me! Is it not enough to experience homophobia from others, but now we get it from one of our own?! Is being a decent loving human being not worth more to you than being a politician? I hope at the end of your days you can find peace with this, because I can’t.
Good grief…
Penny is at least being out there concerning her stand, or lack there of. Sex over sexuality rules in her notion of identity. Her Burnside blue-stone and senior public servant partner is consistent with the socio-pathic leach factor. Hope she will toss us cake as she feasts on the spoils of her superannuation.
Bottom line – never trust a politician.
Oh dear Penny you couldn’t be more WONG if you tried.Just ONE MORE instance of religeon interfearing in a SECULAR Government. The opening lines of the oath of citenship and the opening of Parliament with the lords prayer just 2 more instances. But then again Parliamant is FULL of hypocrisy, just look at Miss Wong dressing like a man, short male haircut, no make-up etc etc etc. If a gay male parliamentarian dressed in drag every day WHAT AN OUTCRY there would be.
Penny Wong has taken a cheap way out by using cultural, religious, historical views. Think of something new. Not even Miss Gillard took that path.
You should be ashamed on yourself Penny Wong!!!
Vote Greens
Penny Wong, there’s a difference between towing the party line and presenting a bigoted argument for anti-gay advocates to use as fodder. Shame on you!
I can’t believe Penny Wong can even argue this line about respecting the “cultural, religious, historical view”.
Using this rational Penny you wouldn’t be able to vote, let alone stand for parliament unless the “cultural and historical” status quo had not been challenged and changed in 1901.
And considering marriage is a legal contract entered into, a religious argument is not relevant.
Penny, the world changes as we become more enlightened. You would do well to do the same.
Whatever your personal opinion, how about respecting the majority of the gay community who DO believe they should have the same rights everyone else.
So I wonder, what would happen if she and her partner needed help as gay women from the GLBTI community…. would we help then?
Penny is so Wong. Imperial China had Same-Sex Marriage. The Church has never ever owned Marriage.
She says she is a practicing Christian well she should not impose her lifestyle on the majority of Australians.
Civil Marriages happen all the time with no Church intrusion.
Penny is just trying to cling to power no matter who she hurts. If she had any dignity or self respect she would resign.